A major mess (in my opinion) on the way Nokia handles warranties and repairs/replacements makes all Lumias a no buy for me now.
I bought a Lumia 920 (an amazing black device) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia while working there. The 920 model wasn’t available in Athens yet and getting it through my MO wouldn’t offer something special in price. After exactly 5 days of the best experience I had with a smartphone, things turned bad. But I wasn’t there. I was already in Peru and starting my 3 weeks in Latin America. A typical life for a modern nomad. Mobility is what keeps us connected to work and family… Right? Nokia has another idea of mobility.
The details of the problem can be the content of another post, a problem that has hit (as far as I understand from the fora) A LOT of users of 920. But this problem made the device unusable: overheating and an empty battery in a couple of hours, a camera that is actually destroyed. I contacted Nokia support online to check how I can visit a Nokia service center in Greece, the country that is my base for most of the time and the only place I can drop a device and pick up a repaired or replaced one after a couple of weeks. The “online” response was that my lumia was not covered by warranty in Greece because it was bought outside EU! Wow! I thought duty free shops at airports all over the world try to sell you something that can only be fixed in their country. You have to go back there. And not just at the airport (airport shops will not accept a device to fix) but outside in the city to find a Nokia service center…
I’m not talking about a TV or something for home use. I’m talking about MOBILE DEVICES. Smartphones that we buy somewhere to use somewhere else in the world. Some of us even spend most of the time outside the country which may be our home country and the country that we bought the device. I didn’t contact Greece because I’m Greek. I contacted Greece because this is the place I can drop the device for a fix. If I was planning to stay for a month in Malaysia, I would be contacting their service center because I would expect my smartphone to be fixed there. I need my smartphone. It’s part of my life. Isn’t it true?
I know another friend (he’s or was an MVP too) who had the same problem but buying a device in Europe and travelling to North America. If Nokia insists on this warranty policy, a “non-mobility warranty” that will make their power users, the ones who travel a lot and truly rely on these devices, switch to other manufacturers not because of Windows Phone 8 which is amazing, not because of the smartphone itself which has technology that really surpasses everything else, but just because of a silly decision of someone in customer services…
Nokia, I’m waiting. Till then, Lumias are perfect but their warranty works only where you bought it. Let’s say the Guadalahara airport while on honeymoon…
PS1: I don’t know how HTC or Samsung handle such a situation. I hope they treat their customers in a better way.
PS2: The criticism above is about a smartphone that costs more than a base salary in my country. I wouldn’t expect Nokia or anybody else to provide the same support for eg. Nokia 100 which sells for €27. I would just throw it to the bin…PS3: I accept that a Lumia sold outside EU is covered by 12 months while in EU by 24 months. I believe this is also reflected in the price difference.
HTC and Samsung are the same way. Pretty much any mobile device is required to be serviced in it's country of origin. One reason is ROHS compliance or also known as lead free compliance. While one country might allow items made with lead, other will not. Same goes for the manufacturing. If the device is made in a lead free country then it is fine for both countries. But if it is made in a country that does not enforce lead free than there is a chance that the service companies equipment can can contaminated by the lead in the device.
Other issues in provider exclusivity and other such things. The bottom line is that most mobile devices must be serviced in the country of origin.
Now you could of course just take it to a branch of your provider you bought it from in another country and just exchange it if such an option exist. If not then you will just have to get it serviced in the country you bought it from. That's just they way things are now.
Most of us don't bother with the service. We just take it to our providers and have it exchanged. Let them worry about how to get it serviced.
Unfortunately, that is quite common practice. Mobile phone is no exception. Here in US, most phones are sold by carrier and serviced by carrier for warranty as well. But there are a few internet shops sell mobile phones imported from Europe. If you buy these phones and need warranty service, you will have to send the phone back to the shop and they in turn send back to Europe for warranty service.
Some companies let you pay extra to have a international warranty (but still have limitations). Some like Pioneer, won't even give you any warranty if you didn't purchase their product from authorized dealers even if you bought in the US.
Warranty is cost and any large corporation will try their best to minimize that cost. Why Nokia should be different?
Solarenemy68 said:
HTC and Samsung are the same way. Pretty much any mobile device is required to be serviced in it's country of origin. One reason is ROHS compliance or also known as lead free compliance. While one country might allow items made with lead, other will not. Same goes for the manufacturing. If the device is made in a lead free country then it is fine for both countries. But if it is made in a country that does not enforce lead free than there is a chance that the service companies equipment can can contaminated by the lead in the device.
