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Firstly, I'm in the UK so I'm only interested in UK retailers. I've purchased mobiles and tablets from various high street stores and online shops and they all have varied levels of customer service when a phone develops what I believe is a warranty issue during the warranty period. Some of the retailers make me feel like I'm on trial and have to prove that there is an issue, while others send out a new phone to arrive the day after I report the issue and request that I ship the faulty phone back within 30 days. My most recent phone (a Nexus 5) was purchased from Expedite Electronics and my phone has been with them for almost 4 weeks now.
My personal experience so far is:
Amazon - best customer service. As mentioned earlier, when I reported a phone fault, they sent out a new phone that I received the very next day and gave me 30 days to send them back the faulty phone. I had the working replacement phone within 18 hours of reporting the issue.
Google Play store - similar to Amazon, they send out a new phone first and request the old phone is sent back in due course. Obviously, like Amazon, they would charge your credit card if they didn't receive the faulty phone.
Tesco Direct - they collect the faulty device when they deliver the new device. No fuss at all when reporting an issue, I think delivery for new device is normally arranged for next day or may be in 2 working days.
PC World - take one to two weeks to investigate and repair any issues. Can sometimes make you feel like you're on trial and have to prove there is an issue. Still takes a week or so even if they come back with "no fault found".
Argos - similar to PC World
Expedite Electronics - not technically a UK retailer but they say they can take up to 28 days to resolve warranty issues. I thought this would be a very upper limit and in most cases it'd be done sooner but may be not. 28 days is a long time to be without a phone.
My question is, what other UK retailers are in the same league as Amazon/Google Play/Tesco when it comes to after sales customer service? Ones that do not make you feel like you're on trial when there is a warranty issue and ones where ideally they allow the new device to be sent out before receiving the faulty device, or at the very least, a very quick turn around time.
TIA
Has anyone ever sent in their HTC device (mores specifically a newly released flagship) directly to HTC for repair? If so, can you share you're experiences as far as cost and quality of repair? Decided to do a water test on my brand new U11 and yes you guessed it... WATER DAMAGE! and didn't help that I dropped it and the back cracked right after! Thanks in advanced
No idea. Mine just arrived in Texas awaiting a repair after being exposed to water for 5 seconds. Curious, what color is your U11? I have a feeling that they were rushing out the Solar Red's because there's no way mine should have failed so easily. It might as well have no water resistance rating.
Paging Dr B said:
No idea. Mine just arrived in Texas awaiting a repair after being exposed to water for 5 seconds. Curious, what color is your U11? I have a feeling that they were rushing out the Solar Red's because there's no way mine should have failed so easily. It might as well have no water resistance rating.
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I got the amazing silver. But yeah I agree! IP67 rated? Doesn't seem like it to me. Keep me updated when you get your repair quote please man. I want to get an idea whether it's worth sending mine in or just cut my losses and buy something else. I read review after review of how horrible HTC repair service is as far as turn around time and repair quality. Though many of those reviews seem to be from overseas I hope we have better service here.
Paging Dr B said:
No idea. Mine just arrived in Texas awaiting a repair after being exposed to water for 5 seconds. Curious, what color is your U11? I have a feeling that they were rushing out the Solar Red's because there's no way mine should have failed so easily. It might as well have no water resistance rating.
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Any updates on cost of repair? sorry to bug I'm trying to get an idea cuz I have someone ready to buy my device.
Where do you live?
I have experience with HTC EU and I know staffs from HTC Taiwan. But if outside these 2 areas, I can't help...
DroidManIc said:
Any updates on cost of repair? sorry to bug I'm trying to get an idea cuz I have someone ready to buy my device.
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They haven't got back to me yet. I'm also a little miffed that they announced the 6GB variant today. HTC really needs to redeem themselves, because i'm about to throw my hands up and just buy a OP5.
Paging Dr B said:
They haven't got back to me yet. I'm also a little miffed that they announced the 6GB variant today. HTC really needs to redeem themselves, because i'm about to throw my hands up and just buy a OP5.
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Yeah I'm on the same boat man. I'm just scared to get an OP5 with Jelly scrolling issue and tbh U11 failed to wow me that's the reason I'm debating so much on a repair or drop $800 the 6GB version. It's a solid device but I just wasn't super impressed.
So a little feedback from Germany maybe. My U11 has been send to repair 3.5 weeks ago. I first contacted HTC to tell them that my unit has a gap between frame and display along the top and that AI guess it wouldn't be water resistant that way. 30 minutes later I got a call back to confirm the issue and 5 mother minutes later an email with a free shipping translucent. They informed me that repairs in general could take up to 14 working day that would be Monday to Friday here in Germany. But they also told me that it might need longer regarding the new flagship, as spare parts haven't been distributed as of yet.
Spare parts finally arrived last Thursday - 14 days after the device arrived at the HTC repair service. It won't cost anything for me as it is a 'defective unit'due to the manufacturing process. Don't have it back as if yet. But the brilliant thing is: HTC is keeping me up with latest information every two or three days and in addition put my device onto the priority list of the workshop. So let's sesle. Meanwhile I'm using its predecessor the HTC 10
Sent from my htc_pmeuhl using XDA Labs
Alpert3 said:
Where do you live?
I have experience with HTC EU and I know staffs from HTC Taiwan. But if outside these 2 areas, I can't help...
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I live in the states so I know my devuce would also be going to Texas for repair. Just in general, good or bad feedback from what you know?
5m4r7ph0n36uru said:
So a little feedback from Germany maybe. My U11 has been send to repair 3.5 weeks ago. I first contacted HTC to tell them that my unit has a gap between frame and display along the top and that AI guess it wouldn't be water resistant that way. 30 minutes later I got a call back to confirm the issue and 5 mother minutes later an email with a free shipping translucent. They informed me that repairs in general could take up to 14 working day that would be Monday to Friday here in Germany. But they also told me that it might need longer regarding the new flagship, as spare parts haven't been distributed as of yet.
