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Ahoy XDA'ers,
I just wanted to document my recent experience with HTC tech support and how refreshing it was.
Now, as a frustrated iPhone jailbreaker I knew instantly that Apple would never have even touched my iPhone had they known I had jailbroken it.
So you can guess I was pretty excited to get my N1 when it was first released. Immediately out of the box I unlocked, rooted, and installed a custom ROM (CM FTW). Bluetooth, WiFi, everything was working great. About a week into using the phone I realized my Bluetooth had stopped working. Thinking it was something I had inadvertently done to the software, I tried reflashing everything back to stock install. Even using my initial nandroid backup. But to no avail and on the recommendation of this forum I contacted HTC with my issue.
When I spoke with HTC I was completely honest about what I had done to the phone. I explained to the tech everything I had tried to to, flash the rom, etc. I told him that I had looked at logcat and that Bluetooth was simply not responding and timing out. I guess I was lucky to get a tech that new a bit about the Android OS. He said that he could see that I had done the work to diagnose the issue and that even though I had rooted/unlocked the phone Google and HTC appreciated people like us.
Now, my one stipulation was that I have a custom engraving on my phone and really didn't want to lose that. I liked having a true first gen engraved phone. He assured me that if they had to replace the entire phone they would call me before doing anything. So I rest assured that my N1 would be safe.
After getting off the phone with the tech I receive an email from HTC and FedEx with an overnight shipping label. I print out the label, throw the phone in a padded box and ship it off to HTC. I still have not payed a dime.
The next morning I receive an email from HTC saying they received my phone. The email contained a work order number and a website to check the status of my repair. This was a great feature I never experienced with Apple or any other company for that matter.
So another day passes (Day 3) and I receive an email from HTC saying the work has been completed and my phone is being shipped overnight shipping back to me.
Surprised that I didn't receive a phone call I was skeptical that the problem had been fixed. I figured due to a lack of communication through the line, the actual repair tech saw the phone was unlocked and sent it back.
The FedEx guy drops off the package the next day (4 days from my initial phone call to HTC) and I rip open the box to find my same phone I had shipped, engraving and all.
I was sure they simply returned the phone still broken, saying tough luck. I placed the battery and cover on and powered up. Interesting enough, the phone had been re-locked as there was no unlock symbol on startup. Skipped the welcome screens, swiped left, and hit the bluetooth activation widget.
"...Updating Bluetooth Settings"
Hazah! It worked, either HTC fixed whatever was wrong with my chip or they replaced the guts of the phone and kept the case on at no charge. They could have easily not fixed it or sent me a new phone and not bothered removing my case.
Thanks HTC for hooking me up and being giving great customer service.
So now I have a fully functioning N1 and couldn't be happier.
-pixlgeek
Real happy for you dude.
Yeah, I myself cannot give up hope that there is (or can be) a company that REALLY appreciates its customers. Not that phony "we love your money! errr we mean we love our customers!". So far every company I dealt with (except subaru warranty, surprisingly) was simply trying to get out of contract by any means necessary.
Hopefully google understands the difference between caring for customers and caring for their money. This will go a long way.
I was under the impression that you had to pay money to ship it back if it was engraved. I guess not, maybe I'll get my name engraved after all.
ChillRays said:
I was under the impression that you had to pay money to ship it back if it was engraved. I guess not, maybe I'll get my name engraved after all.
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I am pretty sure you have to pay only if you want to return it. In this case, it was a repair. BTW awesome story OP
Vandam500 said:
I am pretty sure you have to pay only if you want to return it. In this case, it was a repair. BTW awesome story OP
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Oh as in, if somebody doesn't want it anymore. I guess thats where the 48 dollars comes in. I wish somebody would clarify that. Yeah I agree, good story.
This is how Customer support should be. That HTC support goes lightly on unlocked and flashed phones is just great. Android is after all an open OS.
If only Apple could do that good.. *ugh*
Great customer care and support does get more customers. No doubt.
Consider yourself lucky. I'm on my 4th HTC device and not once the customer service was helpful. Unfortunately there is no manufacturer out there that can make a better hardware than HTC so i'm stuck.
who did you call? google customer service or directly to HTC? thanks!
I had 4 returnss with HTC involvingg the Nexus One (various Defects) and each time cutomer service was excellent and I never got a run around. Very straight foward and nice people answering the phone.
I never get mad at customer service for a phone manufactured thousands of miles away, so I always try to have a polite convo with whoever I speak with, maybe thats why I never got charged for any phone sent back that was rooted or had to explain any small scratches. I rank HTC customer service at the top of my list in front of T-mobile.
P.S. My 4th phone was a brand new unit shipped from google's new shipment in a new box Not a refurbished one.
rensky said:
who did you call? google customer service or directly to HTC? thanks!
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Here's the interesting part I forgot to include...
After a google search of "HTC Nexus One customer support" the first link presented with:
http://www.htc.com/www/support/nexusone/
Clearly HTC site. The first number listed 1-888-48-NEXUS (63987) is what I dialed.
I thought for the first 15 minutes of the call that I was speaking to HTC. Comes to find out, that number transfers to a Google call center. The tech I was speaking with at the very beginning was a Google employee. Once he determined that repairs were needed, he "connected" me with a customer service rep at HTC and I completed the whole process through HTC. So I was sort of handed off from Google to HTC but both communicated with eachother about my issue.
Wierd. So Google does the phone support HTC does the hardware.
*shrug*
-pixlgeek
I have heard that HTC has excellent customer service. I think if anything ever happens to my phone, I am going to go strait to HTC instead of the provider.
deleted , move along
TLTR !!!!!
I read it. Sorry to hear about your EVO man.
I got my EVO through Craigslist new in box because all the Sprint stores in my area who had them in stock wouldn't sell them to people not adding a new line of service. (Which is another story in and of itself)
When I brought it in to Sprint to activate they let me add insurance and told me that I'd still be covered under warranty for a year. I would be steamed if I was in your shoes too.
Thankfully I have a HW revision 0003 and my EVO hasn't yet to display any of the known issues.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/13/htc-evo-suffering-from-glass-separation-issues/
Just a short while ago I worked as a CSR for AT&T. Your friend got really lucky because 99.9% of the time a broken iPhone, even with a known issue, means you're SOL. In my experience, Sprint is much more flexible.