Other issues in provider exclusivity and other such things. The bottom line is that most mobile devices must be serviced in the country of origin.
Now you could of course just take it to a branch of your provider you bought it from in another country and just exchange it if such an option exist. If not then you will just have to get it serviced in the country you bought it from. That's just they way things are now.
Most of us don't bother with the service. We just take it to our providers and have it exchanged. Let them worry about how to get it serviced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phones should become international warranty based. I had same problem with my HTC while in China. Managed to get to HK to a service centre and got reply that it would cost 300 to fix because it was US phone. I feel your pain. Try to buy phone closest to your home country that is easy to ship to.
foxbat121 said:
Warranty is cost and any large corporation will try their best to minimize that cost. Why Nokia should be different?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because Nokia is a European company and laws in Europe are a bit different... Philips was one of the first companies in the world that supported their products with worldwide warranties.
And all my Thinkpads are covered by worldwide warranty (and service). Because they are business tools for a mobile worker that lives somewhere else every week. I expected the same for business smartphones, especially when some of them cost more than a low-end Thinkpad... And travel more... I'm not complaining about TVs and entertainment systems, washing machines or even cars (although I had a BMW serviced in Switzerland under warranty...)
Well as much as you would like it to be that way, that is just not the way the mobile market works. They, the mobile manufacturers also do not care how much you spent on their device and they don't care that you feel that cost justifies service globally. They have their money from you buying the device. That is all they care about. If they have to service it, it will cost them money so they are going to make it as hard as possible and as less desirable for you as possible to service it. That is why you exchange it and let the companies duke it out. If you did not buy it from a provider that is global and offers exchanges then this is pretty much your fault and something that you will just have to deal with. That is just the way the mobile market operates. It sees it's products and it's customers as disposable and a dime a dozen. Loose one and another drops right in as this market will always be here.
Solarenemy68 said:
Well as much as you would like it to be that way, that is just not the way the mobile market works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know exactly how the market operated and how it operates now. I was for 8 years a Microsoft MVP for Mobile Deevices, founded the largest mobility club in my country 12 years ago, worked directly with operators and OEMs to launch new devices and services, have friends in the R&D of all major companies. Working in US and being a customer of Verizon or AT&T is completely different than our case over there. We travel and work A LOT outside one country and the operators are all operating as a different entity in each country. Nokia was ALWAYS the company that you could rely for total support. That''s why they used to be the leader (by far). Things have changed...
There are only a few companies that offer you worldwide warranty and with a lot of those you have to pay extra for it. From what it looks like you won't be able to buy any mobile phones and have worldwide warranty at the moment. So if that is your reason to not go with another Lumia it comes by extension down to not being able to buy any smartphone (as the situation is the same).
I understand that this sucks but it doesn't help to single out Nokia here given that they are pretty much doing the same as everyone else in the industry. Also the title is somewhat misleading given that you DO have warranty for your Lumia phone just that in your situation it's rather difficult to get it to the service center.
StevieBallz said:
Also the title is somewhat misleading given that you DO have warranty for your Lumia phone just that in your situation it's rather difficult to get it to the service center.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with the rest of what you are saying but regarding the warranty issue (which is what I'm complaining about - the device is amazing) my case is not a special case. What I say is that all sales on airports and places where travellers are attracted to buy phones should state CLEARLY that the warranty is only valid in the specific country and service has to be done in a city of that country. A duty free shop doesn't get back a phone so even if you are transit through the same airport again, it's not enough. If this is everybody's policy, then I raise a flag saying that this has to change. We managed to change the charging connector for all companies, we can do this too...
atsouch said:
I agree with the rest of what you are saying but regarding the warranty issue (which is what I'm complaining about - the device is amazing) my case is not a special case. What I say is that all sales on airports and places where travellers are attracted to buy phones should state CLEARLY that the warranty is only valid in the specific country and service has to be done in a city of that country. A duty free shop doesn't get back a phone so even if you are transit through the same airport again, it's not enough. If this is everybody's policy, then I raise a flag saying that this has to change. We managed to change the charging connector for all companies, we can do this too...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing with apple. All products have international warranty EXCEPT mobile phones. I do hope they will be the first one to implement this international warranty with mobile phones.
They are doing this to discourage grey market, so what, importer bought it from e.g. NOKIA also, so it's the same sh**.
Related
After talking to TOSHIBA toady and after communicating with them through emails
for more than a week this is the answer I got from them all:
"but unfortunately we cannot provide spare parts outside our repair center"
let me explain what is so "unfortunate" in a global company that does not sell parts for its devices:
I need to send the device to the place I bought it (UK) in an insured express mail AND I am also paying on the back delivery
I will take a day off to pass in the tax office lines in order to fill the papers so they will not to stop my device and ask for taxes of it again.