Spare parts finally arrived last Thursday - 14 days after the device arrived at the HTC repair service. It won't cost anything for me as it is a 'defective unit'due to the manufacturing process. Don't have it back as if yet. But the brilliant thing is: HTC is keeping me up with latest information every two or three days and in addition put my device onto the priority list of the workshop. So let's sesle. Meanwhile I'm using its predecessor the HTC 10
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Many of the bad reviews I found were from EU more specifically the UK. So maybe just really crappy service in the uk? Lets hope so! Either way keep us updated :good: and hopefully all goes smooth with your repair man. My potential buyer backed out so I have the phone for probably a few more days to decide on possible repair. For now I went out and got my self GS7 Edge, not a Samsung guy but its a solid device.
DroidManIc said:
I live in the states so I know my devuce would also be going to Texas for repair. Just in general, good or bad feedback from what you know?
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I don't know about the states, but in most regions, HTC let a 3rd party repair center to do the job for them. Unlike Apple, HTC as well other companies doesn't have the resources to build repair center in each country. That's why in EU and the UK the feedback of repair experience is pretty awful: you report problem to HTC, HTC report your case to 3rd party repair center, then come back to you and tell you to send the device, etc. The process is complicated and relatively long, that creates mistakes, misunderstandings, as well some other problems.
In EU I believe it's a company called Gordon Electronic who's in charge of the repair. Sony, Asus Acer as well as many companies trust it. But their reputation is not so good.
I sent my HTC 10 to repair the camera module, I sent it twice and at the second time I asked for an expert analysis, and after nearly 3 weeks from the initial report, my phone finally got repaired. It costed me 20€ of shipping fee, and that's it. The result is good, but the process is painful.
Not sure about repair, but I'm having a nightmare of a time with my return of the U11. 3+ weeks and counting on the refund that their website says 5-7 days...
53fireman said:
Not sure about repair, but I'm having a nightmare of a time with my return of the U11. 3+ weeks and counting on the refund that their website says 5-7 days...
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Give the tracking number to your credit card company and dispute the charge.
That's the next try. Thanks
The credit card avenue worked. Thanks. Unreal how HTC can make a decent phone, but have absolutely one of the worst customer service departments I've ever dealt with. Whether over the phone, email, or Facebook, every single person I talked to read from the same exact script about "escalations department" and I'd have the refund within 48 hours or the end of the week. Will never buy another HTC again as much as I loved the EVO, M7, M9.... the U11 was just too big for me and didn't have all the LTE bands, but it was a great phone. Thinking the Pixel 2 even though HTC is rumored to make it, hopefully customer service of Google isn't near as terrible.
53fireman said:
The credit card avenue worked. Thanks. Unreal how HTC can make a decent phone, but have absolutely one of the worst customer service departments I've ever dealt with. Whether over the phone, email, or Facebook, every single person I talked to read from the same exact script about "escalations department" and I'd have the refund within 48 hours or the end of the week. Will never buy another HTC again as much as I loved the EVO, M7, M9.... the U11 was just too big for me and didn't have all the LTE bands, but it was a great phone. Thinking the Pixel 2 even though HTC is rumored to make it, hopefully customer service of Google isn't near as terrible.
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Glad to hear you got your $ back finally. I too will be jumping ship. I was die-hard HTC from the G1 (dream) - M8 then eventually stpped buying HTC because they refused to make flagships w anything bigger than 5.2" screen. I was so excited for the u11 even though I was still skeptical .... Skip forward 1 month and here I am today w liquid damage from about 10s water exposure, a cracked back from one of the most gentle drops ever (because I actually broke the phone's fall w my foot and not only that. The impact w the ground was moke like it just slid from my foot, no hard landing at all) and finally a potential expensive nightmare if I opt to send it in for repair. No thank you. I will too be waiting for Pixel xl 2 or maybe a newer version of the OP5.
So a little feedback on my end regarding my defective device. I sent it in to the repair at 28th of June being about 7 weeks back. HTC support has been great in regard of information. As the U11 has just been released when I sent it in, the workshop received it at the 5th of July and HTC actively informed me that there was a problem regarding the spare parts. Those would be sent from Taiwan an need about two or three weeks to arrive at the workshop in Poland. Well not what I wished but can be accepted. The spare parts arrived at 18th of July with some delays due to TNT not delivering as planned. Well then, now the 10 - 14 day period mentioned for the actual repair after receiving the parts started and waiting did as well for me. I got a little bit impatient as I didn't here any news until the 3rd of August when 12 of the 14 days had already past. So I decided to contact HTC. Prior to this and for the last time on the 19th of July I've been contacted and informed of the current status by HTC nearly every two days, which is really really great. But let's go on: after contacting them they promised to check on the next day and answered my question on Friday the 4th of Augustthat my device is repaired and packed for dispatch at the same evening. The notification with a UPS tracking number came about an hour after that information. And now UPS was the one to fail. They really needed until Monday evening, 7th of Augustto pick it up and another day - yesterday - for the delivery. So finally I got my U11 back. Repairs look really well done and all is working fine and as wished for. No fees as all repairs were covered by the warranty.
Overall I'm very happy and pleased with the service. Only drawbacks are the long time of delivery of the spare parts and finally UPS causing another 1 maybe 2 day delay.
Sent from my HTC U11 using XDA Labs
Please allow me to share my story.
Bought/PreOrdered my HTC U11 from Sprint on 5/31/2017, received it on 6/7/2017. Used, enjoyed and loved the device for about a month when on July 3rd the device got a cracked screen. It was beside me in the couch while I played Fifa 17. Bad combination. My wedding ring did the damage.
I Contacted HTC Support the next day and was told that no parts were available to fix my device and that I should call back in 2 weeks. My phone was still usable and I did use it for 2 weeks.
On July 17 I contacted HTC Support Chat and was told that I could send in the device. I specifically asked about parts/screen availability and I was assured that I would be fixed in 5 - 8 days and "most of that time will be in shipping". A case was created and I was given a ticket which instructions on how and where to ship to.
