HTC trying to fob me off with a replacement Desire made from spare parts.

[Mockenrue]

My seven month old Desire recently went back to HTC for repair after becoming victim to the dreaded overheating/boot-looping late last year. It had deteriorated to the point where it was virtually unusable, so having given up hope of any sort of OTA software fix off it went.

HTC turned it around in less than a week, and to my delight the phone was quickly on its way back to me - presumably with a replacement motherboard. That is until the consignment went missing whilst in the 'care' of UPS, who after a couple of days more or less admitted that it was lost and unlikely ever to be found. A 'tracer request' was issued - a rather futile formality it would seem as it achieved naff all. After the seven working days it took for that to complete were up, claim paperwork was issued to HTC who duly started the replacement process last week.

The problems began when after repeated efforts to get a straight answer out of HTC - whose 'care team' operatives never return calls as promised - I still had no idea how long I should expect to wait for a replacement. A fourth call to them (which lasted over half an hour) finally yielded some answers, although the guy I spoke to clearly wasn't very well informed as I was put on hold twice for over five minutes while he went off to find answers to my really quite simple questions.

In short, once a claim is issued a replacement is normally sent out within five working days. So far so good I thought, reasonable enough I guess (having already waited weeks anyway). But then he said "The problem is our repair centre is waiting on parts. There's a shortage caused by the Chinese New Year." WTF?! So I asked what the repair centre has to do with my being sent a new phone. Apparently, they're building me one from scratch using new parts (yep, the parts that are in short supply). You can imagine my reaction. I asked why on Earth I wasn't just being sent a new one from stock

 

[ulstersoldier]

i would remove ticket number etc before someone replies pretending to be you.

 

[Rastaman-FB]

My seven month old Desire recently went back to HTC for repair after becoming victim to the dreaded overheating/boot-looping late last year. It had deteriorated to the point where it was virtually unusable, so having given up hope of any sort of OTA software fix off it went.

HTC turned it around in less than a week, and to my delight the phone was quickly on its way back to me - presumably with a replacement motherboard. That is until the consignment went missing whilst in the 'care' of UPS, who after a couple of days more or less admitted that it was lost and unlikely ever to be found. A 'tracer request' was issued - a rather futile formality it would seem as it achieved naff all. After the seven working days it took for that to complete were up, claim paperwork was issued to HTC who duly started the replacement process last week.

The problems began when after repeated efforts to get a straight answer out of HTC - whose 'care team' operatives never return calls as promised - I still had no idea how long I should expect to wait for a replacement. A fourth call to them (which lasted over half an hour) finally yielded some answers, although the guy I spoke to clearly wasn't very well informed as I was put on hold twice for over five minutes while he went off to find answers to my really quite simple questions.

In short, once a claim is issued a replacement is normally sent out within five working days. So far so good I thought, reasonable enough I guess (having already waited weeks anyway). But then he said "The problem is our repair centre is waiting on parts. There's a shortage caused by the Chinese New Year." WTF?! So I asked what the repair centre has to do with my being sent a new phone. Apparently, they're building me one from scratch using new parts (yep, the parts that are in short supply). You can imagine my reaction. I asked why on Earth I wasn't just being sent a new one from stock – you know, the stock from which thousands of phones are shipped out daily to shops like the ones I can walk in to literally five minutes from my desk and buy a Desire there and then. He couldn't answer me, and just said "Well, I don't know exactly how the replacement process works." When I politely asked to be put through to someone who does, he said that no one was available but assured me that someone from their lead care team would be in touch within five working days. Yeah, right. At this point I gave up in exasperation.

The following morning, I got this e-mail from them:

Dear Mockenrue,

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I have contacted our Lead Care Manager in regards to this issue. As an apology for the delay in replacing your device we can send a bluetooth headset as a gesture of goodwill. Please let me know if you would accept this so that I can arrange for it to be sent to you.

In regards to your device UPS confirmed the claim 2 days ago and we have started the process of replacing your Desire, unfortunately there is a part shortage at our repair centre which is delaying the replacement process by approximately 5 working days, this is due to the fact we have to get the parts shipped from Taiwan. Your replacement device is currently being built at our repair centre from new parts and will be issued as soon as possible.

