Database Users

Poor HTC service (and marketing)

SO is clear, screen aligment issue is a TyTN harware fault, as clearly stated from TyTN OFFICIAL WIKI
They say also DO NOT BUY TyTn with serial n. between 62xxx and 63(1-5 xxx)
SO my (AND THE MAJORITY OF YOURS) TyTN is a brick now, I can't sell (none would it if they check on HTC website) I can't swap (I had screen alignment problem after one month, because I am a good user, I am not used to overheat or strongly squeeze my phone, as they ask to do in the first period), should only be REPAIRED, but the serial wil be always the same, waiting long time to have it back (repaired also means a month waiting at least)
SO instead of saying "sorry guys, thank's to chose HTC, it was our fault, this is a new one" they said : "IS YOUR FAULT, YOU HAVE TO OVERHEAT AND SQUEEZE IT DURING THE FIRST WEEK, FOLKS"
We have only a solution in my mind, to send many e-mail to
[email protected] (HTC press room)
I am owner of a TyTN phone with serial number between HTC62xxx and HTC63(1-5)xxx. I am a normal user, not used to overheat and squeeze my phone during the first two weeks of ownership and now I have the screen alignment issue. You know it is YOUR fault, please swap my phone with a new one.
Please learn from INTEL lesson and avoid thi letter and the case explained to all newspaper, analists and so on http://www.mackido.com/History/History_PentBug.html
I want it swapped with a non-fault one even after the first 2 weeks
_________________________________________________________________
Post this message everywere in the Pocket PC forum, hermes forum and we will avoid to have the most precious brik of our life!
This is the first page from HTCWIKI
( http://www.htcwiki.com/page/TyTN )
TyTN
TyTN Release Date: July 2006
(a.k.a. Hermes, Vodafone 1605, Orange SPV M3100)
IMPORTANT: 70% of HTC TyTN devices have screen alignment problem!!!
HTC WILL NOT REPLACE IT AFTER TWO WEEKS, YOU CAN ONLY GET IT REPAIRED. So push it hard and make it hot on your first week after buying it to see if the screen alginment problem appears on your device, otherwise the screen alignment problem will appear later and your device will not be replaced, only repaired as per HTC DOA.
If you are thinking of buying an HTC TyTN, make sure you get an HTC636 or higher serrial number. Avoid S/N HTC62XXX and HTC63[1-5]XXX

Please admin could the topic and the message become sticky for a while?
Having it sticky all TyTN old and new user will read and they may chose if they want:
Try to have if swapped or
accept to have it only repaired and they never could sell it at reasonable price (check TyTN HTC62xxx prices on e-bay)

Although the info is on the htcwiki page, the statement you are refering was added by user "xda-developers" who's login and password information can be found in bugmenot.com website, so it doesn't come from HTC itself but from someone upset with TyTN screen alignment problem and HTC repair / replacement policy
See the web page history:
http://www.htcwiki.com/page/TyTN/history

HTC TyTN Marketing strategy
POF, I answered also in the MoDaCo thread, I post this comment here just to inform also the XDA-DEV only users... If you are also on MoDaCo save time and jump over this message
I agree, HTCWIKI is UNOFFICIAL. :lol
I'm sorry my hairs are mostly white, may be my brain is gone... so I've been to THIS address http://www.europe.htc.com/support/support....?device=htctytn
Looks official, top 10 questions on TyTN: NOTHING about screen alignment; strange because was the MAIN question on HTC TyTN hardware on Internet.
Let me check on DISPLAY FAQ on HTC site, nothing.... but I find an OFFICIAL repair centre in NL, confirming the replacement policy, in XDA-DEVELOPERS HERMES forum... So there is an OFFICIAL position on TyTN clearly stating that screen aligment is an hardware problem!
I made a phone call, to HTC OFFICIAL centre , (this is the enquiry number I had 061500uk09284397) and the said EXACTLY WHAT UNOFFICIAL WIKI SAID (except the precentage) on xda-developers poll we have around 40%,of ALL HERMES having the screen alignment problem, and ALL means new one and people STILL not having...
The HTC centre the confirmed the 15 days replacement policy, and yes if you have the problems after the 16th day they will repair under warranty conditions. .
Is a WELL KNOWN HARDWARE BUG from HTC point of view, and they are playing the official/unofficial game
to avoid big problems to resellers (they still have to sell some of HTC62xxx with other names) slowly admitting the problem.
You were in this business when a "game" closer to this was played from Intel? They learned the marketing lesson, HTC is on the way on....
Italy is in the EU and when we pay 700€ for a phone we would like something 100% working not 70% or 30%. If you know and you sell... and don't replace you are STEALING MONEY TO CONSUMERS, this is all over in the world

