Related
I just wanted to get this out there because I'm curious how common this is. Having previously owned a Nexus One, HTC support was excellent and replaced the phone twice under warranty, no questions asked. Unfortunately, I've had a hard time dealing with Samsung.
I bought my Nexus S on the day of release in December 2010, and had no major problems with it until May of this year. It's the best phone I've ever owned. In May, the screen started becoming unresponsive so I called Samsung and they said I could ship the phone in for repair and they would pay UPS ground shipping each way. I live near San Francisco, so this would be 5 days each way to Plano, TX where the repair facility is located. No problem, I figured, as long as I get my screen fixed. For the meantime I purchased a new Nexus One on Amazon since I would be without a phone for at least a couple weeks. So I sent in the Nexus S, it took them a week to repair the phone after receiving it, so I was without my Nexus S for three weeks.
So I get the phone back and... bam... screen still doesn't work right. it's nearly completely unusable. Turns out they updated the software, tested it as working, then sent it back. I called Samsung again and after escalating to level three and being on the phone for an hour, they agree to do two day shipping each way and replace the screen components. This is fine with me, as long as the phone gets fixed. I sent the phone in again, and while they two day shipping helped, it was still two weeks that I didn't have my phone.
I get the phone back, and of course, the screen STILL didn't work right. It was so bad I couldn't even type out a text. So I call Samsung again, escalate to level three, and pressure to get the phone switched out. The support rep agrees, and says he has to put in an appeal to get the phone switched out. He said he'd call me back within the next few hours with the result of the appeal, which he did, and my request was approved. So I send the phone in again, two day shipping, and it takes about 5 days to be processed and for a refurbished phone to be sent back to me. Unfortunately, then sent it back ground, so it was 5 business days before I got the refurbished phone.
Once I got the refurbished phone, it did have a few nicks and dings, but it worked perfectly, just as my previous Nexus S had prior to May. The funny thing was the refurb was sent to me already running Cyanogen, which leads me to believe they don't QC their refurb phones very thoroughly, but it was okay since everything seemed to be working as it should. But then a couple days later I tried to use the headphone jack and it didn't work at all. It was completely dead. Go. F'in. Figure.
So I called Samsung again, the level one rep agreed to send the phone in for repair, but he couldn't do anything faster than ground shipping and I didn't feel like wasting more time on the phone. The repair facility received the phone yesterday, so we'll see how it goes. I assume a headphone jack will be easier to repair than the screen was.
I guess what irks me the most was I paid $570 (after taxes) to buy the phone outright, and here I really haven't had it since June when I first started to send it in for repair. I've had to waste my time and their time for a problem that should have been fixed on the first occurrence. Thank god I bought a new Nexus One for the meantime. I would also like to mention Best Buy was no help during any of this either. When the problem first started, they kept saying all they could do was work with Samsung to send it in to the repair center, except I would have to pay half of the shipping. That's just crazy to me, but not surprising.
One last thing I can say is everyone I have talked to at Samsung has been friendly. Level 1 and 2 are obviously offshore, while three are within the United States, but it didn't matter, all were equally friendly and seemed to do their best to help me. They just don't seem to have the power to do much other than send a shipping label for repair.
Sorry about the long rant, but I am obviously a bit frustrated by the whole situation. Fingers crossed when I get the phone back in 10 or so days (my estimate) it will be fixed and functioning properly.
I live in Brazil and here the Samsung support are even worse. But what can i do if they have the best phones?
I hope you get your phone back and fixed without any other delay.
Thx for sharing.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
yes samsung support is horrible i dealt with them very often, and they will not replace / fix the phone for you if it was already fixed once
I live in america and we don't deal with samsung. if my phone breaks (which is has twice) we go to the Sprint store and both times my phone was exchanged in store. No problems here.
p-slim said:
I live in america and we don't deal with samsung. if my phone breaks (which is has twice) we go to the Sprint store and both times my phone was exchanged in store. No problems here.
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I live in the United States too, but when you buy your phone in full, you don't get supported by a carrier. I would have thought Best Buy would assume the role of carrier in this situation, but that wasn't the case.
desertflyer said:
I live in America too, but when you buy your phone in full, you don't get supported by a carrier. I would have thought Best Buy would assume the role of carrier in this situation, but that wasn't the case.
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That means you must have tmobile. If it's a sprint phone you can take it to the sprint service center
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
T-Mobile actually has excellent customer support, but they do not sell the Nexus S. Regardless, I just use T-Mobile's network. Simple Mobile is my service provider.
I live in India, My phone had a motherboard issue and they had to replace it. They told it would take 7 days. But i was without my phone for three weeks. If i had paid money for the new motherboard instead of claiming warranty i would have got it in 3 days.
Samsung service sucks.
desertflyer said:
I live in the United States too, but when you buy your phone in full, you don't get supported by a carrier. I would have thought Best Buy would assume the role of carrier in this situation, but that wasn't the case.
