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I'm completely and utterly dissapointed at the moment. I've had my phone for say, 2 or three weeks, and already, the speaker phone has gone bad. I don't get any notification when receiving texts or anything. First order of operation? I call HTC Repair department. These idiots, have manufactured and released a product, while having NO support department whatsoever as far as repairs go. No parts, no repairs, no nothing. I waited half an hour on hold, to talk to someone only to be told to call in 2 -3 weeks, dealing with a semi-functional phone during that time. I'm absolutely enraged over this. I asked for a manager, and after another half hour of being on hold I was left to simply be treated disrespectfully and shrugged off.
I understand them not being able to do anything about it, but if you're going to release a product, have the support ready to back it up when machines go faulty.
The Aria is a decent phone. A kickin' little powerhouse, but I give HTC a major thumbs down.
Can not recommend this phone any longer.
Can you not just go to ATT or your service provider and have them replace it for close to free?
I went to them, they told me to go to HTC.
I bought it from a certified retailer online. It is a legal phone, and AT&T should have been able to replace it. Correct?
I ordered an Aria from AT&T online also, and when I got it the regular speaker didnt work but the speakerphone part did (the opposite of your problem I guess). I took it to AT&T store the very next day after I got it and they replaced it with a fully working one, no trouble at all.
x3phyr said:
I went to them, they told me to go to HTC.
I bought it from a certified retailer online. It is a legal phone, and AT&T should have been able to replace it. Correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that is the problem. The phone didn't come from AT&T directly, so they are probably not required to replace it. The certified retailer might be able to replace it?
I sent my Nexus S in for a faulty rear speaker on August 25th. They received the phone on September 1st. On September 6th, the ticket was updated saying the phone was repaired. Then two days later, the ticket was placed on hold due to a part being on backorder (even though the phone was supposedly repaired two days prior).
I first called Samsung on September 20th to ask for an update. The representative said the ticket didn't have any updates and they opened an expedite ticket (but didn't provide me a ticket number) to get an answer from the repair center.
I called again on the 23rd. Same deal as the previous call. No update, expedite ticket opened, but no ticket number.
I called on September 27th asking for another update. No update in the ticket, but this representative actually gave me an expedite ticket number to reference.
I called today, October 3rd. Still no update on the status of the repair. I asked to be transferred to a manager. They transferred me to Executive Customer Relations. After spending 27 minutes on hold I finally got a hold of a representative by the name of Kevin. I asked how long does Samsung hold a phone in a repair status before they ship out a new unit to the customer. He told me Samsung doesn't do that since they don't stock phones at the repair facility (ok, but Im sure Samsung has other facilities that do stock phones - they are the manufacturer after all). He then put me on hold to get an update from the Dock Manager at the repair facility.
He came back after about 4 minutes on hold. He said the Dock Manager has no update from UPS as to when the shipment will arrive. I asked what part were they waiting for and he replied the rear speaker. They thought it was the wiring from the main board to the speaker and replaced that, but the phone still exhibited the same issues as when it first arrived.
I asked if - hypothetically - UPS still doesnt deliver the parts in, say, two weeks, what happens? He responded that a manager will make the decision at that point to replace the phone (but I thought Samsung doesn't replace phones??).
I asked who makes that decision to which he said a "higher up". They conveniently don't have a department name or a phone number because they don't deal with customers. He reiterated that they are waiting on UPS because they will be delivering it. He implied that UPS doesn't even have the parts in their possession yet, so who knows when they will actually be delivered.
I love my Nexus S and was seriously considering getting the Prime, but after this never-ending debacle, I highly doubt I will be purchasing another Samsung device. I'm angry at myself too, because I knew damn well that the speaker was the issue and saw replacements on eBay for under $30. I wanted to keep my warranty intact by having Samsung do the repair, which turned out to be a very bad idea.
Cliffs:
-Rear speaker died on Nexus S
-Sent in over a month ago
-Still no ETA for repair
-Samsung support is worthless
Anyone else have any issues with Samsung support?
civicdrivr said:
I sent my Nexus S in for a faulty rear speaker on August 25th. They received the phone on September 1st. On September 6th, the ticket was updated saying the phone was repaired. Then two days later, the ticket was placed on hold due to a part being on backorder (even though the phone was supposedly repaired two days prior).
I first called Samsung on September 20th to ask for an update. The representative said the ticket didn't have any updates and they opened an expedite ticket (but didn't provide me a ticket number) to get an answer from the repair center.