sergiopi said:
......
SO my (AND THE MAJORITY OF YOURS) TyTN is a brick now..... should only be REPAIRED, but the serial wil be always the same, waiting long time to have it back (repaired also means a month waiting at least)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
firstly: My TyTN has the alignment problem and is FAR from being a brick....the phone is still useable totally. With a repair this will be fixed...for free and under warranty...what the problem!?!?
secondly: HTC state they will get the repair done within a 5 day period so you will NOT be waiting a month for the handset to be returned
Lastly under manufacturers warranty you are entitled to get the problem recified for free if it is indeed a manufacturing problem, this does NOT entitle you to a replacement upgraded handset straight away...the manufacturer has the right to repair it to fully working condition. All this ranting and raving is totally unjust...if people TOLD HTC what the problems were instead of ranting on forums they would have a better idea of the magnitude of the problem!!!!!

I have two Hermes, one with SA problem, the other is fine.
My first hermes arrived on August 1st, the SA problem started on September 15th. I notified HTC on September 17th using the support form in htc europe website where I clearly stated when I got my device and when the SA issue started.
I got the usual "canned" reply, telling me that my unit was going to be REPLACED if it was a TyTN and I have all the accessories and original box (which I do). I was given the contact details of Teleservice Spain to have my device replaced.
I contacted them, and they only offered a repair under warranty. I replied to HTC and the answer I was given was this:
"This seems strange as the agreement was to exchange faulty devices, as per the conditions of my previous email.
Please contact them again , and send them a copy of my last email.
If they refuse to help, please ask them to phone or email us to discuss this."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Teleservice spain refused to contact HTC, so I contacted HTC again and finally I was given the contact details of Cirma in France to swap my unit. When I said my device arrived on August 1st they refused to replace it and they only offered a repair under warranty.
I contacted HTC again, and I am still waiting for the answer. Obviously I prefere a replacement unit than having my unit repaired, and that's what they initially offered, in the first canned email I received there was no mention to the "2 week DOA policy", that's why I am still fighting to have my device replaced.
I am not going to call them anymore, so if they don't answer by the end of this week I am going to fill an European Consumer Complaint Form to start a legal dispute against HTC.
If anyone is in the same or similar situation have a look at this website where you will find the forms in PDF format and the address of your nearest ECC-Net centre: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/index_en.htm

In Italy is even worst:
I called HTC: after admitting the Hardware fault, they said one month of life is too much and my phone will be only REPAIRED, then they gave me me the HTC assistance number in Italy.
It is a 199 number, you pay just for call, a half minute fee, none can call them from office, because all office are sat up to avoid those calls, but you can call only during OFFICE OURS.
So I called from mobile phone, 4 Euro's just to understand that they could only gave me a second telephone number of a centre in my city were to bring the phone to be sent to the service. " A centre in Rome, please", "I have so many", "have something in my area code?" "tell me the first two numbers of your home phone" and so on, just to know the phone number of a centre were they collect and send the phones to a "generic" phone repair centre called "Teleca Telephone Service" http://www.telecatelephoneservice.it the 199 number I was calling!
I called the centre in Rome Timing? at least 15 days, courtesy phone? None, sorry
No answer about policies, they barely kows HTC!
Thank's for your complain form indication

mrvanx said:
secondly: HTC state they will get the repair done within a 5 day period so you will NOT be waiting a month for the handset to be returned
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't hold my breath....My first TyTN broke down (SA problem) within 24 hours. The reseller asked me to contact HTC....HTC asked me to contact Qtek....and so on. Finaly Qtek wanted to repair it. I asked how long it would take and they stated it would take 10 business days for repair without the "transport" times. There are already users who waited 4 whole weeks before they got their unit back.
OTH it's perhaps more wise to let it repair. A lot of resellers are still selling "old" devices. The chance your exchanged unit is also a faulty one is pretty big. A repaired one definitely doesn't have the problems.

HTC Europe repair

I couldn't fix the freeze after standby mode problem and the screen allignment so I decided to send it back to htc europe repair centre. Did anyone of you send it back for repair or replacement to htc europe and if yes how many days did it take to receive the device again? And my second question is: did they fix the problems of your device? Take this thread like a poll thing for angry and disappointed tytn users

We have MANY threads of disappointed users about HTC service.
If you are one of these, as I told to someone else, say it LOUD on Internet, in any group, in any on line news, the only thing that a big company understand is the voice of SHAREHOLDERS, we are simply some poor STAKEHOLDERS, but if we make a LOUD noise the may be SHAREHOLDERS will hear us and this ridicolous service will change.
If you are not familiar with stock and marketing language you can search the STAKEHOLDER history...
I bought my TYTN on Internet, I,ve no problem to send it everywere in Europe, using UPS but I want it swapped, even REPAIRED, but in few days, and with a first class customer service.
we have a service here ... (chose the worst county for services, we are below!)
HTC... can you hear our stakes?