I will contact you again Friday11th Feburary regarding any process relating to your case. We do apologise once again for the problems you have been experiening and HTC are doing everything within our power to ensure that your device is back with you as soon as possible.

Many thanks

To send a reply to this message or let me know I have successfully answered your question log in to our ContactUs site using your email address and your ticket number

Sincerely,

Clare

HTC


Bluetooth headset?! Hmmm, lovely. I'm now in the process of composing a reply emphatically stating that under no circumstances will I accept anything less than a brand new, factory sealed Desire. Why on Earth should I expect anything less - am I being unreasonable?


Opinions welcome from all of you out there.

well actually you have no choice, the device they sent back to you before that got lost in the post was not new.
its standard practice to send out reconditioned units on all phones from every manufacturer. HTC didnt even have to tell you this as i do believe its written somewhere in the warranty.

you should be more concerned about the device arriving to you in perfect condition, what does it matter if its built from new parts if it arrives to you "as new" performs "as new" and lasts as long as the warranty on it?

 

[Evil Genius]

can't see the problem really.

a hand built HTC Desire carefully assembled from NEW parts by an HTC qualified service centre?

yes please!

 

[nickkr]

Whatever the terms and conditions, surely the point here is that HTC have a claim against UPS for the replacement cost of a Desire. A reconditioned unit to replace a

 

[Mockenrue]

Nothing about reconditioned units mentioned in the 'Terms & Condistions' rolleyes here:

HTC repair terms and conditions

 

[czechplastik]

I think you're being unreasonable. Things have got a bit complicated but they're building you a phone from 'new' parts and throwing in a bluetooth headset, can't ask for much more than that.

Thought the email was positive and informative.

 

[nickkr]

can't see the problem really.

a hand built HTC Desire carefully assembled from NEW parts by an HTC qualified service centre?

yes please!

There will be 2 small screws and an oddly shaped bit of plastic left over ......... I just know it

 

[deanshep85]

Just a warning Mockenrue your ticket number is still oddly showing..

There will be 2 small screws and an oddly shaped bit of plastic left over ......... I just know it

haha yea.....can just imagine a lil HTC engineer "hmmm whats this bit of plastic....oh sh*t its the lil plastic lens cover!...ah.... its useless anyway.....he'll never notice"

 

[reech]

I think you're being unreasonable. Things have got a bit complicated but they're building you a phone from 'new' parts and throwing in a bluetooth headset, can't ask for much more than that.

Thought the email was positive and informative.

I think they're fobbing the OP off. I mean come on; in this day and age when these phones are churned out *by the bucketload* made by machines with minimal human intervention, they're specifically building him *one* unit by hand?

Hope you do get the phone back soon

 

[Mockenrue]

Just a warning Mockenrue your ticket number is still oddly showing..

Thanks, but I can't see it anywhere. I edited out the last six digits and replaced them with 'x' - are you saying you can still see them?

I suspect it's useless without your e-mail address anyway; the web page it's linked to requires you to enter that too, and if you call them up you're asked for your mobile no. as security.

I think what's irked me most about all of this is the fact that getting anything other than vacuous apologies, non-committal answers and false promises of return calls from HTC was like pulling teeth. Their laid-back and seemingly indifferent attitude to customer service has been the 'straw that broke the camel's back' after the frustration of the phone rebooting itself for weeks on end, and its subsequent theft (in all probability) in transit after its repair. The company I work for sends replacement goods immediately if something goes missing en route, and then claims from the carrier afterwards.

Instead of making me wait yet another week because they've run out of parts, why can't this company who've just announced a profit increase of 160% simply send me a new replacement from stock? Am I expected to believe that there's no stock of Desire devices at HTC UK? What are they saving by building me one from scratch? If they can't even maintain an adequate inventory of spares, I have to question their overall competence and therefore the quality of the end 'product'.

 

[deanshep85]

Thanks, but I can't see it anywhere. I edited out the last six digits and replaced them with 'x' - are you saying you can still see them?