I called again on the 23rd. Same deal as the previous call. No update, expedite ticket opened, but no ticket number.
I called on September 27th asking for another update. No update in the ticket, but this representative actually gave me an expedite ticket number to reference.
I called today, October 3rd. Still no update on the status of the repair. I asked to be transferred to a manager. They transferred me to Executive Customer Relations. After spending 27 minutes on hold I finally got a hold of a representative by the name of Kevin. I asked how long does Samsung hold a phone in a repair status before they ship out a new unit to the customer. He told me Samsung doesn't do that since they don't stock phones at the repair facility (ok, but Im sure Samsung has other facilities that do stock phones - they are the manufacturer after all). He then put me on hold to get an update from the Dock Manager at the repair facility.
He came back after about 4 minutes on hold. He said the Dock Manager has no update from UPS as to when the shipment will arrive. I asked what part were they waiting for and he replied the rear speaker. They thought it was the wiring from the main board to the speaker and replaced that, but the phone still exhibited the same issues as when it first arrived.
I asked if - hypothetically - UPS still doesnt deliver the parts in, say, two weeks, what happens? He responded that a manager will make the decision at that point to replace the phone (but I thought Samsung doesn't replace phones??).
I asked who makes that decision to which he said a "higher up". They conveniently don't have a department name or a phone number because they don't deal with customers. He reiterated that they are waiting on UPS because they will be delivering it. He implied that UPS doesn't even have the parts in their possession yet, so who knows when they will actually be delivered.
I love my Nexus S and was seriously considering getting the Prime, but after this never-ending debacle, I highly doubt I will be purchasing another Samsung device. I'm angry at myself too, because I knew damn well that the speaker was the issue and saw replacements on eBay for under $30. I wanted to keep my warranty intact by having Samsung do the repair, which turned out to be a very bad idea.
Cliffs:
-Rear speaker died on Nexus S
-Sent in over a month ago
-Still no ETA for repair
-Samsung support is worthless
Anyone else have any issues with Samsung support?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow that is just horrible, sorry to hear that I can't believe they won't send you a new phone that is insane.
I have to add, that the service reps were very nice throughout this, but the lack of information is frustrating.
You'd be surprised at how quickly they will get their act together when you start calling their various numbers and demand a resolution.. Over a month is unacceptable. You just have to be more vocal man.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
uansari1 said:
You'd be surprised at how quickly they will get their act together when you start calling their various numbers and demand a resolution.. Over a month is unacceptable. You just have to be more vocal man.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What numbers would you suggest? I have called 888-987-4357 as well as 800-522-7341. The teir 3 support number that is floating around online seems to be disconnected.
And no offense to the tier 1 and 2 reps, but they just aren't helping. They are polite, but no matter how many times I call, how many times I *****, they will not do a damn thing. Its always "I'm sorry sir, it's out of out control". I don't know how a company expects customers to be happy when their mantra is "please call back for more information" day after day after day. HTC doesn't do this to their customers.
Someone on another forum suggested I message a few Samsung reps directly through Twitter, which I will be doing once I get back onto my computer.
Sent by carrier pigeon
That's really rough dude. Fortunately it is not a problem I will have to endure because I voided the **** out of my warranty when I rooted.
Anyways I like to make sure to get ID numbers from anyone I talk to on any customer service. It just seems to keep people more accountable when they know the call is recorded and I know who they are. I dunno if it'll help in this situation tho. Seems like there's not much the reps can do if the manager says they're waiting on a part. The suggestions above are all valid, being more vocal and whatnot. That's probably your best bet.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
It's for reasons like this that i try to keep my cell provider in the loop regarding repairs. Yes, it's a little more awkward dealing with them, but if you end up in a situation like this, then you have another fallback for getting a quick resolution.
I'm in a similar situation, i'm dealing with the search bug, so i'm sending it back and back again and again until i get 3-4 repairs in, then i can go to my provider and say "They can't fix this phone, I would like a different one" and if i'm lucky, by the time i get there, the Prime will be released, if not, i'll get a shinny new nexus S (or maybe the galaxy 2 with cyanogen)
For your current situation, the only thing i can recommend is tie up their people. One of my classic tricks is to "collect" people on the phone. Don't let the reps transfer you, make them conference and keep them on the phone for as long as you can. The upper people will be more careful on how they deal with you as to not give bad examples to the lower people. You are taking the lower people off the general queue, costing the company more money. The longer talk time will also draw the interest of the floor manager (different from a manager you would speak to on the phone) who will do whatever it takes to speed things up.