@takis999 I sent my TyTN for repair to HTC-UK (in milton keynes England) and the contract i signed and sent with the handset states:
1. ESTIMATED TURNOVER PERIOD
We estimate that we will normally be able to complete orders and return the units to most mainland addresses in the UK within 5 working days from receipt of the unit. Where the repair requires parts to be specially ordered or delivery to remote areas of the UK, or to other countries, this may take longer. One of our Customer Service representatives will contact you in such cases. HTC EU will endeavour to complete all orders within 5 working days from clearance of payment or warranty authorisation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bearing in mind that applies to the UK im not sure how other countries fair with that but seems they do endeavour to fix my handset and send it back to me within a 5 working day period which is great! A guy on another forum (Masseur on Esato.com) also sent his for repair and it was sent back within 5 day...and hes not from the UK!!!! The guy i spoke to at the service centre was VERY VERY helpfull and he informed me that HTC knew about the SA problem and will fix ANY TyTNs (NOT orange,voda or tmobile handsets though...they get sorted out by voda/orange etc...because thats who the contract is with). If the TyTN is less than 14 days old then a replacment will be done, otherwise a repair but im cool with that...standard stuff really
If you wish to wait i can tell you how long my repair took from sending (yesterday 12/10/06) to arrival back here (unknown??)??
@sergiopi Can you add to your profile your Network and Country as that would help???

profile added, thanks for suggesting.... I am in Italy, in Rome (every roads brings to..., except HTC's ), I've seen were you are from.. so you know STAKEHOLDERS meaning
Also MY contact from HTC was very helpfull, but she wasn't involved in repair. She gaves only a 199 number (special and expensive numbers), then from this number I had a second number, in Rome, just to know that they collect and send the phones to the first number, but they are not HTC, they don't know even that is a company involved in phone business, more or les 15-20 days, no courtesy service.
INDECENTE in italian

Some service is available in Russia.
It is more oriented for cases with "device does not boot", "damaged bootloader", "stuck at bootloader", "flash with wrong image file", etc.
However, it does not cover parts replacement.
In terms of timing, it takes 1-2 work days for fixing a problem, additionally DHL, EMS or what shipping carrier would you prefer, to organise shipping between your country and Russia.
You need to describe your situation first, before shipping device, by mail or by phone, to make sure you will not send a device which was crashed or droped in a ocean.
We have to admit also that local HTC service centers are not satisfactory, and sometimes even refuse to accept xda, although on warranty.
rgds.,
iStrium

Keep in mind that by contracts HTC is not allowed to perform direct service/repair on HTC products sold via the big service providers. Another reason for us to welcome HTC´s decision to push its own brand and open sales and service centres everywhere they have a market. XDA is a O2 brand, and at least in Germany O2 replaces faulty HTC phones within a few days.

HTC is directly in the market, but NOT in the SERVICE market .
They just sell directly, not SUPPORT directly. they want more revenues , not be prepared to have CUSTOMERS!
Well done HTC! I understand isn't in the DNA of the company, but Steve, Bill, are you sure you want this?

It is very clear, for sure it is not co-business to keep service centers for HTC. But to have number of local contracts with service companies. To authorize their service centers, train staff, provide some equipment and technology enabling them to perform reasonable "customer care". What I was saying, I guess, is that it is not the case in Russia. Athorised HTC service centers in Moscow is a joke, they have no clue how to run business properly.
Additionally, HTC does not give them a lot of "knowledge". They know how to perform basic tests, no more. As the result, no surprise, there are un-authorised service centers, and they do pretty good. They have good equipment and what is more important knowledge. Otherwise, I think, they would not survive.
I am saying this because went thru the repair cycle and saw how it works (meaning did not work). Globally, pretty sure, it depends on country and location. On a reality HTC does not care much about customers. They jumped on a market, but not ready for all aspects, especially service. And finally, to be honest, non of such companies are interested to spend much money to provide good customer service, it is very little profit of it.
So, we have to take care about ourselves.
rgds,
iStrium

different model replacement for hero through insurance?

