Just need to vent about repair (take two)

So for some reason, my actual post didn't take before so let's try this again...

I had to contact BB about damage to my USB port just as some others have had to do as well. So I contacted them on 8/5 and was issued an RMA number to send my PB back.

8/7 - received fed ex box to send pb book
8/8 - sent pb back to bb from OH
8/9 (am) - pb rec'd at bb facility in TN
8/13 - RMA status notes that PB has been verified and is undergoing review process
8/16 - Receive email from BB saying the USB port needs to be replaced and it will be 125.00 plus applicable taxes, call in my cc number immediately. Told I should have my pb back by 8/22. My cc is charged for 156.25 (sales tax in OH is only 6.5%) so I email the tech back to find out what the additional 31.25 is for but get no response.
8/17 - call BB to find out the breakdown as I never heard back from the tech who sent me the email. Told I'd hear back by EOB 8/20
8/20 - no call back
8/21 - call BB again, I'm told the addtl 31.25 is a 25% charge for "taxes and other regulatory fees" but cannot give me any other detail than that. Also told my pb was just moved into testing and SHOULD have it back end of this week.

1st gripe...it's a flat $125.00 for ANY repair work on a 32 gb PB (99 for a 16 and 149 for a 64) so regardless if you have a screwed up power button, a broken screen or a screwed up USB port, it costs you the same based on the size PB you have.

2nd gripe...what exactly is "taxes and other regulatory fees" (as no one at BB can seem to tell me) and is it coincidence they just happen to equal an even 25% of the cost of repair? I would understand having to repay the shipping to BB since it was deemed to be my fault for the damage and paying the shipping back to me as well, just tell me that and be done with it, don't hide it behind "taxes and other regulatory fees".

3rd gripe...per BB SLA I rec'd with my incident number, I'm supposed to have my playbook in hand within 5 business days from the day they recieve it, we are now on day 9 and it hasn't even shipped yet. IF I get it back the end of this week, it will be a total of 11 days since they have had it, double their SLA.

I know these sound fickle, but, when a company is in the shape it's in like BlackBerry is right now, customer service is paramount to ensure your survival and KEEP your current customers from jumping ship. This is my first experience with BB customer service and, to this point, have not been overly pleased with the service I've rec'd.

Wow I just picked up a 64 gig for 199$ brand new. The repair costs are ridiculous considering you can buy a new tablet for a little more cash. :confused:

Others have recently complained about the fee based on pb size/capacity. Seems very odd unless it is the mother board or memory chip being replaced.

They want users to buy new devices...

It brings more profits and can be account as market share...

But they should ensure a good costumer, at least at time part...

Sent from a old but beautiful BB 8520 or a new and shinny PB 2.0

When you say received at their repair centre in TN does that mean Toronto or Tennessee? and OH is Ohio? (brit over here).

It could be some kind of import duty. Basically if you return an item to another country and its repaired free of charge, they can't charge you tax on it, but if you do pay for the repair (as you have in this case) you pay import duty just the same as if you were buying a new item (varies by the type of device and country but different items can have different tax bands). You won't be getting taxed on the full value of the device, but you do get taxed on the value of the repair. Not sure how this applies with different states unfortunately but there may be 2 separate duties, 1 being import and one being sales tax (here in the uk for example on some items we pay 22% import duty and 8% sales tax for a total of 30%)

As for the flat fees and the SLA, i can't really help you there, sounds like you either caught them at a busy time or they haven't got enough staff on hand to live up to it. Gotta be honest though for $150 i'd have been tempted to pick up a new one like others have mentioned then you have a fresh warranty and hopefully no other niggles with it

Originally Posted by Donnee

When you say received at their repair centre in TN does that mean Toronto or Tennessee? and OH is Ohio? (brit over here).

