Forcing a Handset Manufacturer to abide by Warranty

Dragonfly1

OnePlus One are being very evasive with a fault on my handset. It was bought on PayPal just over 6 months ago, not using a credit card.

I've gone through their support chat and they now say I need a remote session with them - which I have to book at a website. However, all the slots are fully booked and you can only book 7 days in advance. I have found complaints elsewhere with people experiencing the same issue.

The website states new slots become available at midnight EST - this is 5am in the morning UK time. When I wake up at 7am UK time, all the slots are booked and I still can't book a remote session, which would be in a weeks time anyway.

This phone has a 1 year warranty and was bought direct from OnePlus One.

I have suggested:
a) They book the session for me and email me a time and a date and I'll confirm this
Or
b) I'll return the phone to them for a replacement

I don't mind which they pick at all, but they seem determined that I just have to keep looking for a remote session slot instead. So we are going round in circles.

So my bank won't be able to help due to PayPal/Not a credit card - but IF they still refuse to budge, can I threaten small claims action on the basis that they sold me a warranty that is - reasonably - not able to be used. I wouldn't want to go down that route, but I'm currently banging my head against a brick wall.

Thanks guys

P.S. If this is the wrong place, please move!

P.S.S I should add I have mentioned in my correspondence to them that the problem has been occurring for about 1 month (I've been at uni very busy, home for Christmas), taking it below the 6 month window for who has to prove the fault is whose. But perhaps as I only raised the fault with them 6 months & 6 days after purchase, they might win that on a technicality.

Tony5101

Dragonfly1 wrote: »

The website states new slots become available at midnight EST - this is 5am in the morning UK time. When I wake up at 7am UK time, all the slots are booked and I still can't book a remote session, which would be in a weeks time anyway.

Why don't you set your alarm and get up earlier, and see if a slot is available?

matelodave

Tony5101 wrote: »

Why don't you set your alarm and get up earlier, and see if a slot is available?

Seems like the obvious answer to me

JJ_Egan

Is the vendor a UK company ??

chanz4

don't students role in at 5am?

d123

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Is the vendor a UK company ??

No, one of the perils that many who promote buying a onePlus phone forget to mention, they are a Chinese retailer, and unless things have changed recently sending the phone back for warranty involves it being posted to China.

Shenzhen OnePlus Science & Technology Co., Ltd.,
18F Tairan Building, Block C, Tairan 8th Road, Chegongmiao, Futian District
Shenzhen, Guangdong 518040 China

It's probably why their business hours aren't all that sociable.

JJ_Egan

Thanks Dave i thought it was non UK and SOGA etc does not apply .

Dragonfly1

Thanks Dave & Egan for your mature responses

Another helpful person on the OPO forums has the same problem and provided me with an app that runs code automatically when disconnecting from WiFi to eliminate this problem. So not ideal, but it's much more manageable!

Note to self - buy on credit card next time

d123

Dragonfly1 wrote: »

Note to self - buy on credit card next time

They only accept PayPal payments, so you might not find any extra protection offered, unfortunately.

You would think OnePlus had thought out their business model really well to avoid having to worry to much about being forced to offer decent after sales service .