hi ppl,
I am now on my fourth hero through orange UK, having had the previous ones replaced due to.faults with the phone's earpiece.
I am aware that orange's policy to offer a different model replcement after the third replacement, so I am thinking, if my phone breaks again(which I could just make up that it has), what model are they likely to allow me to choose from?
Will it be from the same price range as the hero or will they allow me to choose from something like the desire since its the only other phone that orange offer that runs on HTC sense? (which is why I chose this phone anyway). obviously I wouldn't settle for a tattoo.
any advice from people who have been offered a different model through orange care is much appreciated. also any ideas on what I should say to tie them down to giving me the desire?
thanks a lot
mcall_r
Sent from my Hero using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

<rant>
Aaah, Orange, who are replacing my Toshiba TG01 for the 3rd time tomorrow. When I called in I got disconnected loads of times, and eventually got through to sales (who were the only people to pick up inside 10 mins), who then put me straight through to a CSR. The CSR was absolutely useless, barely understood English and was trying to follow a script ("my phone doesn't turn on" - 'ok, can you go into the menu and reset it' - "..."), and eventually decided that I didn't own my own account and refused to help me any more. After repeatedly asking for a manager I got put through to a supervisor and got into an argument with him because although my charger and handset were faulty, Orange would only replace one at a time, would only provide refurbished kit (the failed unit was a damaged refurb device) and I would have to call back for the charger replacement. Eventually I gave in, and the replacement was dutifully shipped to the wrong address.
</rant>
So I wrote in an angry email, and a few hours later one of the email support team called me back. She then agreed to provide a brand new handset, charger, case and battery, and mentioned that if you had more than 3 replacements inside the first 6 months of owning the original device then Orange would offer you a replacement model of a different type and equivalent to what you were replacing. However the models they offered were really nowhere near the TG01, so I am taking a new one and selling it.
As for your case, I would suggest you write the email support team a very detailed explanation of the problems, including dates and so forth, mention the sales of goods act, and at the very least get a factory new Hero you can then sell towards the cost of a Desire. It is very unlikely that Orange will replace your 10 month old Hero with its latest shiny new super-phone at no cost. This is like asking BMW to replace a problematic 1 series with a brand new 7 series.

@mcall_r: If you manage to get a Desire out of Orange do let us know, but I don't rate your chances.
My wife had a similar situation with Orange & a Blackberry, replaced at least 3 times. In her case, on possibly the fourth replacement, they couldn't even offer the same model due to lack of stock. She got bounced round between various people & the only thing that came across consistently was that all they'd offer her was inferior old junk. Some of the staff were exceptionally rude, particularly when she got upset at one point. There was more chance of Santa dropping off a replacement phone (& no it wasn't Xmas), than of these people offering her a replacement that was at least as good as her faulty phone.
She wasn't being unreasonable. She'd have even taken an inferior phone but they couldn't offer her one with gps (though a couple did claim certain models had gps - only when I checked & pressed them they changed that to 'well it has gprs...' Can you believe it? I mean, wtf?)
The last person insisted there was nothing they could do if they had no stock; they could only offer her what the system offered & there was no way for them to know when they'd have more stock in of her existing model.
The next day she called into a local Orange shop to complain before calling trading standards. The guy in the shop was very helpful (& she hadn't needed to mention trading standards; think he was just a nice guy). He told her they'd got stock in that morning & essentially that the woman she'd spoken to the previous evening had lied to her, as she would have known stock was due in.
I know some of the employees are decent human beings & others who might be borderline will be under a lot of pressure, but as a whole, I'd not piss on Orange if they were on fire.

Oh dear,
Im sad to hear your stories about orange's poor customer service (in some departments).
Funnily enough I actually work for orange, in an orange shop, and we in retail have little to no contact with what goes on in the call centres which is why i decided to ask on here to see if anyone else has had similar experiences. Also the fact that I do not have the hero on my employee contract, only on the personal one I took out to get it.
I find that through 150 if you go through to the correct options (for instance handset replacement the options are 1,3,1,1) you get through to the nice helpful people in Darlington, North Tyneside or Newcastle, who actually most of the time know what you are talking about.
I cannot say the same about the call centres in India. Their main job is to provide support for accounts, for example adding bundles and changing service plans. They mainly read off a script and have little experience with the mobile phones themselves so do not know the ins and outs of them. Ergo them thinking that GPS and GPRS are the same thing.
So what is the email address for the email support team that I can try and complain to?