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Sprint will repair a phone for free if you have insurance or for 35 dollars if you don't. Doesn't matter if its on or off contract. Screw dealing with the manufacturer.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
In the uk you should be covered under warranty for at least the first year and it is the place of purchase that has to deal with your returns, dont you have this support in the US?
thecoogster said:
In the uk you should be covered under warranty for at least the first year and it is the place of purchase that has to deal with your returns, dont you have this support in the US?
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It depends on the state, but most don't have rules on warranties. Samsung offers 1 year parts + labor, but Best Buy (who sold me the phone) only have a 30 day policy. So basically I have to live with Samsung's support.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
thecoogster said:
In the uk you should be covered under warranty for at least the first year and it is the place of purchase that has to deal with your returns, dont you have this support in the US?
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This. I would never go through what you're going through if I can avoid it. Seven bucks a month is so worth it.
Sprint has been kick ass in this regard too. I once brought in my EVO to a repair center to get a hot spot screen replaced and they did it no questions. Another time I went in and asked for a replacement battery door and they just gave me one with no issues. I love Sprint man.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Samsung have "finished" repairing my phone as of today. Here is what they updated the support ticket with:
Original Problem:
TECHNICAL INQUIRY - AUDIO/SPEAKER/SOUND/VIBRATION - DEVICE SOUNDS INAUDIBLE
Problem found:
RINGERTONE INAUDIBLE/NO ADJUST
Solution:
S/W UPDATED - REPLACED COMPONENT
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Keep in mind the problem was a non-working 3.5mm jack. Needless to say, I have zero confidence the problem is fixed.
desertflyer said:
Samsung have "finished" repairing my phone as of today. Here is what they updated the support ticket with:
Keep in mind the problem was a non-working 3.5mm jack. Needless to say, I have zero confidence the problem is fixed.
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Wow. That sucks.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
I got my Nexus S back Monday and it's fixed! I'm running MIUI on it now. Now that everything is working, I'm remembering why I love this phone. Thanks for letting me vent.
Sent from my Google Nexus S using XDA App
To anyone reading this post:
PLEASE DON NOT BUY THE XPERIA Z FROM SONY ONLINE UK!
Below was my experience of dealing with Sony after sell support.
The beginning:
I brought the Z with free headphones on launch day (28/Feb) via Sony Online UK.
The phone and headphone arrived next day (01/Mar). However, over the weekend I noticed the gap between the screen and bezel on the left hand side is much larger than the right hand side. In fact, after couple days of use, there is already large amount of dust built up in the gap.
I phoned Sony on Monday morning, the rep advised me to visit a local Sony store to confirm the phone is faulty, which I did during lunch time. The store rep compared my Z to another and said my is not normal but he cannot exchange it as I brought it from Sony Online store. I then phoned Sony again in the afternoon to arrange the phone to be exchanged.
The phone was picked up by DHL and delivered to Sony warehouse the next day (06/Mar) according to DHL online tracking.
Where trouble began:
I did not receive any communication from Sony after the phone was picked up, so after a week I phoned Sony again on 13/03. The rep told me a new phone is been processed and should be with me soon.
The after sell from Hell:
I phone Sony again today to check on the progress, and was told by another rep that the phone was in fact been repaired, and they are waiting for parts from Japan. There will be 1 to 2 weeks delay before I can get my phone back. I told her I asked my phone to be exchanged not repaired, also the under UK law, the phone should be replace as it is in 28 days purchase window. After holding for over 10 minutes for her to speak to the online team, she told the best they can do is once my phone gets back to me, I can then request to exchange with a new phone.
Needless to say I was not happy to wait until next month to have a new phone I paid over £500 for, I asked for a full refund and was transferred to another rep. I told the story of only used the Z for 3 days and don’t want to wait until next month to use the phone again, so I would like a refund. He told me I had 14 days to request for a refund and the deadline was yesterday. After 30 minutes try to get through to him the phone was in their hands 9 out of the 14 days and they messed up a simply exchange on a faulty phone. He agreed to give me a refund for the phone. However, the refund will not include the delivery cost I paid; I have to wait for the phone to be repaired and get back to me and have to pay the cost of sending the phone/headphones back to them.
In the end:
So after 4 days of owning a phone with manufacture defect, I will have to wait a month to get my money back and loss £50 in the process, never mind that I’ve already brought a Sony charge dock, Spigen slim glass screen cover and a case. In total I’m looking at £100 wasted.
This is my fist Sony phone, after this experience, it will be my last Sony product. Also I will recommend anyone to stay away from any Sony products from now on. Like most people here on XDA forum, we get lots of family members and friends asking us for buying advice on phones and electronics as we are consider geeks amount them. I’m aim to do as much damage to Sony as I personally can by steer people away from anything with a Sony logo on it.
I wish every Z owner best of luck with their phones and not have to dealing with Sony after sell support.
I will try to pick up a HTC One over the next few days, even if I dislike its navigation buttons, Sense 5 and lack of micro sd slot.
Yup, i was true loyal sony user, but they didnt show respect.
