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Uk Touch Diamond 2 insurance

Can anyone recommend a month to month uk mobile phone insurance please? Orange care will not insure me as they do not supply the handset as I bought it sim free.

yeah thats rite orange will not insure a non orange branded phone, ive just got it insurered via my bank account, but be warned they are nothing like orange care, making a claim can take weeks to sort out.

Thanks, need some third party company. No bank, it's harder than I thought

When I was looking for 3rd party insurance, I quickly discovered its not really worth it. Most companies seems to be the same. This one is about £50-60 with £50 excess and offers Loss, Theft, Accidental Damage, etc
Consider these terms and conditions from a well known insurer. Particularly 2(e) and WTF is 4??
Code:
This Certificate does not cover:
1. Mechanical or electrical breakdown, wear and tear or gradual deterioration,
faulty or defective workmanship, corrosion, rust, condensation, dampness, dust or
change in temperature, gradually developing defects, cracks, flaws or fractures,
scratching, chipping, abrasion, change of colour, texture or finish.
2. Theft, loss or damage to the Telephone
a) whilst kept in an unattended motor vehicle unless the vehicle is locked and
all protections are in operation and the Telephone is concealed in a locked
glove box (all vehicles) or the boot of the vehicle (saloon cars), under the rear
parcel shelf (hatchback cars and 4x4 vehicles) or in the spare wheel compartment
(estate cars) so that forced and violent entry into the car is required. A copy of
the repairer’s account for such damage to the vehicle must be supplied with any
claim. Theft or damage from side pockets and any other interior space of the
vehicle other than those specified will not be covered.
b) from any commercially registered vehicle
c) whilst left on any motor vehicle roof, bonnet or boot
d) from any property, place or premises unless such theft or damage has occurred
through forced and violent entry or exit
e) whilst in any form of public transport or public place other than when the
Telephone is taken by actual or threatened force
f) unless accompanied by a Crime Reference number. Lost Property numbers
are not acceptable in support of a Theft claim.
g) Unless reported to the appropriate Police authorities and the Network within
24 hours of the incident
h) The cost of any calls made prior to notifying Your airtime supplier and the
police of the theft or loss of Your Telephone
i) arising from abuse, misuse or neglect
j) Whilst the Telephone is on loan to any third party.
k) Theft of the SIM other than in respect of valid theft claims where your card was
stolen with the Telephone.
l) Any damage to or malfunction of the Telephone caused by or related in any
way to a software virus or any other software malfunction.
m) Theft or accidental damage to any additional equipment or accessories
including but not limited to carrying cases, battery chargers, hands-free mounting
kit cameras, PCIMA cards or external antennae. Unless this occurs as part of
a valid theft claim for the rest of the Telephone
3. The first £25.00 of each successful claim increased to £50.00 of each succesful
3. claim where Your Telephone is 3g enabled.
4. Mysterious disappearance of the Telephone.
5. Any failure due to date-related problems.
6. Routine maintenance adjustment or servicing.
7. The VAT element of any claim if You are registered for VAT
8. Any consequential loss whatsoever.
9. Any legal liability directly or indirectly caused by or contributed to or arising from:
a. ionising radiations or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear fuel or
from any nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel.
b. the radioactive, toxic, explosive or other hazardous properties of any explosive
nuclear assembly or nuclear component thereof.
10. Any loss or damage or liability directly or indirectly occasioned by, happening
through or in consequence of war, terrorism, invasion, acts of foreign enemies,
hostilities (whether war be declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection,
military or usurped power, or confiscation or nationalisation or requisition or destruction
of or damage to property by or under the order of any government or public or local
authority. Unauthorised calls unless associated with a valid theft claim.
11. Any damage directly occasioned by pressure waves caused by aircraft and
other aerial devices travelling at sonic or supersonic speeds.
12. Misuse of equipment following theft - If you have a valid claim for theft of your
equipment the insurer will pay you a maximum of £250 for the cost of any calls made
by another person using your equipment without your permission for a period of
24 hours after the theft/loss
Disclaimer: There may be a policy out there that covers everything but the majority I looked at had terms and conditions similar to this. I am NOT singleing one company out either!
Craig

maybe with ur house insurance? other than that dont think anyone else with insure it.

