HTC Not honoring Warranty - Desire General

Just wondering if anyone else has had any problems with HTC not honoring their warranty.
My Phone developed a fault a few months ago, where it would get hot and just reboot if it was plugged in. I eventually got round to sending it off and after 2 weeks it came back to the Vodafone shop with a message saying it was not repaired as it had been damaged. So I call the vodafone repair centre for more info and they told me that HTC had indicated that it had been water damaged, this really suprised me as the guys at the Vodafone store had checked the two visible tabs before they sent it out and the guys at Vodafone repair center had also checked for accidental damage before sending it to HTC and found nothing.
Since the phone has come back it is now rebooting all the time not just when charging and HTC won't do a thing the phone has never been in contact with water this is ridiculous the HTC warranty appears to be worth nothing.

HTC can tell if it's been user damaged in most cases, and if so, that doesn't qualify for warranty. Voda has no where near the same tools or understanding of the device. HTC can also call one of the chip manufacturers engineers in to ascertain failures for a second opinion.
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- Sent via HTC Desire -

But it hasnt been water damaged, and if it had how could water have got into the internals without passing one of the two external indicators.

I had this exact fault on my phone too. I just called up my provider (Virgin Mobile) and they swapped it, no questions, no inspections, just a direct swap. It's definitely not a water-related issue, the motherboard itself is at fault. You only have to search the issue in Google to find many others with the same problem.

Yep I am aware of this being a very common issue, and it would appear that most other networks are just replacing immediately due to it being such a common fault, not only have Vodafone not done this they are offering me the "REALLY GOOD DEAL" of paying backdated phone insurance of £95 to get a replacement desire, sorry but as this issue is so common and if it was happen again, I dont want to have to pay cough up another chunk of cash, so if I have to pay out I think I should be able to get a different handset.

I'm having the exact problem, and it's specifically HTC AMERICA that is the problem. They are like a rogue nation, not even respecting their corporations own customer legal agreements.
Please see my thread here to read my conversation excerpt with Customer Service and tell me if it sounds anything like the kind of treatment you got. If so, we need to start a list, and I promise you, I am going to swing hard.
I have history. Long story but MacWorld, Wired, others covered it: I organized about 20 nations to pressure Apple back when they had their G4 desktop MDD which made excessive noise to issue replacement power supply units to every owner across the world, for free -- and it was the first time ever in the history of Apple where they issued a product replacement without their being a formal recall. And all of this without one lawyer or lawsuit. I'm just saying....
But it took cooperation, and complete documentation, and there was no way they could win. And I am tired of putting up with this bull**** from HTC AMERICA. They are pond scum who do nothing. HTC China are the brains and design geniuses who built and maintain an amazing company. HTC AMERICA is out to KILL IT.

Get insurance next time.

Meaple said:
Get insurance next time.
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I did... or thought I did. And made an unfortunate mistake. My last 2 phones I bought insurance through great company called "Square Trade"... Had a warranty problem with -- of all people -- HTC America -- on a 2 week old HTC Hero, and, long story short, Square Trade paid out fully in 48 hours, after a month of hassles with HTC America. (They require you go thru warranty first)
I bought it for the HTC DESIRE, but missed the fine print.... They only cover phones bought in USA... and this was bought from UK vendor... so, even though they accepted the payment, I submitted the proof of purchase, etc, they informed me when I went to try to file insurance claim here "hmm, says you bought this frm UK vendor" "yes i did"
"insurance is void"
So, for that I am technically at fault, but when i went back and checked, it was pretty small print -- and what threw me was, the HTC HERO which was covered by them and paid out by them, was also bought from UK, but it was bought via a USA vendor who imported it... hah hah. So, in any case, it just didn't occur to me that there was a restriction, but i was wrong.
Having said all that, I'm curious:
I always find it odd when people reply as you did. Do you really find that helpful when you are on the receiving end of something equivalent to:
WELL YOU'RE SCREWED THIS TIME, YOU SHOULDA DONE THIS IDIOT.
??
I for one never find it helpful. But, uh, thanks for your typing time.