Out of curiosity, i am on orange with a 3 month old hero and the earpiece is broken.Is it a common thing? Can i get it replaced for free? Finally i cancelled my insurance and a day later the earpiece failed,did you go via phone insurance? sorry for the questions but i am raging quite a biit that it happened after i cancelled lol

The email is a page on the site, you have to go through the pages and enter some details to it to the right team. Mark it for the attention of Misha, I found her very helpful.
Insurance or not, you are covered by the sales of goods act, so a 3 month old phone should be fit for purpose. Under that you should be able to get a replacement under that.

Both orange and the company i have got the phone from have said they do not provide a replacement without insurance? I have to send the phone to HTC which i have done with my magic many times,this means no phione for me fora few weeks total BS Tbh

Found this article while trying to figure out how to reach Asus support chat.....

Found this article while trying to figure out how to reach Asus support chat.....
—>An Asus technician has stepped forward out the shadows to give us the 10 insider tips for getting through and getting better and faster tech support from the computer and computer parts maker. Some things just can't be fixed though, but it's at least to know the soul-crushing math they're using to destroy the customer experience. Considering how bad their tech support is, you're definitely going to need these tips...
Our tipster writes:
If you aren't aware, Asus makes an estimated 1 in 3 computer main boards sold globally and in addition to their own brand of products also provide system boards to a number of major OEM builders such as HP/Compaq and Dell. In January, AsusTek split into three separate entities; Asus, which deals primarily with Asus-branded PCs and laptops including the wildly popular EEE PC, Pegatron, which handles the motherboard business (though we keep the Asus brand name on them), and Unihan, which handles many of the other non-PC related Asus product line. As a result, each entity was suddenly responsible for its own profitability. No biggie, right? Well, as most of your readers know, customer service and support play a key role in the buyer experience. Given that so many products are similar in specification and performance these days, often it's the after-the-sale support that can mean the difference in long term repeat business and losing a customer.
Not long after the company split, management began obsessing over numbers, and how to make what is normally an accepted expense (customer support) profitable. It was determined that the new company, Pegatron, would charge the parent company (Asus) for each technical support phone call, email, or live chat session that was received and responded to. While I cannot attest to the actual dollar amount charged for each call, I do know that phone calls generate the most income, followed by live chats, then emails. Ok, you say, no big deal, how does that affect me? Well, that's what I'm about to show you, with 10 steps anyone can take in an attempt to get the best possible support by circumnavigating the games played with customers to generate revenue.
1. If you need technical support for any Asus product CALL.
Do NOT send an email, and use the live support feature at your own risk. A single phone call generates more revenue for the company than a couple of Live Support sessions, and more revenue than half a dozen email responses. As a result, nearly ZERO emphasis is placed on answering them, and emails are often replied to with canned "cut and paste" responses which may not be relevant to your case.
2. Best Times For Calling With Low Hold Time
When calling, there are times that give you the best chances to get through with a minimal hold time. Since the support center is based in the Eastern Time Zone, and the best time to call is before 12 noon EST. The very best days to call are Tuesday through Thursday. From Noon-6pm hold times can be somewhat lengthy, as by that time working hours are in play nationwide. At any given time there are only 8-10 staff to take phone calls (yes, we're grossly understaffed), email queries and answer Live chats. The U.S. office supports all of North America including Canada as well as Western Europe. That translates into a very heavy call volume for a small amount of people.
3. We're stressed, don't take it personally
If the representative you speak to seems curt, ill tempered, or rude, it's not on purpose, nor personally directed toward you. All support representatives are instructed to strive for taking 70 calls per day. When you factor in a lunch hour and 2 fifteen minute breaks it leaves 450 minutes in a day. For us to reach our goal, we must be off the phone with you in 6.42 minutes. We aren't supposed to care that it's the tenth time you've called us (which isn't toll free), or that you can't stay on long enough to accurately even describe your issue.
4. Can I take a message?