It could be some kind of import duty. Basically if you return an item to another country and its repaired free of charge, they can't charge you tax on it, but if you do pay for the repair (as you have in this case) you pay import duty just the same as if you were buying a new item (varies by the type of device and country but different items can have different tax bands). You won't be getting taxed on the full value of the device, but you do get taxed on the value of the repair. Not sure how this applies with different states unfortunately but there may be 2 separate duties, 1 being import and one being sales tax (here in the uk for example on some items we pay 22% import duty and 8% sales tax for a total of 30%)

As for the flat fees and the SLA, i can't really help you there, sounds like you either caught them at a busy time or they haven't got enough staff on hand to live up to it. Gotta be honest though for $150 i'd have been tempted to pick up a new one like others have mentioned then you have a fresh warranty and hopefully no other niggles with it

I'm in Ohio and TN is Tennessee so no import/export issues, strictly domestic. I was tempted to just get another one but, this one is only about 4 mos old.

Originally Posted by F2

Others have recently complained about the fee based on pb size/capacity. Seems very odd unless it is the mother board or memory chip being replaced.

I'm guessing they replace the whole board rather the removing and replacing just the socket. I don't see any other reason for the different cost.

Originally Posted by b-dubya

I was tempted to just get another one but, this one is only about 4 mos old.

No warranty? Insurance?

I got mine on both...




Sent from a old but beautiful BB 8520 or a new and shinny PB 2.0

Originally Posted by PedroBorgas

No warranty? Insurance?

I got mine on both...




Sent from a old but beautiful BB 8520 or a new and shinny PB 2.0

They said it was my fault so no warranty claim and Best Buy didn't offer any type of protection plan when I bought it.

IF ya paid by cc, chk the providers fine print (or call them), I know mine offers a automatic additional 1 yr warranty when purchase made with the cc.

Even if only 4 mon. old -user deemed at fault for damage- a new factory fresh -new warranty -available for maybe $20 more, I would cut loose the broke one ...

imho ! ;)

Originally Posted by Chaddface

I'm guessing they replace the whole board rather the removing and replacing just the socket. I don't see any other reason for the different cost.

I may not recall fully but I thought the other similar repair-price complaint was a screen or that their price list just differentiated on the size of the pb.

ah man, that sucks :s

Best wishes!

Sent from a old but beautiful BB 8520 or a new and shinny PB 2.0

Were these the standard repair prices when the PBs were $500 (16), $600 (32) and $700 (64)? Maybe they need to revisit that repair pricing since the price drop. You should have suggested that instead of paying so easily. Would be reasonable at the higher price but now, just buy new, don't repair at those prices. Perfect time to upgrade to a 64GB.

I would have bought a new one and a magnetic rapid charger for the "spare"

I just called BB and cancelled the repair and they are going to send me the PB back and refund the 156.00 so I'm heading to Office Depot to pick up a 64 gb one for 40.00 more than what it was going to cost me to repair my 32. Problem solved!

Actually when you send your device in for the RMA, the facility in Tennesse is a third party repair facility. RIM is not fixing your PB in this case. Until you're sending something to Bedford, Nova Scotia, RIM isn't touching your device. The third party repair facility is crap IMHO. Like a few others, they tried to claim, liquid damage was my fault(camera stopped working mysteriously). :eek: I fought tooth and nail till I got a free replacement. Then the replacement had your same issue (USB problems); I sent it back again, and received a Brand New 32GB for free.;) Oh I forgot to mention, my initial RMA took a month or so from sending it in to getting it back.:mad: All I have to say is, EVERYONE HAS A BOSS!!! :D

Apple charges a flat rate fee aswell to repair anything if its the users fault.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Thachoc1

Actually when you send your device in for the RMA, the facility in Tennesse is a third party repair facility. RIM is not fixing your PB in this case. Until you're sending something to Bedford, Nova Scotia, RIM isn't touching your device. The third party repair facility is crap IMHO. Like a few others, they tried to claim, liquid damage was my fault(camera stopped working mysteriously). :eek: I fought tooth and nail till I got a free replacement. Then the replacement had your same issue (USB problems); I sent it back again, and received a Brand New 32GB for free.;) Oh I forgot to mention, my initial RMA took a month or so from sending it in to getting it back.:mad: All I have to say is, EVERYONE HAS A BOSS!!! :D

I was never actually able to talk to the repair facility...I would call BB customer service then be transferred to the RMA department who would then send an "email" to the repair facility to find out what was going on. It's crazy...so I just bought the 64 gb and I'm going to give the 32 to my son, once I get it back that is. I would have never authorized the repair had I known there was going to be a 31.25 charge tacked on top of the 125.00.