This year i aim onto htc one, and noone will buy sony cuz everyone ask my opinion.
Sent from my LT26i
to be honest, i find most online stores annoying when you have a problem.
Now, i just walk into carphone warehouse and order my phone in store. that way if i do have a problem with it, they will deal with it in store.
I've had enough issues with various phones from various companies in the past where I ordered online, and the store refuses to have anything to do with it.
So, whilst i may not get the best deal by ordering in store, by doing so, at least if i encounter a problem, i can go back to a store and they will do something about it!
though i don't agree with you making people avoid Sony products.
In my personal experience, my sony products last for years and years and years and always Just Work.
You just got unlucky.
deal with it.
I think the Z is a featherweight phone posing as a rugged phone, with weak build quality. My loud speaker is playing up after two weeks of owning the phone, so once it's been repaired, i'll be carefully choosing another product.
Sony Ericsson X10 - Awful
Sony PS3 - Awful
Sony Headphones - Awful
Sony Xperia z - A let down
Can't say i'll be purchasing a Sony device in the future or recommending them either.
Sorry about your experience with Sony online, but I have a completely different experience.
Bought an Xperia Z on contract via Phones 4 U online.
The first one wouldn't latch onto wifi. Spoke over phone with their technical team. Got it replaced at a nearby P4U store.
The second one wouldn't connect to GPS and also had battery issues. Ditto as above.
I think P4U might send them to Sony, but so far I have had a decent experience
I'll give you £10 for the dock
ram11 said:
Sorry about your experience with Sony online, but I have a completely different experience.
Bought an Xperia Z on contract via Phones 4 U online.
The first one wouldn't latch onto wifi. Spoke over phone with their technical team. Got it replaced at a nearby P4U store.
The second one wouldn't connect to GPS and also had battery issues. Ditto as above.
I think P4U might send them to Sony, but so far I have had a decent experience
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Click to collapse
So what good is in having 2 faulty phones in a row?
Yes P4U are ok but sony seems to be not better then htc or samsung.
All them sucks nowadays.
Sorry you had a bad experience, I very deliberately buy from Amazon and don't mind paying a little more just to get hassle free returns within 30 days( I.wasn't sure I would like the Xz so wanted the 30 day return option)
Sony can only get better and as Samsung have now realised, good hardware only gets a brand so far, good software support and after sales support are what gain customer loyalty.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
Just an update:
After more phone calls today. Sony agreed to refund me the full amount as soon as DHL picks up the headphones free of charge and deliver to them. To get this far, I had to bring both PayPal and my bank in to the dispute before Sony agreed to the full refund.
I decided to stick with the Z instead getting a HTC One, so brought a new but unwanted Z on eBay today.
To anyone reading this thread, the Xperia Z is an excellent phone which I highly recommend, just DON'T buy it from Sony Online UK.
After waiting over a month for my phone to be fixed I finally got my Z1 back in the mail last week. First off the phone has the motherboard replaced so a new IMEI was given. This was a problem as Sony said my unlock would remain. Now it's not unlocked and I am still waiting for a code from sony one week later! Next up the speaker grill was missing after receiving my phone. And finally to my discovery I have noticed today my front camera does not work. I take a look at the lens and what do you know, no front camera lens. After over 5 calls to sony complaining with still no luck, agents keep telling me "were working on your case". I keep getting nothing but empty promises from Sony along with the standard "you will hear from someone in 24-48 hours" (they of course never call and I end up having to call them.)
What do I do. It feels like a dog chasing its own tail. No progress, just spinning in circles.
khhhhris said:
After waiting over a month for my phone to be fixed I finally got my Z1 back in the mail last week. First off the phone has the motherboard replaced so a new IMEI was given. This was a problem as Sony said my unlock would remain. Now it's not unlocked and I am still waiting for a code from sony one week later! Next up the speaker grill was missing after receiving my phone. And finally to my discovery I have noticed today my front camera does not work. I take a look at the lens and what do you know, no front camera lens. After over 5 calls to sony complaining with still no luck, agents keep telling me "were working on your case". I keep getting nothing but empty promises from Sony along with the standard "you will hear from someone in 24-48 hours" (they of course never call and I end up having to call them.)
What do I do. It feels like a dog chasing its own tail. No progress, just spinning in circles.
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Where did you buy your Z1? Try to go to the store and ask for a replacement because of all the issues.
I wish. I bought the phone privately. Bell would not warranty me because I am not a Bell customer, so after 3 phone calls to Sony they decided to warranty my phone. After all, it is still a sony product.
krabappel2548 said:
Where did you buy your Z1? Try to go to the store and ask for a replacement because of all the issues.
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khhhhris said:
I wish. I bought the phone privately. Bell would not warranty me because I am not a Bell customer, so after 3 phone calls to Sony they decided to warranty my phone. After all, it is still a sony product.
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Oh, that's were the problem starts then.. You don't have a payment paper stuff (warranty sheet)?
What's wrong with your Z1 before sending it to Sony?
