DEAR SUN SPOTS: I was hoping that you could help us find an e-mail address or even a mailing address for Sony. We have been having an issue with our Sony Bravia television that we bought in February.

Sony has agreed to replace our television. But we have had to wait two weeks for the replacement while having to deal with the broken television always turning off on us. I want to let them know that we could have had a service number given to us and exchanged it at the store we bought it at, but no they wouldn’t do that for us. We had to deal with the problem and wait two weeks for them to ship us one from San Diego.

I would like to let someone above customer service be aware of these issues. Thank you for any help. Please sign. — No Name via e-mail

ANSWER: Sun Spots feels confident that the bosses at Sony are aware of the policy for replacing defective electronics. This is pretty much standard practice unless you buy an additional or express warranty or your product dies within the store’s allotted time for returns, often just 30 or 60 days.

For example, Mr. Sun Spots cannot be without his electronics for even a day because they are part of his work, so when he buys a computer or a GPS or other electronic item, he pays extra for the store warranty, or in the case of his computers, on-site service warranties. If he has a problem, they come right to his office — they even came to the house to fix his laptop!

Sun Spots, on the other hand, cannot justify that expense. Recently her computer monitor caught on fire. It was still under warranty, and Samsung agreed to replace it. They paid for the shipping, but Sun Spots had to box it up and take it to UPS and wait a couple weeks to get it back. Fortunately, Mr. Sun Spots was able to loan her a monitor so she could continue to pass on pearls of wisdom in this column.

Sun Spots suspects that this is all part of a plot to encourage consumers to buy upgraded and extended warranties. Consumers can fight back. You can write your letter to the bosses at Sony, letting them know how annoyed you are at having to be without your TV. If enough people do the same, it’s possible the policies could change.

Another possibility is strengthened consumer protection laws. Maine is very good at protecting its consumers, but currently, according to the Consumer Protection Service of the Maine Attorney General’s Office, there are no rules defining the timing of warranty replacements unless you have an express warranty.

If you want to write to Sony, you can address Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President, 1-7-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0075, Japan.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I enjoy reading your column and all your help to the community. I would like to let Maxine Herling of Durham know that I also make a natural bug spray. If she is interested, she may contact me at herb.connection@yahoo.com. Thank you and happy summer to all. — Claire Koski, 786-8707

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’m wondering if anyone would like to recycle their packing peanuts. I do lots of shipping, and it seems I am constantly in need of peanuts. I ask that they been clean and odor free. Thanks so much! — Linda Desrosier, Rusticpine@aol.com, 268-2912

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Minot Center Grange 266 has been having fundraisers to improve our Grange Hall. We are now looking for a used chairlift to accommodate those who are unable to climb the stairs from the dining hall to the upstairs meeting hall.

If anyone knows of one that may be available for us, please contact Eda Tripp, 425 Center Minot Hill Road, Minot, or by telephone, 346-0951. Thank you. — Esther Tucker via e-mail

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.