1. hpjrt's Avatar
    I disagree. If I have a product that displays a deect, it is my obligation to get said defect fixed before the warranty period expires. The CS rep may have been in the wrong to say it would be covered, despite your having made complaints previously.

    That said, I would contact RIM to point out what was promised by the CS rep - (you got his name etc didn"t you?). The problem just might have been in the shipping department rather than the CS department.
    08-02-12 07:13 AM
  2. StikiGreenZ's Avatar
    Really? Whining because your out of warranty product wasn't fixed for free?
    08-02-12 07:15 AM
  3. kerry6's Avatar
    For the OP

    Sorry for your issues, but there is a longer warranty on the Playbooks then the 90 day limited or 1 year, that RIM will enforce. I know they have repaired my screen's touch sensor for free which included shipping, and I received it back in great time and I might say working better than ever. Now one of the things that they do go over with you, is that if it is determined that the damage is not a factory or design defect, that they will contact you concerning repair charges. What people do not realize, is that they actually check everyone that comes in the door as a RTM Repair. from the sounds of it "Loose Charging Port" is not a defect, but normally is "loosened" when someone attempt to connect the power supply incorrectly or force it. This could be the determination that the damage was caused by the user. BUT IF your HDMI port never worked, you should have returned it to the place of purchase for an exchange or refund. This is basically an expense that you will have to eat. Do not be upset about it, as you did have an opportunity to have it repaired or replaced early on when you discovered that the HDMI port did not work.

    Again, I'm sorry for your issues, but as a consumer myself whom have used RIM's Support, had a device shipped to them that was truly defective,(By no fault of my own nor did I wait more than a year to complain about it), and returned repaired in a very timely manner. I understand why RIM contacted you to charge you.

    I just hope at some point in time that you can understand why also.
    kbz1960 likes this.
    08-02-12 07:20 AM
  4. undone's Avatar
    Without properly documenting all this can you blame RIM? Somethings are our own fault, hate to point this out (like others have) but this one is yours not RIM's. In writing is the only way to hold them too something that falls out of the normal scope of business and I would bet they'd stick to it.

    As far as warranties go, really a year is pretty standard on consumer based products. Any computer equipment I purchase usually has to have the additional 2 yrs added (at a cost) so I can cover 3 years. Its amazing how many things break about 1 1/2 yr into usage.
    08-02-12 07:24 AM
  5. kbz1960's Avatar
    OP perhaps the hdmi port was free but the damaged (by you?) usb port was not and the charge is for repairing the damaged, not factory defect, port.
    08-02-12 07:25 AM
  6. Anonymous9286410's Avatar
    ...Simple things like the OP went through are going to kill
    this company.
    there are j%rks in companies, there are impatient or rude customers.

    neither we know his attitude in the given conversation, the guy and his
    profession he spoke to nor any other facts to make up our mind one or the
    other way.

    taking OP's position and speaking for the UK -
    a decent written letter/complaint to the manager indicating willingness in a common
    agreement will always be more stylish and help than wimping in a forum.

    sorry for being too harsh
    Damian
    08-02-12 07:28 AM
  7. richardat's Avatar
    Hey Ilovemyplaybook...

    ...not all companies treat you like that. I've never had to deal with RIM, but a couple years ago, I had an HP netbook hard drive fail. The netbook was an advanced model...11 inch screen, discrete graphics card, etc....nevertheless, I got it with a bunch of special discounts for 150$!!!

    The drive failed a few months before the warranty expired, but I didn't bother to call it in until a couple weeks before the warranty expired. Once I made the claim, they asked for a credit card, but I don't have one.

    Well, I was off at university, so I let it slide for several months until I got back to my hometown. I then called in, intending to use my father's credit card. Of course, now, the warranty had been expired for about 8 months! There was some doubt about whether that would be covered....usually it wouldn't, but I explained my situation, and they did have a record of the first call, they said they would get back to me.

    Well, I was then on vacation, but HP sent me several emails, and phones several times....

    I played phone tag with them for another few weeks, and when I finally got through to them about a month later, they agreed to make an exception, and took care of everything.

    First time I've told that story (online), but your situation reminded me of it....

    That was definitely first rate service!
    08-02-12 07:57 AM
  8. Branta's Avatar
    The big difference there... unlike the OP you first notified the problem within the warranty period.
    08-02-12 08:03 AM
  9. richardat's Avatar
    The big difference there... unlike the OP you first notified the problem within the warranty period.
    In his OP he said "record of his complaints under warranty", so I thought our situations were very similar. In a follow-up post he said the rep told him that there would be record of his complain when under warranty so that repair would be free!

    I realize that the ultimate failure happened after the warranty was up, but honestly, with the previous complaint, the least RIM owes him is to take back the product, and repair the HDMI....of course JUST doing that would be ludicrous, and I'd hope the company, in the name of good service, would also repair the other problem......