I suspect it's useless without your e-mail address anyway; the web page it's linked to requires you to enter that too, and if you call them up you're asked for your mobile no. as security.

my bad...just your edited note said removed...and those who quoted from you HAD no ticket number..edited or not.....my baaaaad lol

 

[chris 290]

I agree with op, customer service should just replace from stock. In this circumstance the customer has waited patiently for repair and to keep him happy should replace phone immediately.

Feel for your troubles, hope you get a phone soon

 

[deanshep85]

well while I agree that its pointless be getting a 'handbuilt' from scratch one as its just a waste...at the end of the day, he still is due a refurbished handset...NOT a new one...ONLY a new one if there is no other alternate..and I do find that a lil hard that there are NO refurb models..

hell people are ALWAYS sending back a phone during that 'cooling' off period...and the moment it goes back it technically counts as a refurb jobby...hell thats what mine was....bloody brilliant it was too..

 

[Rastaman-FB]

Nothing about reconditioned units mentioned in the 'Terms & Condistions' rolleyes here:

HTC repair terms and conditions

maybe in the warranty booklet

its pretty standard stuff though, i just dont understand what your problem is
you get a device either way right?

 

[deanshep85]

its pretty standard stuff though, i just dont understand what your problem is
you get a device either way right?

hell I was happy with my refurb model...they threw an 8GB card in too

 

[Red_Avatar]

I'm a bit puzzled by you guys Where does the guy say they're building one from scratch? You know what refurbished means, right? It means broken phones which have been repaired ......... with parts.

Here's some info:

- refurbished phones get stripped of battery and other parts that come off (the back lid for example).
- the main parts will be re-used and will get stored.
- they then replace the outer shell, replace the body, and the result is a refurbished phone with a brand new outfit and scratch-free screen, but with re-used internals.

So when they say BUILD you a phone, it's very well possible they simply need the casing or some other parts that are out of stock to refurbish one. So yes, the OP is exaggerating - refurbished phones don't fall out of trees, they have to be built too.

 

[Evil Genius]

I'm a bit puzzled by you guys Where does the guy say they're building one from scratch?

in the very first post (in the reply from HTC):

In regards to your device UPS confirmed the claim 2 days ago and we have started the process of replacing your Desire, unfortunately there is a part shortage at our repair centre which is delaying the replacement process by approximately 5 working days, this is due to the fact we have to get the parts shipped from Taiwan. Your replacement device is currently being built at our repair centre from new parts and will be issued as soon as possible.

 

[rewindurmind]

I think most of you are kind of missing the point here. I would too be pissed off, if I had a faulty phone and had to wait weeks for them to build an additional one. The Desire is probably their best selling phone, and you're telling me they don't have a working refurb or spare parts to build another one? That sounds ridiculous.

I think OP just wants a phone.

 

[Evil Genius]

Nothing about reconditioned units mentioned in the 'Terms & Condistions' rolleyes here:

HTC repair terms and conditions

maybe in the warranty booklet

HTC Warranty Card. Page 3. Clause 3:

3. Throughout the Warranty Period HTC or its authorized agent will,
at their discretion, without charge and subject to Clause 7 repair or
replace a defective Product. Repair or replacement may involve the
use of functionally equivalent reconditioned unit. HTC will return
the repaired Product or replaced with another functional equivalent
Product to the Customer in good working condition. All replaced
faulty parts or components will become the property of HTC.



http://dl4.htc.com/Web_materials/Manual/Warranty/Android/1015_A_WarrantyCard_76x126.pdf

 

[deanshep85]

I'm a bit puzzled by you guys Where does the guy say they're building one from scratch? You know what refurbished means, right? It means broken phones which have been repaired ......... with parts.

Here's some info:

- refurbished phones get stripped of battery and other parts that come off (the back lid for example).
- the main parts will be re-used and will get stored.
- they then replace the outer shell, replace the body, and the result is a refurbished phone with a brand new outfit and scratch-free screen, but with re-used internals.