I wrapped up my device and attached a letter appealing that they fixed it for free because this was my 4th HTC (EVO, M7, M9, U11) and I never used Uh Oh on my previous phones and hoped they could make a concession.... etc.
USPS confirmation shows the phone arrived at the repair facility on 7/20/2017. I did not receive and have not yet received any automated response from the repair facility informing me that the phone was received, being processed, no parts are available or anything. I have been calling HTC Support asking for updates using the Ticket # however that has been unfruitful.
HTC support has "escalated" my case but there is a huge disconnect between them and the repair center, they have no clue whats going on over there. Today is 8/17/2017 and I still have no phone, no ETA, no hope. I've been calling every Thursday and the response is always the same. "I have escalated your case and you will get a callback withing 24 - 48 hours". I received a callback once and it was to say "When I hear something, I'll let you know".
I am rambling because I don't have my phone and I have no clue as to when I am going to get it back. I am back to using the old M9 and I'm not happy, I haven't even reinstall all my applications because I thought the repair would have been relatively quick.
I don't know what else to do ...
Any suggestions?
I'm going to asking for a new replacement phone since mine light bleed issues out of the box. If that is not something they can do then they can have this phone back. With the V30 and Essential phone coming out soon the U11 looks like more and more of a disappointment in my eyes. I have had HTC phone since the Tilt with the exception of the V10 but I can see how as a brand they have gone downhill.
berto1025 said:
Please allow me to share my story.
Bought/PreOrdered my HTC U11 from Sprint on 5/31/2017, received it on 6/7/2017. Used, enjoyed and loved the device for about a month when on July 3rd the device got a cracked screen. It was beside me in the couch while I played Fifa 17. Bad combination. My wedding ring did the damage.
I Contacted HTC Support the next day and was told that no parts were available to fix my device and that I should call back in 2 weeks. My phone was still usable and I did use it for 2 weeks.
On July 17 I contacted HTC Support Chat and was told that I could send in the device. I specifically asked about parts/screen availability and I was assured that I would be fixed in 5 - 8 days and "most of that time will be in shipping". A case was created and I was given a ticket which instructions on how and where to ship to.
I wrapped up my device and attached a letter appealing that they fixed it for free because this was my 4th HTC (EVO, M7, M9, U11) and I never used Uh Oh on my previous phones and hoped they could make a concession.... etc.
USPS confirmation shows the phone arrived at the repair facility on 7/20/2017. I did not receive and have not yet received any automated response from the repair facility informing me that the phone was received, being processed, no parts are available or anything. I have been calling HTC Support asking for updates using the Ticket # however that has been unfruitful.
HTC support has "escalated" my case but there is a huge disconnect between them and the repair center, they have no clue whats going on over there. Today is 8/17/2017 and I still have no phone, no ETA, no hope. I've been calling every Thursday and the response is always the same. "I have escalated your case and you will get a callback withing 24 - 48 hours". I received a callback once and it was to say "When I hear something, I'll let you know".
I am rambling because I don't have my phone and I have no clue as to when I am going to get it back. I am back to using the old M9 and I'm not happy, I haven't even reinstall all my applications because I thought the repair would have been relatively quick.
I don't know what else to do ...
Any suggestions?
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**UPDATE**
8/18/2017 - Missed and returned a call from HTC Support. The Agent in-charge of my case (since it is escalated) advised me that there is an update and that I have a quotation for the repair. Looking back on the call i never got a solid figure but i was told for being so patient they have discounted the repair to circa $92.00 USD. I still have no emails stating this and the tracking website still shows the same status. I was told that I will be contacted either later today or early next week to make the payment over the phone once they apply the discount to my account. Apparently this has to happen first. So I wait.
Who has had to do a replacement? Samsung is telling me that I have to send in my $350 watch and wait for a couple weeks (at best) for them to fix it and send it back. Has anyone that's done this had a similar experience? Can I get them to send a replacement and me send this one back? To me, this is completely unacceptable. I've never had to send back an expensive piece of tech and wait for them to fix THEIR problem.
Nope that's not how it generally works. I've had several electronic items repaired under warranty before from different companies and they always require you to send it in for repair. They will then repair it and send back the original item instead of a new one. The only time complete replacement no questions asked happens is when the store you bought it from agrees to replace it and deals with the OEM themselves afterwards.
I had battery issues on my bluetooth Gear S3 Frontier (India) & had to take it to the service center where they basically replaced the battery & then the motherboard to fix the issue. I kinda ended up with a new watch in the same old body. The whole process took 31 days. No problems since except still waiting for Tizen 3.0 update.
Boo... Yeah, I guess the only devices I have had mess up on me are phones, and whatever carrier I had at that time just sends a new/refurbished one. Good to know.
Sending mine in tomorrow... Tizen 3 started causing overheats and it won't fully charge either. I bought an LG Watch Sport to test in the meantime . Might be time to say bye to Sammy watches. If I can stay away from this beautiful watch and its UI.
Warranty Replacement
Someone asked if anyone had done a warranty replacement. I actually did mine today. For those that have followed my posts, my S3 Frontier watch did a Tizen 3 update which completely screwed my Bluetooth and Wireless which rendered the watch useless with a phone as it could not connect. Having phoned Samsung Customer Services, they were very prompt. They arranged to pick my watch up today, and the provided all the packaging. All I had to do was hand the watch to the UPS rep. They had a fancy box which protects the watch.....gave me a receipt, and told me I would have it back next week. I am impressed so far by their customer service. I will let you know how long it takes before I get it back.
rammitt said:
Someone asked if anyone had done a warranty replacement. I actually did mine today. For those that have followed my posts, my S3 Frontier watch did a Tizen 3 update which completely screwed my Bluetooth and Wireless which rendered the watch useless with a phone as it could not connect. Having phoned Samsung Customer Services, they were very prompt. They arranged to pick my watch up today, and the provided all the packaging. All I had to do was hand the watch to the UPS rep. They had a fancy box which protects the watch.....gave me a receipt, and told me I would have it back next week. I am impressed so far by their customer service. I will let you know how long it takes before I get it back.