I mean you guys have any suggestions for me at this point? I know its just a phone and all but damn. i posted this on sprint forums, androidforums.com,xda, ppcgeeks, and of course my phone calls and visits to the repair center at MACOM
You bought the $7 plan for this very reason-- a more-than-likely behaviorally caused ding. (yes I read your post, but look at this from someone else's point of view. You had/used the phone how long before you saw this?)
Pony up the deductable and get a new phone. You realize you're costing yourself way more than $100 in grief and wasted time?
Lastly, just in case this is a defect and a recall is issued, keep your documentation on your calls to CS, claim filed, and out of pocket money. At that point you should be able to recoup your deductible among other things.
illogic6 said:
Just a short while ago I worked as a CSR for AT&T. Your friend got really lucky because 99.9% of the time a broken iPhone, even with a known issue, means you're SOL. In my experience, Sprint is much more flexible.
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Sure, bro. Sure.
00_MACKIE_00 said:
Ok, this is going to be a long post, full of detailed information regarding my purchase of an Evo. I will be posting this on every forum I am a member of and there are alot that I post on.
A buddy of mine contacted me to tell me he had bought an Evo on launch day from Best Buy. He activated it on 6/6/2010 from a Best Buy in Kentucky. He was told " The Evo has push to talk". Well he later found out that it did not in fact have push to talk and he needed that feature for his Sprint business account. He was outside his 30 day "happiness" window so he had to buy a different phone. He decided to put his Evo on Ebay and sell it to try and get some of his money back for his Evo purchase. He let me know he listed it on Ebay and provided me a link to it. I ended up winning the auction on 8/15/2010. I received the phone on 8/21 and received original box, original everything. Even had a cover. Phone looked and smelled BRAND new. I quickly called Sprint to activate it and within 10 min I was sporting my new Evo. Added my insurance/repair $7 dollar fee like I do with all my phones.
All was fine until 9/5/2010, I noticed on the bottom left of the screen over the home button, the screen appears lifted and a little dust had gotten under it. Ok no big deal to me at this point. I do keep my phones in mint condition but I was just going to monitor this situation. 13 days later is when I called Sprint asking for an explanation. I called the customer service line and explained the situation with the phone. They immediately started blaming me for it. I guess maybe they thought I used a screwdriver and lifted the screen, who knows. The girl told me she was in Charlotte, NC and that she had never heard of a screen separating from the adhesive and to go to the repair center.
On 9/17/2010, I went to MACOM here in Florida. A nice gentleman greeted me at the repair window and asked how he could help me. I said well I called customer service and explained to them that the phone screen seemed to be coming up and to pay you a visit so you could investigate. 4 screws later my Evo was in several pieces and then put back together. He asked me where I got the phone so I told him. He looked up my account and said "you’re inside your 30 day window according to the calendar here and you should go home and call customer service back". I told him I had no intention of being given a brand new phone. To me , that would be dishonest and I live by being honest and I teach my kids to be honest to people regardless of the situation. He handed me his business card, said call Sprint and call me back if you have problems. Seems he was trying to push me into a brand new Evo. I lay no blame on this guy; he was trying to do the right thing. He told me he could have it replaced but it would be a refurbished phone which I am ok with.
I arrive home on 9/17 from MACOM and about 7pm I start making some phone calls. I have been upfront with Sprint about the terms of my purchase. The first lady I spoke to said she understood my issue and that she would get someone on the phone to help me after we talked 10 minutes or so. She asked if I minded being put on hold and I said absolutely not. I waited for about 7 or 8 minutes or so and another lady got on the phone from a different department. I had a really hard time understanding what her name was, who she was with, etc etc due to the heavy accent. From what I could understand, she was from advanced exchange it sounded like. She asked for my telephone #, verified my pin and all that good stuff and asks me the reason for the call. I then had to go into the WHOLE story again. 10 minutes later she asked me where I bought the phone. I said I bought it off Ebay from a SPRINT customer, not some random power seller. She then told me well there is nothing she could do and that was there anything else she could do for me. I said I guess not and told her to have a lovely weekend. She then said I could always file a claim with Assurion and pay a $100 deductible for this obvious defect.
After speaking to my wife, I felt I needed to call back. Around 8:30pm or so I called back to customer service and once again explained the situation. I asked her over and over to tell me if I had done something wrong, or this was somehow my fault. She completely denied any knowledge of a screen separation issue and proceeded to tell me she was going to talk to her supervisor about it and placed me on hold. She came back on the line in short time and asked if it would be ok if I received a call back. I said ok and told the lady to have a nice evening. About 45 minutes or so later my phone rings. I go to answer it using the slider and because my screen is acting funny due to part of it being lifted, somehow the call was dropped and she left a voicemail and her name and phone number. I immediately called back off my house phone and received her voicemail. I left a message and asked that she call me right away. I have not received another phone call.
Remembering the conversation with MACOM, I woke up on 9/18, loaded up the kids and drove on over. The same gentleman was there again. He remembered me from the night before. I told him I had called customer service and had gotten nowhere. The tune quickly changed from ordering a refurbished phone to having to call his district manager but however the district manager was off and on his motorcycle for the day and it would be evening before he could have a chance to talk to him and it would be next week before he could get back to me. He was very nice and polite and told me to have a good rest of the weekend and he would get in touch with me.
Now that I have laid out the facts, I am now going to state my opinion on this. First off, Sprint denying the screen separation is a joke within itself. Searching on Google using the search criteria "evo screen separation" shows 6,700,00 results found. How could people not know about it that work for Sprint? The repair guy at MACOM had heard about it, but nobody else? How is that even possible? My next complaint is about the way I purchased it. If I was not tempted by all the Sprint commercials about the EVO and not being able to actually find one in Florida, I would not have had to go buy one of Ebay. I bought it from a valid Sprint customer not some guy on Ebay looking to make a few bucks. Sprint still should honor my purchase and either fix my phone or give me one that works, isn't that what I pay the TEP for?. I guess anyone who is buying either a barely used or brand new phone off Ebay should just stop doing it now before you run into a situation like what I am dealing with. I am a premier customer with Sprint; I have 3 lines as well so I consider myself an important customer. Plus it helps in the years I have had service, I have never missed a payment, been late, or anything. Sprint should not allow you to buy a phone from anywhere and activate it successfully if they do not want to honor an obvious manufacturing defect. This will not cost any money for Sprint to replace my phone because I am sure it would be sent back to HTC as a defect. I am not editing this post until there is a resolution so that the public sees what I have had to deal with. Once Sprint provides a resolution, I will then have this post removed and I will once again be a happy Sprint customer.