Sent from my SGP312 using Tapatalk
If you don't have paper and invoice you are lucky they even want to take it and do anything without paying them.
Of course, that's not the reason to do something like that but it's obviously results of a free repair
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
Had a proof or purchase from the last owner but It's just bell would not honor me because I am not part of their monopoly. Sony claims bell handles all c6906 warranties, but ended up getting a repair because of this bell would not honor my warranty. Sony didnt even need my receipt either (The phone hasn't been out for a year yet). The phone originally had issues with random shut offs, then eventually just would not turn back on.
khhhhris said:
Had a proof or purchase from the last owner but It's just bell would not honor me because I am not part of their monopoly. Sony claims bell handles all c6906 warranties, but ended up getting a repair because of this bell would not honor my warranty. Sony didnt even need my receipt either (The phone hasn't been out for a year yet). The phone originally had issues with random shut offs, then eventually just would not turn back on.
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Even if you aren't a Bell customer they have to help you in the first place. But like always it's ****ty when you buy a used device
Sent from my Xperia Neo using xda app-developers app
Previous owner knows the issue and probably sold it to you at a factor of price but not letting you know it. Sony repair centers are like lottery. Some are good and some are bad. They usually have contract with other companies to do their repair jobs.
I am not sure if Sony has repair center in Canada, but you can check the address you sent in on Google to see where it is.
Let fight to get it done right.
Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk
In Canada, Flextronics does the repair.
It was the typical brick.
Maybe I'm lucky that they gave me a new device instead
I had bought it privately and with no receipt - but warranty wasn't an issue.
I gave Sony support the IMEI number and they gave me an RMA number with instructions.
Instead of shipping it, I brought it to Flextronics in person since it isn't that far.
Sony uses serial number to check actual mfg date of their products (imei for phones). If it is within a warranty period, they don't ask you receipt. Otherwise, you will be asked even you just bought within a few months.
Sent from my SGP312 using Tapatalk
Ok, my story with Z3 Compact ended not even started.
Yes, I got lucky and my screen cracked on itself without any force.
And it looked well as sony accepted the phone in US service center even though it was bought in UK.
That's where fun part stops.
First joke is a turn around time. 14 business day for a simple repair. that is at least 3 weeks! Who can wait phone that long?
That means I have to buy a new one and send sony to ebay when and if I got it repaired.
My guess is that people would buy anything else than xperia they just got broken.
What a stupid way to loose customers. Apple store would replace phone in store or take little time to resolve issue for example.
So after 16 business days I called just to hear that part is on back-order with NO ETA!
Also I was told that its not US phone so I should not even expect it to be ready soon.
Nice Sony! Good way to treat your loyal customers.
Seems like my first and last xperia phone unfortunately....
So if you still deciding ... Look at the other phones, that are more rigid or at least have a proper warranty service for 2014.
SonyXperia US has much to catch up.
Sucks man. My screen hasn't cracked yet but if it does this will definitely be my last Sony product.
I hope it won't. I am ok with stuff breaking as soon as you have a good service to get out of the situation.
Sony did not make that easy. The worst part is that there are no more good compact phones around except of iphone and galaxy alpha. which are worse than z3c in many ways.
Sucks that you're phone-less for so long, although Sony is fixing it despite being bought in the UK, which is more than they're doing for some people. Maybe the fact that it's a UK model is why they're not treating the repair with more urgency.
Other than Apple, which other phone manufacturer will instantly replace an unlocked phone as part of the warranty? Normally this is handled through carriers or (if you're lucky) the authorized retailer, but even they usually don't offer the same instant service as Apple. It's why Apple stuff costs so much. Well, that and the fact that iSheep will blindly pay for anything Apple :laugh:
pipspeak said:
Sucks that you're phone-less for so long, although Sony is fixing it despite being bought in the UK, which is more than they're doing for some people. Maybe the fact that it's a UK model is why they're not treating the repair with more urgency.
Other than Apple, which other phone manufacturer will instantly replace an unlocked phone as part of the warranty? Normally this is handled through carriers or (if you're lucky) the authorized retailer, but even they usually don't offer the same instant service as Apple. It's why Apple stuff costs so much. Well, that and the fact that iSheep will blindly pay for anything Apple :laugh:
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For samsung, sony and all other manufacturers even if you pay premium price like note 4 for $700 and xperia Z3 $650 you get ****ty service. You wont get instant replacements what so ever.. No proper estimated ship dates, No proper customer support, No Earbuds bundled is what we pay for and seems you enjoy it more
demon_xxi said:
Ok, my story with Z3 Compact ended not even started.
Yes, I got lucky and my screen cracked on itself without any force.
And it looked well as sony accepted the phone in US service center even though it was bought in UK.
That's where fun part stops.
First joke is a turn around time. 14 business day for a simple repair. that is at least 3 weeks! Who can wait phone that long?
That means I have to buy a new one and send sony to ebay when and if I got it repaired.
My guess is that people would buy anything else than xperia they just got broken.
What a stupid way to loose customers. Apple store would replace phone in store or take little time to resolve issue for example.
