Carphone Warehouse - Nokia Lumia problem

Kriminal

Hi all,

I bought a Nokia Lumia 820, on contract with O2, from Carphone Warehouse back on the 8th December last year.

Initially, the phone was brilliant - build quality is solid, phone worked smooth and quickly, and easy to understand.

The problem kind of started in the 3rd week of purchase - the phone froze one morning, for a very brief period, and then rebooted. All the apps, numbers, photos, etc. were still there, so I just presumed it was a 'hiccup', and didn't take it any further.

However! I started having more problems a couple of weeks later :

- it is now constantly freezing up. I have had to do around 13 reboots already last week alone.
- it has duplicated my music, from what was 227 songs, to just over 2,500 tracks
- the phone requires Wifi for it to operate fully : which is something not explained upon purchase, and for me this is a problem as I don't have Wifi, and it uses this system for downloading purchases
- the phone also needs you to have a more up-to-date computer package (I have Windows XP), to be able to use all the accessories properly. I have ran a check on my computer, and it comes back telling me my computer would NOT be compatible with Windows 8, as an upgrade.

Having checked on various websites such as Nokia.com, WPCentral, Windows Phone Forum (Microsoft), this seems to be an ongoing problem with these phones.

My feelings are that it is simply a product that should never have been released until Nokia and Microsoft had completed all checks possible, to ensure this product would be use-able.

So I walked back in to Carphone Warehouse Yesterday, to see if there would be any possibility in me changing the phone for something different, as this phone is definitely something I would not be able to use to it's FULL capacity, especially when it's freezing so often, over the next two years! Considering I still have the receipts, and all the packaging supplied on my purchase from the shop, I didn't think it would be much of a problem.

How wrong was I? Well, it was like talking to a bunch of automated responses, telling me that as the phone was now over 28 days old, I would not be eligible for any refund or exchange, but they were willing to send it of for repair...

...my argument was for one, this product is just under 7 weeks old and should NOT have to be repaired, and two, even if it DID get repaired, I could still NOT use it to it's full capacity; and the requirements for this phone should have been explained to me upon my purchasing of the item.

Anyway, after banging my head against a brick wall with their 'Customer Care', I had to walk away.

Is there ANY way that my case would be supported, or do I just have to accept that as I didn't return the product within the 28 days, that it's MY problem?

Thanks in advance.

grumbler

Kriminal wrote: »

How wrong was I?

Completely.

Well, it was like talking to a bunch of automated responses, telling me that as the phone was now over 28 days old, I would not be eligible for any refund or exchange, but they were willing to send it of for repair...

This is what they are obliged to do under the SOGA.

...my argument was for one, this product is just under 7 weeks old and should NOT have to be repaired, and two, even if it DID get repaired, I could still NOT use it to it's full capacity; and the requirements for this phone should have been explained to me upon my purchasing of the item.

Anyway, after banging my head against a brick wall with their 'Customer Care', I had to walk away.

Is there ANY way that my case would be supported, or do I just have to accept that as I didn't return the product within the 28 days, that it's MY problem?

In fact even 28 days are in place only because of their generous policy. The law says nothing about returning in-store purchases.

Also, I am no expert in Windows phones, but I think you are wrong about WiFi that they apparently cannot work without.

Bingolingo

I think the wifi requirement is for the downloading of apps of a certain size and above. This is a common feature across smartphone platforms to prevent situations where people run up huge data bills downloading apps.

If you want to download big apps and games then you will have to use wifi - regardless of phone type e.g. Apple

Kriminal

Thanks for the quick replies.

So in a nutshell I'm pretty stuffed, and have to put up with what I have. FYI, I've sent an email to Nokia to make them aware of the problems that are arising with the freezing of their phones, as this is a common problem, so it seems.

Bingolingo : you are completing correct with the reference to the capacity of the app you are trying to download being the factor, but what I can't understand is that I never had this problem with the iPhone.....maybe I was lucky? The problem I have with this is that I'm now concerned about what I try to download, as I don't want to pay for something that I can't have, if you see what I mean.

chanz4

I have this phone, dont get freezes maybe something wrong with your software

new_owner

Your only choice is to let them try and repair.

Read the sales of good act so you know what to do if it comes back with the same fault. They have a reasonable period of time to do this (repair).

Have you tried a full factory reset?

Guys_Dad

Kriminal wrote: »

Thanks for the quick replies.

The problem I have with this is that I'm now concerned about what I try to download, as I don't want to pay for something that I can't have, if you see what I mean.

No one does. The point is that you have to give the seller the chance to repair or replace the handset. It may be that, after 4 or 5 goes, they allow a change, but don't count on it.

Next time - and it should have been this time - do your internet research before buying a particular handset. Remember, you made the conscious decision to (a) go for a Windows handset and (b) pick the Nokia 820. It's not as if you said "I want a contract with x minutes, y texts and zMb data" and CPW foisted an 820 on you with no choice. And, unlike USA, we don't have a lemon law.

The legal framework around handset fault rectification is far from perfect and I am with you on that. But you need to know where you stand, and Grumbler is right. I wish you well with a decent rectification.

grumbler

I think with a wireless card it's possible to make your PC working as a WiFi hotspot.

Kriminal

new_owner wrote: »

Your only choice is to let them try and repair.

Read the sales of good act so you know what to do if it comes back with the same fault. They have a reasonable period of time to do this (repair).

Have you tried a full factory reset?

I have done a full factory reset this afternoon, so am hoping that I don't see any further issues. If I do though, I think it will be a matter of following your other suggestion and returning it to them for repair - as far as I'm aware, they try to repair it themselves (within 14 days), and if they can't, it'll be sent off to Nokia for however long.

It just feels frustrating to me that having bought something so new, I'm getting these problems already. My guess is that (looking at the Windows Forums) it's the software that's the problem.

chanz4 : I'm glad to hear you're not getting the same problems, as it really is a pain in the butt. It froze on me a total of 13 times last week, requiring me to do Reboots each time. If anything, I'm becoming a bit of an expert in how to reset your phone!... :rotfl:

Kriminal

grumbler wrote: »

I think with a wireless card it's possible to make your PC working as a WiFi hotspot.

Erm....okay, here comes dumb time.....what's a wireless card?

Soot2006

Mine froze as well after 5 months - Carphone Warehouse sent it off and it was repaired or whatever. Definitely not replaced as same phone came back and it has been fine ever since (this was last summer). So that's good. It's an OK phone, not as good as my OH's Galaxy III which is also on a cheaper contract. Gutted!