3 faulty contract phones from Carphone Warehouse - can I do anything?

jesyfm

Hello!

My dad took out a contract phone for me in August 2012, a HTC Desire C, with Talkmobile but this is Carphone Warehouse's mobile network I think? Anyway, the phone was £14.99 a month and had a good amount of minutes etc - bargain!
In September 2012 Carphone Warehouse had taken out £70 from my Dad's account! :eek: Checking out the balance online, I found out I'd used 3GB of internet, my contract was only 500mb. There was absolutely no way I had used this much as I rarely used data on my phone, and WiFi when I could. We took the phone in, and they sent it off to repair and investigate. When I got it back, they said it was fixed and refunded my Dad. This happened every 2-3 months, with me taking it into the store in Liverpool, sometimes if I was home my Dad would travel from Colchester to Huntingdon to get it sorted, as Carphone didn't like talking to me because I am not the account holder (even though I have permission to talk to them, and have a password). Because the fault never appeared within a month they refused to exchange the phone, only repair. Eventually, after my Dad contacted the CEO, they said I could have a replacement - this happened to be the month that the phone had the fault appear within the month. This was November 2013. They also admitted they found the fault the first time it was sent, and that they knew it was unrepairable!!!

I was told I could have a Samsung Galaxy Ace, no alternative. I was told this would be the equivalent. When I received it, it was an old version of Android - 2.something whereas my HTC was 4.something. More importantly, it kept turning itself off, losing signal and redialling numbers! I went back to Carphone in December 2013 and they said they'd replace it. I received my replacement today. And, lo and behold - I can't use the Internet unless I'm connected to WiFi!

I'm so annoyed at Carphone Warehouse and I'm wondering how I can receive 3 faulty phones! The Samsung Galaxys' were refurbished phones (not new), but as my HTC was ''fixed'' I am wondering if their repair service isn't reliable. The CEO's secretary is ringing me tomorrow to make sure I have my phone and it's okay, so I will tell her the problems I have - but I am so sick of the hassle it causes. I've been in store approximately 8 times to complain about faults, and it has been costing my Dad a fortune in phonecalls to Talkmobile and Carphone Warehouse with no results - phonecalls to them are free for me, but they refuse to talk to me despite having permission. I'm so grateful to my Dad for taking out a contract for me but the hassle it is causing him - and the cost - is ridiculous!
I know that the secretary will tell me to take the phone back - again - but can I do anything else? My contract ends in August but would we be allowed to break the contract? Or, preferably, have a new phone that hasn't had a repair attempted on it?

I hope I've provided enough information, the post seems long enough! Any advice would be much appreciated.

vuvuzela

jesyfm wrote: »

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lo and behold - I can't use the Internet unless I'm connected to WiFi!
</snipped>

Try entering the APN details :
http://www.talkmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/get-your-settings#get-your-settings-tab-android_other-tabid

In my experience TalkMobile is pretty dismal - my OH regularly has periods of no Internet service with them and is waiting to port over in a few months when the minimum term has ended.

jesyfm

Thank you, that's what my housemate's boyfriend suggested - there are two APNs already on it but I can't add more. The APNs are Asda and Talkmobile PAYG... very strange. I can't wait to switch either!

WTFH

Is it possible that you had automatic updates switched on for the first phone, or that you had apps installed on it which were constantly polling (Facebook, etc)

jesyfm

WTFH wrote: »

Is it possible that you had automatic updates switched on for the first phone, or that you had apps installed on it which were constantly polling (Facebook, etc)

That's what I thought - but I'd disabled background data and I turned off notifications etc. It turned out to be the Android system itself that was constantly updating and there was nothing I could do about it.

I've just spoken to Carphone Warehouse and they're allowing me to choose a new phone to the value of my contract phone! Quite impressed