Carphone Warehouse - fault on Galaxy S3- replacement refused?

jasmine665

Hello there, has anyone had issues with Carphone warehouse? As I bought a sim free brand new samsung galaxy s3 less than 6 months ago from the store in coventry and the past few weeks it won't hold any charge. I really look after my phones, always in a case etc. have returned to store but say it needs to be sent away, maybe for a few weeks! I have no land line and selling my house! As I have all packaging and proof of purchase, am I entitled to a new replacement? Cost £300 six months ago, expect phone to last longer than that! Please can anyone advise of my rights with these people? Many thanks!

gjchester

jasmine665 wrote: »

As I have all packaging and proof of purchase, am I entitled to a new replacement? Cost £300 six months ago, expect phone to last longer than that! Please can anyone advise of my rights with these people? Many thanks!

No the law permits the retailer to choose to give you a repair or replacement, but its their choice not yours. CPW are not unwilling to try a repair so you need to at least let them try.


Remember also if they choose to replace it, the unit can be with one of a similar state to yours, i.e. a 6 month old unit, not a new one, with the proviso its in a similar condition to yours.


If you don't have a spare phone (and many people will) You could ask CPW to supply a loan, or re-imburse you for a cheap phone. The fact your moving house is just an quirk of timing.

jasmine665

Many thanks for your prompt reply, I just find it hard to swallow in this day and age, if I purchase something for £300 and a fault occurs within 6 months, I receive awful customer service from Carphone warehouse and not a replacement!

nidO

I don't get the problem.
You bought a thing, the thing's faulty, the people you bought it from are offering to repair it for you so that the thing is no longer faulty. Repairs aren't magic, they have to send it to someone able to repair it for it to be repaired, and that takes time.
I assume you are fully aware that they will give you a loaner phone to use in the interim, its hardly as though you're going to have no phone to use while yours is away.

mobilejunkie

The real problem is not a replacement phone (you can't expect a new one); it's that CPW repairs often leave the phone in a worse state than when it started and IF they lend you one it's usually rubbish. Ther policy used to be that you have to waste THREE repair attempts before they will replace the phone.

grumbler

jasmine665 wrote: »

...I have no land line and selling my house! ...

I think everyone with a delicate smartphone has to have a spare phone nowadays.
The cheapest one costs just 49p at CPW on PAYG upgrade (with extra quidco/TCB cashback).

Bingolingo

jasmine665 wrote: »

Many thanks for your prompt reply, I just find it hard to swallow in this day and age, if I purchase something for £300 and a fault occurs within 6 months, I receive awful customer service from Carphone warehouse and not a replacement!

As a rule of thumb, the more expensive and complex a product is, the greater the chance of the retailer attempting a repair over giving a replacement.

I can see why you're frustrated but you're being treated like everyone else and in accordance with your legal rights.

albionrovers

+1 spare phone, always. I have about 3 from various old contracts.

Hooloovoo

Given that when you get a replacement it's never a new device but a previously-repaired one, personally I think replacement should be the default response these days.

The standard course of action should be to send me a repaired device, and then take mine back and repair it at their leisure before sending it to someone else as a repaired device.

None of this taking mine away for weeks at a time only to return it scuffed and scratched anyway. That's just not acceptable.

It should be same day swap-out. They deliver the replacement, and take mine away at the same time. That's the only service I consider acceptable these days.

grumbler

Hooloovoo wrote: »

Given that when you get a replacement it's never a new device but a previously-repaired one, personally I think replacement should be the default response these days.

You are dreaming. Only Apple can do this because of the small variety of the phones they sell.

Also, to do this a company, like Apple, has to replace the casing and, possibly, the glass screen for almost every phone they repair.

reehsetin

Try a not going through CPW but Samsung instead, they have authorised repair centres that will repair on site, the lead times are much shorter, within a day or a couple of days. Should still be able to get a free repair under warranty but not sure of the exact process (mine was a paid for repair).

Samsung service locations