Mobile Phone Broken

Paz-CCFC

I got a Samsung Tocco Lite as a gift for Christmas 2009, just over two years ago. Just yesterday, the touch screen stopped working. At first, in the afternoon, it was working a bit weird when I was using it - the keys I was pressing weren't corresponding to the numbers showing up (eg, I pressed 5, but 2 would show up). I thought it might be a mere calibration problem, so I recalibrated through the process available on the phone. Later that evening, I got a text, but when I went to press into it, it wouldn't let me. It simply wasn't responding. So, I turned it off and back on. When it asked me to enter my PIN, it still wasn't responding. I tried leaving it alone for a while, but this morning, still nothing. So, basically, one day it was working, the next day it wasn't.

I went into a Vodafone shop (I'm with them, and that's whom the phone was bought off, though not the shop I went into). The person behind the desk said that if the phone was bought less than two years ago, I'd get a free repair, otherwise I'd have to pay. I don't have a receipt from the shop, but it was bought with Visa, so I should be able to get a receipt and info like which shop it was bought in, fairly easily.

What are my options? A quick look online, and I haven't been able to find anything re the timeframe, other than an article saying in England you have six years. What's the story in Ireland?

Thanks.

dudara

Consumer law states that a product must last a reasonable amount of time (given normal wear and tear). If a fault exists, then a retailer must offer a refund, replacement or repair.

The question here is if 2 years is an acceptable lifetime for the Samsung Tocco Lite?

Paz-CCFC

dudara wrote: »

Consumer law states that a product must last a reasonable amount of time (given normal wear and tear). If a fault exists, then a retailer must offer a refund, replacement or repair.

Does it say that in the Sales of Goods and Services Act 1980?

The question here is if 2 years is an acceptable lifetime for the Samsung Tocco Lite?

Two years for a mobile phone? I wouldn't think so. I think five years would be a more accetpable lifetime. I had my last phone (also a Samsung) for four years and it was still working fine, bar the battery starting to get week. Everything in the Tocco Lite is working fine (battery lasts long, turns on fine etc.) bar the touchscreen, so I think it should be able to last longer than a mere two years.

drunkmonkey

Paz-CCFC wrote: »

Two years for a mobile phone? I wouldn't think so. I think five years would be a more accetpable lifetime.

It was a low end handset to start pitched at teenagers, it's constantly getting throw around, plugged and poked every day. 2 years is more than fair at the low end of the market.
If it goes for repair through official channels you will loose all your data and still have to pay. It's out of warranty. You could either just replace the screen yourself(not a huge job on a tocco) or take it someone who repairs them and who will just change the screen and not update or wipe data from the phone.

Paz-CCFC

drunkmonkey wrote: »

It was a low end handset to start pitched at teenagers, it's constantly getting throw around

I certainly wasn't constantly throwing it around. And surely if they anticipated it to be thrown around all the time, they'd make it more durable?

, plugged and poked every day.

Isn't that the nature of a touchscreen phone? And, so, it should be adapted so as to be able to endure this kind of thing.

[quote
2 years is more than fair at the low end of the market.[/quote]

From what I remember, this phone would've costed €150-€200 back in 2009. I wouldn't consider two years to be more than fair for an electronic advice at that price.

If it goes for repair through official channels you will loose all your data and still have to pay. It's out of warranty. You could either just replace the screen yourself(not a huge job on a tocco) or take it someone who repairs them and who will just change the screen and not update or wipe data from the phone.

You think it's something as simple as replacing the screen? There are two screens on the phone, from what I can make out - an outer and an inner one. I'm guessing that the outer one is merely a protective screen, and the inner one is touch sensitive, yeah?

mysteries1984

Your warranty on a mobile phone is generally two years. Some networks differ - an iPhone on Vodafone used to have a one year warranty, although I don't know if that's still the case. Regardless of cost, any other handset on the Vodafone network had 2 years.

And yes, there are two screens, if you like, the external and the inner LCD. The inner screen is the more sensitive of the two, and the more difficult to replace.

CraigSmith_IO

Don't know where you're getting a 2 year warranty from? All networks offer one year warranty. Unless the manufacturer gives you a 2 year warranty(denoted by a warranty card in the box) you'll always have the 12 month standard warranty.

antocann

CraigSmith_IO wrote: »

Don't know where you're getting a 2 year warranty from? All networks offer one year warranty. Unless the manufacturer gives you a 2 year warranty(denoted by a warranty card in the box) you'll always have the 12 month standard warranty.

for store repairs samsung give a 2 year warranty

Davy

CraigSmith_IO wrote: »

Don't know where you're getting a 2 year warranty from? All networks offer one year warranty. Unless the manufacturer gives you a 2 year warranty(denoted by a warranty card in the box) you'll always have the 12 month standard warranty.