It is also very "unfortunate" that if the defect will not be covered by warranty Toshiba will get some extra money from my pocket and not any other lab in the world which is not owned by the company =)
Think about a world where you bought a car that were manufactured in japan and you need to send the car!! to japan!!! for a lamp =)
because the company is as just as greedy as Toshiba and they
"cannot provide spare parts outside our repair center"
by the way...If you wanna know I called my garage today to ask them if I want to buy a part from them if this is a problem...not a lamp...an entire gear box!! they said no problem and gave me the price.
I own a laptop...Called the company and told them I need some spare parts...my computer is 1 month old and they gave me the prices but mentioned this may harm my warranty...
So other companies would sell me even a hammer to smash my device if I want it as long as I understand that this harms/cancels my warranty
But not Toshiba.
they will make sure I will fix it under their roof so my 1$ will go to them and not to any other person in the world.
I just needed the micro usb female...
we have enough HTC labs that can do it here in Israel
but just because Toshiba needs my 1$
(yes yes!!! this is how much the part costs for devices like HTC HD2 or HTC DESIRE you can even get it in 5/20 packs on ebay just like any other part you want for an HTC device)
I need to pay 160$ (postage+the perfect day off in order to go and fill the forms)
So goes the global concept in Toshiba...and here comes their small greedy village =)
I am not sure I will fix my device...I think of just letting it rot in the drawer.
I feel sorry for the unlucky person to buy it from me here or in any other part of the world that Toshiba don't have a repair center for the TG01.
maybe I will try my luck on ebay.
Learn From my story...Ban Toshiba!!!
I think your problem is more Tax- related, than anything else. If you buy a device you should always make sure, that it will be fully supported in your country. There are meny devices without worldwide support, you have to live with that.
Not True
The tax related problem is solved by papers-you just list your device so they wont think you got a phone by mail (for this you need to pay taxes)
In many countries there are various Global companies that don't give direct service
But there are always others who can give you the service...
Lets say that you buy a Ferrari(lucky you =)
but then something happens and a part in your car is broken...
So...Now you are going to send your car to the closest Ferrari garage in..
MMm Italy right?....
nice trip for a car...Its much better than the company to send you the part if it can easily be replaced in any other garage near your house or by yourself? NOT!
Give me the name of your state and I will give you countless names of various Companies that does not have a direct link to a repair center near your house yet you can easily repair their products in other labs and order parts online.
This is actually the first time in my life I got into such a situation when a
company does not sell parts to its products!!!
This is a very greedy method...you are forced to repair what you buy only in 1 place!!! even if it is thousands of miles away from your home.
I have several labs in my city that fix HTC,Apple,Samsung and so on...with original and non-original parts for your choice...so why does Toshiba need to be different???
Man I hope Toshiba wont move the repair center in your town.
if you did not get it this is the only place you can get your TG01 repaired
It is most unlikely that Toshiba actually fabricate the uUSB female connector themselves; likely an identical or very close match could be obtained via one of the many electronic parts suppliers and could then be fitted by yourself or a friendly local workshop.
One source I am aware of is Farnell in the UK. [URL="http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/browse.jsp?N=500006+1002290+5255151+232999+574277&Ntk=gensearch_001&Ntt=micro+usb&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&No=0&getResults=true&appliedparametrics=true&locale=en_UK&catalogId=&prevNValues=500006+1002290&filtersHidden=false&appliedHidden=false&originalQueryURL=%2Fjsp%2Fsearch%2Fbrowse.jsp%3FN%3D500006%2B1002290%26Ntk%3Dgensearch_001%26Ntt%3Dmicro%2Busb%26Ntx%3Dmode%2Bmatchallpartial%26No%3D0%26getResults%3Dtrue%26appliedparametrics%3Dtrue%26locale%3Den_UK%26catalogId%3D%26prevNValues%3D500006%2B1002290"]This page [/URL]lists all the varaiations of Type AB uUSB Receptacles for surface mount - bottom, top and mid.
The biggest challenge is to be able to remove the original and resolder a new item working at surface mount scale with hand tools rather than as part of the manufactire process using flow soldering.
Anyway, best of luck and I hope you are able to resolve.
I took the phone to 3 big labs already for an opinion.
we were digging all over the net in order to find the part that might fit.
they even did a few phone call to their suppliers for me.