We have recently adopted messaging in order to achieve an objective from management that all incoming calls be answered in 60 seconds or less. To that end, we have hired a few people from temp services to answer calls, and when we experience a heavy load, they take your name and number with the promise of a return call. While calls are returned, it may take hours, if not days to get a return call. This serves three hidden purposes. If we message your call, we get paid for taking it even though no support was rendered. When we call you back, we get paid again for making a call. And currently, management has contests running offering cash rewards for most calls handled by a person during the month. Guess what? If we take a message, call you back once or twice, or you yourself call back out of frustration, we may get paid 2 or 3 times before you can speak with someone, all in the name of bonus money.
5. Don't get through? Call back in 10 minutes
If you do get messaged, you're better off calling back in 10 or 15 minutes if you have the time. While messages should be returned within 2 hours, it's often not the case, and generally messaging is done only long enough to clear the incoming call queue, so it's unlikely you'd be messaged twice in that amount of time. (unless someone is intentionally messaging you, then calling back to generate more revenue and a chance at a nice cash bonus)
6. Write down your case number. Really.
When you FINALLY reach someone, you will likely be assigned a case number. This is a good thing, as it will document the nature of the call and enable someone qualified (hopefully, more on that later) to answer your questions. If you already have a case number, please state it when you first begin your conversation, it will give the technician more time to troubleshoot your problem.
7. It's just like in a game, except not fun
There are 3 levels of tech support. Level 1 technicians primarily answer the phones and generate case numbers. There isn't much point in trying to go into detail about your problem, as most will have a better grasp of basket weaving than solving PC issues. They will most likely transfer you to our level 2 support, where the fun begins. Many of our representatives are competent enough to handle your questions, but if you EVER question the accuracy of the advice you are getting, you can request to be connected to the top tier of support (Level 3) at ANY time.
8. We have the long-term memory of a snail
The reason you may wish to ask for Level 2 or 3 support immediately is this: Pegatron/Asus offers zero informational training about Asus products past, present, or future. Typically we are not aware that a new motherboard/router/PDA has hit the street until we start getting calls about it. There is no informational meeting, no product info cheat sheets, or anything of the sort offered to the support team. Normally, the more senior members are tech-oriented, and stay up to date from home, so your chances improve greatly of getting the help you need by asking for a higher tier. Sadly, even some Level 2 agents are lacking basic skills and cannot help you with BIOS settings, RAID setup, installation of an operating system and so forth, nor will they know offhand the specs of the latest and greatest boards.
9. There is no such thing as a known issue.
Every company that has every produced a physical product has occasionally put out a junk product. We are under direct orders not to confirm ANY problem as a known issue, EVER. It doesn't matter if every single model X PDA plays Jingle Bells every time you turn it on, it's not a known issue and we will not admit to one. If you happen into one of these products that turns out to have known issues, calling tech support won't get you anywhere. We will offer to exchange it for an identical product only, which is just as likely to have the same nonexistent issue. Since Asus does not sell direct to the public, you won't be getting a refund either. Sad, but true, so you may wish to browse a few forums and seek outside input before considering any purchase.
10. Merchant refunds and returns are your special friend
If you do have a problem with a new Asus product and are within the return or exchange window offered by your reseller (often 14 to 30 days), dont waste your time calling us. Simply return the defective product for an exchange or refund. Generally speaking, returning a product to Asus (motherboards in particular), can mean a 2-3 week wait before you see your board returned to you. In addition, it's likely a refurbished motherboard which likely underwent no extensive testing before being dropped into a Fed Ex box and sent back to you. There is a separate department on the repair floor to handle 2nd and 3rd time returns, and once you've reached that level, your chances of getting a tested board improve marginally. However, these boards won't be cleaned, and may have thermal paste, grease, smudges, fingerprints, etc on them. It�s no fun to invest $300 in a new top of the line board, only to have an issue with it and get one back that looks like Timmy kicked it down the street for half a mile before putting it in your box. Not fun.
11. BONUS!!!!!
If you do weave your way through the Asus maze and find a helpful soul on the other end of the phone, don't bank on he or she being there if you need them in the future. We have experienced close to 100% turnover in the past year, and those who remain are constantly threatened, both verbally and via email (proof available upon request, Ben) that they will lose their jobs for failure to make objectives. Sad, yes, but painfully true.