    At the least, because of more than one problem, at least one under warranty, I'd expect them to offer him a very nominal fee, to repair the other problems. That's what HP originally offered me....a discount on a new drive....until they looked into it, and decided to give me a new drive (turned out to be bigger and faster)...by that time nearly a year after the warranty was up.
    08-02-12 08:26 AM
  10. mhinc's Avatar
    Get a Rapid Charger so you take advantage of the 3 pring magnetic ports since your charging port is busted.
    And quit whining. It's customers like you I CANNOT STAND in my line of work that expect the world! I warranty period of one year is just that, 1 year! If you couldn't bare to part with your tablet while under warranty that was your stupdiity.
    And the fact you are giving up on RIM for the above is a patheitc reason. You sound you are in grade school whining that something took your lunch money. For crying out loud! Read what you wrote and keep reading until you realize that it's YOUR fault and RIM owes you nothing!
    08-02-12 08:31 AM
  11. fragment137's Avatar
    I work in customer service at a computer repair shop and I get to deal with this sort of thing all the time. The problem with situations like this is the CSR you were speaking to did not have the authority to guarantee free service. It's unfortunate that you are the one dealing with the consequences of his mistake, but the reality is that he shouldn't have said that to you in the first place.

    You've already admitted that you should have gotten some form of confirmation from the CSR and I Thank You for being one of the honest ones... You're already leaps and bounds ahead of most customers I deal with!

    I'd really like to see this work out for you.. as someone who works on the other side of the phone I always want the customer to be happy when they're done dealing with me, even if I can't give them the answer they were looking for. The most important thing for me is that their faith in our company and service stays in tact.

    What happens beyond this is certainly up to RIM but regardless I do urge you to follow up on this to try and salvage what little faith you have left in them.
    Last edited by fragment137; 08-02-12 at 09:03 AM.
    08-02-12 09:01 AM
  12. rich_a's Avatar
    And quit whining. It's customers like you I CANNOT STAND in my line of work that expect the world!
    Why should (s)he quit whining? RIM support said they would fix it for free and then reneged on the offer without explanation, that's before we even take into consideration that they paid a premium price for their product and are one of the early adopters RIM desperately needs to keep on their side, unlike people like me who bought their tablet at a knockdown price and then managed to get RIM to swap it because of two dead pixels!

    I seriously wonder what some people on this thread are smoking.... They paid $500, RIM should do the right thing and just fix the device LIKE THEY PROMISED!
    08-02-12 09:17 AM
  13. bungaboy's Avatar
    As far as I know Britain is not in "financial collapse"? How is holding a manufacturer/retailer accountable for a product that doesn't last a sufficient length of time giving "something for nothing"? Do you support the idea that a manufacturer can sell you something designed to break after the warranty expiration and then ask you for more money to fix it? Is the only consumer protection law you believe in "Caveat Emptor"? If you really think that, I have a bridge I'd like you sell you...



    Apple and Humax both offer 2 year warranties by default, but this makes little difference -here you can claim up to 5 years later with the retailer if you can prove the item you bought was shipped with a known defect like the dodgy USB port problem.

    Decent manufacturers should use discretion to determine when to fix an item. Just a few weeks ago my wife's radio (manufactured by Philips) broke on "month 13". Before seeking redress with the retailer she contacted Philips who said "it's out of warranty". One short "this wasn't a cheap radio, I expected it to last longer than a year" speech later and she has a shiny new replacement This gesture has made her feel better for Philips as a whole and she will likely buy more of their products in the future. If they had handled it badly we probably wouldn't buy anything manufactured by them again!
    "Here in the EU we have strong consumer protection laws which effectively prevent retailers from washing their hands of broken items which fail to last a reasonable length of time."

    Nobody specifically said UK. It was EU that was said.

    As for UK, all the rioting was over excess cash, right?
    08-02-12 09:22 AM
  14. houshinto#IM's Avatar
    I'm absolutely amazed at the responses to this poor guy! His $500 device should last longer than a 12 month warranty period. Here in the EU we have strong consumer protection laws which effectively prevent retailers from washing their hands of broken items which fail to last a reasonable length of time. People have managed to get items with known faults replaced up to five years after their purchase, despite the manufacturer only offering a 12 month warranty.

    OP, write a letter to the CEO explaining the poor service you have received with a postscript that you expect a *five hundred dollar* device to last well over a year when it has been looked after and well maintained.

    To the other posters who think it's acceptable for RIM to wash their hands of well known issues after 12 months: what the heck are you smoking????
    It's not washing hands. It's called being prompt with regards to repairs and warranty. Not leaving it to the last minute. The HDMI was a problem early on yet nothing was done. That alone tells that OP was willing to take the risk.