I spent ages looking around for insuring my TD2 and it was either way too expensive or the t&cs were silly.
In the end, I simply added it as a named item to my house contents insurance with a value of £420 which gives it full protection against loss/accidental damage/theft etc... whether at home or not!
All this cost me was £20 for the entire year, and the excess is minimal.

craiglay said:
When I was looking for 3rd party insurance, I quickly discovered its not really worth it. Most companies seems to be the same. This one is about £50-60 with £50 excess and offers Loss, Theft, Accidental Damage, etc
Consider these terms and conditions from a well known insurer. Particularly 2(e) and WTF is 4??
4. Mysterious disappearance !
Disclaimer: There may be a policy out there that covers everything but the majority I looked at had terms and conditions similar to this. I am NOT singleing one company out either!
Craig
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Brilliant catch Craig.
what a load of horse manure. One really has to read T&Cs these days.
I still think the best insurance is to have it covered on your home insurance. Just check the policy

I just got a good deal, but locked into 24mths Orange contract, but i bought it from a third party who include insurance, its about £5 a month !!!
Not sure whether to bother, plan was ot cancel after the 1st free month.
The 3rd party is part of Carphone Warehouse, who are good, but as its part I assume its not the same.

citimain or citymain do mine for 5.99 a month. I havent a clue what it covers, I just havent cancelled it yet. Cheers

Avoiding Customs when Shipping from US to UK?

Hi all
I wanted to buy a phone from the marketplace here on xda. However I have read that you have to pay a customs duty and VAT on the item, which would be about 23% of the items value.
I was just wondering whether anyone has ever shipped an item (preferably a phone) from the US to the UK without incuring customs charges, and if any had any tips for me so I that I don't get ripped off?
Thanks

Yes I have and gotten away with no tariff but I called it gift under 50 bucks. I am guessing as long as it is used and not a computer........ it flew under the radar.

Technically, what you are asking is help on how to break the law, so I'd be careful
Personally, I've found that things sent by USPS (i.e. regular mail) rather than a courier can sometimes get through without charges, although most things are caught these days. If the sender uses UPS, DHL, Fedex etc. you'll almost certainly be charged.
Note that marking something as a gift makes no difference (unless it's under something like £28 - not sure of the exact figure). Second hand items are charged based on their market value, so that doesn't help either. If the sender uses an insured service, the insured value is usually marked on the package, so it will be easy for customs to place a value on the item.

Thanks for the replies. I know its technically against the law but it is quite a ridiculous law, since you have already paid for the item and all your doing is just paying some customs officer for sitting there opening packages.
So basically USPS, not insured, at a price of under $50. Any recommendations as to which service of USPS to use? Priority Mail, Express Mail etc.

Did anyone else get a "special enrollment opportunity" for TEP from Verizon?

Did anyone else get a "special enrollment opportunity" for TEP from Verizon?
Got an email offering me a chance to add TEP outside the warranty period. I'm interested, but frankly I'm suspicious because of the upcoming tiered data--trying to get me into a different plan? Any thoughts? Or am I just paranoid?

tekhna said:
Got an email offering me a chance to add TEP outside the warranty period. I'm interested, but frankly I'm suspicious because of the upcoming tiered data--trying to get me into a different plan? Any thoughts? Or am I just paranoid?
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I got that too. I was intrigued when I saw it but $7 more a month is just something I am not interested in.

GreginNH said:
I got that too. I was intrigued when I saw it but $7 more a month is just something I am not interested in.
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Well, my thought on it was I'm doing two things. I'm paying 7 dollars a month to protect my phone. But I'm also paying 7 dollars a month to perpetually grandfather my data plan. If I break my phone in two years, they send me a new one, either another Thunderbolt, or a comparable model, I don't sign a contract, and I keep my unlimited.

I also did and am seriously thinking about taking them up on the offer

Help a noob out.... TEP??
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

NEVER MIND JUST FIGURED IT OUT
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

I was wondering about that too. It looked like the fine print in the email was saying that basically that extra dollar went to extending you "Verizon Warranty"for an extra year. Your phone insurance isn't affected. They are bundled together at that price.

Tep its worth it....just dont try to teach phone to swim or skydive.....not covered....
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

Got it too. Another $$ grab.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

Yep. I signed up for it. I declined it when I got my phone and regretted is as I needed to fix my phone a couple months later. It works now but there are still a few problems so I am excited I won't have to spend $300+ on ebay to get a new one.
It's legit, email address was consistent with other Verizon emails I've gotten and web address didn't look sketchy. Plus they only needed your phone number and name so it's not like you gave the website much.
scottthreet32 said:
Tep its worth it....just dont try to teach phone to swim or skydive.....not covered....
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
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Water damage is listed as covered, unless they do the same thing as Best Buy and say "spills" are covered but not complete submersion.