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Curious, did you buy this from Samsung, Verizon, AT&T or Best Buy??etc..
Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
raghu102 said:
I had battery issues on my bluetooth Gear S3 Frontier (India) & had to take it to the service center where they basically replaced the battery & then the motherboard to fix the issue. I kinda ended up with a new watch in the same old body. The whole process took 31 days. No problems since except still waiting for Tizen 3.0 update.
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I had the exact same repair. Too bad Samsung just doesn't take responsibility and notify all users of the widespread problems and offer the repair/replacement.
Warranty Replacement for Gear S3 Frontier
It does NOT matter where you bought your watch at all. The S3 has 2 years manufacturers warranty on it, which covers ALL OTA updates, as they are responsible for the updates.
rammitt said:
It does NOT matter where you bought your watch at all. The S3 has 2 years manufacturers warranty on it, which covers ALL OTA updates, as they are responsible for the updates.
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Thanks for this information as I was not aware that it worked that way... I always try and buy direct from SAMSUNG but in this case I purchased from Verizon as they had one in stock.
Take Care
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I'm still not happy with Samsung for pushing out updates (and not pulling them) that are having ill effect on people's watches. However, I have to say, they really tried hard to redeem themselves with my watch repair. I read on here somewhere that some people's watches were taking weeks to get fixed and sent back. Mine was back in my hands in 5 days. AND, they replaced the entire case except for the bottom plate for some reason. Which means I have a brand new looking watch. And I had a few scratches on it too, a couple bad ones even. I'm seriously very happy right now. I even bought an LG watch sport that was probably going to replace my frontier, and it's going back. At least Sammy is trying here.
My BT Frontier went into a reboot/freeze loop on January 5. I called the warranty department and received a ticket # on the 7th. Shipped back on the 8th. Received notification that Samsung received it on the 10th (which stated I should have it back in 5 business days). Received another notification on the 10th stating that my repair was on "temporary hold due to an unavailable part". I have not received any further updates since then. I sent an email yesterday inquiring as to status, since I hadn't heard anything in 8 days regarding a repair that was originally scheduled for five days. No answer on that yet. I guess I'll call today. So far I've been without a $350 watch for almost two weeks and have no idea when I'll get it back.
Well, after 3 successful nights in a row of charging without a problem, nor any overheats, it's doing it again... Real effing nice... I'm going to try the shutting it off before charging then seeing if it stops overheating like a couple people have reported. Otherwise, I guess I have to send it back again... All because of an update. Samsung needs to get it together!
** Update***
I called on Friday to ask about the status of my repair and was told that the repair was on hold because a replacement part was not available. So they offered me a full refund of the original purchase price (purchased through Samsung), which I accepted.
Seems odd but I guess it's easier for them to issue a refund check than to send a new Gear.
dcAndroidFan said:
** Update***
I called on Friday to ask about the status of my repair and was told that the repair was on hold because a replacement part was not available. So they offered me a full refund of the original purchase price (purchased through Samsung), which I accepted.
Seems odd but I guess it's easier for them to issue a refund check than to send a new Gear.
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Wow, I am shocked that they did not offer to replace the watch? Did you ask if that was an option? Maybe the Gear 4 is close and they do not have enough any additional inventory on the 3 ??
Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
maddie01 said:
Wow, I am shocked that they did not offer to replace the watch? Did you ask if that was an option? Maybe the Gear 4 is close and they do not have enough any additional inventory on the 3 ??
Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
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It seemed strange, but I didn't ask about a replacement because the refund seemed like a better option. I took the money and bought a brand-new one (instead of potentially getting a refurbished replacement unit) and I have a new purchase transaction so my warranty period starts over with the new one (a replacement would have still been subject to the original purchase warranty period). Win-win.
dcAndroidFan said:
It seemed strange, but I didn't ask about a replacement because the refund seemed like a better option. I took the money and bought a brand-new one (instead of potentially getting a refurbished replacement unit) and I have a new purchase transaction so my warranty period starts over with the new one (a replacement would have still been subject to the original purchase warranty period). Win-win.
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How long did it take for you to get refunded and in what way were you refunded? My current status for my watch says Cancel and states refund for the last 3 or 4 days but I've received no communication from Samsung about anything at this point..
dcAndroidFan said:
It seemed strange, but I didn't ask about a replacement because the refund seemed like a better option. I took the money and bought a brand-new one (instead of potentially getting a refurbished replacement unit) and I have a new purchase transaction so my warranty period starts over with the new one (a replacement would have still been subject to the original purchase warranty period). Win-win.
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Great point, you did the right thing!!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
dcAndroidFan said:
** Update***
I called on Friday to ask about the status of my repair and was told that the repair was on hold because a replacement part was not available. So they offered me a full refund of the original purchase price (purchased through Samsung), which I accepted.
Seems odd but I guess it's easier for them to issue a refund check than to send a new Gear.
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Wow, that's awesome! I'm surprised too at that. I would think it would cost them less to send a refurbished/whatever unit. Hopefully they'll do something surprising for me too. My watch is still overheating and not fully charging after already sending it in to be fixed...
Sparkz914 said:
How long did it take for you to get refunded and in what way were you refunded? My current status for my watch says Cancel and states refund for the last 3 or 4 days but I've received no communication from Samsung about anything at this point..
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I had to call and ask. My repair status was still "on hold" pending a replacement part. When I called, they said I was approved for the refund because they didn't have a part available. Then they gave me a confirmation number and ended the call. I thought I would get an email after that, or something with further instructions or information. After a few hours of nothing, I called back, and was told that refunds are processed through a different department, and then they transferred my call to the separate department which sounded like it might be at a completely different call center. That person verified my address information, and verified that I was consenting to accept the refund. She then said it would be 7-10 days to process and deliver.