I am sorry to say that none of the ones That are sold out there on the net
can fit to the spot that Toshiba created on the TG01
So you should not build on that that you can get a match.
As hilarious as it might sound this part can be replaced only
on their repair centers and not on any other place on earth...
how is that for an option?
I am starting to believe that even Apple is not as evil as Toshiba =P
I had the same problem, phone worked fine but would not charge up or connect to my computer through the USB. I talked to Toshiba UK and they told me to send it to Regenersis in Scotland. They did not even bother trying to repair it they just sent me a brand new phone free of charge, the new phone was sim locked but my original was unlocked. I contacted Toshiba again by email and 1 hour later they emailed me an unlock code. They also sent me a new back and SD card free of charge, I bought the phone second hand off Ebay !!!!!
I do not think many companies warrant their products for the second user but Toshiba do. Why not just send them your phone and get a new one....
Agreed, the process with Regenersis works well.
First I don't know how much you pay for an express delivery from your town to Scotland.
I do know that the Delivery from Israel to the Toshiba repair center in England and back will cost me around 70-80$ (insured)
ant again I will need to go to the tax office and fill the forms so they wont think I bought a new phone when I get it back...so I loose a few hours from my day and have some "fun" in the tax office lines =)
I have sent my phone to a Toshiba repair centerr in Romania with my Dad so it will be fixed soon...
My problem is not about if they will or will not replace/fix it for me =)
If I could buy the part I could fix it in a lab here for 30-40$ and get it back after 1 hour.
But Toshiba wants to fix it themselves...So the cost of the shipping+half a day off will cost me around 120$
Plus I will have to be 1 week at-least without my TG01
That's the price I need to pay because Toshiba thinks it will be nice to take also all the money from fixing straight into their pocket.
Because one day friends your warranty will be finished or you will crack the screen or break the housing...and then you will go/send by mail to the only place where you can get your device fixed.
even if you can do it yourselves in 1 minute or know that it costs 30$ to fix in a lab that is right under your house.
you will need to send it to Scotland or England or maybe one day to japan =) why not? maybe they will decide to close some Toshiba centers
and you will pay as much as Toshiba will decide you need to pay because if you did not get it you do not have any choice =P
Toshiba TG01 parts are not sold anywhere.
there is the definition for it folks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly
and for this I strongly object.
that's why I will sell my 2 TG01(bought 1 for my brother also ) and buy others.
that its company doesn't hold me in a leash on where do I want to fix my device.
It cost me £5.50 to return the phone to Scotland and this included £500 insurance cover. There are rarely spare parts or broken phones on Ebay at the moment because they are all under warranty. After the 2 years is up parts and broken phones will start to appear on Ebay, so if you want to keep your phone alive it will be easy. I realise your personal circumstances mean the cost to return the phone is a bit high but you did buy the phone in the UK (presumably locked to Orange) so it is reasonable for the company to want to repair the phone in the country of purchase. Perhaps you should buy future phones in Israel, then you will not have this problem....
my TG01 has a broken touchscreen, which I would like to fix. Toshiba support told me to send it to a repair center in northern scotland for refund.
Shipping from Germany would be almost 15€ and I don´t know how much further the repair would cost...
Replacememt parts are almost none available; I am looking for days... The only few things I found are very expensive and not even new.
It´s really disappointing.
unfortunately the material is not very robust. The screen gets scratched very easily, the thin back cover deforms and on all TG01 I saw the usb-cover was damaged by fingernails.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803711
If you need photos of the screen I'll post them
I'm in the US, and I've never bought anything from overseas, so I'm a little unsure as to who I should go through(not sure who's very reputable internationally) to purchase the international version? And , just to me certain, the GT-I9300 will work with ANY GSM carrier(AT&T/T-Mobile, any of their MVNO's(Straighttalk, boost))?
EDIT: This goes in Q&A, reposted there. Delete this please.
Here's a list:
Expansys USA.
Negri electronics
Networkingrus
Or just amazon.com
If purchased from all of those and they ate all reliable and have very fast shipping. If you want you can also try eBay
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
and to add the international will only get edge speeds on TMO currently. It will get HSPA+ speeds once TMO converts to the 1900 band but that could be some time. I think there are only 5 markets converted so far.
It will give you HSPA+ on the other carriers though.
graffixnyc said:
and to add the international will only get edge speeds on TMO currently. It will get HSPA+ speeds once TMO converts to the 1900 band but that could be some time. I think there are only 5 markets converted so far.