So after 16 business days I called just to hear that part is on back-order with NO ETA!
Also I was told that its not US phone so I should not even expect it to be ready soon.
Nice Sony! Good way to treat your loyal customers.
Seems like my first and last xperia phone unfortunately....
So if you still deciding ... Look at the other phones, that are more rigid or at least have a proper warranty service for 2014.
SonyXperia US has much to catch up.
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feel your pain, going through the same thing:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/help/handtec-returns-t2919883
was really glad sony USA would do warranty repair for my phone.. although 14 business day turnaround time seemed like a lot (3 full weeks regularly), but ok. they never emailed me to say they received it - no emails for anything in fact. i had to chat with them to confirm they had received it. and then they returned it to me in about a week - shipped it out in under a week, actually. although i wouldn't have known it had i not seen the 2nd delivery attempt notice on my door. had they emailed me, i would've been looking out for it and had it a few days sooner.
all that's fine, it's their stipulated process and timing, i just could have used some communication throughout. but then comes the icing on the cake. they removed the SIM tray from the phone and sent it back to me without it. so my phone is useless as a phone for a week now, and i'm still waiting to get a replacement or hear anything about it. they've stopped responding to my daily follow-up emails.. the latest response i got had an order number of some kind but no idea where i can put it to check status (it's no retail order number or anything). no tracking. just a blurb that it may take 14 business days to send out a SIM tray to me. and here i thought when i called they'd be like "oh sh*t, we'll get one right out to you asap". but i had to go through this RMA process a second time in order for them to send this to me. i've now owned the phone for 6 weeks, and only 3 of those have i been able to use it. first experience with sony not going so well.
mohlsen8 said:
feel your pain, going through the same thing:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/help/handtec-returns-t2919883
was really glad sony USA would do warranty repair for my phone.. although 14 business day turnaround time seemed like a lot (3 full weeks regularly), but ok. they never emailed me to say they received it - no emails for anything in fact. i had to chat with them to confirm they had received it. and then they returned it to me in about a week - shipped it out in under a week, actually. although i wouldn't have known it had i not seen the 2nd delivery attempt notice on my door. had they emailed me, i would've been looking out for it and had it a few days sooner.
all that's fine, it's their stipulated process and timing, i just could have used some communication throughout. but then comes the icing on the cake. they removed the SIM tray from the phone and sent it back to me without it. so my phone is useless as a phone for a week now, and i'm still waiting to get a replacement or hear anything about it. they've stopped responding to my daily follow-up emails.. the latest response i got had an order number of some kind but no idea where i can put it to check status (it's no retail order number or anything). no tracking. just a blurb that it may take 14 business days to send out a SIM tray to me. and here i thought when i called they'd be like "oh sh*t, we'll get one right out to you asap". but i had to go through this RMA process a second time in order for them to send this to me. i've now owned the phone for 6 weeks, and only 3 of those have i been able to use it. first experience with sony not going so well.
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Click to collapse
Haha and they wonder why their sales are falling..
i bought their protection plan for $50.. 2 years covered and they will send me a loaner asap when i send my phone in for repair.
radiohead14 said:
i bought their protection plan for $50.. 2 years covered and they will send me a loaner asap when i send my phone in for repair.
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where did you get that for $50? online it says 79?
sravanz said:
where did you get that for $50? online it says 79?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
employee discount :good:
Where can I get the plan for at least 79? Can I get in in USA for phone I got from Clove?
I'm willing to pay for the plan as soon as it has accidental damage coverage. This is better than going with 3rd party warranty coverage.
Fond here http://store.sony.com/gsi/webstore/...le-Phones-Protection-PLUS-Standalone-Warranty
It says $59.99 + tax I assume.
Will check tomorrow if I can get it for the phone that already went to the service.
Really had no idea that sony has these extra plans for phones.
From my previous experience I had AHD warranty for 3yrs for my laptop from Sony Japan and they easily fixed all issues with shipment around the week even when there was a disaster going in Japan few years back. Japan service worked like a clock. They would also fix issues that I did not report. Just to replace components with fresh ones.
U guys are complaining because it took a week to get a phone not warranted in the usa to be fixed for free.... Try samsung or any unlocked, non apple phone and youll beg to go back to sony.
Oh and apple makes you pay for out of warranty repairs anyway. Like cracked screens.
The biggest joke is the screen cracked by itself. What's this Sony?
i had the back glass crack by itself here in the uk, sony repaired the device for free under warranty.1 week turn around time.
Just as a heads up, most decent credit cards give you an additional year of warrenty (on items costing up to $500) on purchases made with the card. This includes SonyRewards, which also provides 90 days accidental damage protection on purchases up to $500.
When I had a Samsung S4 Active I sent it twice for warranty repair. 2 weeks was normal turn around. Quit complaining.
Just to cool down the drama I see a UPS notification today that my phone is coming home.
I still think that 3 weeks is too much for screen repair. It takes less than a hour to replace it.
