Mobile Warranties

Hi Boys and Girls,

My BlackBerry finally bit the dust... within warranty period. Vodafone sent the handset off to repair. The service centre inform me they will not repair/replace the handset due to there being 'physical damage' on it. Said 'physical damage' may have been the result of me dropping the phone about 18 months ago... which is 18 months before the phone decided to not switch on.

So it's like your gearbox blowing up 6 months after purchasing the car, and Holden telling you they won't cover it under warranty because your rear bar has a dent in it????

Any advice here?

How bad is the damage and what is the fault? If it is a fault that can be related to dropping it I'm not sure what would happen there.

Can they prove that the fault is related to the damage? If not. I'd be seeking advice from fair trading...

Or go through insurance if u have it.. but make it clear to Vodafone that they can stick it where the sun don't shine and go elsewhere. Its amazing how these places dont care for their customer base. No wonder Apple have been crowned for their exceptional customer service, because no one else gives a shit but them!!

Their claim is they will not repair/replace any handset if there is physical damage on it, period... even if it's completely unrelated to the reason why you've sent it off for repair (in this case, the BB being bricked - not switching on/trying to reboot itself).

My understanding of warranty claims is that if said issue was DUE to dropping/damaging the phone, then it voids the warranty... but let's not go there because I don't have any more steam left to blow :mad2:

EDIT: the physical damage is a scratch/dent on the chrome casing of the phone.

is that stated clearly in the warranty documentation? what they are doing doesnt seem right and they are definitely going the right way to lose their customer base!

Taken from BlackBerry's 'Handheld Limited Warranty':

"This Limited Warranty does not apply to normal wear and tear or if any component of the BlackBerry hardware is opened or repaired by someone not authorized by RIM, and does not cover repair or replacement of any BlackBerry Hardware damaged by: misuse, moisture or liquids, proximity or exposure to heat, accident, abuse, neglect, misapplication, or defects due to repairs or modifications made by anyone other than RIM. This Limited Warranty does not cover physical damage to the surface of the BlackBerry Hardware, including cracks or scratches on the LCD screen."

It's in there, but not common knowledge and is rather unethical.

Sounds like you might need to cut your losses and change phones :(

Sounds like normal wear n tear to me... So long as the screen aint cracked & covers still attached, they aint got a case to refuse you...

Contact the TIO (Telecomunications Ombudsman) they'll gladly assist in getting u a new handset... :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AfterBurner

Sounds like normal wear n tear to me... So long as the screen aint cracked & covers still attached, they aint got a case to refuse you...

Contact the TIO (Telecomunications Ombudsman) they'll gladly assist in getting u a new handset... :)

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Yep, a friend referred me to these guys today. Already lodged a complaint, looking forward to a new handset ;)