It will give you HSPA+ on the other carriers though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm planning to go through AT&T with Straight Talk. $495/yr
Dailysteals.com eother on their website or on their ebay store, they got some good deals for this phone(biweekly)
It depends on how you feel about the warranty. No Exynos SGS3 is permitted by Samsung to be sold by anyone in the U.S. and it’s considered grey market and therefore has no warranty. Their strict and ask for a receipt from an authorized reseller and/or a credit card charge statement before doing any warranty work. There are no authorized resellers in the U.S. because Samsung doesn't sell unlocked devices here. Samsung U.S. will also not repair a phone purchased outside its country of intended sale so you'll have to ship it back at your expense to whatever country it came from for both warranty work and repairs you might pay for.
My former i9100 came from the UK and before I sold it I sent it to the UK to have its bezel replaced under warranty because it cracked. I enclosed my receipt from an authorized UK reseller and when they saw it was paid on a credit card they also asked for a copy of the statement. NewEgg, Amazon, Amazon Marketplace, and eBay sellers sometimes say the phone will come with a warranty. It doesn't and Samsung makes no exceptions.
Both Negri and Expansys-USA offer their customers support during the warranty period. If the phone needs service you ship it to them and they send it overseas to one of their affiliates who has it repaired at a Samsung service center. It still has no warranty; their skirting it somehow through their affiliates. But as long as your phone's repaired at no cost how the sausage is made is irrelevant.
SquareTrade also covers grey market phones. I strongly suggest people get a policy as a back stop to any warranty issues (denied claims) and to cover accidental damage. If the display alone on eBay is $250 you're probably looking at a $350 repair with labor if the screen replacement's done by Samsung should it break.
I always buy my imported devices from the UK. You know you're working with an authorized reseller, there are no warranty questions, and you'll also know the device you're receiving is a UK device. Both Negri and Expansys-USA frequently ship phones intended for sale in the Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, and Latin America. No big dealing if you're going to root and flash other ROMs; a big deal if you're not. They also ship carrier-branded phones that have been SIM unlocked.
To get a phone overnighted from Clove in the UK right now is $670 all-in. At Negri it's $645. You can decide whether the additional $25 is a worthwhile investment based on the above. Also, Clove has a service (http://www.clove.co.uk/smartphone-pre-shipping-testing-service) for 20 GBP ($31 USD) where they will pre-test your phone before it's shipped and make sure all the functions are working. With the display issues that pop-up on the SGS3 having a phone pre-screened can save you a lot of hassle and eliminate the possibility of having to do one or more exchanges. They'll also pay r/t shipping to and from the UK for the exchange if they missed anything in their testing. Handtec probably offers a similar service. I've purchased devices from both and they're incredibly easy to deal with.
Choosing which way to get a SGS3 is a lot like people's attitudes toward buying insurance. If you're one of those that think the odds are in your favor and you’ll end up fine, find the cheapest SGS3 and buy it. If you want the security of knowing no matter what happens that you're covered, some of the more expensive routes will give you piece of mind. As I said, I always buy my devices via the UK direct.
Good luck.
I know Amazon has a 30-day no questions asked return policy. Just return it if its defective
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
BarryH_GEG said:
It depends on how you feel about the warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, unless someone finds a way to root and flash roms without upping the flash counter on AT&T or verizon(they havent, have they?), I have no warranty anyway.
I'm been teetering on getting a new phone for a while and although dev for the att sgs2 has been good, we are always behind the international version. So I told myself I'd get the international version but am having a hard time justifying the cost lol. Especially since the nexus is down to 350 new and it'd be a straight up Google rom experience.
Sorry to thread jack lulz
sent from tapatalk app on GS2
Amazon.... that's where I got mine...put it one day shipping and been loving it every sense lol....
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Looks like I wont have to go the international route(was only going to if I wasn't going to have a warranty after rooting anyway.
The Lumia 920, which I bought at Microsoft store back in February of this year, stopped charging via wireless. I took it to the Microsoft store to see what can be done (expecting Apple like treatment) and the store manager gave me 2 options:
1. To have the phone sent to Nokia for repairs - the warranty center will check the phone and let me know if the repair is within warranty.
2. Exchange the phone for a new one, but only if I buy a 2 years extended warranty for $99. He said he will wave the $50 replacement fee this time only.
I did go with option #2 and walked away with the new phone. The problem is that the new phone has a headphones jack issue - the sound only plays from the right headphone. I suspect if i take the phone back it will be exchanged for a new one outside of extended warranty.
So my question is: Did I make a mistake for buying the extended warranty? I have a feeling that this phone will be out of date (and possibly not supported by MSFT) before the 2 years extended warranty runs out. $99 is the 1/5 of the price of the new phone...
