Thinking of buying a phone from giffgaff be aware...

joeluken

I've noticed an increasing number of posts on the giffgaff community from people who have purchased a phone from giffgaff and need after sales support.

Here's a recent example and may be worth thinking about if you expect good after sales support and plan to but though giffgaff -

https://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Contribute/So-disappointed-with-giffgaff/td-p/16864765

d123

I bought an iPhone 6 from them for a family member recently, if it was to go wrong I would be going straight to Apple, not back to Giffgaff.

Edit to add

Ive just read through your link, and it is not a normal case, both Samsung and Giffgaff refused to repair because the phone had been rooted, it's a bit silly to send a rooted phone in for repair, any manufacturer is going to refuse warranty service in that instance.

joeluken

d123 wrote: »

Ive just read through your link, and it is not a normal case, both Samsung and Giffgaff refused to repair because the phone had been rooted, it's a bit silly to send a rooted phone in for repair, any manufacturer is going to refuse warranty service in that instance.

"I haven't loaded any software on to my phone. I use it simply with apps, texts, calling and streaming to my tv through chromecast when I'm at home. All usual things you can do with a Samsung handset."

The user claims to have done nothing re the software and if he had why wasn't this picked up when the phone was returned the first two times ? Giffgaff had the phone twice for repair but didn't find a fault or reject it because of software.

"I sent the handset to Samsung. They identified the fault with the handset but contacted me to state that the repair needed to be carried out by the retailed. So, they sent the handset back to me unfixed. "

It appears giffgaff claims a software issue when the phone was returned for a third time after it had been with Samsung for diagnosis.

So to me that reads prior to going to Samsung giffgaff didn't diagnose any issue with the software but after being sent to Samsung and then back to giffgaff it did.

Giffgaff also don't rule out the software wasn't installed by Samsung -

"They clearly state in their findings that there has been unauthorised re-work done to the software as it was re-rooted by a third party. Whether this was done by Samsung or someone else, it is impossible for us to tell. "

joeluken

d123 wrote: »

I bought an iPhone 6 from them for a family member recently, if it was to go wrong I would be going straight to Apple, not back to Giffgaff.

Apple service is pretty different to most phone manufacturers with regard to warranty service.

That said the manufacturers warranty doesn't supersede the contract with the supplier. The danger for the consumer as in this case is that when two parties seek to solve the problem neither takes responsibility if the other performs some action the other doesn't like. Hence I would only ever return a phone back to the place I purchased it from and let them send it to the manufacturer.

It's not uncommon for phone supplier to simply try to deflect any type of issue to the manufacturer to avoid cost but often the loser is the consumer. Legally it is the supplier of the goods responsibility.

d123

joeluken wrote: »

The user claims to have done nothing re the software and if he had why wasn't this picked up when the phone was returned the first two times ? Giffgaff had the phone twice for repair but didn't find a fault or reject it because of software.

"I sent the handset to Samsung. They identified the fault with the handset but contacted me to state that the repair needed to be carried out by the retailed. So, they sent the handset back to me unfixed. "

It appears giffgaff claims a software issue when the phone was returned for a third time after it had been with Samsung for diagnosis.

So to me that reads prior to going to Samsung giffgaff didn't diagnose any issue with the software but after being sent to Samsung and then back to giffgaff it did.

Giffgaff also don't rule out the software wasn't installed by Samsung -

"They clearly state in their findings that there has been unauthorised re-work done to the software as it was re-rooted by a third party. Whether this was done by Samsung or someone else, it is impossible for us to tell. "

LOL

Yes, a technician at Samsung decided to root the phone :rotfl:

It's far more likely that the OP in the link or someone they knew rooted the phone and they forgot it had been done, it's beyond believable that Samsung would be rooting handsets sent in for repair.

That OP also claimed that the phone wasn't actually worked on when it was sent in the first time.

I also struggle to believe that Samsung would return a phone (sent in for warranty repair) unrepaired saying the retailer has to repair the fault.

That's just beyond believable. It's more likely Samsung picked up on the rooting and so sent it back unrepaired and referred that OP back to the retailer because it wasn't under warranty and that OP is being slightly economical with the truth for the reason it was returned.

If it doesn't make sense it's invariably not completely true.

d123

joeluken wrote: »

Apple service is pretty different to most phone manufacturers with regard to warranty service.

That said the manufacturers warranty doesn't supersede the contract with the supplier. The danger for the consumer as in this case is that when two parties seek to solve the problem neither takes responsibility if the other performs some action the other doesn't like. Hence I would only ever return a phone back to the place I purchased it from and let them send it to the manufacturer.

It's not uncommon for phone supplier to simply try to deflect any type of issue to the manufacturer to avoid cost but often the loser is the consumer. Legally it is the supplier of the goods responsibility.

All immaterial if the warranty has been voided.

JJ_Egan

Samsung are very clear rooting / custom roms etc voids warranty . Techs even start the work sheet by looking for signs of rooting etc .

joeluken

d123 wrote: »

If it doesn't make sense it's invariably not completely true.

That's a very cynical view.

I know giffgaff often makes claims as facts such as with regard to people tethering when it is not a fact and incorrect in many cases.

It appears to adopt a guilty until you can prove innocence approach which appear to rub off on it's community members.

indesisiv

Samsung have always been picky with rooting phones.
But I suspect that there is a certain economicalness with the truth within this story.

d123

joeluken wrote: »

That's a very cynical view.

I know giffgaff often makes claims as facts such as with regard to people tethering when it is not a fact and incorrect in many cases.

It appears to adopt a guilty until you can prove innocence approach which appear to rub off on it's community members.

It's not at all cynical, it's common sense, if something doesn't make sense it's generally not true, if it sounds ridiculous it generally is ridiculous.

You do seem to have issues with Giffgaff (sometimes rightly so) but this time this story just seems far fetched and it seems more likely that the OP in your link has not told the whole story nor admitted to everything they did.

StuC75

Apple would only deal with certain aspects of the warranty, they now give those unfortunates a leaflet that advises how now apple purchased phones have to be handled by the network it was purchased from if it falls within the extended consumer rights..

They are limited in what they will do with non apple purchased phones.

Unlike my recent dealing with my apple bought iphone 6, where they replaced the screen as first solution, then just replaced with a new phone when the problem came back..

d123 wrote: »

I bought an iPhone 6 from them for a family member recently, if it was to go wrong I would be going straight to Apple, not back to Giffgaff.

Edit to add

Ive just read through your link, and it is not a normal case, both Samsung and Giffgaff refused to repair because the phone had been rooted, it's a bit silly to send a rooted phone in for repair, any manufacturer is going to refuse warranty service in that instance.