Related

HTC One x barred by o2 network

how can i unbarred it and use the uk sim card?
any ppl can provide the unbarred the solution?
or other solution that can make my phone receive signal and used back sim card?
i bought this phone at a UK forum and right now it get blocked so i guess it was a stolen phone
so what i can do is only treat is as a htc ipod touch
and is this possible to use oversea sim card?
I am a noob fresh user from htc one x ~
help pls ~thanks
i dont think its barred, it network locked, <--- maybe not
you need to find that person and ask him to ask his network to get it unlocked,
he will need the phone imei no.
teanbread said:
how can i unbarred it and use the uk sim card?
any ppl can provide the unbarred the solution?
or other solution that can make my phone receive signal and used back sim card?
i bought this phone at a UK forum and right now it get blocked so i guess it was a stolen phone
so what i can do is only treat is as a htc ipod touch
and is this possible to use oversea sim card?
I am a noob fresh user from htc one x ~
help pls ~thanks
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Click to collapse
If it is barred then you can't use a UK so you'll need to change the IMEI which in itself is illegal in the UK.
Each time you enter a sim it checks for the unique code which is registered when your phone is blocked. Hence why you'll get no signal.
An international sim will work if you are using it abroad.
However as posted by thunder it could be that the phone is network locked so only the original network sim will work you need to find out if it's network locked or actually blocked.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
that seller dun wan asnwer my call anymore
mean i can solve this problem by unlocked the network or using other sim which not from any UK network right?
Use checkmend. Google it. Think it's £1.99 and it will tell you it's status. Wether it's network barred, reported lost or stolen.
sent from my tegra 3 powered, HTC beast.
i confirm that the phone is get barred ~
so what i can do right now?
pls save me
Ask the seller for a refund. It could be a stolen phone or insurance scammed. I would first ask the seller and or contact the forum mods which in turn may tell you to go to the police if it's a stolen handset.
There is nothing you can do legally to change imei as this is illegal.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Sounds like you've been pretty much done in. Based on the condition you're describing it surely classes as having been sold a faulty or misrepresented good, so it's time to do the following (and fast):
If an intermediary like PayPal was used, file a complaint immediately and dispute the transaction
Get in touch with your bank and file for a chargeback; with credit cards you have pretty much guaranteed cover here, for debit cards you should still be covered so long as it's VISA [1][2]
Also, don't forget that Distance Selling Regulations entitle you to an unconditional 7-day window for returning any good you're not happy with so long as it's in original condition (it is not necessary for the packaging to be in good condition or even present at all).
You can of course consider notifying the police too, but that may result in the phone being confiscated and you not getting your money back. If the seller won't respond to your contact now, the chargeback should get his attention and you can go ahead and return the phone if you like — then tell the police anyway once you have your money.
As I see it, you're most likely going to get your money back so long as the purchase wasn't below £100 and thus not eligible for cover (If you seriously thought you were getting a legit One X for this much WTF were you thinking?), done through pure cash, or past the claim time limit — if any of those are the case I guess you can treat this as a hard lesson in how to shop more carefully online.
Sounds like you've been pretty much done in. Based on the condition you're describing it surely classes as having been sold a faulty or misrepresented good, so it's time to do the following (and fast):
If an intermediary like PayPal was used, file a complaint immediately and dispute the transaction
Get in touch with your bank and file for a chargeback; with credit cards you have pretty much guaranteed cover here, for debit cards you should still be covered so long as it's VISA [1][2]
Also, don't forget that Distance Selling Regulations entitle you to an unconditional 7-day window for returning any good you're not happy with so long as it's in original condition (it is not necessary for the packaging to be in good condition or even present at all).
You can of course consider notifying the police too, but that may result in the phone being confiscated and you not getting your money back. If the seller won't respond to your contact now, the chargeback should get his attention and you can go ahead and return the phone if you like — then tell the police anyway once you have your money.
As I see it, you're most likely going to get your money back so long as the purchase wasn't below £100 and thus not eligible for cover (If you seriously thought you were getting a legit One X for this much WTF were you thinking?), done through pure cash, or past the claim time limit — if any of those are the case I guess you can treat this as a hard lesson in how to shop more carefully online.
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DSR won't apply with this situation as it was a private sale according to the OP.
You have to be very careful when doing private sales on forums, same thing happened to me, bought my sister a SGS2 it came with a receipt and everything from a private seller, a year later she went to CPW to trade in and they found out that it was an insurance scammed phone! The odd thing was it wasn't barred as UK sims were still working in them but could have been barred at anytime.
Contact the seller, say if they don't give the only back you will contact the police as effectively this was a fraudulent sale, they probably won't do much at all but hey it'll make the seller aware you won't give up.
But contact the moderators of the forum you purchased this from and let them get involved as well.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Ah, didn't realise DSR didn't apply to such sales. As a general rule I avoid private selling like the plague because I've heard too many horror stories, unless it's via eBay which offers you somewhat reasonable protection and is why you should insist on going through such a medium unless you literally know the person.
OP: I think you can still go down the chargeback route though, have a look through the links I posted before and figure out if you can make a claim. You never know simply appealing to the seller's goodwill by saying it doesn't work may get you a refund, but I'm guessing not.
Hi i had this happen to me, i swapped my SGS 2 for another phone and the phone i swapped for become barred.. I didnt know what to do but a friend of mine said contact the police, so i did i gave them the persons name and contact number who i got it off and the police managed to get my phone back and it was in London too on its way to India (im from Sheffield). So i would suggest contacting the police worth a shot:good:
springy0114 said:
Hi i had this happen to me, i swapped my SGS 2 for another phone and the phone i swapped for become barred.. I didnt know what to do but a friend of mine said contact the police, so i did i gave them the persons name and contact number who i got it off and the police managed to get my phone back and it was in London too on its way to India (im from Sheffield). So i would suggest contacting the police worth a shot:good:
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wow they actually did something about it? and there was a result!?!?!
springy0114 said:
Hi i had this happen to me, i swapped my SGS 2 for another phone and the phone i swapped for become barred.. I didnt know what to do but a friend of mine said contact the police, so i did i gave them the persons name and contact number who i got it off and the police managed to get my phone back and it was in London too on its way to India (im from Sheffield). So i would suggest contacting the police worth a shot:good:
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Click to collapse
Good to hear a positive story for once with the feds doing something positive! Quie common for phones to end up back in Asia, big demand for them there as well as all the scams that go on with them!

International HOX HTC Service for USA awareness.