In all honesty, I don't actually have the refund check in hand yet but didn't want to wait another 7-10 days without a watch so I just went ahead and got one in anticipation of the money.
Hope that helps. Not sure if that was my experience just b/c I bought the original direct from Samsung or if that's their procedure for all refunds.
dcAndroidFan said:
I had to call and ask. My repair status was still "on hold" pending a replacement part. When I called, they said I was approved for the refund because they didn't have a part available. Then they gave me a confirmation number and ended the call. I thought I would get an email after that, or something with further instructions or information. After a few hours of nothing, I called back, and was told that refunds are processed through a different department, and then they transferred my call to the separate department which sounded like it might be at a completely different call center. That person verified my address information, and verified that I was consenting to accept the refund. She then said it would be 7-10 days to process and deliver.
In all honesty, I don't actually have the refund check in hand yet but didn't want to wait another 7-10 days without a watch so I just went ahead and got one in anticipation of the money.
Hope that helps. Not sure if that was my experience just b/c I bought the original direct from Samsung or if that's their procedure for all refunds.
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Yea, I just called over and did the same thing. It seems like they weren't going to reach out to let you know you had to call and accept the refund before they would do anything. No phone call, no email.
Anyone else get ripped off in the Trade-In program for the X4?
I had two Nexus 6p devices to trade, and ordered two X4s. Got my X4s promptly, but they only sent one trade in package. When I asked for the other one they flat-out refused to send it and said I would need to send back my X4 and order another one in order to receive another trade-in envelope. Despite numerous customer service reps saying this wasn't right, they stuck to it and would not send the trade in kit. After a month of back and forth, I agreed to send back the X4 as requested -- but they said it was now too late!!
The other 6p was sent in the day we received the trade in envelope in mid-October.
Last week, I *finally* received the $50 credit that was promised. And yesterday, I received my trade in credit of $15.41. Yes, you read that right: $15.41.
Project Fi claims that I did not send in the device on time, AND that it would not power on.
The 6p was in pristine condition when I sent it THREE months ago.
I refused their trade in offer and requested them to return my device (as it allows in their trade in terms & conditions) and now they are stonewalling with generic responses.
I am out $300+ on the devices and $50 on the trade in they wouldn't allow, plus the $800 I spent on the new phones. Unreal!
Needless to say, I am cancelling my Project Fi service. I am trying to decide whether to keep or sell the X4's.
I didn't have any issues.
You should report this in /r/projectfi
Specifically check the sidebar of that subreddit and click on Make a Reddit Request! It will be a hassle but if you can communicate everything to them they may be able to help.
There were many other people that also had issues with the trade-in program. I think the FI team had a breakdown with their 3rd party vendor that was handling the trade-ins. They stopped processing them for about a week, when it first started to try and sort out issues.
My Project Fi devices trade in experience
Very first week of offer I bought a Moto X4 to replace my spare cracked screen, no power on Nexus 5x. I received phone quickly, trade in was delayed and was informed by Fi account. 2 weeks later received trade in envelope returned and more delays. Project Fi email of delays with trade in devices...Xmas time frame so waited and received 56.25 trade in allowance, actually slightly more than quote. Did get Project Fi credits.
I was very disappointed with being stuck with 7.1 and Nov update...with mightysween troubles on twrp and rooting....believe me I was watching every day....Thank you for your HUGH amount of work...
I decided to by a Pixel 2 with Google store credit and received device and waiting for trade in kit for my other Nexus 5x which has a $150 trade in value....now still waiting received email of delays...I did receive the buy device discount and
Project Fi credits.
I kinda like Moto X4 with Oreo really keeping for spare "cheap" Project Fi, I have only one carrier in my home area.
US Cellular and marginal Sprint / T mobile.
Wow, now I feel lucky that I got full value without incident ($150 for Nexus 6p + $50 fi credit).
I did have to wait 2 weeks after sending in my phone before they evaluated and credited it, and the fi credit took 2 months to show up, but nothing like your disaster.
Like the previous person said, sounds like the 3rd party service google used to do the trade-ins, wasn't up to par.
I'm surprised google hasn't stepped in to help you out.
I sent in a Nexus 6, my wife a 5. It took my wife about 1.5 months, and my trade-in took two months to process. Hers went through fine, full credit, etc. Mine had a similar response, saying that I didn't send it in on time, and that I hadn't done a full factory reset in my case. I detailed the day I received my X4, and then detailed the extensive process I went through to clear the phone, including the factory reset, then factor re-imaging the phone, relocking the boot loader, etc. Inside of 2 hours of filing the ticket, I had full credit for the phone.
I suspect that many of the "won't boot" issues are directly related to the battery degradation phones like the 6p were seeing, combined with a 2-3 month time before they analyzed the phones. From the number of cases, it is clear they aren't plugging them in on a fail to boot scenario. Can I assume you have done a reddit support request to try to get this resolved?
My trade in took over a month for them to receive and evaluate, but just got an email this week saying they got it. Still waiting on my Black Friday rebate though which I was told would be applied in 4-6 weeks.
As of my last complaint (which included past complaints/case #s) their response was that a specialist would reach out to me "sometime next week"... it has been 8 days. Absurd.
I am really not interested in anything other than them a.)proving by carrier tracking # that I sent the device late, and b.)taking back the credit and sending me my device per the terms of the trade in agreement.
If it really is DOA, so be it. I can probably sell it for parts and do better than 15 bucks.
But my suspicion is that they have NO idea where that device is. Time will tell.
mightysween said:
As of my last complaint (which included past complaints/case #s) their response was that a specialist would reach out to me "sometime next week"... it has been 8 days. Absurd.
I am really not interested in anything other than them a.)proving by carrier tracking # that I sent the device late, and b.)taking back the credit and sending me my device per the terms of the trade in agreement.
If it really is DOA, so be it. I can probably sell it for parts and do better than 15 bucks.
But my suspicion is that they have NO idea where that device is. Time will tell.
