o2 wont repair phone - lying about fault !!!

bikebarbie

Hi

please help!

I sent my son mobile phone back to o2 on the 9th of December as the phone SIM reader stopped working (same icon on screen exclamation mark on the sim icon).

The phone was returned to mewith a repair note saying that the engineer found a fault with the Sim reader and this was replaced. However when we got home and inserted the SIM card it was still not working (same icon on screen exclamation mark on the sim icon).

Now my son uses the phone only for school so we were not in a rush to return it during the Christmas holidays. It was returned again on the 09th of January (the day before the phone went out of warranty as it was purchased on the 10/01/2012)

I went to pick it up today and the phone had the same fault only this time the repair note states:

Our engineer has found that it's got a problem that your warranty doesnt cover. As a result is going to be cheaper to replace the phone than fix it
We are sending the phone back to you. It may still work, but the damage could cause problems later.

The o2 selfserve repair website put a pic saying that there is physical damage - Excessive force applied to the unit causing surface component to become damaged or detached from the internal main board

* The shop manager said that I have to prove that I did not damage it.

* The shop manager was not willing to show me the surfaced component that had become damaged or detached > from internal mainboard???

* He wouldnt even give me an history of the phone repair to support my complaint (as I cant find the original repair letter!! but they do nt deny fixing it). They say that in the time between it being picked up and it being bought back in the shop I damaged it.

Im know that the phone was never fixed and we didnt use it /break it.

The phone does not have any surface aesthetic blemishes so cannot see how we could have caused that kind of damage - internally.
How do I go about this? Should I pursue a complaint or am I realistically wasting my time?

Thanks

bikebarbie

I cant even depict from the picture above if that's my phone!

grumbler

bikebarbie wrote: »

* The shop manager said that I have to prove that I did not damage it.

He is right if the phone was more than 6 months old when you sent it to them.

* The shop manager was not willing to show me the surfaced component that had become damaged or detached > from internal mainboard???

It is understandable, but the photo they gave you definitely must be more clear and better commented.


That said, it's a mystery how your son can use the phone without a sim card as you say that the sim card reader (slot?) is faulty.

bikebarbie

grumbler wrote: »

He is right if the phone was more than 6 months old when you sent it to them.

It is understandable, but the photo they gave you definitely must be more clear and better commented.


That said, it's a mystery how your son can use the phone without a sim card as you say that the sim card reader (slot?) is faulty.

Thanks for your reply i didnt know about the six months rule.

My son has not used the phone at all since the circle started. I obviously think that they are being unfair but at the same time if everyone disagrees with me then i will have to accept that

Yes the sim icon has an exclamation mark nexf to it. I cant see how that reflects a damaged main board.

grumbler

MSE article: Consumer Rights Armour

Your options:

• Get an independent report that the phone wasn't damaged and it is a manufacturing fault. Then sue O2.
• Contact Samsung directly under their manufacturer's warranty (2 years). However, if it's really damaged, Samsung are likely either to refuse repairing it or to ask you to pay.

chanz4

wont the repair agent of already logged it on samsungs repair logs.

bikebarbie

grumbler wrote: »

MSE article: Consumer Rights Armour

Your options:

• Get an independent report that the phone wasn't damaged and it is a manufacturing fault. Then sue O2.
• Contact Samsung directly under their manufacturer's warranty (2 years). However, if it's really damaged, Samsung are likely either to refuse repairing it or to ask you to pay.

Good idea re getting an independent report

The phone is not 'really damaged' as they describe it. They state that is surface damage but it's clear to see that there is no surface damage.

My only fault which angers me the most is that if I had checked it in store when I picked it up they would have not pulled this one ove me! They might even have damaged it when they had it the first time :mad:

grumbler

You can just have it repaired by a some independent party. If they confirm that it was a manufacturing fault, not a damage, get it in writing.
Then send O2 a Letter Before Action demanding a full refund of all costs plus some compensation.
If they refuse, submit a claim to the online small claims court.

However, it might be easier to try the manufacturer's warranty route first.

Rusty!

bikebarbie wrote: »

The phone is not 'really damaged' as they describe it. They state that is surface damage but it's clear to see that there is no surface damage.

Surface damage doesn't not refer to the phones external parts, it means a surface mount component, something you will not be able to see without taking the phone apart (which is why you do not recognise the part that the photo is of).

superbigal36

The photo is awful so I will ignore. Lets assume they are talking about the sim connection.
The Sim Card connector itself will be surface mount (stuck on the board by a machine with solder) and could have poor joints (Where it is soldered to the appropriate pads on the board). If the area in question is not subject to any physical force, Ie the Sim card is not continually going in and out, then the solder joints should not have failed. The specification of a sim card connector should allow 1000s of uses anyway.
If it is a push/push style mechanism to get the sim card in and out, then pulling it when you are supposed to push could cause the damage. Even then many connectors have built in safety features to stop this happening.
To bore the pants of you see the data sheet attached for an SD Card version that is used in products my company manufacture.
http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/483264.pdf