Greets all,
Just wanted to make some people aware in case no one wasnt about the HTC support with has left a extremely bad taste. Let me explain in short:
I bought the HOX international version and I live in the US, I wanted the quad core instead of the dual core. Long story short the screen got smashed cause I had lost my balance, so I called HTC and wanted to send it to them to replace the screen instead of me doing it. Mind you it has a 1 year warranty. So they took my info and then gave me an RMA to send it off, so far no problem. I packed up the phone sent it off to them and for a month I kept hearing when I would check up by calling, "we are waiting for the part to ship". I figured how hard is it to get a screen for their own phone. Well I got the phone call today and this is what they tell me:
We cant repair your phone because its an international phone based off the UK, and you are in the US, and because of the ITC court ruling in favor of Apple, we are not allowed to repair and send you back your phone. We have two options we can provide for you: 1) Replace the phone with a US ATT version unlocked, 2) or we can send the phone back to you unrepaired.
I told them why would I want a sub-version of the HOX with a dual core when I bought a quad core. I told them I'll buy the screen and send it to them and they can fix it, they said no they couldnt do that. So I told them, so your telling me that I have to buy the screen, replace it myself, which then voids my warranty instantly because I repaired it myself? They said basically yes.
So now I have to go find a complete screen replacement for the International HOX, replace it myself, and basically kill my warranty thanks to a BS ruling in favor of Apple. I cant believe instead of making a customer happy which was going to Pay for the repair, they wont touch it. I would have thought that it would be they couldnt sell the phone or something, not repair it!
So I would suggest to people who have the international phone in the US to beware of HTC, seems they wont fix the phone if its in the US.
It's always been like this with International phones. Warranties aren't valid in the U.S.. This is why you purchase 3rd party coverage like SquareTrade.
And, if you look near you, I am sure you can find cell phone shops that can repair your screen for well under $100. We have them here in Delaware.
AngelDeath said:
Greets all,
Just wanted to make some people aware in case no one wasnt about the HTC support with has left a extremely bad taste. Let me explain in short:
I bought the HOX international version and I live in the US, I wanted the quad core instead of the dual core. Long story short the screen got smashed cause I had lost my balance, so I called HTC and wanted to send it to them to replace the screen instead of me doing it. Mind you it has a 1 year warranty. So they took my info and then gave me an RMA to send it off, so far no problem. I packed up the phone sent it off to them and for a month I kept hearing when I would check up by calling, "we are waiting for the part to ship". I figured how hard is it to get a screen for their own phone. Well I got the phone call today and this is what they tell me:
We cant repair your phone because its an international phone based off the UK, and you are in the US, and because of the ITC court ruling in favor of Apple, we are not allowed to repair and send you back your phone. We have two options we can provide for you: 1) Replace the phone with a US ATT version unlocked, 2) or we can send the phone back to you unrepaired.
I told them why would I want a sub-version of the HOX with a dual core when I bought a quad core. I told them I'll buy the screen and send it to them and they can fix it, they said no they couldnt do that. So I told them, so your telling me that I have to buy the screen, replace it myself, which then voids my warranty instantly because I repaired it myself? They said basically yes.
So now I have to go find a complete screen replacement for the International HOX, replace it myself, and basically kill my warranty thanks to a BS ruling in favor of Apple. I cant believe instead of making a customer happy which was going to Pay for the repair, they wont touch it. I would have thought that it would be they couldnt sell the phone or something, not repair it!
So I would suggest to people who have the international phone in the US to beware of HTC, seems they wont fix the phone if its in the US.
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Click to collapse
Blame Apple. Sounds like HTC is jammed up by a court decision, not because they want to piss you off.
Before the rage begins, I think offering to swap it with an ATT unit was a really good gesture. HTC US deal with the ATT model, and it makes sense that's what they offer!
Baldilocks said:
It's always been like this with International phones. Warranties aren't valid in the U.S.. This is why you purchase 3rd party coverage like SquareTrade.
And, if you look near you, I am sure you can find cell phone shops that can repair your screen for well under $100. We have them here in Delaware.
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That isn't entirely true. HTC has a global warranty so it doesn't matter which country you are in.
blackalice said:
Before the rage begins, I think offering to swap it with an ATT unit was a really good gesture. HTC US deal with the ATT model, and it makes sense that's what they offer!
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I thought it was better than them just telling him that he was completely screwed. Sure it isn't the same phone but in some circumstances it is better than no phone.
The problem here is its not a warranty issue, this is a out of warranty repair, this is like buying a BMW over seas, bringing it here and then something goes wrong and you needed it fixed, BMW here says sorry we cant touch it cause Ford wont allow it. A global warranty or even a out of warranty repair shouldnt be held subject to Crapple. I understand they cant offer the phone here in the states, but repairing? you got to be kidding!
Plus I'm not out of a phone, I have a second HOX international I got it after this one got smashed. But now I have to fix the white one when it comes in and fix it myself, but its wrong that my fixing it voids all warranties, I'd even accept if it was a warranty repair and it couldnt be fixed and they offered the US version as an alternative dur to the restrictions, but this is like going to a service repair shop and they wont fix it. It's BS.
Baldilocks said:
It's always been like this with International phones. Warranties aren't valid in the U.S.
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Actually, up until the Apple litigation, they did repair international phones in the U.S. (unlike Samsung). The problem is that they aren't permitted to reload the international s/w here in the U.S. because it contains features that have been banned. The U.S. XL for example doesn't have the traditional Android app picker; it's been replaced by a tabled menu. Anyone importing an international phone in to the U.S. really needs to fully investigate the down sides before making a purchase. And HTC U.S. deserves kudos for offering a One XL as replacement for a phone not even purchased in the U.S.
Dear Barry,
I understand you have some questions about the Bootloader unlock tool and the warranty for your device. I know how important it is for you to receive correct information and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Unlocking the bootloader means that you now have the ability to customize software on your device. Barry, please note that changing your bootloader can cause significant issues with your device and once you have unlocked your device, you have agreed to the disclaimer that states a change in warranty status such that in the event you render your device unusable, you are responsible for the recovery of your device, whether by repair or by other means. The final decision about what is covered under the warranty (and the cost) is up to the repair technicians if you have your device repaired.