06ms6 said:
Yep. I signed up for it. I declined it when I got my phone and regretted is as I needed to fix my phone a couple months later. It works now but there are still a few problems so I am excited I won't have to spend $300+ on ebay to get a new one.
It's legit, email address was consistent with other Verizon emails I've gotten and web address didn't look sketchy. Plus they only needed your phone number and name so it's not like you gave the website much.
Water damage is listed as covered, unless they do the same thing as Best Buy and say "spills" are covered but not complete submersion.
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Apparently you didn't read the "terms and conditions".
Quote:
IV. WHAT THIS WARRANTY OR SERVICE CONTRACT DOES NOT COVER:
A. Defects or damage resulting from use of the Product in other than its normal and customary manner;
B. Defects or damage from misuse, accident or neglect;
C. Defects or damage from improper testing, operation, maintenance, installation, adjustment or any alteration or modification of any kind;
D. Breakage or damage to antennas unless caused directly by defects in material or workmanship;
E. Products disassembled or repaired in such a manner as to adversely affect performance or prevent adequate inspection and testing to verify any warranty claim;
F. Products with labels removed or illegible serial numbers;
G. Defects or damage due to spills of or immersion in food or liquid;
H. Scratches on all plastic surfaces and externally exposed parts resulting from normal use; and/or
I. Damage resulting from normal wear and tear.
If it's not covered for damage caused by accident, WTF is it covered for???

Dangerous Dave said:
Apparently you didn't read the "terms and conditions".
Quote:
IV. WHAT THIS WARRANTY OR SERVICE CONTRACT DOES NOT COVER:
A. Defects or damage resulting from use of the Product in other than its normal and customary manner;
B. Defects or damage from misuse, accident or neglect;
C. Defects or damage from improper testing, operation, maintenance, installation, adjustment or any alteration or modification of any kind;
D. Breakage or damage to antennas unless caused directly by defects in material or workmanship;
E. Products disassembled or repaired in such a manner as to adversely affect performance or prevent adequate inspection and testing to verify any warranty claim;
F. Products with labels removed or illegible serial numbers;
G. Defects or damage due to spills of or immersion in food or liquid;
H. Scratches on all plastic surfaces and externally exposed parts resulting from normal use; and/or
I. Damage resulting from normal wear and tear.
If it's not covered for damage caused by accident, WTF is it covered for???
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I work for Verizon and am familiar with the TEC program, the terms of the warranty portion of the TEC coverage are exactly as you quoted however the terms of asurion which is the insurance part of the cost are different and do cover all forms of damage submersion skydiving etc. You can find the terms of the insurance at phoneclaim(dot)com/verizon (sorry not able to post links yet). Basically if you have water damage or some other issue that would not be covered under a manufactures warranty we Verizon would make you do a claim which would have a deductible where the warranty would not. Hope this helps to clarify the program a bit.

Asurion will cover water. Had my old Droid go through with a load of laundry, it was replaced with no questions asked after I paid the deductible.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

Dangerous Dave said:
Apparently you didn't read the "terms and conditions".
Quote:
IV. WHAT THIS WARRANTY OR SERVICE CONTRACT DOES NOT COVER:
A. Defects or damage resulting from use of the Product in other than its normal and customary manner;
B. Defects or damage from misuse, accident or neglect;
C. Defects or damage from improper testing, operation, maintenance, installation, adjustment or any alteration or modification of any kind;
D. Breakage or damage to antennas unless caused directly by defects in material or workmanship;
E. Products disassembled or repaired in such a manner as to adversely affect performance or prevent adequate inspection and testing to verify any warranty claim;
F. Products with labels removed or illegible serial numbers;
G. Defects or damage due to spills of or immersion in food or liquid;
H. Scratches on all plastic surfaces and externally exposed parts resulting from normal use; and/or
I. Damage resulting from normal wear and tear.
If it's not covered for damage caused by accident, WTF is it covered for???
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Those most definitely are not terms for Asurion insurance.

Don't forget that there's also a $99 deductible. So even if you pay your $7/mo, you still need to shell out another $99 when you break your phone.

MY BAD.....tec works 2 ways no skydiving swimming electronics defect...verizon.....no deductible verizon handles when you get was over night if you diag before 12pm.. www.phoneclaim.com/verizon. Skydiving swimming ran over by car anything due to human carnage plus $99.00 best insurance for 7.00 bucks a month.....
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

Just checking in...did anyone who signed up for this get an email confirming enrollment yet? They said it would take a few days but I haven't gotten one.