this makes kittens cry
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

Son of a b.....
I pray i never have to call them if this is true. Not sure how reliable this is, but damnit, doesnt sound pretty.
Wasnt there someine on this board, two people actually, that were in contact with asus reps? They would pm each other about issues. I recall the poster saying theyre were very helpful....contrary to
Number 11

that guy is a marketting guy working for asus...it seems like this thread is about a contracted third-party hired by asus.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

finalhit said:
that guy is a marketting guy working for asus...it seems like this thread is about a contracted third-party hired by asus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you figure that?
The article starts with:
"An Asus technician has stepped forward out the shadows to give us the 10 insider tips for getting through and getting better and faster tech support...."

Welcome to the brave new world where Customer Service is just another profit center.
Only a select few technology companies (Apple is one) place customer loyalty and service at the forefront. I am currently in the middle of trying to RMA a defective $300 Asus motherboard (getting nowhere in a swirl of not-actual-support) and a Transformer tablet and dock (seems to be a good deal easier).

Sounds like my experience with a "top of the line" ASUS router I bought a few months ago. I had to return it because I couldn't get any level of support for it. Multiple calls (6) were never returned, I got lucky once and got through to a level two or three rep, and the guy was a clueless asshole. It's a shame because ASUS does come out with some cutting edge products with great features, but customer support is less than good. That being said, I was happy with the support I got today when I tried to RMA my dock for my transformer (knock on wood). I hope this becomes a trend.

judging by the horror stories we've been hearing about with people trying to RMA their TF's I definitely believe this article to be true... It's a shame. After buying the TF, I was hoping to be able and continue purchasing Asus products, but after reading this I highly doubt I ever will again.
I'm an android guy all the way, but EVER android manufacturer (Asus, htc, samsung, motorola(tis hope for this one now) and the rest of them) really need to take a hint from Apple...
As for right now we have to choices, buy an android product and get sht customer service or buy an extremely overprices apple product and get great customer service.
Why can't we just have our cake and eat it to?

This is a story for all tech support in general, even Apple has their... well bad apples. I have found that if you can get through and moved up to tier 3, most of the time you can explain enough of the problem to get a replacement unit. If you ask they may even send you the new part before you ship back the old one.
I had no problems with Asus support when I called them to RMA my dock, but I have not completed the process yet (have to ship it out). So the jury is still out. Customer Service is a cost center, they typically do not make money (unless they charge the customer for support <cough>MS), and I think that the 3 'companies' spoken of in the article are actually divisions or child companies of Asus, in which case they are just playing funny money anyway.
Just my 2 cents.

Mobicity stole my Nexus 6 [battery inflated]