As for the warranty, your device does have Global Warranty so if you ever need your device repaired, we can do so here in the United States. Again, the final decision about what is covered under the warranty (and the cost) is up to the repair technicians if you have your device repaired.
To set up a repair ticket, you will need to speak to the HTC America Warranty & Repair Center. Their contact information is 1-888-617-1113 from 8 A.M. – 8 P.M. ET, 7 days a week. Barry, they will be able to answer any questions you have about the warranty and repair process.
I hope this was helpful and that I have answered all of your questions. If you ever have any questions, Barry, please do not hesitate to send us another email. We will be more than happy to answer any questions you have about your device. Thank you for taking the time to contact us and I hope you have a great week!
Let me know if I have successfully answered your question, please click here to complete this.
To send a reply to this message, please click here.
Sincerely,
Kathleen
HTC
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If you want to keep the tegra one x i suggest sending it to a friend/family member in europe and get them to get it repaired.
Or, like I suggested, take it to a local cell phone repair shop. They can fix it fairly quickly, usually while you wait.
I'm confused why you are unhappy with HTC. You bought a phone from them and they offered you international warranty. In the meanwhile, the law of the land changed and the warranty is invalidated as a result. HTC recognizes this and offers you something within the purview of the law because you are their customer and want to keep you as their customer. I agree that this is actually a thumbs up for HTC to offer you an One XL in exchange for something which is not at all their fault.
Also you prolly are just another one caught up in the whole Apple, Samsung, HTC, etc patent-licensing bit and if the judgement was put out a little later, HTC would have repaired the phone. HTC warranty also states that you open the hardware without us being involved, we ain't gonna touch it, which IMHO is fair. Somebody buys my product, messes up the internals, bring it back to me to fix for free (or something close). So i do, since i promised on good faith and next thing i know, everybody around here doing exchanges.
The best thing is to send it outside the US where it can be fixed, hell, send it to India and i'll send it in for fixing and ship it back to you when its done. Or do what Baldilocks^^^ just suggested.
Baldilocks said:
Or, like I suggested, take it to a local cell phone repair shop. They can fix it fairly quickly, usually while you wait.
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akhileshp said:
The best thing is to send it outside the US where it can be fixed, hell, send it to India and i'll send it in for fixing and ship it back to you when its done. Or do what Baldilocks^^^ just suggested.
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won't both these methods still invalidate the warranty though?
But, it will be fixed.
Baldilocks said:
Or, like I suggested, take it to a local cell phone repair shop. They can fix it fairly quickly, usually while you wait.
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Got the name of the place in Deleware? And the problem with local shops is not all of them know what they are doing even if they say they do, remember alot just see dollar signs, so its hard to find a shop that actually knows what they are doing. Plus this being an international version, the other problem is finding the right screen that fits and is original, most will just take the cheapest they find and charge you double plus labor.
akhileshp said:
I'm confused why you are unhappy with HTC. You bought a phone from them and they offered you international warranty. In the meanwhile, the law of the land changed and the warranty is invalidated as a result. HTC recognizes this and offers you something within the purview of the law because you are their customer and want to keep you as their customer. I agree that this is actually a thumbs up for HTC to offer you an One XL in exchange for something which is not at all their fault.
Also you prolly are just another one caught up in the whole Apple, Samsung, HTC, etc patent-licensing bit and if the judgement was put out a little later, HTC would have repaired the phone. HTC warranty also states that you open the hardware without us being involved, we ain't gonna touch it, which IMHO is fair. Somebody buys my product, messes up the internals, bring it back to me to fix for free (or something close). So i do, since i promised on good faith and next thing i know, everybody around here doing exchanges.
The best thing is to send it outside the US where it can be fixed, hell, send it to India and i'll send it in for fixing and ship it back to you when its done. Or do what Baldilocks^^^ just suggested.
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Click to collapse
The problem here is very simple, again I understand about not selling the phone in the states based on the ruling, but when you already OWN the phone whether its before the ruling or after, should NOT apply to repairs. Hence my example of BMW and Ford. Repairs of a phone isnt the same thing as buying or HTC attempting to sell the phone in the US defying the ruling. Its basic customer support and relations.
Its the same for example, you unlock the bootloader and leave the stock rom, or you flash a custom rom, then you break your screen, you call HTC for an out of warranty repair, and they tell you they cant fix it cause you unlocked the bootloader when the cracked screen has nothing to do with the unlocked bootloader. Or if there is a know defect in the phone and they wont fix it because of the ruling, or cause its unlocked. Once a phone is purchased the ruling should have no effect or implications to repairs, and I havent read the ruling, but I would be HIGHLY surprised if the ruling did include repairs, I can almost guarantee the ruling has to do with selling in the states.
lawrence750 said:
won't both these methods still invalidate the warranty though?
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Sending it to someone outside of the US and having them call HTC for repair no will not void the warranty, because you are having HTC do the repairs. Opening it yourself and doing the repair yes will. But when you dont know anyone overseas to send it to you have no choice, its either have a useless phone, or fix it yourself, and how many are going to let a $550 phone thats fairly new sit that way?
Baldilocks said:
But, it will be fixed.
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Click to collapse
Agreed.
https://plus.google.com/112648899669966964704/about?gl=us&hl=en
There is a link to their Google+ page. Complete with address and phone number.
Deleted.
You sent your "not for USA, not sold in USA" phone for an OUT of WARRANTY repair, yet they offered you an ATT replacement because of Legal issues. That is called GREAT customer service!
By the way, read the warranty booklet, it clearly states that warranty is applicable only in countries where the phone is sold in, and the Tegra3 HOX is NOT sold in USA.
If you still want to repair it through HTC, check from where you baught the phone, many UK online retailers (not sure of other EU) will gladly handle the repair of the phones they sell through HTC.