Your warranty is not voided by rooting (Europe)

This was stated on fsfe.org
Does rooting your device (e.g. an Android phone) and replacing its operating system with something else void your statutory warranty, if you are a consumer?
In short:
No.
Just the fact that you modified or changed the software of your device, is not a sufficient reason to void your statutory warranty. As long as you have bought the device as a consumer in the European Union.
A bit longer:
Directive 1999/44/CE dictates that any object meeting certain criteria (incl. telephones, computers, routers etc.) that is sold to a consumer. inside the European Union, has to carry a warranty from the seller that the device will meet the quality that you would expect for such a device for a period of 2 years.
A telephone is an example of such a device and is an object that comprises many parts, from the case to the screen to the radio, to a mini-computer, to the battery, to the software that runs it. If any of these parts stop working in those 2 years, the seller has to fix or replace them. What is more these repairs should not cost the consumer a single cent — the seller has to cover the expenses (Directive 1999/44/CE, §3). If the seller has any expenses for returning it to the manufacturer, this is not your problem as a consumer.
If your device becomes defective in the first 6 months, it is presumed that the defect was there all along, so you should not need to prove anything.
If your device becomes defective after the first 6 months, but before 2 years run out, you are still covered. The difference is only that if the defect arises now, the seller can claim that the defect was caused by some action that was triggered by non-normal use of the device. But in order to avoid needing to repair or replace your device, the seller has to prove that your action caused the defect. It is generally recognised by courts that unless there is a sign of abuse of the device, the defect is there because the device was faulty from the beginning. That is just common sense, after all.
So, we finally come to the question of rooting, flashing and changing the software. Unless the seller can prove that modifying the software, rooting your device or flashing it with some other OS or firmware was the cause for the defect, you are still covered for defects during those 2 years. A good test to see if it is the software’s fault is to flash it back with stock firmware/OS and see if the problem persists. If it does, it is not a software-caused problem. If it is not possible to revert it stock software any more, it is also not a software-caused defect. There are very few hardware defects that are caused by software — e.g. overriding the speaker volume above the safe level could blow the speaker.
Many manufacturers of consumer devices write into their warranties a paragraph that by changing the software or “rooting” your device, you void the warranty. You have to understand that in EU we have a “statutory warranty”, which is compulsory that the seller must offer by law (Directive 1999/44/CE, §7.1) and a “voluntary warranty” which the seller or manufacturer can, but does not need to, offer as an additional service to the consumer. Usually the “voluntary warranty” covers a longer period of time or additional accidents not covered by law. If though the seller, the manufacturer or anyone else offers a “voluntary warranty”, he is bound to it as well!
So, even if, by any chance your “voluntary warranty” got voided, by European law, you should still have the 2 year “compulsory warranty” as it is described in the Directive and which is the topic of this article.
In case the seller refuses your right to repair or replace the device, you can sue him in a civil litigation and can report the incident to the national authority. In many European countries such action does not even require hiring a lawyer and is most of the time ensured by consumers associations.
The warranty under this Directive is only applicable inside the European Union and only if you bought the device as a consumer.
EU member states must have by now imported the Directive 1999/44/CE into their national laws. So you should quote also your local law on that topic.
A consumer is a natural person who acts for their own private purposes and not as a professional.
Batteries can be exempt of this and usually hold only 6 months warranty.
E.g. a defect power button could be caused by spreading marmalade in it or hooking it onto a robot that would continuously press the button every second 24/7 — of course that is not normal or intended use.
Note that correlation is not causation — the defect has to be proven to be caused by your action, not just correlate with it.
E.g. if a device manufacturer guarantees the phone is water- and shock-proof or a car manufacturer offers 7 years of warranty against rust.
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I guess our warranty isn't voided, it's just that phone/tablet manufacturers don't care...

Indeed!
They may even be fully aware of the law and deep down know that rooting doesn't void your warranty. It just so happens that, in order to legally challenge their bad claims of a void warranty, (in most countries) you would have to spend way more in legal fees than what the phone is worth...
Shameful tactics, but it's business nonetheless.

Thank you
Thank you for this information ! I live in europe and before I read this, I didn't root my phone because I need the warranty ! :fingers-crossed:

Good to know. But when I rooted my phone, I didn't think too much about voiding warranty. I just assumed that hardware won't break that easily but I can deal with the software.