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Click to collapse
They actually changed the terms after the initial offer, removing the "send it back", or so I had read on a thread on Reddit. You had 30 days from receipt of the x4 to send it back--you can probably prove to them the date the X4 was received based on their shipping e-mails and such. I'm sorry you are having such problems with this--I really really want you to stay working on this phone!
mightysween said:
As of my last complaint (which included past complaints/case #s) their response was that a specialist would reach out to me "sometime next week"... it has been 8 days. Absurd.
I am really not interested in anything other than them a.)proving by carrier tracking # that I sent the device late, and b.)taking back the credit and sending me my device per the terms of the trade in agreement.
If it really is DOA, so be it. I can probably sell it for parts and do better than 15 bucks.
But my suspicion is that they have NO idea where that device is. Time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make a Reddit request in r/projectfi - they have access to Google to escalate issues.
I have been "escalated" to upper tiers of service several times. The issue is that there is NO follow up on their end.
They all seem to agree that I was ripped off, but that there is nothing they can do about it.
I am already moving on from Fi service back to an MVNO that at least doesn't scam their customers. But I WILL be getting my 6p back, or fair market value... even if it costs me 10x as much to do it.
Good luck on this one guys, they f-ed me over on my trade in as well. I did send it back a little later than I initially thought I would. It took them almost 2 months to process the return.
I sent in the phone, box, charger, everything that it originally included when I bought the phone. My phone was unlocked / rooted and I relocked it, fully wiped it out and returned it to stock.
Google claimed the phone was not factory reset (bullshiz) and that they didn't receive it within time and the credit was something like $15 bucks, when the phone (Nexus 6) was perfect in every way, shape and form.
I had a 2nd Nexus 6 to send back in as I bought two (2) of the Moto X4's and didn't even bother on the 2nd phone due to the way Google handled the 1st return.
No issues with my trade in, got the full quote. Pretty streamlined process was my experience.
My Fi trade in for the Moto X4 was great. I have been waiting for a trade in Credit on my Pixel 2 from Dec 22 and still shows on my Project Fi account page a trade in (worth 150 at posting of details for initial Trade in Credit of my Nexus 5x). A couple of no return responses on the project Fi feedback button. So who knows.
The moral of the story is to never trade in anything with anybody. The cost of your time and the gamble of problems makes it not at all worth it. If you think they care that you will cancel your service, think again. And if you think you will get better service elsewhere, think again. We no longer live in a customer service oriented society. And to be honest, I don't think we should. There are too many people out there who try to jack the man and sponge everything they can. People seem to have this sense of entitlement that sickens me to the core. Ah, but I digress. Sorry about your troubles, mate.
Have to agree. Why trade and lose 40-50% of it's value, and then have to worry if they will follow through.
Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
I am glad you were able to find some level of relief by venting your frustrations here. It always makes me chuckle a little, though, when people say they are no longer doing business with X and will switch to Y. The fact is, customer service is largely dead on this planet. You (or many others) will have the same crappy service with vendor Y eventually. Switching every time you have a bad experience is not going to solve your problem. In fact, it is only going to make your life harder. I wish you luck though. By the way, trade-ins are a huge waste of time; no matter what carrier you are doing the deal with.
Me Too
I got an attempt to rip-off today by Google Fi too. They promised $150 and then they said the best they could do was $19
My Nexus 6P had 0 cracks, screen in perfect condition, turned on, factory reset.
I contacted them asking why the low value, and they said they would re-check my phone to tell me the details.
I'm waiting for their reply.
Good morning everyone,
since it happened to me for the first time in my life that I have a self-inflicted defect on my smartphone, I thought that at this point I would post a thread on how the repair experiences with the Pixel 4 XL are - especially so shortly after the release of the device.
Field report
Origin of damage
I have caused the display to crack on December 17th, 2019, because the Pixel 4 XL - which as been in the corresponding Google Fabric Case - fell on a stone. The fall height was quite low at about 50 cm, but the angle of impact was so unfortunate that it hit with the exposed display edge, above the lower speaker. The lower 15% of the display surface is completely torn and the display has suffered a small hole in the display glass at the point of impact. The good thing is that the functions are not impaired. However, small shards of glass crumble around the hole, and I notice that the display is very sharp-edged at this corner.
Damage report
So I contacted the Google support directly from my pixel. After a short phone call they sent me a link to the website Pixel reparieren lassen, where I opened the repair order. After entering the IMEI and selecting my pixel model and the damage, I immediately received a fixed price for the repair of the display as such. The repair, which is expensive, but with a price of € 229.00 net, or € 281.67 gross, is within the usual range of a diplay repair for high-end devices, I could order there directly at the mentioned price. I created the order with the option that Google sends me a box for secure shipping free of charge. This way damages that occur during transport to the repair partner are insured by Google. The said box should have reached me by December 19th.
The whole order was - incl. phone call - done within a few minutes. Also the naming of a fixed price, without hidden costs, which could develop, if the production of the cost estimate were left to the repair service provider, is very good. I also welcome the fact that I have concluded my order, and thus the contract for the repair, directly with Google DE, and do not have to do this individually with the repair partner. This means that Google DE assumes responsibility for ensuring that the selected partner carries out the repair according to their terms and conditions. The repair duration was given to me with 10 - 12 days, starting from arrival of the device at the repair service provider. The sending in takes place via UPS Express. Google has already sent me a corresponding shipping label by mail, as well as the invoice for the repair.
The concerns
Unfortunately there is a further grain of salt ... The official repair partner of Google DE is the company CTDI from Poland, which has a bad reputation in the industry. With the Smartphone of my wife, I had big problems here in the past. I had to send in her HTC three times until the repair was completed professionally. I hope that everything will go smoothly and that I will get the Pixel 4 XL back in working order.
I will keep you up to date with all the latest news here, so that as many people as possible can benefit from my experience, and to make any problems that occur transparent.