[Q] Bizzare refusal for repair

Hi,
Just looking for some advice/insight please,
My 1.5yr old htc one x recently developed the dreaded 'blank screen of death', a fairly well known problem amongst htc one x owners, it can easily be googled or seen on youtube.
Its currently under contact from buymobiles.net, who i contacted, who then sent me an envelope for collection.
Upon the phones return, i received a tick box worksheet, indicating that the phone had not repaired, the box ticked was "fault not covered by warranty and the cost of repair exceeds the value". I would like to point out that there were boxes which could be ticked for things such as water damage, owner damage, previous repair, poor repair, etc. None of these were ticked, so obviously i phoned asking for an explanation, as to why it wouldnt be repaired. Person i spoke to agreed that this was strange, and would phone the repair centre and phone me straight back. Nothing, so next day phoned them back, I got a similair response, and was told that the original operator mustnt have been able to get through to the center and they would try now, they were unable to get through, and suggested they might not be back from their lunch break (although unlikely at 11pm!) and they would continue to try and would phone or email me later! Nothing! phoned again, only to be told servers had crashed and that contact with centre was via email and not phone, which i thought was a little strange after what i had previously been told! Again, nothing, phone again next day, operator agrees that it doesn't sound right and that phone should have been repaired, he phones the repair centre and then rings be back, claiming they wont repair it due to a "previous repair which had done been done badly". Now, as i pointed out to him, why would i pay to have my phone repaired when i can get it done for free under warranty? he agreed with me, and then suggested perhaps if i had broken screen and then had that repaired, thats a fair point but i havent. I asked for their response to be put in writing, and for photos of the supposed "repair" which he claimed they have. He was unable to elaborate on what exactly the repair was. I suggested that this indicates that i was given a refurbished phone instead of a new one when i first got it, he claimed that checking the imei number proved this was not the case!
I am still waiting for their evidence to come through! I spoke to htc who picked it up this morning for repair but i am concerned that they may refuse on grounds that buymobiles have been playing with it. Although the representative on the phone did admit that they have had a lot of problems with the htc one x. Part of me wonders if buymobiles even opened the phone up or had previous knowledge of the fault and decided they didnt want to pay for the phone. As i said before, the job sheet has a section concerning previous repair work and this has not been marked.
Any help or thoughts?

