So you may know that the Passport comes with complementary 30 days support.
I received my Passport on Oct 7, and it has had an issue with the ambient light sensor since. The screen goes on the highest brightness and keyboard backlight disappears when I'm in a dark room.
I've been in contact with support since Oct 14 trying to resolve the issue. I called tonight again, because I was fed up with the problem. They agreed to replace my device.
I requested a brand new unit. I paid a buttload of money for this phone and I expect that I receive a brand new unit as a replacement. All they could confirm was that it would be a replacement. They could not guarantee that it would be brand new, it could be a refurb. I told them I didn't pay hundreds of dollars for a device broken out of the box to received a refurbished unit a week later. They said one option is to return the unit for a refund... wtf?
I'm so pissed with BlackBerry customer service. I've been a BlackBerry user since 2007. I've never been so upset with BlackBerry. Not to mention the amount of time in the past evenings I've used helping support diagnose the problem.
BlackBerry get your sh*t together if you want to keep customers.
I am in the same situation. I do have a rma # to return the phone for a refund. But I have to ship back to usa. Then reorder a new one. I am going to check how much the mailing cost. My passport has a minor issue. I can see light bleeding thru the seam at the back. Barely visible. I am debating if I should return it.
I was hoping they ship me one and send me a package to send back at their cost.
I would definitely escalate this to a higher level! The people that answer the phones do not have any authority other than to follow standard protocol.
Total crap, hopefully they end up taking care of you properly.
One thing that's often forgot when doing an RMA or such with a brand new device like this is, you're basically putting full trust in the company if you don't just return it an purchase a new one. Why? Well when your replacement for the RMA arrives, lets just say that it has a small scratch or something else that may bother you... You're going to have to ask for yet another replacement until you either get a new one or one that is in perfect condition.
After you send yours off for an RMA process you'll no longer be able to return the device for a full exchange. It's not like they'll take the replacement that you get in the return box, the serial numbers won't match and I'd imagine it would be a headache to deal with. Basically you're pitching out the return policy and using the warranty policy from the point you mail it for an exchange.
Not to say I'd never do it, but it's food for thought when you're faced with the decision.
I had a problem with my Playbook. They told me something similar but shipped me a brand new one. And I was even slightly out of warranty. They were actually pretty good.
I went through the advanced rma process already for dead pixels. The replacement device same issue, so I am just going to rma over and over until they ship me a sealed device. They pay for return postage and I get to use defective device while they ship. When they ship replacement device it doesn't come with a retail box. I did ask them and they said it's a new device, but I have my doubts
Reality is with the phone being so new you're getting a new one. It takes several months before there are refurbished units available as they need to be fixed, flashed and repackaged. This isn't all happening in a few weeks past launch. You'll get a new one.