I once made a rep wait 1 hour on the phone with me cause his "manager" was in a 3 hour meeting that could not be disturbed. after 1/2 hour, he tried everything he could think of to get me off the phone, no avail. after 1 hour, they interrupted the meeting to get the manager on the phone.
Finally, no matter how frustrated you get, don't get rude, pissy or mean. Be firm but always be polite and proffessional.
Thank you for the tips. I called again around noon and requested to be transferred directly to Executive Customer Relations. I spoke with a gentleman named James. He was very polite, and in about 10 minutes of being on the phone with him, I was told I would get a tracking number by the end of the day. At 6:57EST, I received an email from the generic Samsung delivery service as well as James with the tracking number for a new device.
I must stress that the reps on the phone were really polite. I guess it's just Samsung that is making things difficult. I didn't have this problem with my TV, but that was about three years ago. Im going to have to think long and hard about buying another Samsung device.
I'm about to go through a similar situation. I shipped my Nexus S in to a Samsung service center in Texas almost 2 weeks ago and received an email today saying my repair is on hold due to parts needing to be ordered.
My issue is a bit more complicated then a speaker but come on! I hate iPhones but st least if you have a issue with your phone, Apple gives you a refurbished one on the spot(RIP Steve).
I'm going to call Samsung tomorrow and see whats going on. I cant wait months!
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
kmmxracer said:
I'm about to go through a similar situation. I shipped my Nexus S in to a Samsung service center in Texas almost 2 weeks ago and received an email today saying my repair is on hold due to parts needing to be ordered.
My issue is a bit more complicated then a speaker but come on! I hate iPhones but st least if you have a issue with your phone, Apple gives you a refurbished one on the spot(RIP Steve).
I'm going to call Samsung tomorrow and see whats going on. I cant wait months!
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been hearing that a lot of people have not been getting their phones back in a timely manner. I was contacted by a Samsung employee on here, I pm'd you their screen name. Good luck.
Sent by carrier pigeon
Thanks I appreciate that
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
Samsung has the worst customer service I've ever seen. I live in Canada and their Canadian site only has the number for the American Customer Service centre.
I was put on hold for over 1/2 hour then told to call the Canadian customer service number.
When I called the Canadian number, the reps gave me the number of the wrong service centre so I had to call them again today and ask for a service centre close to my area.
I'm expecting a call tomorrow so I hope everything goes well. My problem is with a Samsung Dryer not a cellphone, but I've experienced the same problems before when I had to call about a cellphone issue.
Overall, they're completely useless but their products are usually solid so you don't have to call them so often!
EraqEE said:
Samsung has the worst customer service I've ever seen. I live in Canada and their Canadian site only has the number for the American Customer Service centre.
I was put on hold for over 1/2 hour then told to call the Canadian customer service number.
When I called the Canadian number, the reps gave me the number of the wrong service centre so I had to call them again today and ask for a service centre close to my area.
I'm expecting a call tomorrow so I hope everything goes well. My problem is with a Samsung Dryer not a cellphone, but I've experienced the same problems before when I had to call about a cellphone issue.
Overall, they're completely useless but their products are usually solid so you don't have to call them so often!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had not problems finding their number on the Canadian site.
http://www.samsung.com/ca/info/contactus.html
Talking to tech support, i even got a direct number for their Montreal repair facility.
The number you see on their stupid website is the American number. The Canadian number is 1-888-899-7605
I tried the number you mentioned and some lady with a Southern accent answered and she told me they're based in the US. She then transferred me to the Canadian branch which has the number I posted above.
EraqEE said:
The number you see on their stupid website is the American number. The Canadian number is 1-888-899-7605
I tried the number you mentioned and some lady with a Southern accent answered and she told me they're based in the US. She then transferred me to the Canadian branch which has the number I posted above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've called the number on the website 4-5 times without any issues. Maybe I'm just lucky.
Dude, that's extremely hard. However, because I lose my warranty when I rooted, I won't have to deal with this issue.
In any case, whenever I speak with a customer support representative, I want to be sure to collect their ID numbers. Just knowing that the call is being recorded and that I am aware of who is on the other end helps to make folks more responsible. But I'm not sure if it will be helpful in this case. If the management states that they are awaiting a part, it seems like the salespeople won't be able to do anything. All of the aforementioned recommendations, such as being more vocal, are sensible. Your best option is most likely that. If this is happening again and again the contact samsung customer service dubai or make a call on +97145864033.
