Rip-off phone repair

Blave

I brought my phone in to be serviced by sony ericcson through an O2 shop for charger issues - the phone wouldn't charge. I have just been called and had to pay 100 euro as seemingly the LCD screen which wasn't covered by warranty is now not working. There was a crack on the screen but the screen worked fine before the charging problem.

What I want to know is, if there is any regulation of the phone repair industry and whether they use screen defects to charge consumers on a regular basis to cover warranty costs?

Has anyone else been stung like this?

mysteries1984

Blave wrote: »

I brought my phone in to be serviced by sony ericcson through an O2 shop for charger issues - the phone wouldn't charge. I have just been called and had to pay 100 euro as seemingly the LCD screen which wasn't covered by warranty is now not working. There was a crack on the screen but the screen worked fine before the charging problem.

What I want to know is, if there is any regulation of the phone repair industry and whether they use screen defects to charge consumers on a regular basis to cover warranty costs?

Has anyone else been stung like this?

That's your problem right there. Manufacturers will always deem that to be physical damage and not a manufacturing fault, regardless of whether or not it's connected to the fault you're seeing.

If you go to a licensed repair centre, you'll be charged. If you want the charger issue only fixed then you could go to an unlicensed place, but you could run into problems there. Some promise the earth and can't deliver.

dudara

Moved to Consumer Issues

dudara

castie

I had a button come off my nokia about 2 years ago.
Only had the phone 3-4 months so brought it to a place in Sandyford by Woodies.

They told me it wasnt covered by warranty and wanted 150 euro to fix it.
Naturally I said let me think about it.
Went to a place next to Reads by the Sandyford luas stop and they fixed it under warranty.

Alot of places seemingly just want to charge you directly.

Blave

So are there repair centres you can go to that will charge your warranty rather than you?

Is there choice? I felt that I had to bring it to the O2 shop and then felt my phone was being held hostage because the people who called me told me that either they'd repair the screen and charger or nothing at all

I just want to be wiser for the future

castie

I went on the net when it broke.
Had bought it in Cork and was living in Dublin.
Went to the vodafone shop and girl in there told me it would be about 2 weeks faster if I brought the phone to the repair place myself.

http://www.fonemenders.ie/warranty.html

Above is where I got it done under warranty. Link is about warranty repairs.

castie

First crowd that tried to charge me are here http://www.mprc.ie/
Mobile phone repair centre was their name then and now its Fonfix but they use the same website.

Heart Break Kid

Most mobile phone retailers use MPRC. If your given a quote on a mobile retailer. It‘s often a quote. Phone retailers don't charge anything extra for a repair.

The reason why they repair all faults with the phone is because they give 3 months warrenty with the repair. So they have to say they've repaired the phone 100percent and meets manufacture specifications.

Blave

Cool thanks guys - I guess this is my first encounter with this area - hopefully my last for a while too - but thanks will pass on the sage advice!
Thanks everyone!