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I've had better luck. I was once placed in this exact situation. Brought my phone into Sprint to have it repair the lifting of screen. In-house techs repaired it, no questions asked (or blaming). One hour later, they called me back and issued me a new one, as their investigation determines hardware version 0002 was a manufature defect. Perhaps it's all based on locations, reps, your attitude towards them, etc. Where I'm from everyone one's laid back, reps are always friendly and don't really have to put up with too much of people's ****, because non really gives them **** to begin with. They even accept rooted phones too, where as I read that many other users have to unroot before bringing their phone into Sprint for replacement/repair.
If you don't mind paying a deductable ($100 max), call into customer service and request a replacement.
And to the dude who was previously on AT&T with iPhone, sure buddy. SURRRREEE. If you EVER had service with them, you of all people should know that AT&T & Apple will put you through hell. I should know, that's why I dropped AT&T & the iPhone 2G.
illogic6 said:
I read it. Sorry to hear about your EVO man.
I got my EVO through Craigslist new in box because all the Sprint stores in my area who had them in stock wouldn't sell them to people not adding a new line of service. (Which is another story in and of itself)
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That is actually illegal, they have to sell it to you, I actually did the same and had to mention that it is illegal to not sell it, after mentioning that they budged and sold it to me.
Back on your situation with your EVO, I would recommend posting on consumerist as that is more their territory. They have the phone numbers for executive customer support also, they WILL fix your issue ASAP. http://consumerist.com/2007/05/sprint-sets-up-consumerist-reader-executive-customer-service-hotline.html
tbh, I feel no simpathy since you being "honest" has nothing to do with the situation. You didn't steal the phone, the phone was defective therefore it's not like you were doing anything wrong. You should of returned it and gotten a replacement. There's been hundreds if not thousands of people that have done the same with the screen lifting issue.
Also if you didn't know before, google is based on keywords, it doesn't take the phrase and search for it. About 5million of those results were for the word "evo", other million were for "screen", and so on. Out of those results, only about 20-30 were for the evo issue. I've been doing SEO for a long time, so when it comes to google I know what I'm talking about.
Also sprint doesn't care if you took it apart, or if it came apart by itself, because they will tell you in the end to return it because of the issue. They know people do it, and it's perfectly okay, since you're not "cheating" anyone. The 30 day thing is made for a reason, it's not made for you to screw them over. Also the insurance that you put on the phone is made for a reason.
Either you're not telling the whole story, or you were too ignorant to return the phone.
Btw, side note for you. Check out the app TiKL for push to talk on your EVO.
sent from VooDooPhone
As a Sprint retention supersvisor, let me ask you something which I would have asked you if you were on my call. What makes you think SPRINT is responsible for a phone your purchased from somebody on Ebay wether it be a Sprint customer or not? You are LUCKY they even allow you to use TEP on a phone that was not purchased from them. Now, here's what we can do, make a claim, pay the $100 and have it replaced or go back to the store and speak with the idiot that told you to call in.
Let me put it in perspective for you, when your car breaks you take it to the mechanic right? You don't just call Ford and they fix it over the phone or send you out a new truck to your home. There is NOTHING someone over the phone can do, the repair center has to do it all, granted most the time they send you something over the phone or break policy it's to shut the customer up and get rid of them. The store has to fix it, if they can't fix it, make a claim for you through the warranty or asurion. I really don't understand why this is so hard to understand. And please don't take this the wrong way it is not an attack on you personally, but it is definitely an attack on what should be common sense.
6ixtynin9 said:
I've had better luck. I was once placed in this exact situation. Brought my phone into Sprint to have it repair the lifting of screen. In-house techs repaired it, no questions asked (or blaming). One hour later, they called me back and issued me a new one, as their investigation determines hardware version 0002 was a manufature defect. Perhaps it's all based on locations, reps, your attitude towards them, etc. Where I'm from everyone one's laid back, reps are always friendly and don't really have to put up with too much of people's ****, because non really gives them **** to begin with. They even accept rooted phones too, where as I read that many other users have to unroot before bringing their phone into Sprint for replacement/repair.
If you don't mind paying a deductable ($100 max), call into customer service and request a replacement.
And to the dude who was previously on AT&T with iPhone, sure buddy. SURRRREEE. If you EVER had service with them, you of all people should know that AT&T & Apple will put you through hell. I should know, that's why I dropped AT&T & the iPhone 2G.
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That is what he said, with AT&T you're **** out of luck
Alright guys, I thought I'd share my my experience with Motorola's repair department. The reasons I sent my phone in were because the screen had some areas that had backlight bleeding and the MicroSD card reader didn't work.
When I first called, I was told by AT&T and Motorola customer representatives that once the phone was received by them, it would be shipped back out in two business days. Alright I happily agreed to that and opened an RMA because I needed my phone back as soon as possible. So it was opened and I sent my phone in.
The device was then received on the 4th.
I called in on the 7th to ask if it was shipped, and they said it would actually take 15 business days to ship! I was like what?! I was told two days by the other two representatives. I was then told to call back on a weekday as the repair department was closed.
I called again on the tenth to see the status of the repair and they said it should be shipped 5-7 business days from when the device was received. But I still couldn't talk to the repair department because I had called after they had closed.
I called in the next day, and they said that it would be shipped on the twelth, which was the day after.
I then called in on the 12th to make sure it was shipped, the representative said that the device should have shipped but the online repair status just hadn't updated yet and it should be updated by tonight.