So when they say BUILD you a phone, it's very well possible they simply need the casing or some other parts that are out of stock to refurbish one. So yes, the OP is exaggerating - refurbished phones don't fall out of trees, they have to be built too.

actually a refurbished unit also covers those sent back by contractees (is that the right word? lol) who dont want it and send back in the 'cooling off period' and anyone else who returns the unit..theres obviously no damage they just dont want it.

it cant be sold as new of course, so they just wipe the system and often rebox 'refurb'...thats how mine was when I got it as I had the chance at a cheaper contract at the time and opted for the refurb.

 

[Syphadeus]

I think as others have mentioned here, one of the main issues is time.

The initial HTC turnaround was "less than a week" it then took "a couple of days" for UPS to admit that the consignment had gone missing and then a further "7 days" for the tracer request time period to elapse. It will now be another "5 working days" for HTC to even send another unit, and then you can add another few days on top of that to receive the handset.

Give or take that could add up to nearly 3 weeks of waiting for an obvious hardware fault covered by the warranty. A bluetooth headset costs a company like HTC $5 so that's nothing when you have been without your phone for the best part of a month. The issue is that there are hundreds or thousands of new Desire handsets just sitting around unsold, it's stupid he's being inconvenienced further by having to wait for a dumb process that even a HTC "Lead care manager" has actually failed to explain the reasoning of.

 

[Red_Avatar]

in the very first post (in the reply from HTC):

In regards to your device UPS confirmed the claim 2 days ago and we have started the process of replacing your Desire, unfortunately there is a part shortage at our repair centre which is delaying the replacement process by approximately 5 working days, this is due to the fact we have to get the parts shipped from Taiwan. Your replacement device is currently being built at our repair centre from new parts and will be issued as soon as possible.

That doesn't say from scratch though, it says they'll be using new parts which is a given since they're waiting for them.

The actual interior body of the phone is machine made - you can't make that in a repair center! That's like saying "we're making you a new motherboard from scratch!" You can't do that either - you can maybe replace a transistor or two if you're careful but on a phone like this where everything is highly compressed? Forget about it.

Most likely, they'll get the large pre-made parts like I said, and just need to clip them together. If its not refurbished interior, it will still be the same system.

The time is a nuisance though, but at least you'll get a nice clean phone in the end.

 

[Evil Genius]

whatever.

point is, HTC don't have to deliver a new Desire and they're not. nothing the OP can do about it.

 

[Mockenrue]

Syphadeus has it spot on; aside from the obvious inconvenience of being without my phone (it's exactly one month ago today that I sent it off), much of my frustration stems from the endless waiting and piss-poor communication from HTC. I've been promised an progress update tomorrow, and I bet that if I don't get one and there's a further delay (for whatever reason), I won't find out about it unless I hound them and drag it out of them. In 2011 this simply isn't an acceptable standard of customer service.

With this rebooting problem, HTC's most established smartphone has a serious flaw which has affected a significant number of owners (there are lengthy threads about it on virtually every relevant forum). If I were them, I'd be bending over backwards to keep such customers happy - purely in the interests of damage limitation. I know it wasn't HTC's fault that my phone was 'mislaid', but the flip-card responses and generally inadequate handling of this situation suggests that whomever I'm dealing with here doesn't give a toss about the company, its products or its customers.

I asked for an explanation as to why a new phone could not simply be shipped to me from stock, something which would surely be less costly and time-consuming from all concerned. This was the response:

We are not the retailers therefore that is the reason that we do not hold stock of any devices here in the UK as they are shipped to the retailers straight from Taiwan The device would be identical to a new factory built device and the warranty would continue on from your previous warranty status .

Secondly, I asked for confirmation that the phone would be unbranded. I assumed it would be, being to all intents and purposes the equivalent of a factory fresh device. This was the reply (from the same e-mail):

With regards to the branding, your device is going to be O2 branded unless we don't receive any O2 devices with the expected shipment and your warranty will still be based on your original purchase date.

Another disappointment. Oh well I guess I'll be debranding/rooting this one then, if it ever arrives that is. I'll just be glad to have a Desire again...