Is S B E Ltd. scamming people? Xiaomi, Sony, OnePlus, Huawei, Apple, Motorola, Cat and others are involved.

Does anybody of you return the phone to SBE Ltd. before?
SBE Ltd (Service Beyond Expectations)​Unit A1-A2 Beaver Industrial Estate, Beaver Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 7SH
https://sbeglobalservice.com/worldwide-locations/
What was the outcome?
Reviews of SBE online:
Yell (~60% of negative comments)
https://www.yell.com/biz/sbe-ltd-ashford-4846566/#reviews
Google (twice as many negative comments)
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/SBE+Ltd/@51.1355629,0.8657654,17z/data=!4m17!1m8!3m7!1s0x47deda4b23107a5b:0xe5cdb3c3290af8c5!2sBeaver+Industrial+Estate,+Beaver+Rd,+Ashford+TN23+7SH!3b1!8m2!3d51.1355629!4d0.8679541!16s/g/1tmbvd91!3m7!1s0x47dedb0ee0f74def:0x8c5eb7539d9cc645!8m2!3d51.1359687!4d0.8681304!9m1!1b1!16s/g/1thsqnrf
Trustpilot >750 negative reviews (13%)
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/uk.sbeglobalservice.com?stars=1
I found those reviews SHOCKING!
After reading a few of the stories you will notice the pattern. This company operates globally since 1996!
​This is an invitation to the discussion as the scale of this practice is huge!
Xiaomi, Sony, OnePlus, Huawei, Apple, Motorola, Cat and others are involved.
After reading a few of the stories you should notice the pattern. This company operates globally since 1996!

Fostel said:
I planned to return a phone that was switched on only once. It was purchased as a gift but the birthday boy did not like it.
Contacted customer service via chat the next day asking what the return procedure looks like. Instead of explaining, they started the process for me and I received the jiffy bag today.
I had a gut feeling that something is not right when I realized that the jiffy bag was posted by this SCAM company so XIAOMI UK already broke the LAW by selling my details to them (third party - GDPR).
And I mean, everything. My name, home address, email, phone number also IMEI, and the serial number of the device.
The included letter state: ‘Returning your Device for DOA Assessment’
As far as I know, DOA means Death On Arrival. I never claimed the device to be damaged in any way. It was turned on for an hour or two and put down. The condition is the same as it arrived minus a foil wrap (there were no seal stickers on the box).
• What do they play here? Is this a generic letter for a 'change of mind' return?
• Does anybody of you returned the phone to Xiaomi before?
This is an invitation to the discussion as the scale of this practice is huge!
Xiaomi, Sony, OnePlus, Huawei, Apple, Motorola, Cat and others are involved.
After reading a few of the stories you will notice the pattern. This company operates globally since 1996!
I found those reviews. SHOCKING!
https://www.yell.com/biz/sbe-ltd-ashford-4846566/#reviews
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/SBE+Ltd/@51.1355629,0.8657654,17z/data=!4m17!1m8!3m7!1s0x47deda4b23107a5b:0xe5cdb3c3290af8c5!2sBeaver+Industrial+Estate,+Beaver+Rd,+Ashford+TN23+7SH!3b1!8m2!3d51.1355629!4d0.8679541!16s/g/1tmbvd91!3m7!1s0x47dedb0ee0f74def:0x8c5eb7539d9cc645!8m2!3d51.1359687!4d0.8681304!9m1!1b1!16s/g/1thsqnrf
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/uk.sbeglobalservice.com?stars=1
​SBE Ltd (Service Beyond Expectations)​Unit A1-A2 Beaver Industrial Estate, Beaver Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 7SH
https://sbeglobalservice.com/worldwide-locations/
Why nobody is discussing this?!
I decided to keep this phone but this may be the last Xiaomi phone that I purchased.
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They responded to your review left on trustpilot....
I dunno...they don't look like a complete "scam" you are making them out as...there are tons of positive reviews among the completely negative -- that isn't so likely if it was a complete scam. It sucks they were given your information and details, but I don't know how they would function (as a repair/replacement company) without some of that information...

simplepinoi177 said:
They responded to your review left on trustpilot....
I dunno...they don't look like a complete "scam" you are making them out as...there are tons of positive reviews among the completely negative -- that isn't so likely if it was a complete scam. It sucks they were given your information and details, but I don't know how they would function (as a repair/replacement company) without some of that information...
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Thanks for popping in. Some of those positive reviews on Trustpilot do look fake. FYI Trustpilot can be played and many shady companies do it... daily. Also, would you write poems in reviews of the repair centre after they just did their job? I would still be upset at the manufacturer that the item broke in the first place and I had to go through a warranty claim.
I have read hundreds of reviews last night and I truly feel for people crying out their stories. They cannot all be wrong or coincidental as there is a pattern that I know full well as I learned the hard way. I lost my property and after months of chasing got another device with a different issue (somebody else's return). I sold it privately to minimise loss and moved on but many are naive enough to send it back to them again to get scammed a second time.
I am just trying to make people aware that this practice exists. Do not get scammed folks. Do your research. Peace!