It would be ok if I have to wait 3 weeks for TV or Vacuum cleaner but its hard to survive without daily driver as a phone.
Good that I have dozens phones at home to use as a replacement, most people don't. I'm just saying that this is the way for Sony to loose customers.
For most it is better to go to Apple Store, PAY and get it fixed asap than look for a replacement phone, PAY for shipment and wait ... IMHO
Where Sony could improve even with current approach is bring more transparency and feedback. They have not notified me about receiving the phone nor about the backorder delays.
The simplest check my RMA status page would help a lot. I guess it is much more expensive to have staff answering phone calls and chat about RMA status. And all they can say - in progress or yes/no received.
The other way to improve is to start using quality glass and make more durable back for the phones
Meanwhile I started considering LG G2 or Nexus5 as a possible alternative. They are pretty old but still excellent phones. Also fragile though but less.
I feel your pain. I dropped my z3 compact here in the uk and cracked my screen. I sent it off to Sony mobile repair company in the uk and they said that it would take 14 days to come back. They quoted me £97.30 for the repair which is ok I guess, I mean i did drop it. After about a week thee website said that they had diagnosed the phone and it needed a new screen (genius) but that part was out of stock. What kind of repair service doesn't have replacement screens in stock, nice one Sony, how is this your official repairer?
I then found out that I had phone insurance through my work and for £50 I could get a new phone. So I decided to contact the repairer to cancel my repair and get my broken phone back. Despite ringing the repairer numerous times they wouldn't send it back even though every time I spoke to them they said it was in the process of being done. After 10 days I decided to contact Sony customer support and to be fair to them they got it sorted and had my phone back 4 days later. So i get a new z3 compact from my insurance company, and guess what the new phone's battery is ****ed. It drains like 25% every three hours and cant make it through a single day. So I'm back onto Sony and they say it needs to go off for repair. Yep, brilliant so i can wait another 10 days for you to tell me you don't have any parts in stock. So frustrating.
Blimey mate that's rough
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
Hello all,
Just wanted to share my experience with you all on how long it will take to get a Xperia Z3 TC model SGP 621 fixed/repaired.
When I purchased my tablet, since it is an international model, I had to buy it from the only shop in the NYC area that offered it. Which in itself is hard to believe since you can pretty much find anything in NYC, but in this case, only one shop had it (which shows how hard it is to obtain the Z3 with LTE capability).
So I purchased it and all was well. Was loving it, and using it, till one day, it just stopped working. I was using it fine, checking email, and reading news online, put it down, and when I came back about 30 mins later, it wouldn't turn on. I tried everything. Holding the power button for like 10 seconds. Power + Volume up button for 10 seconds. Connected the power cord. Everything. No response. Heck, even the charging light wouldn't come on, but the Z3TC would get warm to hot when plugged in.
I called Sony care from the number on their website, and explained to the tech what was going on. He emailed me a link to recovery software, and installed it on my Mac, and still, no response. Eventually, he determined I had to send it in to be evaluated/repaired. (Use this day of reference as day zero)
Here's were things go really bad. They told me they would send me a FedEx email label to have it shipped. After almost a week, still no email. I called, they said I cancelled my repair request (which I hadn’t), and then after complaining, he said he was going to get my label expedited. I actually got it the next day, and shipped the tablet out to them the next day. (Day 7)
I used the tracking number, and confirmed that they received it on day 11. I waited an extra week to hear back from them if they started working on it. Nothing. Waited another 5 days, nothing. I finally call them, and they inform me that they haven’t received nothing, but since their repair services has been closed for almost 2 weeks due to the holidays, they have a huge backlog and it’s probably in there. So now I wait again. Finally on around day 30 (after calling, because they don’t contact you), I am told that it has been received, and they are going to work on it. After about another week, I call back. They say there is a problem, and waiting for the parts, but to be patient. I wait another week.
I call again, they say they repaired it and are awaiting final paperwork. I am really happy. I ask what the problem was, they say they have no information, but that it was fixed, and that they are going to ship it back to me as soon as the paperwork is ready. I say ok, and wait another 4-5 days. Finally I call back, and the guy says that they haven’t done any work to my tablet, and were waiting for me to call them back and let them know what I wanted to be done.
*PAUSE*
By now, it’s been like day 49 since my tablet stopped working. It’s going on a month and a half. Note: this is my phone. It’s now been in repair more than twice as long as I’ve had it. I am beyond livid at this point, and believe I have been MORE than patient and understanding in being given the run around.
At this point, and having a verbal back and forth with the 6 or 7th tech I’ve talked to in the past 6 weeks, he suggests I speak to his supervisor.
I start speaking to his supervisor Jerry in customer relations, and we started going at it too. The long and short of it was this. He said they couldn’t give me the same tablet I own, (the SGP 621) because it is an LTE/international model. So what they could do is offer me the U.S. variant (the SGP 612) that was only WIFI capable. I told him this is unacceptable It would be like me buying a premium version of a car, it stops working, I go to the dealer, and they offer me an inferior model, even though I paid heavily for the premium one. After more going back and forth, he told me in order to get it serviced, I would need to contact United Arab Emirates, because that’s apparently where my phone was imported from.