I check today to see if the status has been updated, and guess what, no change, all it says is device received. So I call to make sure the device has shipped. Now I talk to a representative that says that it will actually be shipped on the 16th and he has no idea why the other three representatives said it would be shipped on the 12th. I ask to speak to a supervisor and I get transferred. I asked her why I've been given tons of different (and seemingly wrong) information by different representatives and what is really happening. I tell them that this is getting ridiculous and I have had to reschedule two train tickets and I've lost over $90 dollars because of false information I have received. The supervisor literally is speechless, all she says is please call back Monday.
What I'm wondering is that has anyone else had this kind of experience with Motorola? Or is it just bad luck on my end. And if this continues, is there anything I can do.
Wow that sounds pretty bad. How come you didn't just take the phone in to an AT&T store? My previous Atrix had a dead spot on the touchscreen so I took it back to the AT&T store. They looked at it and called an AT&T repair center so I can pick up a new Atrix that very same day. Sorry to hear about your situation, hope it gets sorted soon.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
I forgot to mention I actually did go to an AT&T store. They were the ones that suggested calling AT&T and Motorola and the first ones to say that it would be shipped out two days after it was received. I had the option of going to an AT&T repair center but the closest one was an hour away so I decided to do it by sending it in.
I know AT&T used to offer warranty swaps by overnight shipment, which ususally meant getting an advanced exchange in one or two days. This was on HTC TP2s and similar phones but I think they still offer the same service if you complain about going to an exchange center.
I had the same problem with AT&T when I was on the Inspire...I pitched a big enough fit and had the retention people upgrade me to the Atrix. Best thing I can tell ya to do from my own experience would be to call the main customer care number and raise hell about the time and money you have lost...Have them.credit your account for the service and such ...it's not much but it does help a little bit.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Bob Simons said:
I know AT&T used to offer warranty swaps by overnight shipment, which ususally meant getting an advanced exchange in one or two days. This was on HTC TP2s and similar phones but I think they still offer the same service if you complain about going to an exchange center.
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Oh dam, I wish I had known about that earlier.
Diesel984 said:
I had the same problem with AT&T when I was on the Inspire...I pitched a big enough fit and had the retention people upgrade me to the Atrix. Best thing I can tell ya to do from my own experience would be to call the main customer care number and raise hell about the time and money you have lost...Have them.credit your account for the service and such ...it's not much but it does help a little bit.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
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Hm... I'm gonna give that a try, thanks.
I've had devices swapped out, and all I did was call the main AT& T tech support number. This was on several Captivates and once on my wife's Inspire, although we found out after the Inspire didn't need it (unknown sources update problems).
In all cases I was offered an overnight shipping option at a small fee. I opted out, and in all cases my replacement was here within 3 days. Swap info, send old one back, done.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
I'm really sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I actually had a similar problem with my phone regarding the screen burn image and went to the device support center. They were out of stock for a replacement Atrix but the associate placed an order for an overnight shipment. I was in possession of two phones at one time and had to agree to ship the defective one out within 14 days before facing a charge of $399. Anyway, I really appreciated the fact that I was never without a phone and the phone came in the next day and I shipped out my defective unit the day after.
They probably need to retrain the customer support reps to know the proper course of action for certain situations such as out of stock or too far of a location so that you are offered overnight shipping of a replacement.
One more question for the OP: were you expecting to get your same unit back? You said it was sent in for repair service so I'm wondering why you agreed to that instead of just swapping it out since you are still covered under the 1 year warranty.
ZyanyaMJ said:
I'm really sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I actually had a similar problem with my phone regarding the screen burn image and went to the device support center. They were out of stock for a replacement Atrix but the associate placed an order for an overnight shipment. I was in possession of two phones at one time and had to agree to ship the defective one out within 14 days before facing a charge of $399. Anyway, I really appreciated the fact that I was never without a phone and the phone came in the next day and I shipped out my defective unit the day after.
They probably need to retrain the customer support reps to know the proper course of action for certain situations such as out of stock or too far of a location so that you are offered overnight shipping of a replacement.
One more question for the OP: were you expecting to get your same unit back? You said it was sent in for repair service so I'm wondering why you agreed to that instead of just swapping it out since you are still covered under the 1 year warranty.
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Sending it in for repair was my only option. They told me if I went to the place an hour away I would have to drop my unit off and pick it up two days later.
EDIT: So I thought that it would be easier to just send it in instead of having to drive that far.
dreadlord369 said:
Sending it in for repair was my only option. They told me if I went to the place an hour away I would have to drop my unit off and pick it up two days later.
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Wow. So even at the physical place that was an hour away, they couldn't just swap it out? That is so strange. We are talking about an official AT&T Device Support Center, right?
ZyanyaMJ said:
Wow. So even at the physical place that was an hour away, they couldn't just swap it out? That is so strange. We are talking about an official AT&T Device Support Center, right?
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Yep, at least thats what the guy at the store told me.
So what are they currently doing to assist you? Are you just forced to be without a phone? I would seriously place a complaint with the BBB and with AT&T customer service. Not sure if it will help much but just to document the case at least.
ZyanyaMJ said:
So what are they currently doing to assist you? Are you just forced to be without a phone? I would seriously place a complaint with the BBB and with AT&T customer service. Not sure if it will help much but just to document the case at least.
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That was actually something I was thinking about doing. Also I did go to the BBB site but Motorola wasn't on the list, should I put it down with AT&T?
EDIT: Oh and nothing to assist me, AT&T and Motorola said I should be able to get a temporary phone while this repair was going on but I was completely denied.
ZyanyaMJ said:
So what are they currently doing to assist you? Are you just forced to be without a phone? I would seriously place a complaint with the BBB and with AT&T customer service. Not sure if it will help much but just to document the case at least.
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Alright I just called AT&T and they actually gave me a 65 dollar credit, which is half of my bill. THANK YOU very much for that bit of advice. Also They also said that I should call back tomorrow when the warranty center is open and they should be able to help escalate this issue further. As for the BBB complaint, if AT&T helps me out even further then I'll let it go but otherwise I'll file a complaint.