Originally Posted by TheScionicMan

I would have bought a new one and a magnetic rapid charger for the "spare"

I have the magnetic rapid charger and I actually just picked up the 64 gb at office depot. without having access to the usb port anymore on my 32, how can I do updates, transfer files, etc?

Originally Posted by inthemix9

Apple charges a flat rate fee aswell to repair anything if its the users fault.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

One of my co-workers bought an iPhone, bought a crappy flip case, and about an hour later as she flipped the case open to show me her phone, it went sailing through the air and landed on the concrete hard. (The unit was finished)

She went back to the apple store and it was replaced no questions asked.

That is customer service. (Then I brought her to The Source and made her buy an Otterbox)

Originally Posted by b-dubya

I have the magnetic rapid charger and I actually just picked up the 64 gb at office depot. without having access to the usb port anymore on my 32, how can I do updates, transfer files, etc?

Updates and file transfers can be done via wifi. It would only be an issue if there was some failure of the OS. That would require connecting to the desktop manager with the USB cable.

Originally Posted by b-dubya

I was never actually able to talk to the repair facility...I would call BB customer service then be transferred to the RMA department who would then send an "email" to the repair facility to find out what was going on. It's crazy...so I just bought the 64 gb and I'm going to give the 32 to my son, once I get it back that is. I would have never authorized the repair had I known there was going to be a 31.25 charge tacked on top of the 125.00.

I agree, paying out the yang for something you didn't damage is unfair. That's why I fought till I was substantially compensated.


Sent from my BlackBerry 9850 using Tapatalk

UPDATE...

I was supposed to get a call or email yesterday (8/27) confirming the RMA was cancelled and that my playbook was going to be sent back to me and be refunded for the repair cost...didn't happen of course. Called this morning to find out the status and was told that the repair facility still hadn't responded to them about it and was told I'd receive a call back tomorrow to update me on the status of it.

About an hour after I hung up, I rec'd a call from BB RMA; they said due to the amount of time it has taken thus far to just get it fixed (now on business day 13 since they got it), the lack of responses from their customer service, etc...they are going to go ahead and fix the playbook free of charge and credit me back the 156.00.

Stay tuned...

Originally Posted by b-dubya

UPDATE...

I was supposed to get a call or email yesterday (8/27) confirming the RMA was cancelled and that my playbook was going to be sent back to me and be refunded for the repair cost...didn't happen of course. Called this morning to find out the status and was told that the repair facility still hadn't responded to them about it and was told I'd receive a call back tomorrow to update me on the status of it.

About an hour after I hung up, I rec'd a call from BB RMA; they said due to the amount of time it has taken thus far to just get it fixed (now on business day 13 since they got it), the lack of responses from their customer service, etc...they are going to go ahead and fix the playbook free of charge and credit me back the 156.00.

Stay tuned...

That sounds potentially terrific. Hope it works out EVENTUALLY.

Originally Posted by b-dubya

UPDATE...



I was supposed to get a call or email yesterday (8/27) confirming the RMA was cancelled and that my playbook was going to be sent back to me and be refunded for the repair cost...didn't happen of course. Called this morning to find out the status and was told that the repair facility still hadn't responded to them about it and was told I'd receive a call back tomorrow to update me on the status of it.



About an hour after I hung up, I rec'd a call from BB RMA; they said due to the amount of time it has taken thus far to just get it fixed (now on business day 13 since they got it), the lack of responses from their customer service, etc...they are going to go ahead and fix the playbook free of charge and credit me back the 156.00.



Stay tuned...

Dude sweet!!!!!!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9850 using Tapatalk