Maybe the online chat was a chatbot and got the reason for return wrong. Or maybe it's Xiaomi UK's policy to have all phones returned, where the customer has changed their mind, to have the phone inspected to ensure it's still in as new condition.
Whatever the case Xiaomi UK are within their right to nominate any company to act as their service centre agent, and as such are well within data protection laws in sending relevant customer details to any third party company chosen as their agent to act on their behalf. It's exactly the same as passing on your details to a courier to deliver the phone, and I don't see any complaint about that. You will have scrolled passed something telling you these things when skipping past the Ts and Cs.
There does not appear to be a scam, nor has anything illegal happened.
It's just unfortunate that Xiaomi UK have chosen such an apparently disreputable company to act as their service centre.

Robbo.5000 said:
Maybe the online chat was a chatbot and got the reason for return wrong. Or maybe it's Xiaomi UK's policy to have all phones returned, where the customer has changed their mind, to have the phone inspected to ensure it's still in as new condition.
Whatever the case Xiaomi UK are within their right to nominate any company to act as their service centre agent, and as such are well within data protection laws in sending relevant customer details to any third party company chosen as their agent to act on their behalf. It's exactly the same as passing on your details to a courier to deliver the phone, and I don't see any complaint about that. You will have scrolled passed something telling you these things when skipping past the Ts and Cs.
There does not appear to be a scam, nor has anything illegal happened.
It's just unfortunate that Xiaomi UK have chosen such an apparently disreputable company to act as their service centre.
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You must be mad thinking that was a chatbot.
It's obvious you did not read the reviews of the people who had their property stolen/damaged/not adequately replaced/ money extorted.
In the UK, you need to consent to your details being passed to a third party otherwise, it will be a data breach. A courier or postman cannot be compared to any Ltd. company.
You've completely missed the point so I edited the original post to make it clearer.
EOT.

Fostel said:
You must be mad thinking that was a chatbot.
It's obvious you did not read the reviews of the people who had their property stolen/damaged/not adequately replaced/ money extorted.
Also, you are wrong about UK law. You need to consent to your details being passed to the third party. A courier or postman cannot be compared to any Ltd. company. You are free to send them your devices if you will.
You completely miss the point so I edited the original post to make it clearer.
EOT.
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You gave no info either way to indicate if the online chat was real or a bot. I only gave that out as a possible cause of why Xiaomi thought you wanted to return the phone because it was broken.
I've done numerous data protection courses in the UK for various companies of worked for. I know they don't need to ask your permission. As said previously this fact would have been buried in the T's and C's.
Xiaomi UK have obviously outsourced the service centre repair work to SBE Ltd. (Along with many other manufacturers) They have the right to forward relevant information to SBE to allow SBE to do the required work on their behalf.
It is exactly the same as when the phone was delivered. Xiaomi do not deliver themselves, they outsource the work to a delivery company. In order to do this, they have to give your details to the delivery company. In order for SBE to perform their duties for Xiaomi, they too require details of Xiaomi's customers they are performing the service for.
Xiaomi (and all other manufacturers) are not allowed to send customer data that is not relevant, but they are allowed to pass on data that is relevant and required to allow SBE to do the services they are contracted to perform.
The unfortunate part of all this is that it's not financially sensible for these manufacturers to have their own dedicated UK service centres. I would guess that almost all manufacturers use SBE Ltd. because their is no other company in the UK that can compete with the scale of work SBE can do. So as customers in the UK, if you have a problem within the warranty period, you have no choice but hope SBE get it right with your phone.

Now to get the point. In your case, your contract was with Xiaomi. If SBE had stuffed up your phone, whilst working on behalf of Xiaomi, then that would be between you and Xiaomi to work out. It would be Xiaomi's responsibility to deal with SBE. If Xiaomi's contractors are incompetent, that is only Xiaomi's problem to deal with.