I sent my atrix to motorola also for repair got it back in 3 days unrepaired so i called them and said the water mark is still white she when on to say it could be caused by humidity i freaked and said so all the atrixs that are in texas right now are going to be void because texas has had triple digit reading for well over a month she was dumb founded and said let me escalate this higher sent me an overnight label and they have now had it for 9 days so who knows if it gets fixed this time they have the worst rating in customer service and repair...This will be my last Motorola phone
Sorry for your bad luck. Generally moto makes good hardware. All companies have lemons. What is sad is moto falls under the list of companies with general bad repair service. The only company i know of that has pretty good service overall is htc, but that might change since they're going to be more strict on warranty because of bootloaders.
I voided my warranty.
Well I got my phone back, just a heads up, like I said in the OP, they said it would be shipped on the 16th, however when I called in then, they said it would not be shipped that week at all because they had NO atrix's at all, new or refurb, and they were waiting on parts. I then filed a complaint with the BBB and informed motorola of the complaint. Guess what within an hour I got a second call saying the phone had shipped (this was at 8PM) and tomorrow morning a new phone was sitting on my doorstep. So if you guys are having major issues like me, just file a complaint with the BBB and motorola should comply.
dreadlord369 said:
Well I got my phone back, just a heads up, like I said in the OP, they said it would be shipped on the 16th, however when I called in then, they said it would not be shipped that week at all because they had NO atrix's at all, new or refurb, and they were waiting on parts. I then filed a complaint with the BBB and informed motorola of the complaint. Guess what within an hour I got a second call saying the phone had shipped (this was at 8PM) and tomorrow morning a new phone was sitting on my doorstep. So if you guys are having major issues like me, just file a complaint with the BBB and motorola should comply.
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Ok thanks for the heads up if nothing happens by tomarrow thats just what i will do
Well... I just found another issue.... No computer is able to recognize the phone. I've tried three different computers and I've tried installing the proper drivers and still, all I get is the "USB Device Not Recognized" error on all three. Time to call them back...
probably is driver. reboot phone and computer.
Ok, my story with Z3 Compact ended not even started.
Yes, I got lucky and my screen cracked on itself without any force.
And it looked well as sony accepted the phone in US service center even though it was bought in UK.
That's where fun part stops.
First joke is a turn around time. 14 business day for a simple repair. that is at least 3 weeks! Who can wait phone that long?
That means I have to buy a new one and send sony to ebay when and if I got it repaired.
My guess is that people would buy anything else than xperia they just got broken.
What a stupid way to loose customers. Apple store would replace phone in store or take little time to resolve issue for example.
So after 16 business days I called just to hear that part is on back-order with NO ETA!
Also I was told that its not US phone so I should not even expect it to be ready soon.
Nice Sony! Good way to treat your loyal customers.
Seems like my first and last xperia phone unfortunately....
So if you still deciding ... Look at the other phones, that are more rigid or at least have a proper warranty service for 2014.
SonyXperia US has much to catch up.
Sucks man. My screen hasn't cracked yet but if it does this will definitely be my last Sony product.
I hope it won't. I am ok with stuff breaking as soon as you have a good service to get out of the situation.
Sony did not make that easy. The worst part is that there are no more good compact phones around except of iphone and galaxy alpha. which are worse than z3c in many ways.
Sucks that you're phone-less for so long, although Sony is fixing it despite being bought in the UK, which is more than they're doing for some people. Maybe the fact that it's a UK model is why they're not treating the repair with more urgency.
Other than Apple, which other phone manufacturer will instantly replace an unlocked phone as part of the warranty? Normally this is handled through carriers or (if you're lucky) the authorized retailer, but even they usually don't offer the same instant service as Apple. It's why Apple stuff costs so much. Well, that and the fact that iSheep will blindly pay for anything Apple :laugh:
pipspeak said:
Sucks that you're phone-less for so long, although Sony is fixing it despite being bought in the UK, which is more than they're doing for some people. Maybe the fact that it's a UK model is why they're not treating the repair with more urgency.
Other than Apple, which other phone manufacturer will instantly replace an unlocked phone as part of the warranty? Normally this is handled through carriers or (if you're lucky) the authorized retailer, but even they usually don't offer the same instant service as Apple. It's why Apple stuff costs so much. Well, that and the fact that iSheep will blindly pay for anything Apple :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For samsung, sony and all other manufacturers even if you pay premium price like note 4 for $700 and xperia Z3 $650 you get ****ty service. You wont get instant replacements what so ever.. No proper estimated ship dates, No proper customer support, No Earbuds bundled is what we pay for and seems you enjoy it more
demon_xxi said:
Ok, my story with Z3 Compact ended not even started.
Yes, I got lucky and my screen cracked on itself without any force.
And it looked well as sony accepted the phone in US service center even though it was bought in UK.
That's where fun part stops.
First joke is a turn around time. 14 business day for a simple repair. that is at least 3 weeks! Who can wait phone that long?
That means I have to buy a new one and send sony to ebay when and if I got it repaired.
My guess is that people would buy anything else than xperia they just got broken.
What a stupid way to loose customers. Apple store would replace phone in store or take little time to resolve issue for example.
So after 16 business days I called just to hear that part is on back-order with NO ETA!
Also I was told that its not US phone so I should not even expect it to be ready soon.
Nice Sony! Good way to treat your loyal customers.
Seems like my first and last xperia phone unfortunately....
So if you still deciding ... Look at the other phones, that are more rigid or at least have a proper warranty service for 2014.
SonyXperia US has much to catch up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
feel your pain, going through the same thing:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/help/handtec-returns-t2919883
was really glad sony USA would do warranty repair for my phone.. although 14 business day turnaround time seemed like a lot (3 full weeks regularly), but ok. they never emailed me to say they received it - no emails for anything in fact. i had to chat with them to confirm they had received it. and then they returned it to me in about a week - shipped it out in under a week, actually. although i wouldn't have known it had i not seen the 2nd delivery attempt notice on my door. had they emailed me, i would've been looking out for it and had it a few days sooner.
all that's fine, it's their stipulated process and timing, i just could have used some communication throughout. but then comes the icing on the cake. they removed the SIM tray from the phone and sent it back to me without it. so my phone is useless as a phone for a week now, and i'm still waiting to get a replacement or hear anything about it. they've stopped responding to my daily follow-up emails.. the latest response i got had an order number of some kind but no idea where i can put it to check status (it's no retail order number or anything). no tracking. just a blurb that it may take 14 business days to send out a SIM tray to me. and here i thought when i called they'd be like "oh sh*t, we'll get one right out to you asap". but i had to go through this RMA process a second time in order for them to send this to me. i've now owned the phone for 6 weeks, and only 3 of those have i been able to use it. first experience with sony not going so well.