Further repair procedure
Update 1: December 18th, 2019 - Packaging for the return shipment has been sent to me. Arrived at my place: December 20th, 2019 one day late.
Update 2: December 21st, 2019 - RMA package delivered to UPS Access Point. Arrived in Poland: December 24th, 2019.
Update 3: December 27th, 2019 - Device has been checked. Additional defects were identified. Google refuses partial repair. New repair costs € 279.00 plus VAT.
Update 4: January 3rd, 2020 - Device has been repaired and dispatched by Google. Arrival at Germany: January 6th, 2020.
Update 5: January 6th, 2020 - All in all I give it a good grade. The result is only diminished by the unavailable partial repair and the somewhat long runtime during the holidays around Christmas and New Year.
Quality of repairs
The Pixel 4 XL was delivered yesterday and I picked it up at my UPS Access Point to set it up and test it thoroughly in the evening. Carry it with me again today and I must say that the result is extremely positive. No differences in the gap dimensions can be detected on the device and everything works smoothly.
Summary
Pros
Google gives the net repair time very precisely. The 10 - 12 days, minus the holidays due to the unfortunate time of the defect, were fully adhered to.
Google proactively informs about the status at regular intervals, such as the delays due to the Christmas and New Year holidays. The online repair status informs about all steps of the process almost in real time.
The repair process can be initiated very quickly and self-explanatory by me as a customer. A phone call lasting about 60 seconds and the subsequent repair request via a sent website link was extremely uncomplicated.
Cons
Google refuses partial repairs on its devices. The consequence is that I - besides the cracked display - had to pay extra for the frame (contained a small scratch) and therefore also for the, actually intact, USB-C port.
XDA:Thread Information
[Repair experience] Pixel 4 XL - Display cracked
Created: 2019-10-29
Last Updated: 2020-01-06
Update 1 - Waiting for the repair set
The corresponding packaging material was sent out yesterday, December 18th, 2019. It should arrive today or tomorrow. Since I have not received a tracking for the packaging, I am unfortunately unable to tell you where it is currently located.
OK contrary to Google's statement that the packaging should be with me within 48 hours, it arrived on September 20th, late afternoon, making it 72 hours. I had ordered it on December 18th, at about 09.30 am. I suspect that this is due to the parcels arriving before Christmas, because they arrived by DHL - who are always overworked before Christmas..
Update 2 - sending in the pixel 4XL
The corresponding packaging material was delivered on 20 December. I must say that I am not very enthusiastic about it, as it was just a very thin white box padded with some felt. I had imagined something better underneath...
But now to the further course of the return to the repair service provider:
Friday, December 20th: Pixel 4 XL packed in a repair kit.
Saturday, December 21st: at 10:53 a.m. the packed Pixel 4 XL was delivered by me to the nearest UPS Access Point in my town.
Monday, December 23rd: at 11:27 p.m. the package processed at the transfer point in my region, and is now ready for transport.
Tuesday, December 24th:
at 04:30 a.m. the package leaves my region
at 07:08 a.m. the package reaches Warsaw (PL), where it has received the import scan
at 11:32 a.m. arrival at the repair service provider (CTDI).
Duration thus far:
Net: 4 days (as the 10-12 days count from delivery at the UPS Access Point)
Gross: 7 days (plus 3 days shipping time for the repair set)
Update 3 - Device test of the Pixel 4XL
The Pixel 4 XL was checked by the service provider on December 27th. The following additional defects were allegedly found:
a slight defect (scratch) on the frame, and
a defect of the USB-C port.
Even if the scratch on the frame - it was caused by the fall - exists, it is only visible on closer inspection and should therefore not be repaired. I also have used the USB port for a whole week (i.e. until the pixel was sent in) after the fall to charge my pixel without being able to detect a defect. Therefore I cannot believe this second additional diagnosis in any way.
A telephone call with Google Support revealed: As a matter of principle, they would not carry out any partial repairs, even if this is what I as a customer would like. I would therefore have the possibility:
to extend the contract accordingly, or
to get my device back unrepaired
The new repair costs now amount to € 273.00 net, or € 335.79 gross.
In the end, after a long, discussion-packed phone call with the service consultant on the Google Support Hotline, I confirmed the order extension yesterday noon at 12:21 pm. I just want to get my 4 XL back.
What gets me upset is the following: Why the hell does Google imagine they can simply decide on the extent of the repair! This is outrageous. I will report this - after successful completion of the repair - in any case also to the German consumer protection, since such conduct is prohibited in this country. And now, the Google repair tracking, on top of everything else, it's informing me about a "delay in the repair", without explaining the reason for this. Just telling that they'll keep me posted ....
Duration thus far:
Net: 6 days (as the 10-12 days count from delivery to the UPS Access Point)
Gross: 10 days (plus 3 days shipping time for the repair set, and the Christmas holidays in Germany)
Update 4 - Pixel 4XL repair time and return
The Pixel 4 XL was finished today and sent back to me on the return journey. At 13:50 it would be announced UPS.
But now to the further process of returning it to the repair service provider:
Friday, January 3rd:
1:50 pm the device would be packed and the shipping label would be generated
4:20 pm the package has received the UPS pickup scan.
5:27 pm the package has received the origin and export scan
9:01 pm the package has left Warsaw (PL).
Saturday, January 4th: 4:34 am the package received the arrival scan in my region.
Monday, January 6th:
10:24 am the package was delivered to the UPS Access Point at my residence.
6:00 pm pick up by me.
The delivery to me is done by UPS Express Saver, which, compared to UPS Express (to save costs/supplements for Saturday delivery), delivers only on working days. As the delivery is scheduled for Monday (until the end of the working day) according to the tracking system, I had the package redirected to a UPS Access Point in my town to be able to pick it up after work.