Thoughts?
You bought an extended warranty. That now covers the phone with the headphone issue. Your old phone no longer exist and everything is about the new one. That being said you should be able to get the new one fixed at no charge. I also think the MS store ripped you off. They should not be able to legally require you to buy an extended contract to get a phone replaced. Honestly I would fight this since we are dealing with a 600 USD phone here that should be replaced for free as long as it is with in warranty. Also does the extended warranty cover things like drops or water damage? If not then you wasted your money on the warranty. The AT&T extended warranty which cost an extra 9 bucks a month covers ANYTHING that can or could happen to phone rather accidental or on purpose for the length of the contract. I could drop it then back my car over it and they would replace it no questions asked.
Solarenemy68 said:
You bought an extended warranty. That now covers the phone with the headphone issue. Your old phone no longer exist and everything is about the new one. That being said you should be able to get the new one fixed at no charge. I also think the MS store ripped you off. They should not be able to legally require you to buy an extended contract to get a phone replaced. Honestly I would fight this since we are dealing with a 600 USD phone here that should be replaced for free as long as it is with in warranty. Also does the extended warranty cover things like drops or water damage? If not then you wasted your money on the warranty. The AT&T extended warranty which cost an extra 9 bucks a month covers ANYTHING that can or could happen to phone rather accidental or on purpose for the length of the contract. I could drop it then back my car over it and they would replace it no questions asked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was the first option he was offered from the store. They do not have to replace the device on the spot, they are allowed to send it in for repair. At least, that's how our law in germany is, not sure about other countries.
Localhorst86 said:
That was the first option he was offered from the store. They do not have to replace the device on the spot, they are allowed to send it in for repair. At least, that's how our law in germany is, not sure about other countries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless Germany is just strange, there really is no law that dictates this. It is just what most have accepted as the norm and so the businesses use such policies becuase they can and no one knows better. As the paying customer you have a right to decide ho it is handled if it is under warranty. Typically you just ask then to give you a new phone on the spot and then they do whatever with the bad one. The usually will send it in for repair then sell it as a refurbished unit. Sometimes rather than a new phone they will offer you a refurb which many times is better becuase it has all the known issue of a new unit fixed.
Of course this all does not really matter now as what done is done but in the future, as a paying customer it helps to know your rights and not to let the business take you for a ride.
Solarenemy68 said:
Unless Germany is just strange, there really is no law that dictates this. It is just what most have accepted as the norm and so the businesses use such policies becuase they can and no one knows better. As the paying customer you have a right to decide ho it is handled if it is under warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is definatelly not true for germany. In germany Law dictates that the customer has to allow the seller/manufacturer to fix a broken device or item 3 times in a reasonable ammount of time. Court orders have proven that this means a shop can send the item in for repair and is not forced to either give you a brand new phone or a "rental" unit. He can also offer you to nullify the sales contract and refund you (note: offer, not force). If the seller decides to replace the phone, he still is not forced to replace it on the spot but in a reasonable ammount of time it takes for a replacement unit to arrive. If the seller/manufacturer fails to deliver a fully working product after the third try (note that the law does not explicitly state "third try" or "three times" but again uses the wording "reasonable" - which courts have often ruled to be three or four times) you can demand he refunds you the full price of the item.
EDIT: I can also not believe that other countries, including the US, can by law force the seller to replace the item on the spot. It's simply not reasonable as it would require the seller to keep a sufficient stock of devices in storage he can effectively not sell to customers as they need to be held back for "replacements".
Localhorst86 said:
This is definatelly not true for germany. In germany Law dictates that the customer has to allow the seller/manufacturer to fix a broken device or item 3 times in a reasonable ammount of time. Court orders have proven that this means a shop can send the item in for repair and is not forced to either give you a brand new phone or a "rental" unit. He can also offer you to nullify the sales contract and refund you (note: offer, not force). If the seller decides to replace the phone, he still is not forced to replace it on the spot but in a reasonable ammount of time it takes for a replacement unit to arrive. If the seller/manufacturer fails to deliver a fully working product after the third try (note that the law does not explicitly state "third try" or "three times" but again uses the wording "reasonable" - which courts have often ruled to be three or four times) you can demand he refunds you the full price of the item.
EDIT: I can also not believe that other countries, including the US, can by law force the seller to replace the item on the spot. It's simply not reasonable as it would require the seller to keep a sufficient stock of devices in storage he can effectively not sell to customers as they need to be held back for "replacements".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never said it was a law, but buyers right. They do not have to replace it on the spot unless the customer asks to do so. Most don't becuase they do not know they have that right. So no a store does not keep stock becuase they very rarely have to replace a phone on the spot.