The fact is that a two year
guarantee applies for the sale of
all consumer goods everywhere in
the EU (Directive 1999/44/EC). In
some countries, this may be more, and
some manufacturers also choose to
offer a longer warranty period.

http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/64/en.pdf

CraigSmith_IO

Davy wrote: »

http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/64/en.pdf

Strange. Because I can 100% tell you that the phone company I worked for before where I am now offered one year. And the repair company will only fix phones within a year of purchase.

foggy_lad

CraigSmith_IO wrote: »

Strange. Because I can 100% tell you that the phone company I worked for before where I am now offered one year. And the repair company will only fix phones within a year of purchase.

That is all that company offerd it's unfortunate customers, most manufacturers offer a 24 month warranty with their phones and have done for a number of years! Now what you as a loyal phone shop employee were dutifully forgetting is that the law in Ireland affords the consumer a lot more protection from the phone stores. It states things like must be reasonably durable and must be fit for purpose etc so a phone should last a reasonable time if it is looked after well(batteries not included) up to a maximum of 6 years(statute of limitations).

CraigSmith_IO

foggy_lad wrote: »

That is all that company offerd it's unfortunate customers, most manufacturers offer a 24 month warranty with their phones and have done for a number of years! Now what you as a loyal phone shop employee were dutifully forgetting is that the law in Ireland affords the consumer a lot more protection from the phone stores. It states things like must be reasonably durable and must be fit for purpose etc so a phone should last a reasonable time if it is looked after well(batteries not included) up to a maximum of 6 years(statute of limitations).

I understand the manufacturers offering 2 years warranty, but again after dealing with the Mobile Phone Repair Company, they will send anything over a year back. Then you get in touch with Apple or whoever and they also say it's out of warranty. What else am I supposed to do sure?

I'm just giving my two cents is all, not saying I agree with the policies of such companies like!

foggy_lad

CraigSmith_IO wrote: »

I understand the manufacturers offering 2 years warranty, but again after dealing with the Mobile Phone Repair Company, they will send anything over a year back. Then you get in touch with Apple or whoever and they also say it's out of warranty. What else am I supposed to do sure?

I'm just giving my two cents is all, not saying I agree with the policies of such companies like!

You need to forget about the manufacturer and the repair company and remember a basic of retail which is that the retailer must stand over what they sell and their customers are entitled to certain statutory rights which the retailer is solely responsible for.

mysteries1984

CraigSmith_IO wrote: »

Don't know where you're getting a 2 year warranty from? All networks offer one year warranty. Unless the manufacturer gives you a 2 year warranty(denoted by a warranty card in the box) you'll always have the 12 month standard warranty.

CraigSmith_IO wrote: »

Strange. Because I can 100% tell you that the phone company I worked for before where I am now offered one year. And the repair company will only fix phones within a year of purchase.

MPRC offered a two year warranty on all handsets except iPhones, where it was a one year warranty. I believe this was dictated by Apple themselves but it may have been a network specific rule, I don't know.

CraigSmith_IO wrote: »

I understand the manufacturers offering 2 years warranty, but again after dealing with the Mobile Phone Repair Company, they will send anything over a year back. Then you get in touch with Apple or whoever and they also say it's out of warranty. What else am I supposed to do sure?

I'm just giving my two cents is all, not saying I agree with the policies of such companies like!

MPRC send iPhones over a year old back. Any other phone they will check the IMEI and if it shows as outside warranty on their systems then they need a receipt from the customer/store/network to send back to the manufacturer to prove that it's within warranty. Assuming it hasn't been mistreated/dropped etc.

dudara

This whole discussion about warranties is misleading, to a degree. Warranties cannot replace or supersede your consumer rights. Under Irish law, a product must be reasonably durable (within normal wear and tear).

I did have a Samsung Tocco several years back, and I must say that I didn't find it a very solid phone. Despite having a metal back, the front felt quite flimsy.

It still comes back to my original point (and I don't know the answer) - is 2 years a reasonable lifetime for this phone?

mysteries1984

dudara wrote: »

It still comes back to my original point (and I don't know the answer) - is 2 years a reasonable lifetime for this phone?

True. Personally, I don't believe so. It's like living in a rented property and trying to argue it out with the landlord in a way - what constitutes normal wear and tear (rhetorical)? It would be interesting to hear the manufacturer's viewpoint on this, although I imagine it would be on a case by case basis.

foggy_lad

mysteries1984 wrote: »

True. Personally, I don't believe so. It's like living in a rented property and trying to argue it out with the landlord in a way - what constitutes normal wear and tear (rhetorical)? It would be interesting to hear the manufacturer's viewpoint on this, although I imagine it would be on a case by case basis.

For the Samsung tocco lite i would say that 2-3 years is a good lifespan.

whiterebel

Davy wrote: »

http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/64/en.pdf

Whilst parts of the Directive was implemented in Ireland, the 2 year guarantee was not, as our Sale of Goods Act is considered to offer better protection.

jugger

dudara wrote: »

The question here is if 2 years is an acceptable lifetime for the Samsung Tocco Lite?

i never had a tocco lite however if i got two years from any of the newer phones i would be very happy