Things to know about Samsung warranty service via AT&T

I recently had warranty service on my Note 4 through AT&T. The process turned out to be considerably more difficult - and potentially financially risky - than I expected. There are a lot of things that I know now, that I wish I had known at the beginning of the process. Therefore, I'm writing this summary to help prepare other AT&T customers who need service for their Samsung (and probably other) products.
If you don't care about the back story, just scan for the bolded TAKEAWAY lines below, or skip to the SUMMARY section at the end.
THE ISSUE
I bought a new (not refurbished) Note 4 a few months ago. From the moment I got it home, away from the blazing fluorescent lights and full screen brightness in the AT&T store, I noticed the dreaded pink tinted screen issue. The effect was minor at first, but grew in intensity over the subsequent weeks. It was bad enough within just a couple of days that I couldn't see the right-most digit of my alarm clock app at all when I had the brightness turned way down for nighttime (this would be at the top of the screen, they way it sits horizontally on my stand).
Having had a similar, but more severe, screen issue that rendered my Galaxy S4 unusable, I was particularly sensitive to screen quality and resolved to get this fixed.
MY OPTIONS
I had two primary options for fixing the problem (probably in addition to purchase protection on my business credit card):
1. Samsung warranty: Covers manufacturer defects for one year
2. AT&T insurance policy (well, 3rd party policy that AT&T sells): Covers virtually any kind of defect, damage, or loss, after paying the deductible
I decided to pursue Option 1, for two reasons. Firstly, the problem was clearly (to me, at least) a manufacturing defect. Secondly, the insurance policy had a $200 deductible. So, I stopped by the AT&T store in my local mall to get the phone fixed under warranty. No problem, right? I mean, my parents have had like a half-dozen iPhones fixed or replaced at the Apple store in their mall just by walking in off the street...
AT&T'S PROCESS
I learned my first lesson in the threshold of the door to the AT&T store:
TAKEAWAY 1: AT&T RETAIL STORES DON'T PROVIDE WARRANTY SERVICE FOR THE DEVICES THEY SELL
Huh? Given the aforementioned problem with my S4, I was shrewd enough to ask about the warranty before buying the Note 4. The AT&T person told me that it had a 1-year, manufacturer warranty. This was entirely correct. My mistake was interpreting this to mean that I could go back to the store where I had just bought the phone a few weeks prior and have it fixed under warranty. That's not the case. Instead, the person at the store handed me a business card with the toll-free number for AT&T Wireless support.
I went back home and called the number on the card. The person who helped me was prompt and professional. She logged the details of my issue, and explained the next steps to me as follows:
AT&T sends a new phone body
I swap my battery, SIM card, S Pen, and back cover to the new phone
I repackage my old phone body in the same box and mail it back to AT&T, postage pre-paid
So far, so good. But...
An AT&T person receives and evaluates the old phone
If the problem is deemed to be a manufacturer defect, the process ends for me here, and AT&T ships the broken unit back to Samsung
If the problem is deemed to be caused by physical damage, AT&T ships the old phone back to me, charges me the full retail price of the replacement phone, and I keep both phones!
Say what?! I asked what would happen in the unlikely case that the phone left my hands undamaged, but was damaged during shipping. She confirmed that AT&T would send the broken phone back to me and that I'd be stuck with both the old and new phones - and would have to pay for the new phone.
Dumbfounded, I asked for a way to mitigate the risk of my getting stuck with two phones. She recommended that I go back to my local store and have an AT&T employee inspect the phone, and add notes to my account stating that the phone is not physically damaged. Then, if it arrived damaged at the warranty center, they'd know that it had to have been damaged in shipping. She said that she'd leave my case open in her computer system, and that the next person I spoke with could complete the process after I returned from the store.
That sounded reasonable (enough). So, I went back to the retail store, an AT&T person looked at the phone, concluded that it was not physically damaged, and annotated my account accordingly.
I returned home, called the toll-free number again, and picked up where I left off. The person I spoke with this time reiterated the process to me, and confirmed that if the old phone arrived damaged, AT&T would send it back to me and I'd be stuck with it, stuck with the new phone, and charged for the new phone. "Except in this case", I added, "because the notes in my account said that the phone isn't damaged, right?"
Wrong.
If the old phone arrives damaged, I own both phones. "Why did I just go to the [email protected]#$ing store then?" He said that I shouldn't have, and that the previous customer service rep shouldn't have told me to do so. He said that I might damage the phone after leaving the store, before I ship it back to them, and therefore that the notes in my account meant nothing. He's right, of course.
After a spirited discussion, he made another good point - the warranty is from Samsung, not AT&T. AT&T provides warranty service as a "courtesy" to its customers. For phones with defects, AT&T can send them back to Samsung and get reimbursed. For physical damage, though, Samsung won't accept the phone under warranty. Therefore, AT&T needs some way to guard against getting stuck with a broken phone. Before proceeding, let's pause for another takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 2: AT&T DOES NOT WARRANTY SAMSUNG PHONES, SAMSUNG WARRANTIES SAMSUNG PHONES
This makes perfect sense, and I definitely see the problem from AT&T's point of view. Still, the original unresolved issue persists. So, I asked the guy what I could do to protect myself against the possibility of the old phone getting damaged in shipping. He offered that perhaps the manager at my local AT&T retail store could pack and ship the old phone for me. I agreed to that, and asked what would happen if it arrived broken due to shipping damage. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before.
Flabbergasted, I stated that I was willing to assume the risk of damage during shipping, and changed topics.
Next I asked what would happen if the phone arrived at the AT&T service center intact, but that the person assessing the problem concluded that the pink screen problem was due to damage, rather than a manufacturing defect. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before.
I asked how to determine, definitively, whether the issue was manufacturing-related or damage-related, prior to sending the phone back to the AT&T service center and starting the inexorable process that may lead to me getting stuck with two phones. After all, the person in the retail store who annotated my account said that it was a manufacturing defect? He said that AT&T retail employees are not qualified to distinguish between manufacturer defects and physical damage. Another takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 3: AT&T RETAIL STORE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT QUALIFIED/TRAINED/AUTHORIZED TO ASSESS WARRANTY-RELATED ISSUES
(Makes all you AT&T store employees out there feel valued by your employer, eh?)
Fortunately, the guy on the phone was trained to make these types of assessments. Based on our call so far - and never having seen my phone in person - he says that the pink screen was most likely due to physical damage. With steam coming out of my ears, I told him that I wasn't even going to debate whether the issue with the handset was a defect or damage, but rather would stick to trying to understand the Kafkaesque service process.
Specifically, I said that the previous phone rep who I spoke to said that she thought the issue was due to a defect. So, regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the dilemma is that two different AT&T people made two different assessments about the root cause of my phone's problem. In one case, I could get it fixed for free. In another case, I end up spending over $1,500 for two phones, one of which is broken.
Naturally, I asked what my recourse was if the AT&T warranty center person determined that the issue was due to physical damage, but that I still thought it was a defect. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before. I asked if there was an appeals process. No, there isn't. Next takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 4: IF AT&T SENDS YOU A NEW PHONE UNDER WARRANTY AND YOU SEND THE OLD ONE BACK TO THEM, THE PROCESS WILL RESULT IN ONE OF TWO OUTCOMES, AT AT&T'S SOLE DISCRETION:
A) AT&T DETERMINES THE ISSUE TO BE A DEFECT, AND YOU KEEP THE REPLACEMENT PHONE FOR FREE
B) AT&T DETERMINES THE ISSUE IS DUE TO DAMAGE, THEY SEND YOU YOUR OLD PHONE BACK, CHARGE YOU FOR THE NEW PHONE, AND YOU KEEP BOTH.
Period. End of story. No appeal. No recourse. Just roll the dice and pray that the AT&T warranty person who you've never met and never get to talk to ends up looking at the phone and coming to the same conclusion as you.
Unconvinced that a company as big and mature as AT&T didn't have some reasonable solution, I inquired, yet again, about options. There were two remaining:
1. Send the phone to Samsung for warranty service by mail
2. Take the phone to an AT&T Device Support Center for in-person service
The first option would leave me without a phone for a week or two. But, Samsung wouldn't stick me with an extra phone the way AT&T would.
TAKEAWAY 5: YOU CAN SEND YOUR PHONE DIRECTLY TO SAMSUNG FOR WARRANTY SERVICE, WITHOUT INVOLVING AT&T IN THE PROCESS
I don't know how easy or hard it is do work with Samsung, or what their process is if you think there's a defect and they think there's damage, etc... I'll leave that for someone else to explain.
But, this second option sounds good - an AT&T Device Service Center. As it turns out, this is what I was looking for all along! It's a real building, with real AT&T employees, who are qualified to assess warranty issues, and able to repair/replace defective phones. Perfect! The closest one to me is 225 miles away (which took the phone rep 10 minutes to find, because their system is only set up to offer this option if the Center is within 50 miles), but I GLADLY drove down there to get my phone fixed. The person there looked at my phone, immediately judged the issue to be a defect that was covered by warranty, and in 2 minutes had me set up on another Note 4 with a spectacular screen. So:
TAKEAWAY 6: YOU CAN TAKE YOUR PHONE TO AN AT&T DEVICE SERVICE CENTER FOR IN-PERSON WARRANTY SERVICE
TAKEAWAY 7: THERE ARE VERY FEW AT&T DEVICE SERVICE CENTERS, SO YOU MAY NEED TO TRAVEL A LONG DISTANCE TO GET TO ONE
SUMMARY
To summarize the preceding dissertation, AT&T customers with Samsung (and possibly other) phones who need warranty service should know:
The phone's warranty is from Samsung, not AT&T
AT&T provides in-person warranty service, on behalf of Samsung, through Device Service Centers only, not through retail stores
AT&T Device Service Centers are few and far between, so be prepared to travel
Warranty service by mail through AT&T is not a viable option, because you can get stuck paying for two phones, at AT&T's sole discretion, and have no recourse
Oh, and two more:
The pink screen issue is for real - and really obvious when it happens; folks who are adamant that it's imaginary, that we're looking at our screens crookedly, or that we're otherwise obsessing over something minor are just lucky enough to have units with good screens
A good Note 4 screen is AMAZINGLY good - if you have the pink screen issue, go through the hassle to get it replaced; you won't regret it
Some AT&T stores do provide warranty right on sight, for instance I work at one that doesn't have warranty on site but two hours away there is another AT&T that handles all warranty in store. And a one year manufactures warranty is just that, the manufacturer is responsible for the warranty, so you can go through samsung or you can go through att except for Apple products, anything past the 4s is handled by Apple exclusively. With that being said as long as you don't send a device with signs of phisical or water damage you won't be charged for warranty by either company. The nice thing if you're close to a service center is you can get a new phone same day, regardless of which way you go, att or sammy, if you mail it out expect to wait for a phone. Just remember, manufacturer does not mean att, verizon, sprint and t mobile are responsible for the issue, they will do an exchange by mail as a courtesy, not because they promise the device will work with no hardware faults. The only phones att takes responsibility for are the unbranded att phones we sell l, but again that's not in store, unless it's a service center, otherwise there is too much overhead to hold that much inventory reserved for warranty issues.
Here is a link where you can find device service centers for AT&T, its near lower down on the page and will list places by state http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB91429
It will download a pdf with the locations
thanitos said:
Some AT&T stores do provide warranty right on sight, for instance I work at one that doesn't have warranty on site but two hours away there is another AT&T that handles all warranty in store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
QUESTION: Is this second store considered a "Device Service Center", or is it just a regular, retail AT&T storefront?
According to 1) the guy at my retail store 2) the first customer service phone rep and 3) the second customer service phone rep, only the Device Service Centers are able to do warranty service. Perhaps some are co-located with retail stores, but they were pretty clear to me that retail stores, per se, couldn't service warranty issues.
thanitos said:
Just remember, manufacturer does not mean att, verizon, sprint and t mobile are responsible for the issue, they will do an exchange by mail as a courtesy, not because they promise the device will work with no hardware faults.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understood. But, when I buy a drill from Home Depot, they don't send me to Hitachi for service when it breaks. They don't make me drive three states away to an authorized Home Depot service center to have it fixed. I go to the store where I bought it, with my receipt, and they fix or replace it. Same with my tablet from Best Buy, auto recall at the car dealer, rotten fruit from the grocery store, everything I buy from Amazon, even stuff from eBay where I haven't reached an amicable settlement with the seller. They all honor the manufacturers' warranties in-house, or provide equivalent service for the products they sell in the infrequent cases that they prove to be defective.
My concern with AT&T is that they don't have my back - especially as a small business owner. I buy a new phone - the most expensive phone that they had in the store, mind you - and as soon as they swipe my card, that store is out of the picture. Subsequently, I have to follow this Rube Goldberg process to fix the problem if something goes wrong 5 minutes later.
I re-read the insurance policy during this whole process, as well, and I have the same concerns there. I haven't been through the insurance claim process, so I can't say first-hand whether it's easy or hard. But, the language definitely doesn't give me the impression that I can just walk into the store where I bought the phone, pay my deductible, and walk out with a new one. Maybe I'm wrong; if you know how the insurance claim process works, I'd be interested in hearing about your first-hand experiences as an AT&T employee.
To conclude, don't take my preceding comments the wrong way. I'm not some hater; on the contrary, I've been an outspoken advocate of AT&T because they've treated me so well. I've had generally excellent experiences with AT&T over the years and, consequently, I've recommended AT&T to many, many friends, family, and colleagues. Based on this experience, though, I'm looking at switching carriers - certainly when my current AT&T NEXT term is up, and possibly before (U.S. Cellular has a deal right now where they'll pay off my existing contract. I had them previously and loved them as a carrier). Having a cool new phone and lots of LTE coverage is great, but what's most important to me is the security of knowing that when something goes wrong, it'll get fixed promptly. That wasn't the case this time, and I don't have confidence that AT&T will be there for me the next time.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to provide some feedback. Have a good day.
If you need to file a claim for insurance, it is done online or over the phone. You do not do in person at an att store.
I've done lots of warranty exchanges by mail with att over the last 13 years and I've never had an issue.
Honestly, I have AT&T and have had my a Note 4 replaced 2 times already. One due to charging just stopping at 35% and the other was a combo of the pink tinted screen and dead pixel in the top left. I went directly through Samsung. Their support is amazing. I went out and picked up a cheap ass Go Phone and activated that while Samsung had my devices. They even offer over night shipping if you want to pay for it. AT&T is just a horrible provider and I've only stuck with them since they were Cingular because they ALWAYS got the top brand phones. Now it seems T-Mobile and Sprint are getting the top brand phones more and more now so after this contract its time to say goodbye.
TL;DL
Always use Samsung warranty over AT&T warranty. More professional and less phonecalls/headaches.
DamageSource said:
I went directly through Samsung. Their support is amazing...Always use Samsung warranty over AT&T warranty. More professional and less phonecalls/headaches.
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Click to collapse
I'm glad to hear that Samsung is this good about supporting their hardware. They're definitely not interested in hearing what customers have to say about their software (I have a thread on that topic somewhere around here). If this new Note 4 needs warranty service, I'll definitely call Samsung, in addition to AT&T, to see who has the better support option at that point in time. Honestly, I didn't even really consider calling Samsung for support this time around, because the phone was so new and I just assumed that AT&T would support the products that they sold in their stores.
From looking at the Samsung support site, they only have seven service centers in the whole U.S. I thought AT&T Device Support Centers were sparse, but I'd have to get on a plane to get to a Samsung one. All else being equal, I'd prefer to have in-person service for my devices. Especially for something like the pink screen issue - which drove me crazy, but that my wife could care less about - I think it's important to be able to demonstrate the problem to the service person face-to-face and explain how/why it impacts me. To that end:
QUESTION: Has anyone bought a phone from somewhere like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Costco, etc. and been able to get in-store warranty service/replacement?
I'm asking about service per the manufacturer warranty, not the type of paid extended warranty that Best Buy typically offers on their electronics (though the latter might be an alternative to the AT&T insurance). I'd actually stopped by the local BB to shop for the Note 4, but they said that they couldn't add it to my AT&T business account (despite my having called BB customer service first and confirming that my local store did service AT&T business accounts. Sigh...). Back to the point, I'd be interested in buying from a real store, with real product in-stock, who is willing to provide warranty service right from the retail location.
Anyway, I'm going to be upgrading another phone on this account soon, and I'm open to recommendations about where to buy the hardware (even if it means switching carriers). It probably won't be another Samsung, given the quality control issues I've had with both of my Galaxy products. But it might be. I'm open to alternatives. Thanks for your feedback.
mcmannion said:
QUESTION: Has anyone bought a phone from somewhere like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Costco, etc. and been able to get in-store warranty service/replacement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My brother only buys from Best Buy and he says that they replace the unit in store right there if it's in stock and if not you can go to an alternative location and pick it up if it's close by for you.
it is done online or over the phone. You do not do in person at an att store.
I can tell you from experience that Costco does replace phones. It is a 3rd party company that runs the phone kiosks in Costco warehouses and Costco themselves paid for a phone exchange for me because when I exchanged my S3 it was not on sale at the price it was on a Black Friday when I purchased it.
I have had AT&T phones for over 10 years & have exchanged defective units by phone/mail through AT&T too & never had a problem. AT&T normally sends a refurb rather than a new unit but as long as it works I'm satisfied.