I just want to share my sad story with you. I've been on xda for 7-8 years but I didn't want to use my other account. Hope you understand.
Mobicity, The Silence of the Lambs
original article by Mislav Bušić, via mob.hr
Last year, soon after the launch of Nexus 6, I ordered this device from a highly reliable British webshop called mobicity.co.uk.
At the time, they were taking preorders, and due to certain discounts, I managed to buy it at a considerably lower price than in any other store.
I had to wait for almost four months to receive the device I had ordered. To put it mildly,
I was impatient and angry – both at Motorola and at mobicity – mostly because of the lack of information I was getting from them.
However, I had no other choice but to wait patiently.
Finally, I got hold of Nexus and I immediately started a detailed inspection of the device. I ran an out-of-the-ordinary unboxing,
compared it to its main rivals, Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus, and I wrote my review. My dear editor was so pleased with everything that he,
at the very least, wished for his own copy of the device.
In the meantime, we tested various other devices, and I used the Nexus 6 along with my Note 4. At the end of May,
there was a period of three weeks during which I completely stopped using Nexus. Due to circumstances at the time,
I was travelling a lot, so I placed the Nexus back into its original packaging, because Note 4, with its far better camera and battery life,
was simply a better choice when going on a trip.
Since I wasn’t using the Nexus, I decided to pass it along to my editor. Who doesn’t love “the smell of a new smartphone in the morning”?
Since I do backup of all my smartphones almost on a daily basis, I took the box and went straight to the post office.
At the counter, in the post office, I decided to double-check if everything was in place. What followed was utter shock and disbelief.
The battery of Nexus 6 was inflated like a pack of the cheapest crisps. The cover/lid came off and there was no point in sending the device at all.
In the pre-cardiac condition, I called Krešo, my editor, to explain the whole situation. I don’t know who was in a greater state of shock, him or me.
He, because he wasn’t getting his new toy, or I, because I had it and was now left without it.
Since unfortunately, Motorola doesn’t have a representative in Croatia at all, and mobicity offers no European guarantee,
I had no other choice, but to contact more-or-less all domestic service centres in the hope of finding someone who could repair my Nexus.
I decided to log on to mobicity’s webpage to contact their customer service, and I was again confronted with another unpleasant surprise.
My account, which I had used to buy dozens of other devices, had been deleted because it had been a couple of months since my last log-in and/or purchase.
At this point I was furious. I managed to get their customer service email address and I finally managed to explain my problem to them.
What followed was a dozen of emails during the next fortnight in which I tried to explain that the device was kept in a box, in a room, at room temperature,
away from the sunlight, turned off, with no contact to moisture or cosmic dust. In a nutshell, the conditions were more than perfect.
Finally we reached the conclusion that it wasn’t my fault that the battery got inflated.
During the following fortnight we exchanged yet another dozen of emails in which mobicity very politely explained that it would be best if I could find a service centre in Zagreb that would fix my device.
The biggest problem was the non-existence of a telephone contact with the personnel at mobicity so that I could explain the situation more efficiently and quickly.
Unfortunately, their support service is as prompt and effective as the Croatian judiciary system, so you have to wait for a reply sometimes even for a week.
Weeks went by and mobicity kept on insisting on issuing a €50 voucher which would, according to them,
make up for the mental pain and the cost of battery replacement as well as possible broken motherboard or whatever.
No matter how much I insisted on sending my Nexus directly to them to have it serviced, they persistently refused to accept it.
The main excuse was the somewhat strange ban on sending inflated batteries by plane across the European Union.
This sounds logical – the battery might explode and take down the entire plane.
After a few more emails, I came to understand that this ban applies to all types of postal services, not just air mail.
After I had realised that we cannot come to an understanding, I directed mobicity’s customer service to mob.hr, the web portal I work for.
mob.hr actually attracts 200,000 unique visits a month and we cover an area of around 20 million people and, in fact,
we are the highest rated daily blog on mobile telecommunications in ExYu.
Mobicity took this as a threat and almost refused any further cooperation.
Then I politely explained that a threat would mean writing an article in English about their customer treatment and sharing this article on all leading world web portals,
including those in the USA as well as those in the UK, featuring a whole lot of pictures, attached emails and a video in English ready to be uploaded on our YouTube.
Eventually we reached an understanding. They apologized and decided to accept my Nexus 6 and service it if I agree to remove the battery before sending the phone.
That is exactly what happened. I managed to remove the battery (which meant taking the whole device apart), and I sent the device to Great Britain.
I was patiently checking the tracking number and I saw that the package had been delivered on July, 23.
I thought that maybe they would contact me upon receiving the package, and since this didn’t happen, I decided to contact them.
It turns out that if I hadn’t contacted them, my Nexus would remain there for weeks without them knowing about the whole situation.
Didn’t worry about this too much as they assured me that the device would be serviced in a few weeks’ time, so I decided to wait patiently.
Days went by and the only contact I had with the service centre was the “well-organized” customer service. I kept reminding them and sending them emails once or twice a week.
Weeks went by, and so did the first month since they received my device, and mobiycity’s customer service still had absolutely no information about the status of my device – what’s its status,
are they still waiting for parts, did they notice some other misfunctions apart from the missing battery… as if they hadn’t received the device at all.
I kept sending them emails on a weekly basis until they finally responded. Six weeks after they had received my phone,
they replied that the device was being inspected by their technicians – which actually means that they were staring at it wondering where the battery was.
I was furious, but I managed to calm myself down and I contacted the European Consumer Centre (ECC). They informed me that, since the English are involved,
I can do nothing but wait. They were kind enough to offer help and they contacted some of their colleagues in London who might call mobicity and ask them to speed thing up.
In case mobicity turned them down, the story would end here since, legally, there is no time constraint regarding the servicing of the device!
After two weeks I was informed that the battery had been replaced and that the device was being further tested.
In translation, the servicer’s son got hold of it for free for another couple of weeks or even months to play games, and,
in case the battery doesn’t get inflated again after the kid tries all possible games on Android, I will be given my device back.
After 4 (!) months, I received absolutely no news about my Nexus. Dozens of emails, complaints and status requests went by practically unnoticed.
Mobicity sent me generic emails such as “soon”, “we still don’t know”, “we’re waiting for our repair centre to reply” and so on.
At this moment I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get my device back or if it had been given to someone else as a wonderful Christmas present.
If someone did something like this in Croatia, we would be accused of being backward, uncivilised and incompetent. Since all of this took place in the UK,
the cradle of civilisation, it is perfectly clear that there are plenty of incompetent, uneducated and lazy people outside Croatia. Maybe if I hadn’t been cheap,
and if I had offered that PR person at the other side of the email some £10 bribe, maybe he would have checked where my Nexus was and would have told his colleagues to fix my phone.
At least, that’s how it works in Croatia, where you need bribe even to get your driving licence.
About 3 weeks ago, I threatened mobicity with negative feedback article, and gave them deadline till friday to repair my Nexus. Within 24 hours,
they said my device is repaired and waiting to be shipped. Guess what? They still haven’t manage to ship it!
So, to sum up, having a warranty is a wonderful thing without which you shouldn’t buy a device because you could easily have an accident as I did, no matter how careful you are.
Be careful where you buy your device and what kind of warranty it comes with. Well-known webshops are sometimes considerably cheaper than the local retail,
but they come with certain risks involved which you have to be prepared for. Your device will most likely be taken to be serviced,
but be prepared wait for it for a couple of months or even to lose it altogether. All things considered, we do not recommend buying from the mobicity.

This is the risk you run with all sites like this.
Also Admitting to having more then one account is an easy way to have both accounts banned.
Thread closed.