what are my rights on a faulty phone???

helen48

I purchased a phone

3 months ago and it started freezing,rang my network provider and they said it could be a data problem. I took it back to the store and the assistant said it was a common problem and it would need to be sent off for repair. After 2 weeks i had not heard anything so i called into the store to be told it was sent off to the manufacturer and I would recieve a txt when it was ready for collection. I recieved the text stating the phone was ready:( and got a friend to collect it for me,only to discover that the phone was not repairable by company due to physical damage!!!!! The note from the manufacturer stated it was not under warranty as glue at the connector pins are damaged. When i telephoned the store the assistant said it was due water damage on her file.my phone has never been dropped which can be clearly seen as no marks or scratches on it apart for a bit on the touchscreen I even had it in a protective case which cost 20euro. My fiance also had the sane problem with a different brand phone and it was repaired due to the fault being format and data. What are my rights???? Thanks:mad:

drunkmonkey

Contact who ever made the phone eg samsung. They'll tell you where to send it for a second opinion.

helen48

Well I contacted them to be advised and was reffered back to the store,spoke to the manager who was so rude and obnoxious he told me he had other things to do than talk to me and wanted to no where exactly was i going with this that the phone was broke!!! I am so furious with all the lies and how i wad treated as a paying customer,I do not know what steps to take next

BostonB

Perhaps the small claims court. Especially if you can demonstrate its a common problem from the web etc.

But I suspect a lot of places use the catch all of water damage to dismiss a lot of claims or replacements. Because its not something you'd be aware of checking for, before you drop a phone in, (theres a moisture indicator on most phones). its not always easily checked either. And they have been known to give false positives.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/01/31/2144228/apple-changes-stance-on-water-damage-policy

https://www.google.ie/search?rlz=1C1CHMO_en-gbIE472IE472&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=Mobile+Phone+Water+Sensor+scam&safe=on&safe=on

cookie82

helen48 wrote: »

I purchased a phone

3 months ago and it started freezing,rang my network provider and they said it could be a data problem. I took it back to the store and the assistant said it was a common problem and it would need to be sent off for repair. After 2 weeks i had not heard anything so i called into the store to be told it was sent off to the manufacturer and I would recieve a txt when it was ready for collection. I recieved the text stating the phone was ready:( and got a friend to collect it for me,only to discover that the phone was not repairable by company due to physical damage!!!!! The note from the manufacturer stated it was not under warranty as glue at the connector pins are damaged. When i telephoned the store the assistant said it was due water damage on her file.my phone has never been dropped which can be clearly seen as no marks or scratches on it apart for a bit on the touchscreen I even had it in a protective case which cost 20euro. My fiance also had the sane problem with a different brand phone and it was repaired due to the fault being format and data. What are my rights???? Thanks:mad:

hey there i work in a mobile phone shop and do repairs on mobile all the time. For your own peace of mind go back to the shop and ask for a copy of engineers report & pictures of where the physical/water damage is. In the meantime send your mobile to a company called phonemenders for a second opinion with a copy of your receipt. Once you send your name address & receipt in a registered package they will have a look at the handset no bother. I know the one we deal with is located in limerick but as far as i know they have another office up the country. Dont state that the handset is already classed as ber (beyond economical repair) just state the problems that you are having with the handset & see if they come back with a different engineer report to the one that you recieved in your local shop. If a customer was unhappy in our store I would always send a handset out for a second opinion. Please feel free to PM me if you need any more advice.

helen48

Ya I think I might do that,thanks for your advice,I am more angry with the way I was dealt with now than my broken phone!!

daenerysstormborn3

Ah the old "water damage" excuse! Got that before from Vodafone. They asked me if i had brought my phone into the shower and used it while taking a shower?? They then insisted i must have exceptionally sweaty hands. I got nowhere with them and just gave up.

Good luck

helen48

I never updated this,I was then told it was damage to the connectors inside phone,shop lied about water damage--yet another fob off.just goes to show they love u when your buying but screw u if u have a problem

helen48

Ya it just goes to show,they love u when you are buying,and screw u if u come back with a problem!!!!!!

sandin

helen48 wrote: »

I never updated this,I was then told it was damage to the connectors inside phone,shop lied about water damage--yet another fob off.just goes to show they love u when your buying but screw u if u have a problem

Your contract is with whoever you bought the phoen from - so if you handed money over to a shop, then it is that shop who must deal with your issue, not the manufacturer.

I had an issue witha HTC phone - they tried everythignto avoid repairing a known fault underwarranty because they claimed the manufacturers warranty was void. Trying to tell them that their warranty was was worth the paper it was written on and that i was claiming for a repair under my stutory rights was useless. A it was bought from three, I went back to them and they gave me a brand new replacement immediately.

So forget the manufacturer - its the store themselves who must rectify the situation.

helen48

I have tried everything with the store just to be told basically they had no time to deal with me and were too busy that my phone was physically damaged and that was that. I explained to the manager that i did not damage it and when i got onto the person who tried repaired the phone i was told they see this problem all the time---the part where u charge the phone wad damaged,I've been told so many lies from the store. 1st the phone was sent to repair company in uk,when I found out it wasnt and challenged the manager was told it wasnt,it was an error due to an other customer with my second name,2nd the phone was sent to a repair company straight away--it wasn't it was in the store for over a week as i found out from the company,then water damage which was a lie 2 cos its not on the report from repairer

dresstoimpress

I had a very similar problem, and was treated very badly by a bully-boy shop assistant in the phone shop.
I contacted the National Consumer Agency, who were great. I wrote a 'strongly worded letter' explaining the problem, the poor treatment, my history with the provider, my expectations and evidence I would use in the small claims court.
I received a phonecall 2 days later offering a full refund.
Be firm and polite.