I will let you know.  I am sending back my 60GB PS3 this week.  I removed the 250 GB drive I had upgraded and replaced it with the original 60 Gigger.  Hopefully, they will just fix my faulty CPU/GPU fan and send the unit back.  I was thinking of making a thread so people could follow my experience with Sony Support, might help some folks that end up with a faulty console.

its because you own rock band. Your ps3 did you a favor. :P

I own Rock Band, I have RB2 enroute in the mail, I transferred my RB1 songs to HDD, plus I have about two dozen tracks I bought through PSN. Yes, I like my RB.

Bought GH-WT and it just wasn't the same as RB.

So yes; kind of a bad time for my PS3 to go kaput. Right in the middle of R2 no less(R2 kills PS3s; you heard this unsubstantiated rumor here first!).

Refurbed/repaired, whatever; I just ordered an MGS4 Gunmetal bundle. Goodbye BC, hello matte grey finish, good bye noisy fan, hello lower power consumption. At least it'll have a 320GB HDD.

I think I'll hold off on mailing that 60GB unit in for repair until I hear how your experience pans out.

Figure it (or a replacment) wouldn't be back in my hands playing games/movies in less time than it will take to deliver the new replacement I just ordered anyway.

If you get a refurbed 60GB unit back, consider mine in the mail.

Did you try giving Sony a call to see if they can repair it for free or if they can't replace your 60GB with another 60GB?

I'll give them a call tomorrow, but frankly, expecting a free repair on an almost two year old console seems like quite a stretch.

If I get the assurance that I'll be receiving a CECHA01 (60GB) model back, then of course I'll pay the $162/whatever for the refurb.

Come on the original 60 GB? Stay with it is the best PS3 released :o

My 40GB its blu ray player died after nearly 8 months old. Never ever I experienced consoles dying that fast. That's why I have on my 80GB PS3 now a 5 year warranty. If anything happens I don't have to pay within these 5 years. I got a replacement within 2 weeks from Sony and keep it now as reserved. Besides the very weak box they put the PS3 in, the service and console are both perfect!

Going off topic...

Agreed.  Things were so much simpler back then and in a lot of ways better.

Remember the three Rs of environmentalism reduce, reuse, recycle. While reduced power usage is environmentally good. Repair and reuse is more environmentally sound. Remember that recycling old hardware for reuse leaves a smaller carbon footprint in the environment.

Not repairing the unit means it must be properly disposed of that requires energy. The production of a new unit requires energy. More to the point you should have recycled your PS2 out months or years ago. Remember every component that is recycled is less material that must be mined and refined. Had you sold that console that would have been one less console that had to be manufactured.