Solarenemy68 said:
I never said it was a law, but buyers right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it is not in the law, how can it be buyers right? There has to be a law governing the rights and dutys of all parties involved in a purchase.
Just wanted to post my experience for others contemplating dropping so much money on a tablet, and especially for those buying other than their country of residence.
Further to my post at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2334953, I had to RMA my tablet.
I placed an order on thje US Sony Store, order SW13060100141 on June 1 2013 for the 16GB Wifi Tablet Z.
A few days ago while using my tablet with the standard Sony provided charger, the tablet shut off during use. It now no longer powers on. I spoke with Benny in Tech Support who troubleshot it with me and provided an event 1-689327814 to set up an RMA (R-SW13060100141-147) via FedEx.
On calling customer service I spoke to Rich, a supervisor, employee 18373 (reference to call 130623-001252) and I was advised that since I was now living in Canada and not back in the US until fall, I could not do a replacement to Canada, and I would have to drive back to the US from the Toronto area just to mail the tablet back for a refund.
I find it horrible that a company who operates globally such as Sony refuses to offer me an in-store option here in Canada, or even a shipping option for replacement in Canada. This is ridiculous, especially on such an expensive item.
I for one will have a hard time supporting Sony in the future given the "who cares" attitude, and the lack of regard for the situation I am in.
I am now stuck driving this all the way to Buffalo just to mail it since Sony is being difficult. I should have stuck with Samsung devices like I normally do - they honor US purchases in Canada and vice-versa, in my experience.
EDIT:
I had this escalated by Sony Canada. Apparently each division will honor the warranty of the other, and the US was just mistaken since I called them instead. They should have properly advised and forwarded me to the Canadian division. After contacting higher ups at the Canadian division I was provided with an RMA number to ship my tablet back.
I have been told they will try to confirm the cause of it just shutting off and dying, so I will update this thread accordingly once I hear, to close the loop.
The is completely wrong of Sony but sadly norm rather than the exception. There's a reason the US-Canada border is described as a one-way glass with the mirror pointing south. There are more examples than I can count.
When the original Xoom was first released in Canada months after the States, it had to be flashed to the US ROM to get updates from Google.
The Kindle Fire is just seeing its Canadian debut now — after Japan because heavens know it's easier to translate everything from American into Japanese that that incredibly alien Canadian/Canadien.
And then there are those newfangled Chromebooks … that weird across-the-board $10 markup in the Canadian Google Store (even Apple doesn't do that anymore) … Google Voice.
It really is very frustrating and such a stupidly artificial barrier — had you bought that tablet in the Canadian bit of the Sony Interwebs, in-store service in Canada would have been no problem. :banghead:
Is there anyone who has purchased Xperia Z Ultra Hong Kong version in Hong Kong directly? :laugh:
I have a screen problem as others have, but a little bit different. I want to post the dropbox link, but XDA do not allow me.
I am contacting the Sony Care Hong Kong for service, and they ask me to provide receipt of purchase in HONG KONG.
I bought mine in Hong Kong but I dumped the receipt when I came back to Canada to empty my pocket. And I don't
remember the store name exactly for re-issuing the receipt. You know how Hong Kong looks like. So many buildings and
stores...wow..
Anyway, even I provided my IMEI number, but they still insist the receipt. I don't understand why for this model is just 2 month
old in the world!
So...I am asking the members here.
Is there anyone who lives in Hong Kong? and can you send the receipt to my email? Please?:laugh:
By the way, I will never buy any sony product in my life any more! I never had any problem with Samsung and Apple!!
bearpc100 said:
By the way, I will never buy any sony product in my life any more! I never had any problem with Samsung and Apple!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are issues with all manufacturers. I've had bad experiences with Samsung in the past, but that doesn't mean all Samsung phones/tablets have issues.
The same goes for every manufacturer out there, and to be honest I think Samsung has got more problems to solve then Sony on global scale
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Had same problem with mine except I got a parallel import from unauthorized retailer in bangkok. Mad that I had a defective phone having spent so much money, I stopped through hong kong (on one of my flights to bkk for work) determined to get the phone fixed. Talked to the manager at causeway bay's service center. I was there for 3-4 hours complaining and telling them how ****ed their no receipt no warranty policy is, especially in this Z Ultra defect case. The best he could do for me was give me a laughable discount on the hardware/lcd repair cost, I paid slightly less than the original 2450hkd repair cost. They couldn't repair it due to "not having parts" in, and just gave me a new phone, which came with a 6 month warranty.