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.
I just want to share my sad story with you. I've been on xda for 7-8 years but I didn't want to use my other account. Hope you understand.
Mobicity, The Silence of the Lambs
original article by Mislav Bušić, via mob.hr
Last year, soon after the launch of Nexus 6, I ordered this device from a highly reliable British webshop called mobicity.co.uk.
At the time, they were taking preorders, and due to certain discounts, I managed to buy it at a considerably lower price than in any other store.
I had to wait for almost four months to receive the device I had ordered. To put it mildly,
I was impatient and angry – both at Motorola and at mobicity – mostly because of the lack of information I was getting from them.
However, I had no other choice but to wait patiently.
Finally, I got hold of Nexus and I immediately started a detailed inspection of the device. I ran an out-of-the-ordinary unboxing,
compared it to its main rivals, Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus, and I wrote my review. My dear editor was so pleased with everything that he,
at the very least, wished for his own copy of the device.
In the meantime, we tested various other devices, and I used the Nexus 6 along with my Note 4. At the end of May,
there was a period of three weeks during which I completely stopped using Nexus. Due to circumstances at the time,
I was travelling a lot, so I placed the Nexus back into its original packaging, because Note 4, with its far better camera and battery life,
was simply a better choice when going on a trip.
Since I wasn’t using the Nexus, I decided to pass it along to my editor. Who doesn’t love “the smell of a new smartphone in the morning”?
Since I do backup of all my smartphones almost on a daily basis, I took the box and went straight to the post office.
At the counter, in the post office, I decided to double-check if everything was in place. What followed was utter shock and disbelief.
The battery of Nexus 6 was inflated like a pack of the cheapest crisps. The cover/lid came off and there was no point in sending the device at all.
In the pre-cardiac condition, I called Krešo, my editor, to explain the whole situation. I don’t know who was in a greater state of shock, him or me.
He, because he wasn’t getting his new toy, or I, because I had it and was now left without it.
Since unfortunately, Motorola doesn’t have a representative in Croatia at all, and mobicity offers no European guarantee,
I had no other choice, but to contact more-or-less all domestic service centres in the hope of finding someone who could repair my Nexus.
I decided to log on to mobicity’s webpage to contact their customer service, and I was again confronted with another unpleasant surprise.
My account, which I had used to buy dozens of other devices, had been deleted because it had been a couple of months since my last log-in and/or purchase.
At this point I was furious. I managed to get their customer service email address and I finally managed to explain my problem to them.
What followed was a dozen of emails during the next fortnight in which I tried to explain that the device was kept in a box, in a room, at room temperature,
away from the sunlight, turned off, with no contact to moisture or cosmic dust. In a nutshell, the conditions were more than perfect.
Finally we reached the conclusion that it wasn’t my fault that the battery got inflated.
During the following fortnight we exchanged yet another dozen of emails in which mobicity very politely explained that it would be best if I could find a service centre in Zagreb that would fix my device.
The biggest problem was the non-existence of a telephone contact with the personnel at mobicity so that I could explain the situation more efficiently and quickly.
Unfortunately, their support service is as prompt and effective as the Croatian judiciary system, so you have to wait for a reply sometimes even for a week.
Weeks went by and mobicity kept on insisting on issuing a €50 voucher which would, according to them,
make up for the mental pain and the cost of battery replacement as well as possible broken motherboard or whatever.
No matter how much I insisted on sending my Nexus directly to them to have it serviced, they persistently refused to accept it.
The main excuse was the somewhat strange ban on sending inflated batteries by plane across the European Union.
This sounds logical – the battery might explode and take down the entire plane.
After a few more emails, I came to understand that this ban applies to all types of postal services, not just air mail.
After I had realised that we cannot come to an understanding, I directed mobicity’s customer service to mob.hr, the web portal I work for.
mob.hr actually attracts 200,000 unique visits a month and we cover an area of around 20 million people and, in fact,
we are the highest rated daily blog on mobile telecommunications in ExYu.
Mobicity took this as a threat and almost refused any further cooperation.
Then I politely explained that a threat would mean writing an article in English about their customer treatment and sharing this article on all leading world web portals,
including those in the USA as well as those in the UK, featuring a whole lot of pictures, attached emails and a video in English ready to be uploaded on our YouTube.