After going back and forth, I asked him why I wasn’t told that in the first place, instead of wasting almost 7 weeks on back and forth with Sony North America? He informed me that, “As a starting point and courtesy, Sony North America has to try to fix and it first.
I was flabbergasted. I was shocked on why they would even need to attempt to fix something, they knew they could never fix. He again repeated it was a courtesy. After this circular argument, I told him FedEx me my phone back. I want it on my desk by tomorrow. Now that I have wasted all this time. At this point I was very angry. And he said he would try to get it back to me by the next day, and he had to call the repair center and bla bla bla. I told him to call them, and we hung up.
The next day, expecting to see my tablet, there was nothing. I was going to call back by the end of the day, but instead Jerry called me back. He informed me that there was good news. That Sony had found the parts, and were going to fix my tablet for me and ship it back to me.
Finally! Good news! I was very happy and pleased by this point. And he told me I should get it soon. I waited about 4 days, and finally a package from FedEx arrived. When I opened it, to my amazement, it was a brand new Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact SGP 621. Shockingly, it was a demo U.S. variant!
First off, I didn’t even know Sony made U.S. Variants of international devices, but this one was totally legit. I was sooooo happy. I tried to write him a letter to give to his boss and team, but unfortunately, I never heard back from him. I told him to send me his email address, and I would have gladly sent a letter for him and his staff to be recognized for their efforts.
After almost 2 months (8 weeks) since this whole debacle started, I finally had my phone/tablet back.
I left out a lot of parts to this story, but this is the jist of it. The long and short of it is this. If you buy an international model of their products, and it breaks or something goes wrong, be ready to wait for it to be serviced (if it can even be serviced). It’s very possible, and likely, that Jerry went above and beyond the call of duty by contacting people high up in the food chain, to get me a rare demo unit that is not available (if ever). In general, if you buy a phone/tablet/whatever from another country, be ready. It is going to be EXTREMELY difficult, if even possible.
In the end, I am very grateful to Jerry, and his efforts. But I think that Sony should have a better system in place for getting you to the right people you need soon, in order to get you back up and running. If it wasn’t for Jerry, I’d still be in limbo trying to find a way to call UAE, and most of all, overcoming the language barrier and even trying to set up a method or way for them to service my broken phone.
Wow, almost 2 months. I would have thought US had better customer support for such things. In my country if they can't get it fixed in 1 month you can ask your money back or a new product.
You were very patient with them, I probably would have called every 2 days.
I had a similar experience in getting my xperia z2 repaired last year for a broken magnetic charging port. It was 2 months of me calling them every week. At first it was waiting for parts, then it was repaired and awaiting paperwork, then it was they cant fix it because its a model intended for taiwan. Finally after a lot of escalation they sent me a an international model replacement. Whole process took 2.5 months when they quoted 8 business days originally. And Yes I gave them my IMEI on the inital phone call and verified with the person that sony USA could service it. Sort of a bitter sweet exp overall, mostly bitter
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
tonysunshine said:
I had a similar experience in getting my xperia z2 repaired last year for a broken magnetic charging port. It was 2 months of me calling them every week. At first it was waiting for parts, then it was repaired and awaiting paperwork, then it was they cant fix it because its a model intended for taiwan. Finally after a lot of escalation they sent me a an international model replacement. Whole process took 2.5 months when they quoted 8 business days originally. And Yes I gave them my IMEI on the inital phone call and verified with the person that sony USA could service it. Sort of a bitter sweet exp overall, mostly bitter
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was it fixed under warranty? Was your product an import?
Sent from my SGP621 using XDA Free mobile app
Yes it was an import. Bought off ebay. And eventually they agreed to replace it under warranty. Took quite a few angry phone calls though
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
AirBruce said:
Hello all,
Just wanted to share my experience with you all on how long it will take to get a Xperia Z3 TC model SGP 621 fixed/repaired.
When I purchased my tablet, since it is an international model, I had to buy it from the only shop in the NYC area that offered it. Which in itself is hard to believe since you can pretty much find anything in NYC, but in this case, only one shop had it (which shows how hard it is to obtain the Z3 with LTE capability).
So I purchased it and all was well. Was loving it, and using it, till one day, it just stopped working. I was using it fine, checking email, and reading news online, put it down, and when I came back about 30 mins later, it wouldn't turn on. I tried everything. Holding the power button for like 10 seconds. Power + Volume up button for 10 seconds. Connected the power cord. Everything. No response. Heck, even the charging light wouldn't come on, but the Z3TC would get warm to hot when plugged in.