1-year Free replacement warranty is a fraud and the customer service is really bad

This is my story regarding the HTC-US 1-year free replacement phone warranty, which it failed on me. If you are currently interested in any of their phones, read my story and think again.
I live in USA. About 6 months ago, I broke my phone screen. It's still functional but hurt my finger. I filed a claim for replacing my HTC10 on 11/3/2017 as it’s still within 1-year free replacement warranty. I chose the advance exchange program and I was told I will receive a new phone about 20 days due to high volume demand at that period.
A month later, I did not receive the new phone. I wrote another e-mail to HTC. No response. I called the customer service, the person said there is something they need to sort out so they will call me back. No response. I had no other way and I need my phone to be repaired soon. I found a store to fix the cracked screen for me. That cost me $180.
Since then, I’d heard nothing from HTC. They even hold my credit card balance ($599 value) for more than 3 months. Yet, today (4/19/2018) I received a phone call from someone who claimed to be from the HTC customer service. It’s been more than 5 months.
At first, the customer service staff told me that HTC will send me a new phone with a newer model, HTC U11, with no charge. I said, "Fine, I will take it.". Then that person said you must still have your HTC 10. I said, “Sure I still have it”. Then he said I have to send my HTC10 back to the company so they can send a new phone after they received it. He emphasized, “This is company policy”. The attitude was quite rude and his English accent was kind of hard to understand. I did not agree because I need a phone at any time, and it’s currently working fine (I spent $180 to fix it). I asked why not send the phone first as the program agreed then I will mail the old one back once I received it. That person repeated the same statement and tried to force me to send the phone to them first.
The call ended unpleasantly and I didn’t agree to send the phone back to HTC because it’s too suspicious. How can I trust what you said given that I never receive the phone you promised. How could I know you will send the new phone to me if I send mine to you? Nevertheless, HTC, it’s you fail to fulfill the agreement, which originally, you said you will send me a new phone within 14-20 days. I have the original chat transcript.
I felt very disappointed after receiving that phone call. I really thought I've let it go because my phone is now working fine. But that call with a very rude attitude makes me angry. It doesn't sound they want to settle the dispute but force me to give up the claim. I really couldn’t believe that’s how HTC treats its loyal customer (I’ve bought more than 8 HTC phones). I will post this anywhere on cell phone related forums and report to BBB as well. I hope these actions will get HTC attention and hope they will learn when people start taking action on them.
I hope my story warn you the bitter truth even it's coated sugar. I hope everyone really knows what they spend money for.
HTC has two ways of doing exchanges, one is where you send the phone back and get a new one. Second is they send you the phone under the pretense that you place a hold on your credit card and send them the old phone after you get the new one.
I also had a big issue with HTC, they took over 3 months to send me a new phone (although they did place a hold on my account the same day i filed a claim)
Eventually I did get my phone back. They claimed that the reason it took so long was because they were moving their repair center to Texas, and soon after a hurricane hit Texas, which delayed the process even more.
I agree, they take way too long
yungyeh said:
This is my story regarding the HTC-US 1-year free replacement phone warranty, which it failed on me. If you are currently interested in any of their phones, read my story and think again.
I live in USA. About 6 months ago, I broke my phone screen. It's still functional but hurt my finger. I filed a claim for replacing my HTC10 on 11/3/2017 as it’s still within 1-year free replacement warranty. I chose the advance exchange program and I was told I will receive a new phone about 20 days due to high volume demand at that period.
A month later, I did not receive the new phone. I wrote another e-mail to HTC. No response. I called the customer service, the person said there is something they need to sort out so they will call me back. No response. I had no other way and I need my phone to be repaired soon. I found a store to fix the cracked screen for me. That cost me $180.
Since then, I’d heard nothing from HTC. They even hold my credit card balance ($599 value) for more than 3 months. Yet, today (4/19/2018) I received a phone call from someone who claimed to be from the HTC customer service. It’s been more than 5 months.
At first, the customer service staff told me that HTC will send me a new phone with a newer model, HTC U11, with no charge. I said, "Fine, I will take it.". Then that person said you must still have your HTC 10. I said, “Sure I still have it”. Then he said I have to send my HTC10 back to the company so they can send a new phone after they received it. He emphasized, “This is company policy”. The attitude was quite rude and his English accent was kind of hard to understand. I did not agree because I need a phone at any time, and it’s currently working fine (I spent $180 to fix it). I asked why not send the phone first as the program agreed then I will mail the old one back once I received it. That person repeated the same statement and tried to force me to send the phone to them first.
The call ended unpleasantly and I didn’t agree to send the phone back to HTC because it’s too suspicious. How can I trust what you said given that I never receive the phone you promised. How could I know you will send the new phone to me if I send mine to you? Nevertheless, HTC, it’s you fail to fulfill the agreement, which originally, you said you will send me a new phone within 14-20 days. I have the original chat transcript.
I feel very disappointed after receiving that phone call. I really thought I've let it go because my phone is now working fine. But that call with a very rude attitude makes me angry. It doesn't sound they want to settle the dispute but force me to give up the claim. I really couldn’t believe that’s how HTC treats its loyal customer (I’ve bought more than 8 HTC phones). I will post this anywhere on cell phone related forums and report to BBB as well. I hope these actions will get your attention and hope you will learn when people start taking action on you.
I hope my story warn you the bitter truth even it's coated sugar. I hope everyone really knows what they spend money for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Took 5 months for me. They prematurely charged my card instead after having my card on hold for 3 months. Since I haven't received the phone and they already billed me (it actually posted instead of pending), I wasn't going to be paying it on my credit card bill, it was an easy charge back win. I got my money back, I finally got a new refurbished phone 2 months after. Since I got my money back, I closed my card and felt no longer obligated to send my old phone back. Never going back to HTC devices. Moved on to Samsung, which isn't any better in terms of warranty, but it's not any worse.
Guys thanks for your replies.
As I start to research this issue, I've found more bitter in their game. It seems many people didn't even receive their phones back after sending their phones to HTC for replacement if they intended to use the so-called "HTC UH OH™ Protection" program. If they asked for a repair, some of them might have to wait for several months (or in some extreme case, a year) to get their phone back. This is really ridiculous.
What terrifies me is that they have done this for years but no one had ever won a situation like this even once.
Besides BBB, is there any other customer protection group or foundation that might help a situation like this? Have you guys ever heard any winning case?
yungyeh said:
Guys thanks for your replies.
As I start to research this issue, I've found more bitter in their game. It seems many people didn't even receive their phones back after sending their phones to HTC for replacement if they intended to use the so-called "HTC UH OH™ Protection" program. If they asked for a repair, some of them might have to wait for several months (or in some extreme case, a year) to get their phone back. This is really ridiculous.
What terrifies me is that they have done this for years but no one had ever won a situation like this even once.
Besides BBB, is there any other customer protection group or foundation that might help a situation like this? Have you guys ever heard any winning case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I won, I got a free phone from them. All I had to do was make a call to my credit card provider. They took care of it all for me.

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