Sorry but sending you an actual real receipt isn't going to work. A valid hkg sony recognized receipt from an "authorized retailer" will have the IMEI number printed on it. I have a second ZU which I bought on taobao which has this receipt and IMEI number printed on it which gives me a 1 year warranty as long as this receipt doesn't get lost.
But I got ****ed by sony on the other unit for buying from a stall at MBK in Bangkok.
Expensive lesson for me. Sorry, I feel your anger and pain, but look at me if you want to know what your options are. Well, you don't have to fly to Hong Kong like I did, but you can wait til the phone gets released in your area, then hit up Sony for the repair bill.
dobygot said:
Had same problem with mine except I got a parallel import from unauthorized retailer in bangkok. Mad that I had a defective phone having spent so much money, I stopped through hong kong (on one of my flights to bkk for work) determined to get the phone fixed. Talked to the manager at causeway bay's service center. I was there for 3-4 hours complaining and telling them how ****ed their no receipt no warranty policy is, especially in this Z Ultra defect case. The best he could do for me was give me a laughable discount on the hardware/lcd repair cost, I paid slightly less than the original 2450hkd repair cost. They couldn't repair it due to "not having parts" in, and just gave me a new phone, which came with a 6 month warranty.
Sorry but sending you an actual real receipt isn't going to work. A valid hkg sony recognized receipt from an "authorized retailer" will have the IMEI number printed on it. I have a second ZU which I bought on taobao which has this receipt and IMEI number printed on it which gives me a 1 year warranty as long as this receipt doesn't get lost.
But I got ****ed by sony on the other unit for buying from a stall at MBK in Bangkok.
Expensive lesson for me. Sorry, I feel your anger and pain, but look at me if you want to know what your options are. Well, you don't have to fly to Hong Kong like I did, but you can wait til the phone gets released in your area, then hit up Sony for the repair bill.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're right. I may have to wait till the phone gets releases in Canada or U.S. Stupid policy Sony has. They are not the"SONY" in '90s any more. They do not have a common sense. They will lose their reputation gradually if they keep their attitude toward customers like this. I will never buy any Sony product in my life any more. No receipt no warranty for the product released less than 2 month? Nonsense!
bearpc100 said:
I think you're right. I may have to wait till the phone gets releases in Canada or U.S. Stupid policy Sony has. They are not the"SONY" in '90s any more. They do not have a common sense. They will lose their reputation gradually if they keep their attitude toward customers like this. I will never buy any Sony product in my life any more. No receipt no warranty for the product released less than 2 month? Nonsense!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I'm glad I live in the UK. The whole "no receipt, no warranty" thing is illegal there. Unfortunately, I'm in India at the moment and am facing similar difficulties in getting a repair/ replacement. Not for lack of a receipt, but because they don't seem to acknowledge a defective "shatter-proof film" as an issue. The oleophobic coating is coming off, which leaves a big greasy splodge right in the middle of the screen - noticeable even when the screen is on. This kinda detracts from one of the major selling-points of the device (the display)... I'm currently being blamed for "scratching" the screen. However. if you wipe away all of the grease, there's a mirror finish and no sign of any marks or scratches on the screen.
I guess refusal to service/ replace devices is how Sony keeps its profits.
ShALLaX said:
This is why I'm glad I live in the UK. The whole "no receipt, no warranty" thing is illegal there. Unfortunately, I'm in India at the moment and am facing similar difficulties in getting a repair/ replacement. Not for lack of a receipt, but because they don't seem to acknowledge a defective "shatter-proof film" as an issue. The oleophobic coating is coming off, which leaves a big greasy splodge right in the middle of the screen - noticeable even when the screen is on. This kinda detracts from one of the major selling-points of the device (the display)... I'm currently being blamed for "scratching" the screen. However. if you wipe away all of the grease, there's a mirror finish and no sign of any marks or scratches on the screen.
I guess refusal to service/ replace devices is how Sony keeps its profits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine has vertical lines and duplicated afterimages on screen from the Sony logo when you turn it on. Definitely this is manufacturing defect. I guess LCD (or LED) controller is malfunctioning and being damaged by power goes in and being heated up. I don't know who designed and made the controller, but one thing is for sure. The manufacturing process was managed so poorly. There even didn't seem to be a QA. What an idiot management Sony has...
By the way, is there anybody who knows e-mail address of Sony CEO? I want to send a mail to him.
no.one.at.sony.cares.
welcome.to.globalization 1-0-1.