I called Sony care from the number on their website, and explained to the tech what was going on. He emailed me a link to recovery software, and installed it on my Mac, and still, no response. Eventually, he determined I had to send it in to be evaluated/repaired. (Use this day of reference as day zero)
Here's were things go really bad. They told me they would send me a FedEx email label to have it shipped. After almost a week, still no email. I called, they said I cancelled my repair request (which I hadn’t), and then after complaining, he said he was going to get my label expedited. I actually got it the next day, and shipped the tablet out to them the next day. (Day 7)
I used the tracking number, and confirmed that they received it on day 11. I waited an extra week to hear back from them if they started working on it. Nothing. Waited another 5 days, nothing. I finally call them, and they inform me that they haven’t received nothing, but since their repair services has been closed for almost 2 weeks due to the holidays, they have a huge backlog and it’s probably in there. So now I wait again. Finally on around day 30 (after calling, because they don’t contact you), I am told that it has been received, and they are going to work on it. After about another week, I call back. They say there is a problem, and waiting for the parts, but to be patient. I wait another week.
I call again, they say they repaired it and are awaiting final paperwork. I am really happy. I ask what the problem was, they say they have no information, but that it was fixed, and that they are going to ship it back to me as soon as the paperwork is ready. I say ok, and wait another 4-5 days. Finally I call back, and the guy says that they haven’t done any work to my tablet, and were waiting for me to call them back and let them know what I wanted to be done.
*PAUSE*
By now, it’s been like day 49 since my tablet stopped working. It’s going on a month and a half. Note: this is my phone. It’s now been in repair more than twice as long as I’ve had it. I am beyond livid at this point, and believe I have been MORE than patient and understanding in being given the run around.
At this point, and having a verbal back and forth with the 6 or 7th tech I’ve talked to in the past 6 weeks, he suggests I speak to his supervisor.
I start speaking to his supervisor Jerry in customer relations, and we started going at it too. The long and short of it was this. He said they couldn’t give me the same tablet I own, (the SGP 621) because it is an LTE/international model. So what they could do is offer me the U.S. variant (the SGP 612) that was only WIFI capable. I told him this is unacceptable It would be like me buying a premium version of a car, it stops working, I go to the dealer, and they offer me an inferior model, even though I paid heavily for the premium one. After more going back and forth, he told me in order to get it serviced, I would need to contact United Arab Emirates, because that’s apparently where my phone was imported from.
After going back and forth, I asked him why I wasn’t told that in the first place, instead of wasting almost 7 weeks on back and forth with Sony North America? He informed me that, “As a starting point and courtesy, Sony North America has to try to fix and it first.
I was flabbergasted. I was shocked on why they would even need to attempt to fix something, they knew they could never fix. He again repeated it was a courtesy. After this circular argument, I told him FedEx me my phone back. I want it on my desk by tomorrow. Now that I have wasted all this time. At this point I was very angry. And he said he would try to get it back to me by the next day, and he had to call the repair center and bla bla bla. I told him to call them, and we hung up.
The next day, expecting to see my tablet, there was nothing. I was going to call back by the end of the day, but instead Jerry called me back. He informed me that there was good news. That Sony had found the parts, and were going to fix my tablet for me and ship it back to me.
Finally! Good news! I was very happy and pleased by this point. And he told me I should get it soon. I waited about 4 days, and finally a package from FedEx arrived. When I opened it, to my amazement, it was a brand new Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact SGP 621. Shockingly, it was a demo U.S. variant!
First off, I didn’t even know Sony made U.S. Variants of international devices, but this one was totally legit. I was sooooo happy. I tried to write him a letter to give to his boss and team, but unfortunately, I never heard back from him. I told him to send me his email address, and I would have gladly sent a letter for him and his staff to be recognized for their efforts.
After almost 2 months (8 weeks) since this whole debacle started, I finally had my phone/tablet back.
I left out a lot of parts to this story, but this is the jist of it. The long and short of it is this. If you buy an international model of their products, and it breaks or something goes wrong, be ready to wait for it to be serviced (if it can even be serviced). It’s very possible, and likely, that Jerry went above and beyond the call of duty by contacting people high up in the food chain, to get me a rare demo unit that is not available (if ever). In general, if you buy a phone/tablet/whatever from another country, be ready. It is going to be EXTREMELY difficult, if even possible.
In the end, I am very grateful to Jerry, and his efforts. But I think that Sony should have a better system in place for getting you to the right people you need soon, in order to get you back up and running. If it wasn’t for Jerry, I’d still be in limbo trying to find a way to call UAE, and most of all, overcoming the language barrier and even trying to set up a method or way for them to service my broken phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, had something like this with the z ultra. It wouldnt charge at different angles but they said since it was imported, they arent responsible for it (think i had something like this with a samsung device too). This is why I have insurance with worth ave grou o(google them, legit, i've legit used the warranty for some very expensive repairs and they've always come through just read the fine print carefully) they wont fix mechanical breakdown but they do cover accidental damage so...
Motherf... well, as well as Sony has learned from Apple's pricing, they could certainly learn a little fruity customer service too.
What does surprise me is that they actually try and repair those gadgets. I think it'd just be cheaper for any manufacturer to simply ship a new/refurb one to you after confirming a shopstopper defect and be done with it.