mohlsen8 said:
feel your pain, going through the same thing:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/help/handtec-returns-t2919883
was really glad sony USA would do warranty repair for my phone.. although 14 business day turnaround time seemed like a lot (3 full weeks regularly), but ok. they never emailed me to say they received it - no emails for anything in fact. i had to chat with them to confirm they had received it. and then they returned it to me in about a week - shipped it out in under a week, actually. although i wouldn't have known it had i not seen the 2nd delivery attempt notice on my door. had they emailed me, i would've been looking out for it and had it a few days sooner.
all that's fine, it's their stipulated process and timing, i just could have used some communication throughout. but then comes the icing on the cake. they removed the SIM tray from the phone and sent it back to me without it. so my phone is useless as a phone for a week now, and i'm still waiting to get a replacement or hear anything about it. they've stopped responding to my daily follow-up emails.. the latest response i got had an order number of some kind but no idea where i can put it to check status (it's no retail order number or anything). no tracking. just a blurb that it may take 14 business days to send out a SIM tray to me. and here i thought when i called they'd be like "oh sh*t, we'll get one right out to you asap". but i had to go through this RMA process a second time in order for them to send this to me. i've now owned the phone for 6 weeks, and only 3 of those have i been able to use it. first experience with sony not going so well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha and they wonder why their sales are falling..
i bought their protection plan for $50.. 2 years covered and they will send me a loaner asap when i send my phone in for repair.
radiohead14 said:
i bought their protection plan for $50.. 2 years covered and they will send me a loaner asap when i send my phone in for repair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where did you get that for $50? online it says 79?
sravanz said:
where did you get that for $50? online it says 79?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
employee discount :good:
Where can I get the plan for at least 79? Can I get in in USA for phone I got from Clove?
I'm willing to pay for the plan as soon as it has accidental damage coverage. This is better than going with 3rd party warranty coverage.
Fond here http://store.sony.com/gsi/webstore/...le-Phones-Protection-PLUS-Standalone-Warranty
It says $59.99 + tax I assume.
Will check tomorrow if I can get it for the phone that already went to the service.
Really had no idea that sony has these extra plans for phones.
From my previous experience I had AHD warranty for 3yrs for my laptop from Sony Japan and they easily fixed all issues with shipment around the week even when there was a disaster going in Japan few years back. Japan service worked like a clock. They would also fix issues that I did not report. Just to replace components with fresh ones.
U guys are complaining because it took a week to get a phone not warranted in the usa to be fixed for free.... Try samsung or any unlocked, non apple phone and youll beg to go back to sony.
Oh and apple makes you pay for out of warranty repairs anyway. Like cracked screens.
The biggest joke is the screen cracked by itself. What's this Sony?
i had the back glass crack by itself here in the uk, sony repaired the device for free under warranty.1 week turn around time.
Just as a heads up, most decent credit cards give you an additional year of warrenty (on items costing up to $500) on purchases made with the card. This includes SonyRewards, which also provides 90 days accidental damage protection on purchases up to $500.
When I had a Samsung S4 Active I sent it twice for warranty repair. 2 weeks was normal turn around. Quit complaining.
Just to cool down the drama I see a UPS notification today that my phone is coming home.
I still think that 3 weeks is too much for screen repair. It takes less than a hour to replace it.
It would be ok if I have to wait 3 weeks for TV or Vacuum cleaner but its hard to survive without daily driver as a phone.
Good that I have dozens phones at home to use as a replacement, most people don't. I'm just saying that this is the way for Sony to loose customers.
For most it is better to go to Apple Store, PAY and get it fixed asap than look for a replacement phone, PAY for shipment and wait ... IMHO
Where Sony could improve even with current approach is bring more transparency and feedback. They have not notified me about receiving the phone nor about the backorder delays.
The simplest check my RMA status page would help a lot. I guess it is much more expensive to have staff answering phone calls and chat about RMA status. And all they can say - in progress or yes/no received.
The other way to improve is to start using quality glass and make more durable back for the phones
Meanwhile I started considering LG G2 or Nexus5 as a possible alternative. They are pretty old but still excellent phones. Also fragile though but less.
I feel your pain. I dropped my z3 compact here in the uk and cracked my screen. I sent it off to Sony mobile repair company in the uk and they said that it would take 14 days to come back. They quoted me £97.30 for the repair which is ok I guess, I mean i did drop it. After about a week thee website said that they had diagnosed the phone and it needed a new screen (genius) but that part was out of stock. What kind of repair service doesn't have replacement screens in stock, nice one Sony, how is this your official repairer?
I then found out that I had phone insurance through my work and for £50 I could get a new phone. So I decided to contact the repairer to cancel my repair and get my broken phone back. Despite ringing the repairer numerous times they wouldn't send it back even though every time I spoke to them they said it was in the process of being done. After 10 days I decided to contact Sony customer support and to be fair to them they got it sorted and had my phone back 4 days later. So i get a new z3 compact from my insurance company, and guess what the new phone's battery is ****ed. It drains like 25% every three hours and cant make it through a single day. So I'm back onto Sony and they say it needs to go off for repair. Yep, brilliant so i can wait another 10 days for you to tell me you don't have any parts in stock. So frustrating.
Blimey mate that's rough
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
Hello all,
Just wanted to share my experience with you all on how long it will take to get a Xperia Z3 TC model SGP 621 fixed/repaired.
When I purchased my tablet, since it is an international model, I had to buy it from the only shop in the NYC area that offered it. Which in itself is hard to believe since you can pretty much find anything in NYC, but in this case, only one shop had it (which shows how hard it is to obtain the Z3 with LTE capability).
So I purchased it and all was well. Was loving it, and using it, till one day, it just stopped working. I was using it fine, checking email, and reading news online, put it down, and when I came back about 30 mins later, it wouldn't turn on. I tried everything. Holding the power button for like 10 seconds. Power + Volume up button for 10 seconds. Connected the power cord. Everything. No response. Heck, even the charging light wouldn't come on, but the Z3TC would get warm to hot when plugged in.