    RIM is not a company that creates devices to last only until the warranty expires. There's always a chance for a defect on anything manufactured, but that's why RMA's/warranty's are there. Like any other company they expect the consumer to take advantage of the RMA/warranty service they provide.

    A customer that does not and further expects an exception for him/her is being unreasonable.

    As blunt as it sounds it's as simple as that.

    Strong consumer protection laws are a great thing. But following the rules should be a two way street. The Warranty conditions stipulated by the company should also be firmly enforced, otherwise what the point of them at all?
    08-02-12 11:11 AM
  15. houshinto#IM's Avatar
    Why should (s)he quit whining? RIM support said they would fix it for free and then reneged on the offer without explanation, that's before we even take into consideration that they paid a premium price for their product and are one of the early adopters RIM desperately needs to keep on their side, unlike people like me who bought their tablet at a knockdown price and then managed to get RIM to swap it because of two dead pixels!

    I seriously wonder what some people on this thread are smoking.... They paid $500, RIM should do the right thing and just fix the device LIKE THEY PROMISED!
    Comparing what was paid is pointless and an argument that's been beaten to death.

    The argument of "but they said/promised" without proof/reference would be useless in the court of law, so why would it work here? Tech Support and Customer Service are people after all and like all people they can be fickle/lie/deceptive about what they say or don't say. That's why as a consumer you always have to have reference to back up your side of the story.

    It's not about not trusting or making more work for you. It's about avoiding confusion and as OP has found disappointment and headache.
    lovemyplaybook likes this.
    08-02-12 11:22 AM
  16. reeneebob's Avatar
    Chuckle, and can you name one electronics manufacturer that has a basic (non extended, that you pay extra for) manufacturer's warranty past one year?

    I want my iPod to last past 18 months, but the d@mn soldered in batteries keep dying past the warranty period. IMO, they should last 10 years being a market leader and all!!!


    Cheers,
    Nikon.

    Sent from mah brainzzzzz via Galaxy S III and Tapatalk 2
    bungaboy likes this.
    08-02-12 11:52 AM
  17. kbz1960's Avatar
    OP can you answer one question? If you did the other 2 times I asked I apologize as I didn't see it.

    How was the usb port damaged?
    08-02-12 11:57 AM
  18. lovemyplaybook's Avatar
    Hi,
    It was never damaged on my end. I didn not even purchase an HDMI cable until a few months after my purchase of the playbook. When I did purchase a cable I noticed that it was not tight fitting and had trouble connecting to my t.v. I purchased a second cable and it worked this time but only intermitently (spelling) . After reading some forums I noticed that there other people complaining of loose ports. My playbook was never dropped or abused and is always in a case. Thanks.
    08-02-12 01:22 PM
  19. lovemyplaybook's Avatar
    UPDATE!!!!
    My faith in RIM has been restored. I just received a call from RIM Customer Loyalty and was informed that my Playbook will be repaired at no cost to me!
    08-02-12 02:25 PM
  20. anon3969612's Avatar
    Nikon.

    Sent from mah brainzzzzz via Galaxy S III and Tapatalk 2
    cool... 2 years on a Coolpix! I guess a camera maker that makes digital equipment sorta falls under this, too bad they don't make phones or tablets. Oh, and exclusive to Canada only, US still has standard 1 year on all DSLR's and point & shoots, but you can upgrade to 2 years for a small fee...Carry on.
    Last edited by vorpalz; 08-02-12 at 02:36 PM.
    lovemyplaybook likes this.
    08-02-12 02:31 PM
  21. westronic's Avatar
    It is not right that free repair was promised and then not delivered.

    On the other hand, if one does business with only with those who will provide free out-of-warranty repairs, one will soon be doing business with no one.
    08-02-12 02:51 PM
  22. lovemyplaybook's Avatar
    Good luck, have fun, don't let the door hit you on the way out!

    Really what do you expect for a device that is out of warranty? The tech on the phone isn't the one who makes the calls to whether you have to pay to have your device repaired, so next time talk to a manager to confirm that it will done for free, even get the managers name, email, and PIN just in case service hits you with the bill that way you have something to fall back on.

    A.
    Obviously I proved my point because today I received a call from Blackberry/RIM and my playbook will be repaired at no cost to me!
    08-02-12 03:13 PM
  23. Chrysalis1156's Avatar
    UPDATE!!!!
    My faith in RIM has been restored. I just received a call from RIM Customer Loyalty and was informed that my Playbook will be repaired at no cost to me!
    Awesome! Time to change the title of this thread then...
    bungaboy likes this.
    08-02-12 03:14 PM
  24. hpjrt's Avatar
    Glad that RIM came through for you! You should alter the thread title to reflect your vindication.
    bungaboy likes this.
    08-02-12 03:18 PM
  25. joshua_sx1's Avatar
    (Just a thought: sometimes, whining brings positive results )
    bungaboy likes this.
    08-02-12 03:20 PM
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