Duration until Monday 06.01.2020:
Net: 16 days (as the 10-12 days count from the time of delivery to the UPS Access Point)
Gross: 20 days (plus 3 days shipping time for the repair set, and the Christmas holidays)
Duration until Monday 06.01.2020 - less public holidays:
Net: 12 days (as the 10-12 days count from the time of delivery to the UPS Access Point)
Gross: 16 days (plus 3 days shipping time for the repair set, and the Christmas holidays)
Excluding the Christmas holidays and New Year, and taking into account that Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are only half working days, the 12 days promised by Google are indeed coming true.
I will give a last update as soon as I have inspected the device in peace at the beginning of next week, and have a picture of the quality of the work. Always in the hope that there will be no reason for complaints.
Update 5 - Pixel 4XL quality of repairs
The Pixel 4 XL was delivered yesterday and I picked it up at my UPS Access Point to set it up and test it thoroughly in the evening. Carry it with me again today and I must say that the result is extremely positive. No differences in the gap dimensions can be detected on the device and everything works smoothly.
As a little treat, the device came back in a nice package including a new SIM eject tool and display cleaning cloth. That's certainly a very nice service, in order to clean the glass surfaces once the applied protective foils have been created.
All in all I give it a good grade. The result is only diminished by the unavailable partial repair and the somewhat long runtime during the holidays around Christmas and New Year.
When you buy phones in your country, are you able to buy insurance for it? I bought mine here in the states from b&h photo and purchased insurance from square trade. I think it cost me $90 for 24 months and has a $75 deductible. But you can take it to local places and have them make the repairs, or mail it in for repair.
Either way, it's terrible the run-around they are giving you. But even still, don't you have local places that repair phones?
Yeah sure you can.
And most insurance companies that repair a display damage without excess cost € 13.99 gross per month and run for two years. So the question arises whether you want to pay € 355.76 gross over two years, or once (if it happens at all) € 335.79 gross in case of an accident.
Sent from my HTC U12+ using XDA Labs
Okay, things are getting a little weird now. TODAY (at 12:30 pm) I get a mail from Google stating that the repair is delayed. So they send me a mail which is only a confirmation/copy of the information from 4 days ago. This is absolutely wrong, especially since the mail does not give any reason for the delay.
So I chatted with the Google Support. Unfortunately they couldn't find a cause in the system. So let's hope that the device - despite the holidays - can be repaired by Friday and that it is only due to the holidays. If it should be due to supply shortages of spare parts, this would be more than unfortunate.
Just wanted to chime in that I've been following this thread with interest. In my case, I'm awaiting an advance replacement for my device but it's taking Google over 10 days just to deliver it to me (this despite the fact that they were able to overnight the device to me when I ordered a new one). I don't have much experience with Google's support so all of this is good learning. I also contemplated buying their Preferred Care but the service fees of $199 CAD combined with $199 CAD fee for the plan is absolutely nuts. Anyway, I'll keep watching this. Hopefully things work out well for you.
dhorgas said:
Just wanted to chime in that I've been following this thread with interest. In my case, I'm awaiting an advance replacement for my device but it's taking Google over 10 days just to deliver it to me (this despite the fact that they were able to overnight the device to me when I ordered a new one). I don't have much experience with Google's support so all of this is good learning. I also contemplated buying their Preferred Care but the service fees of $199 CAD combined with $199 CAD fee for the plan is absolutely nuts. Anyway, I'll keep watching this. Hopefully things work out well for you.
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Click to collapse
Hola
A few questions and comments if you don't mind:
1. Whereabouts in Canada are you?
2. Why did you have to go through an advanced replacement order? Broken phone?
3. It is typical for these OEMs, to not have too many devices for advanced replacements after the first few months simply due to them waiting on undamaged returns to fill their RMA inventory.
Please continue to let us know how your return is handled. Thanks.
Good to have a few more users chimin' in on this one. Updated post number #5 with further details on repair time and return of the device to me.
QAM said:
Hola
A few questions and comments if you don't mind:
1. Whereabouts in Canada are you?
2. Why did you have to go through an advanced replacement order? Broken phone?
3. It is typical for these OEMs, to not have too many devices for advanced replacements after the first few months simply due to them waiting on undamaged returns to fill their RMA inventory.
Please continue to let us know how your return is handled. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. West coast.
2. Issues with the screen mainly. In addition to the green tint (which is standard on the Pixel 4 XL, and perhaps the smaller Pixel 4 as well), my device display has large blotches of red on it.
3. Advance replacements for new devices that are within the refund period, are not filled out of RMA inventory. They're replaced with retail devices. (Google provides a special link to purchase a new device out of sequence with the rest of the orders.)
So far, the update is that the replacement device arrived however UPS failed to deliver it (it did not even attempt). This resulted in additional wait, so now I am likely to either get the replacement in-hand on Monday evening or Tuesday sometime. I will have to start a refund process for my original device however because if I do not, the refund window will lapse and I would be stuck with the device even if I am not satisfied with the replacement. This is all due to extremely slow shipping of the replacement device (in shipment since Dec. 26th). Overall, my impression so far is pretty poor. The process is very disorganized and creates anxiety for the customer.
dhorgas said:
I will have to start a refund process for my original device however because if I do not, the refund window will lapse and I would be stuck with the device even if I am not satisfied with the replacement. This is all due to extremely slow shipping of the replacement device (in shipment since Dec. 26th). Overall, my impression so far is pretty poor. The process is very disorganized and creates anxiety for the customer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with advanced replacement is that this process - like the RMA process - is not performed by the sales team. Such processes are always subject to after sales, in which - no matter which manufacturer - only a fraction of the costs are invested, which are spent on the sales area. Aftersales does not bring any money to a company and will only incur costs, which is why material and personnel costs are kept as close to zero as possible. Few costs mean few personnel, few personnel means long runtimes and usually also poorly optimized processes.
In most cases even the complete after-sales processes are subject to outsourcing, only to appear as material costs in the balance sheet. Subcontractors find it much more difficult to integrate themselves into the customer's supply chain in order to be able to accelerate the processes on their own.
Sent from my HTC U12+ using XDA Labs
Updated post #6 with the overall quality of repairs.