I called Sony care from the number on their website, and explained to the tech what was going on. He emailed me a link to recovery software, and installed it on my Mac, and still, no response. Eventually, he determined I had to send it in to be evaluated/repaired. (Use this day of reference as day zero)
Here's were things go really bad. They told me they would send me a FedEx email label to have it shipped. After almost a week, still no email. I called, they said I cancelled my repair request (which I hadn’t), and then after complaining, he said he was going to get my label expedited. I actually got it the next day, and shipped the tablet out to them the next day. (Day 7)
I used the tracking number, and confirmed that they received it on day 11. I waited an extra week to hear back from them if they started working on it. Nothing. Waited another 5 days, nothing. I finally call them, and they inform me that they haven’t received nothing, but since their repair services has been closed for almost 2 weeks due to the holidays, they have a huge backlog and it’s probably in there. So now I wait again. Finally on around day 30 (after calling, because they don’t contact you), I am told that it has been received, and they are going to work on it. After about another week, I call back. They say there is a problem, and waiting for the parts, but to be patient. I wait another week.
I call again, they say they repaired it and are awaiting final paperwork. I am really happy. I ask what the problem was, they say they have no information, but that it was fixed, and that they are going to ship it back to me as soon as the paperwork is ready. I say ok, and wait another 4-5 days. Finally I call back, and the guy says that they haven’t done any work to my tablet, and were waiting for me to call them back and let them know what I wanted to be done.
*PAUSE*
By now, it’s been like day 49 since my tablet stopped working. It’s going on a month and a half. Note: this is my phone. It’s now been in repair more than twice as long as I’ve had it. I am beyond livid at this point, and believe I have been MORE than patient and understanding in being given the run around.
At this point, and having a verbal back and forth with the 6 or 7th tech I’ve talked to in the past 6 weeks, he suggests I speak to his supervisor.
I start speaking to his supervisor Jerry in customer relations, and we started going at it too. The long and short of it was this. He said they couldn’t give me the same tablet I own, (the SGP 621) because it is an LTE/international model. So what they could do is offer me the U.S. variant (the SGP 612) that was only WIFI capable. I told him this is unacceptable It would be like me buying a premium version of a car, it stops working, I go to the dealer, and they offer me an inferior model, even though I paid heavily for the premium one. After more going back and forth, he told me in order to get it serviced, I would need to contact United Arab Emirates, because that’s apparently where my phone was imported from.
After going back and forth, I asked him why I wasn’t told that in the first place, instead of wasting almost 7 weeks on back and forth with Sony North America? He informed me that, “As a starting point and courtesy, Sony North America has to try to fix and it first.
I was flabbergasted. I was shocked on why they would even need to attempt to fix something, they knew they could never fix. He again repeated it was a courtesy. After this circular argument, I told him FedEx me my phone back. I want it on my desk by tomorrow. Now that I have wasted all this time. At this point I was very angry. And he said he would try to get it back to me by the next day, and he had to call the repair center and bla bla bla. I told him to call them, and we hung up.
The next day, expecting to see my tablet, there was nothing. I was going to call back by the end of the day, but instead Jerry called me back. He informed me that there was good news. That Sony had found the parts, and were going to fix my tablet for me and ship it back to me.
Finally! Good news! I was very happy and pleased by this point. And he told me I should get it soon. I waited about 4 days, and finally a package from FedEx arrived. When I opened it, to my amazement, it was a brand new Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact SGP 621. Shockingly, it was a demo U.S. variant!
First off, I didn’t even know Sony made U.S. Variants of international devices, but this one was totally legit. I was sooooo happy. I tried to write him a letter to give to his boss and team, but unfortunately, I never heard back from him. I told him to send me his email address, and I would have gladly sent a letter for him and his staff to be recognized for their efforts.
After almost 2 months (8 weeks) since this whole debacle started, I finally had my phone/tablet back.
I left out a lot of parts to this story, but this is the jist of it. The long and short of it is this. If you buy an international model of their products, and it breaks or something goes wrong, be ready to wait for it to be serviced (if it can even be serviced). It’s very possible, and likely, that Jerry went above and beyond the call of duty by contacting people high up in the food chain, to get me a rare demo unit that is not available (if ever). In general, if you buy a phone/tablet/whatever from another country, be ready. It is going to be EXTREMELY difficult, if even possible.
In the end, I am very grateful to Jerry, and his efforts. But I think that Sony should have a better system in place for getting you to the right people you need soon, in order to get you back up and running. If it wasn’t for Jerry, I’d still be in limbo trying to find a way to call UAE, and most of all, overcoming the language barrier and even trying to set up a method or way for them to service my broken phone.
Wow, almost 2 months. I would have thought US had better customer support for such things. In my country if they can't get it fixed in 1 month you can ask your money back or a new product.
You were very patient with them, I probably would have called every 2 days.
I had a similar experience in getting my xperia z2 repaired last year for a broken magnetic charging port. It was 2 months of me calling them every week. At first it was waiting for parts, then it was repaired and awaiting paperwork, then it was they cant fix it because its a model intended for taiwan. Finally after a lot of escalation they sent me a an international model replacement. Whole process took 2.5 months when they quoted 8 business days originally. And Yes I gave them my IMEI on the inital phone call and verified with the person that sony USA could service it. Sort of a bitter sweet exp overall, mostly bitter
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
tonysunshine said:
I had a similar experience in getting my xperia z2 repaired last year for a broken magnetic charging port. It was 2 months of me calling them every week. At first it was waiting for parts, then it was repaired and awaiting paperwork, then it was they cant fix it because its a model intended for taiwan. Finally after a lot of escalation they sent me a an international model replacement. Whole process took 2.5 months when they quoted 8 business days originally. And Yes I gave them my IMEI on the inital phone call and verified with the person that sony USA could service it. Sort of a bitter sweet exp overall, mostly bitter
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was it fixed under warranty? Was your product an import?
