O2 and customer service. An Oxymoron?

sporedude

Damage to the case isnt covered under warranty, they wont touch it even if its got nothing to do with the main fault

>.>

ragebe

Guys_Dad wrote: »

I suppose you checked yours for pocket lint or other similar invaders as per the last post in your link??

I have

Actually, reading the net, the Pre seems like a real lemon with a multitude of faults. Glad I don't have one.

It's got some bugs, I can live with most things because it does so many things I want it to do so well. If O2 had been a tad more helpful and said something like, 'we'll give you a free bluetooth headset,....or similar' I'd have probably lived with it. I'm just so hacked off with them fobbing me off with a load of tosh about the warranty and ignoring the fact that it's a known probelm with Palms, they should talk to the manufacturer (HP now) about resolving the problem, not just blithely flogging something, that has had this fault since before I first got the phone.

Wintermute

I'm guessing you don't have insurance with O2? If you do then put in a claim for accidental damage and stop wasting your time, in every job I've ever had, nothing !!!!es me off more than people who suddenly start quoting laws & regulations at me.

Even if the sales of good act states mobile phones should have a 6 year life nobody expects them to, the majority of manufacturers offer a 2 year warranty and I've yet to hear of a case that has opened the floodgates for warranty claims for older phones. If your phone's physically damaged your warranty's void, simple as that, this is standard practice in pretty much every industry. If they were to try and repair your phone despite the warranty being void then they're pretty much accepting that you do have a warranty and will be liable for repairing any other issues you have, manufacturing issue or not.

Dealing with mobile phone and bank customer services has taught me that you get a hell of a lot further being polite and civil than acting than you're better than the person you're talking to.

If you're on a consumer contract you have no chance of being reimbursed for your time so stop wasting it.

Money_Grabber13579

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're too lazy to read all the stuff already written below.

Great way to start off when you're trying to get them to help you...Expect no help now.

Wintermute

Money_Grabber13579 wrote: »

Great way to start off when you're trying to get them to help you...Expect no help now.

My thoughts exactly! :T If you want somebody to try and help you be polite, civil and don't act like you're better than them, most of the time the person you're speaking to can bend the rules slightly or at least talk their manager into bending the rules to help you out, but if you act like an !!! don't expect them to go above and beyond.

ragebe

Wintermute wrote: »

My thoughts exactly! :T If you want somebody to try and help you be polite, civil and don't act like you're better than them, most of the time the person you're speaking to can bend the rules slightly or at least talk their manager into bending the rules to help you out, but if you act like an !!! don't expect them to go above and beyond.

I did, several times. Did you expect me to transcribe the voice recordings and type them here too? If you re-read the first post, you'll see it's an email from O2, after my phone conversations with them. This was followed up by a visit to the shop in which they were helpful. It was only after they became evasive about repairing my 10 MONTH old phone, that I started digging around and realised they have sold me somethinbg with an inherent fault and knew it but had no intention of rectrifying the situation, that I started the plain speaking tactic.

As for you geting hacked off in every job you've ever had about people spouting rules & regs at you, tough! Get another job. In every consumer complaint I've ever registered, nothing hacks me off more than the reps of the seller, trying every shifty tactic in the book, to get out of meeting their legal obligations.

Guys_Dad

ragebe wrote: »

In every consumer complaint I've ever registered, nothing hacks me off more than the reps of the seller, trying every shifty tactic in the book, to get out of meeting their legal obligations.

I can go along with that. Well, not EVERY rep/salesperson, but a vast number of them. Not sure if they simply don't know the law, can't be bothered, acting under "Head Office" rules or what.

Favourite trick is, during the warranty period, trying to get you to send goods back to the manufacturer rather than them dealing with it.

And, yes, one needs to be polite but when they still refuse and, in turn, start getting sarcastic or impolite themselves or, indeed, continue to spout automaton rubbish, you do need to assert your rights, assuming of course that you know them accurately.

alun4

I feel your original approach was correct. Also when you are not sure if "anyone" will pick the complaint out of a "bucket" it seems wise to refer to previous communication. It also establishes why you are getting frustrated.

The other point I would like to add is the level of "proof" required in a civil dispute in The County Court is not the same as for a criminal case. I think I would allow the other cases you have found to be my "expert" and go ahead down the CC route if you are convinced the slight casing damage did not cause the software problem.

alun4

Keeping courteous throughout is a must, of course.

Nick68

I have a Pre. Got it on a 24 month contract with O2. I've got 10 months left to go.

The WebOs operating system itself is pretty impressive, and there are minor software issues which are well documented all over the net.

The main problem for me is the build of the phone itself, its just not robust enough. Made from a very poor quality plastic. Little bit of plastic where the charger/usb cable connects finally came off mine last week, lost the small bit of plastic a few days later. I'm actually amazed it lasted 14 months!. There's a small crack appeared in the plastic where the charger/usb plug in is and this has worked its way round to the edge of the screen. The volume control is now either stuck at full volume or off. Its really badly put together.

I'm slightly annoyed with O2 that they supplied a terrible quality phone on such a long contract, but in fairness to them when they started with the Pre it was only 6-8 months old and they couldn't evisage the problems that lay ahead, (I notice they've not taken up the new offering from Palm). It's not in their interest to supply terrible phones there's no surer way to lose customers. I'll try and get by with it as best I can, if it gets too bad I have a old Sony Erricsson to make do.

I do have insurance through my bank account but with a £50 excess i'm not even considering claiming as the phone is just not worth it even if they replaced it brand new.

In October I guarantee you I won't be getting a Palm, and i'll probably leave O2. Their loss, you live and Learn!.