Eventually we reached an understanding. They apologized and decided to accept my Nexus 6 and service it if I agree to remove the battery before sending the phone.
That is exactly what happened. I managed to remove the battery (which meant taking the whole device apart), and I sent the device to Great Britain.
I was patiently checking the tracking number and I saw that the package had been delivered on July, 23.
I thought that maybe they would contact me upon receiving the package, and since this didn’t happen, I decided to contact them.
It turns out that if I hadn’t contacted them, my Nexus would remain there for weeks without them knowing about the whole situation.
Didn’t worry about this too much as they assured me that the device would be serviced in a few weeks’ time, so I decided to wait patiently.
Days went by and the only contact I had with the service centre was the “well-organized” customer service. I kept reminding them and sending them emails once or twice a week.
Weeks went by, and so did the first month since they received my device, and mobiycity’s customer service still had absolutely no information about the status of my device – what’s its status,
are they still waiting for parts, did they notice some other misfunctions apart from the missing battery… as if they hadn’t received the device at all.
I kept sending them emails on a weekly basis until they finally responded. Six weeks after they had received my phone,
they replied that the device was being inspected by their technicians – which actually means that they were staring at it wondering where the battery was.
I was furious, but I managed to calm myself down and I contacted the European Consumer Centre (ECC). They informed me that, since the English are involved,
I can do nothing but wait. They were kind enough to offer help and they contacted some of their colleagues in London who might call mobicity and ask them to speed thing up.
In case mobicity turned them down, the story would end here since, legally, there is no time constraint regarding the servicing of the device!
After two weeks I was informed that the battery had been replaced and that the device was being further tested.
In translation, the servicer’s son got hold of it for free for another couple of weeks or even months to play games, and,
in case the battery doesn’t get inflated again after the kid tries all possible games on Android, I will be given my device back.
After 4 (!) months, I received absolutely no news about my Nexus. Dozens of emails, complaints and status requests went by practically unnoticed.
Mobicity sent me generic emails such as “soon”, “we still don’t know”, “we’re waiting for our repair centre to reply” and so on.
At this moment I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get my device back or if it had been given to someone else as a wonderful Christmas present.
If someone did something like this in Croatia, we would be accused of being backward, uncivilised and incompetent. Since all of this took place in the UK,
the cradle of civilisation, it is perfectly clear that there are plenty of incompetent, uneducated and lazy people outside Croatia. Maybe if I hadn’t been cheap,
and if I had offered that PR person at the other side of the email some £10 bribe, maybe he would have checked where my Nexus was and would have told his colleagues to fix my phone.
At least, that’s how it works in Croatia, where you need bribe even to get your driving licence.
About 3 weeks ago, I threatened mobicity with negative feedback article, and gave them deadline till friday to repair my Nexus. Within 24 hours,
they said my device is repaired and waiting to be shipped. Guess what? They still haven’t manage to ship it!
So, to sum up, having a warranty is a wonderful thing without which you shouldn’t buy a device because you could easily have an accident as I did, no matter how careful you are.
Be careful where you buy your device and what kind of warranty it comes with. Well-known webshops are sometimes considerably cheaper than the local retail,
but they come with certain risks involved which you have to be prepared for. Your device will most likely be taken to be serviced,
but be prepared wait for it for a couple of months or even to lose it altogether. All things considered, we do not recommend buying from the mobicity.
This is the risk you run with all sites like this.
Also Admitting to having more then one account is an easy way to have both accounts banned.
Thread closed.
I purchased a Nexus 6p through Best Buy only to have it's mobile hotspot feature be buggy and troublesome. After months of searching and testing solutions found that it just could not be fixed. Called everyone and they played the blame game, Network said it was hardware, hardware said it was network, and best buy said they don't care it's been 15 days. After sending the phone to Huawei with AWFUL customer service (no contact, no replacement phone, promises and promises to call/email/etc. but nothing) I finally received my device back and the problem was even worse than before! Now with a new scratch/chip in the camera lens that was not there before. Needless to say after so many months of being given the run around by this company I am completely fed up, I don't want a replacement I want to be done. Unfortunately they say refunds are just not in their policy (great) and have claimed they will send me postage to send the phone in a second time. Again, talked to multiple supervisors who keep saying that they will email me with the postage (to be printed) and have heard nothing for weeks. Please, someone tell me I have an option to just get my money back for an obviously broken device and stop dealing with this joke of a company ;_;