Sent from my SGP621 using XDA Free mobile app
Yes it was an import. Bought off ebay. And eventually they agreed to replace it under warranty. Took quite a few angry phone calls though
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
AirBruce said:
Hello all,
Just wanted to share my experience with you all on how long it will take to get a Xperia Z3 TC model SGP 621 fixed/repaired.
When I purchased my tablet, since it is an international model, I had to buy it from the only shop in the NYC area that offered it. Which in itself is hard to believe since you can pretty much find anything in NYC, but in this case, only one shop had it (which shows how hard it is to obtain the Z3 with LTE capability).
So I purchased it and all was well. Was loving it, and using it, till one day, it just stopped working. I was using it fine, checking email, and reading news online, put it down, and when I came back about 30 mins later, it wouldn't turn on. I tried everything. Holding the power button for like 10 seconds. Power + Volume up button for 10 seconds. Connected the power cord. Everything. No response. Heck, even the charging light wouldn't come on, but the Z3TC would get warm to hot when plugged in.
I called Sony care from the number on their website, and explained to the tech what was going on. He emailed me a link to recovery software, and installed it on my Mac, and still, no response. Eventually, he determined I had to send it in to be evaluated/repaired. (Use this day of reference as day zero)
Here's were things go really bad. They told me they would send me a FedEx email label to have it shipped. After almost a week, still no email. I called, they said I cancelled my repair request (which I hadn’t), and then after complaining, he said he was going to get my label expedited. I actually got it the next day, and shipped the tablet out to them the next day. (Day 7)
I used the tracking number, and confirmed that they received it on day 11. I waited an extra week to hear back from them if they started working on it. Nothing. Waited another 5 days, nothing. I finally call them, and they inform me that they haven’t received nothing, but since their repair services has been closed for almost 2 weeks due to the holidays, they have a huge backlog and it’s probably in there. So now I wait again. Finally on around day 30 (after calling, because they don’t contact you), I am told that it has been received, and they are going to work on it. After about another week, I call back. They say there is a problem, and waiting for the parts, but to be patient. I wait another week.
I call again, they say they repaired it and are awaiting final paperwork. I am really happy. I ask what the problem was, they say they have no information, but that it was fixed, and that they are going to ship it back to me as soon as the paperwork is ready. I say ok, and wait another 4-5 days. Finally I call back, and the guy says that they haven’t done any work to my tablet, and were waiting for me to call them back and let them know what I wanted to be done.
*PAUSE*
By now, it’s been like day 49 since my tablet stopped working. It’s going on a month and a half. Note: this is my phone. It’s now been in repair more than twice as long as I’ve had it. I am beyond livid at this point, and believe I have been MORE than patient and understanding in being given the run around.
At this point, and having a verbal back and forth with the 6 or 7th tech I’ve talked to in the past 6 weeks, he suggests I speak to his supervisor.
I start speaking to his supervisor Jerry in customer relations, and we started going at it too. The long and short of it was this. He said they couldn’t give me the same tablet I own, (the SGP 621) because it is an LTE/international model. So what they could do is offer me the U.S. variant (the SGP 612) that was only WIFI capable. I told him this is unacceptable It would be like me buying a premium version of a car, it stops working, I go to the dealer, and they offer me an inferior model, even though I paid heavily for the premium one. After more going back and forth, he told me in order to get it serviced, I would need to contact United Arab Emirates, because that’s apparently where my phone was imported from.
After going back and forth, I asked him why I wasn’t told that in the first place, instead of wasting almost 7 weeks on back and forth with Sony North America? He informed me that, “As a starting point and courtesy, Sony North America has to try to fix and it first.
I was flabbergasted. I was shocked on why they would even need to attempt to fix something, they knew they could never fix. He again repeated it was a courtesy. After this circular argument, I told him FedEx me my phone back. I want it on my desk by tomorrow. Now that I have wasted all this time. At this point I was very angry. And he said he would try to get it back to me by the next day, and he had to call the repair center and bla bla bla. I told him to call them, and we hung up.
The next day, expecting to see my tablet, there was nothing. I was going to call back by the end of the day, but instead Jerry called me back. He informed me that there was good news. That Sony had found the parts, and were going to fix my tablet for me and ship it back to me.
Finally! Good news! I was very happy and pleased by this point. And he told me I should get it soon. I waited about 4 days, and finally a package from FedEx arrived. When I opened it, to my amazement, it was a brand new Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact SGP 621. Shockingly, it was a demo U.S. variant!
First off, I didn’t even know Sony made U.S. Variants of international devices, but this one was totally legit. I was sooooo happy. I tried to write him a letter to give to his boss and team, but unfortunately, I never heard back from him. I told him to send me his email address, and I would have gladly sent a letter for him and his staff to be recognized for their efforts.
After almost 2 months (8 weeks) since this whole debacle started, I finally had my phone/tablet back.
I left out a lot of parts to this story, but this is the jist of it. The long and short of it is this. If you buy an international model of their products, and it breaks or something goes wrong, be ready to wait for it to be serviced (if it can even be serviced). It’s very possible, and likely, that Jerry went above and beyond the call of duty by contacting people high up in the food chain, to get me a rare demo unit that is not available (if ever). In general, if you buy a phone/tablet/whatever from another country, be ready. It is going to be EXTREMELY difficult, if even possible.
In the end, I am very grateful to Jerry, and his efforts. But I think that Sony should have a better system in place for getting you to the right people you need soon, in order to get you back up and running. If it wasn’t for Jerry, I’d still be in limbo trying to find a way to call UAE, and most of all, overcoming the language barrier and even trying to set up a method or way for them to service my broken phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, had something like this with the z ultra. It wouldnt charge at different angles but they said since it was imported, they arent responsible for it (think i had something like this with a samsung device too). This is why I have insurance with worth ave grou o(google them, legit, i've legit used the warranty for some very expensive repairs and they've always come through just read the fine print carefully) they wont fix mechanical breakdown but they do cover accidental damage so...
Motherf... well, as well as Sony has learned from Apple's pricing, they could certainly learn a little fruity customer service too.
What does surprise me is that they actually try and repair those gadgets. I think it'd just be cheaper for any manufacturer to simply ship a new/refurb one to you after confirming a shopstopper defect and be done with it.