broken htc desire z - 12.5 months in!

bethie

hi -

my string of crappy luck continues, and I have just discovered today that my HTC Desire Z appears to have broken (washing machine broke on Wednesday!)


It was fine all day, and for about 2 hours I left it sitting on a shelf.

When I returned the screen had gone all black, bar some little white lines at the bottom (almost looking like it was cracked).


The phone itself had no physical damage whatsoever. It has always lived within a hard plastic shell, and always travelled in a leather case, in addition to the plastic shell. Never been in contact with liquid etc.


I have tried to a factory reset, but because the screen just shines black I cant see anything to do it.

The buttons at the bottom still light up, and I got a notification to say I had a text, but I can't read the text! I can't turn it off, but I can turn it on. I've tried taking out the battery and the sim card, but that isn't helping either.


I can't hook it up to my computer, as it currently isnt working with HTC Sync.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to who to contact, and what I can expect.


I purchased it, and the contract from Phones4U, and am with Orange. Orange says to go to HTC, but I thought it was the seller who was liable?

Anyone have any advice, as I am not impressed that it hasn't even lasted 13 months!

Thanks.

: /

grumbler

The seller is liable under the SOG act.
The manufacturer is liable under their 24 months warranty.

See Martin's guide: Consumer Rights


I'd contact HTC, but they have very bad reputation when it comes to CS and repairs/replacements.

Rusty!

My experience with HTC support is pretty good, deal with them direct, cut out any middleman like your carrier & P4U.

grumbler

Just to clarify: Orange are not a 'middleman' in this case.

DevilsAdvocate1

grumbler wrote: »

Just to clarify: Orange are not a 'middleman' in this case.

But Orange will do their best not to get involved unless you pay them more money. My HTC broke a few weeks ago (it turned out to be the SIM card at fault). I was on the phone to an Orange technical support person for nearly 2 hours. He gleefully told me that they only offer 6 months warrenty unless you take out insurance. As I hadn't they would charge me somewhere between £65 and £100 to get a new handset. He told me that if my TV stopped working I would not go to Sky to get it fixed, so why should Orange sort my phone? I tried to explain that if my TV broke I would take it back to the shop I bought it from, but he just repeated his analogy more loudly and didn't listen.

Luckily, the Orange salesman in the store (I was on the phone to the technical person from one of the shops) thought it was the SIM card and this was replaced free of charge. It has fixed the problem.

HTH.

Rusty!

grumbler wrote: »

Just to clarify: Orange are not a 'middleman' in this case.

Yes they are, all they would do is take your phone and forward it onto HTC's repair centre in Milton Keynes.

visidigi

Rusty! wrote: »

My experience with HTC support is pretty good, deal with them direct, cut out any middleman like your carrier & P4U.

You experience doesn't match mine and the story on Watchdog earlier this year...

Rusty! wrote: »

Yes they are, all they would do is take your phone and forward it onto HTC's repair centre in Milton Keynes.

Are you 100% on that? I sent my phone to HTC when it had a reboot problem and they were AWFUL - 5 WEEKS and the phone came back more broken than when it went in...

When my Desire S (which o2 sent me as a free replacement for the HTC desire that HTC destroyed) I decided to take it to o2 instead, they used their own repair center, I had a new handset in my hand within 5 DAYS.

The network is now far more likely to replace the handset - HTC have ceased doing swap outs - they now repair as far as possible, no matter what the cost according to the last conversation I had with HTC care directly...

Rusty!

My Nexus One went back to them due to an ill fitting antenna cover.

They collected the phone on the Monday, and it was back in my hand on the Friday, all sorted.

bethie

oh dear, now I am a bit more confused!!!


I've just spoken to HTC and they said to send my phone to them, and if they can confirm there is no water damage or screen cracks (which neither has happened) they will fix it and then send it back to me in 7 days. They are due to pick it up tomorrow...


Another question for you phone geniuses --- I manged to put my SIM card into an old orange PAYG and when I ring my number that phone now rings. Does this mean I can now use the old PAYG phone as my 'normal' phone until my HTC comes back and that the PAYG now will be using my monthly minutes and I won't have to top it up?

cgk1

A phone is just a phone - it's the sim card which is either contract or PAYG - when you put a contract sim in a phone it uses your contract, when you use a PAYG sim, it will use your top-up.

grumbler

bethie wrote: »

I purchased it, and the contract from Phones4U, and am with Orange.

grumbler wrote: »

Just to clarify: Orange are not a 'middleman' in this case.

Rusty! wrote: »

Yes they are, all they would do is take your phone and forward it onto HTC's repair centre in Milton Keynes.

The middleman (retailer) is P4U, not Orange.

Unless Orange are an authorised repair company (I don't know), formally they have nothing to do with this phone.