How RIM and VMobile insulate themselves from warranty obligations

**VibeMonkey** · 06-13-2012, 03:25 PM

So I'm on my third week of the good ol bum_rush with a warranty claim for my BB9900. I thought I would share my story to help others try to avoid similar grief, and give a promo to Crackberry.com in a roundabout way.

Late in May the screen on this thing just stopped functioning. No backlight, no nothing. Good news is that it still had five months of warranty left and that is supposed to be a good thing....

So I go to the local VMobile store being a newb at the whole warranty return thing. The deadspace behind the counter informs me that they don't handle warranty work and there is nothing she can do for me... But out of the goodness of her heart slips me the number of a friend of hers that fixes phones.. haha....

Get in touch with 611 and they start an rma and send out a loaner phone by priority post. TEN days later it arrives.. yay. i'm on my way now!

Here's the important part >>>. DO NOT send the Freakin back cover in with the phone... Even though on the 9900 it is the antenna. I would assume they would want it to test the phone... but I am stupid apparently.

Phone goes off to Flextronics, and comes back a week later. NO COVER.

Put a call into VM, no joy. "SOL sir. We do not deal with the warranty work directly". Ok, how do I resolve this? VM >> "you need to go the VM store and buy a new one.... "

Wait a few days to calm down. Go to the VM store to buy new cover. Guess what, they do not sell BB parts, nor can they order them in. For the SECOND time I am referred to a third party retailer that fixes phones! Awesome.

Spend the next few days going back and forth with RIM and VM. Neither will accept responsibility, and RIM apparently does not stock replacement parts.. lol.

Don't even bother trying to find a phone number for Flextronics. They have no hardlines to the outside world apparently. ( this is the insolating layer ) ( that impervious layer you cannot break through )

VM's final recomendation >> "Go to this website called Crackberry,com and you can get one there!!"

End of Story.

**MobileMadness002** · 06-13-2012, 04:50 PM

Ok, so you sent an item that was not supposed to be sent out and your complaining here because ..... why? There is no reason at all for either of these companies to accept responsibility for your error.

**crkeo** · 06-13-2012, 04:59 PM

Stupid is as stupid does.

**RoseBud68** · 06-13-2012, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by VibeMonkey

So

Here's the important part >>>. DO NOT send the Freakin back cover in with the phone... Even though on the 9900 it is the antenna. I would assume they would want it to test the phone... but I am stupid apparently.

End of Story.

Nuff said....

Edit: Wow my 1500 post.....

**SwitchBeach** · 06-13-2012, 06:37 PM

Umm ... the back cover is NOT the antenna. It has the NFC loop in it. So I would concur with the above assessment.

**VibeMonkey** · 06-13-2012, 07:03 PM

Seriously, the thing that irked me the most was being referred to third parties for warranty work. Twice. Shouldn't have to pay for repairs to a 7 month old phone as the first option.

I accepted partial responsibility for the cover mishap, but then to have no solution offered was a little much.

Thanks for the info on the NFC loop. I assumed it was the main antenna.

**MobileMadness002** · 06-13-2012, 07:06 PM

the back plate is the NFC antenna, but nothing the OP would need be concerned with in regard to the issues he mentioned, either way, just too stupid to follow simple and plain instructions.

**amazinglygraceless** · 06-13-2012, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by VibeMonkey

Seriously, the thing that irked me the most was being referred to third parties for warranty work. Twice. Shouldn't have to pay for repairs to a 7 month old phone as the first option.

I accepted partial responsibility for the cover mishap, but then to have no solution offered was a little much.

Thanks for the info on the NFC loop. I assumed it was the main antenna.

...and there is your problem and source of your frustration. You were not partially responsible
for the screw-up. That was fully on you. The repair center was under NO obligation to make
you whole again. Was there no instruction telling you not to send in the cover? Every time
I warranty repaired / exchanged a device that was made abundantly clear.

**VibeMonkey** · 06-13-2012, 07:15 PM

Actually in re-reading the instructions from VM, it says " do not include accessories ", and then goes on to specify batteries, back covers, chargers, cables, etc...

back cover(s) plural, implies aftermarket stuff like a skin.

**MobileMadness002** · 06-13-2012, 07:21 PM

No matter which you try and twist it, your still at fault for not following the instructions.

**VibeMonkey** · 06-13-2012, 07:27 PM

I guess the techs get a real laugh chucking those covers in the bin eh.

If you brought your car in for service, would you expect them to discard the alternator because it was in the way of servicing the intake manifold.

**RoseBud68** · 06-13-2012, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by VibeMonkey

I guess the techs get a real laugh chucking those covers in the bin eh.

If you brought your car in for service, would you expect them to discard the alternator because it was in the way of servicing the intake manifold.

Quit while your ahead.....

.

**Rello** · 06-13-2012, 08:17 PM

I'm kinda going thru the same situation. Have a Tmobile 9900 that I unlocked and use on a local carrier called Cincinnati Bell. Usb port went bad so I called tmobile, they told me to call RIM, RIM then told me because they don't sell phones directly that I'd have to go back to tmobile...tmobile then tells me because the phone is unlocked, the warranty is voided (which is bs) and that because I don't have service with them that they couldn't do nothing lol. I called RIM back and told them tmobile wouldn't fix it and RIM said that even though the phone was still under the one year manufacturer warranty that they couldn't start the RMA process....and actual carrier had to start it lol.

I agree with the OP in that buying a new phone because the 7, or in my case 6 month old phone stopped working shouldn't be the first option

**omniusovermind** · 06-14-2012, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by VibeMonkey

I guess the techs get a real laugh chucking those covers in the bin eh.

If you brought your car in for service, would you expect them to discard the alternator because it was in the way of servicing the intake manifold.

Did the service center for your car specifically state that you remove the alternator before you bring the car in? No.

Did the phone repair instructions tell you not to send the part you lost? Yes. Yes they did.

fault = you.
analogy = terrible.

That's not to say customer service should not have tried to help you out to be nice. CS sucks almost everywhere now. But they're under no obligation to help you out.