Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 Hi, I posted a while back about my speaker dying on my imate JAMin. I tried all the usual things, soft/hard reset, upgraded firmware to latest, played with headset socket but none worked. I have come to the conclusion the external speaker is fecked (it works okay with the headset in and you can hear the caller on the internal speaker). I contacted imate UKs repair company, S.B.E Ltd, and asked about returning the unit for a warranty repair. Initially it was going to be a courier pickup which as I work mon to fri 9-5 it was a no go (I can't get it delivered to work). I contacted them again and they were quick to reply and are now sending out a pre paid jiffy bag for the unit. I intend to keep this thread updated to let you all see how effective (hopefully very) the warranty set up is in the UK. Feel free to post any of your own experiences on this thread. I am just hoping it is not going to be drawn out saga as it will be pain not having my JAMin. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 Phone sent to SBE Ltd special delivery today. So far so good, arranged for Special Delivery bag to be sent out when requested. Good comms on the email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 15, 2006 Report Share Posted May 15, 2006 (edited) Hi, Well we are almost a week in (since the date my JAMin arrived at the Service Centre) and no news. I have tried today to contact them by phone but when you select your option from the automated system you don't get an answer (tried 3 times, about 10 minutes each time). I did have direct email contact with a David Cheers at SBE when I was arranging to have the phone uplifted and he answered my emails quickly. I have asked him for an update twice but with no joy. I have emailed their firm email address (the other guy may be on holiday I guess) and asked for an update. Will try the phone again tomorrow but I hate companies who have these automated systems with no one to answer your call at the other end!! Regards Edited May 15, 2006 by spangelsaregreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 17, 2006 Report Share Posted May 17, 2006 Well still no reply from the email. This is really irritating that they do not even acknowledge your email. I know these things can take a bit of time but the could at least let you know how long. I have tried phoning numerous time and you just stay on hold with no indication if there is queue. If there is nothing by tomorrow will try a fax as this appears to be the only method (short of going to their office) of getting in contact with them. Not impressed at all. To all the UK Prophet owners I hope your devices hold together cause imates warranty partners ain't very good. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 Finally got through to them on the phone and they said it was still with their technician who was waiting on a part. No timescale for this though. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 (edited) Hi, After the phone call I was expecting an email confirming the status and giving me a timescale later that day (that is what they said anyway). This has not been forthcoming so sent another email pointing out it was the third time I had emailed them with no response. I also copied imate support into the email (it came back as undelivered from SBE own email but I have forwarded it onto their postmaster as requested by the mail server). Well, I got an email from imate themselved today apolgising for the lack of contact and advising me they had contacted the service centre direct. At least imate themselves are willing to reply to emails. Hopefully this will at least get me an email so I know how long it will be before I get my JAMin back....12days and counting. Regards Edited May 21, 2006 by spangelsaregreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pondrew Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 sounds like you've had a tough time of it. Good luck and do keep us updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I don't have a huge problem maybe having to wait a couple of weeks to get it repaired. It is a new device so it may take time for service centres to get up to speed. However, it is the complete lack of contact that is annoying. I am lucky that I don't really need my device for work and I can get by with my old T610. Hopefully imate will move things along. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Winged Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Finally got through to them on the phone and they said it was still with their technician who was waiting on a part. No timescale for this though. Regards HI Spangles, Can one send the JaMin for repairs straight to the Imate factory , instead going through the dealer? I just bought a Qtek S200, 4 days, I am thiking to exchange it with the JaMin, because there is Imate support. The camera does not work, I even tried to reinstall the rom, still the camera did not work. From Winged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 HI Spangles, Can one send the JaMin for repairs straight to the Imate factory , instead going through the dealer? I just bought a Qtek S200, 4 days, I am thiking to exchange it with the JaMin, because there is Imate support. The camera does not work, I even tried to reinstall the rom, still the camera did not work. From Winged Hi, Certainly in the UK you send it direct to a company called SBE who are based in Kent and carry out all imates warranty work. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest iainmann Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 You should be able to track your repair on their website www.sbe-ltd.co.uk but didn't work for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Thanks for that. Didn't work for me either, can't say I am surprised!! Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Hi, Got a couple of emails from imate's Technical Support team advising me the delay in the return of my JAMin has been due to shortage of parts. However the Service Centre has now got the parts and my JAMin should be fixed and dispatched on Thursday!! I have still never had any reply direct from the Service Centre but at least is shows imate themselves do keep up good comms. Of course will still need to see if it actually turns up. Fingers crossed. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Surprise, surprise my JAMin did not turn up today!! Angry email has been sent to iMate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 29, 2006 Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 Well, its now Monday and still no sign of my phone. Also iMate are now not answering my emails after appearing so helpful last week. Seriously pissed off now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chucky.egg Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Jeez, 22 days since you sent it. Not looking good TBH, I don't know what I'd have to do to get by that long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 (edited) Got another email from imate support apologising and stating they would "escalate" the situation with the person resposible. I hope this is w**k speak for kicking a bit of butt. Probably not though, so I feel an abusive phone call to the service centre is perhaps required, if I can get through that is!! Edited May 30, 2006 by spangelsaregreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coolcatshaft Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 When I sent mine to them after the speaker dying I had a 2 week turnaround, communication was poor though. lately the screen alignment has been acting up and the screen randomly turns unresponsive for a few seconds, but after reading your experiences I am dreading sending it back to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Finally got through to the Service Centre today and they advised me that it had been shipped today. I have confirmed with Royal Mail that this is the case and it should be delivered tomorrow. So hopefully will be up and running by this time tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 (edited) :) Pull up a chair this is a long one!! Well the postie turned up this moring with a Special Delivery package which contained my box and an iMate JAMin. Finally I hear you all cry. A quick check of the repair sheet showed the busted speaker had been fixed and a new screen had been fitted (not sure why it was fine). However, after some intial jubilation it all began to go Pete Tong when I realised that the device was set to Spanish Language. Okay, not a biggie but strange all the same. I was about to start the long road to reinstalling the device when I noticed some small chip marks on the casing that were not there before. After a long intake of breath I thought it has been almost a month, do I really want the stress of sending it back. The marks were barely noticible but it still angered me. Then I saw the call end and start buttons. They are SILVER. Mine were BLACK. What the fu...... I then checked the IMEI no and found it was different from mine. I had been sent someone elses phone!!!! I phoned SBE and to my surprise they answered almost straight away. I explained the problem to the guy on the phone and he started to tell me the difference in the IMEIs was down to a new motherboard being fitted to my phone. I told him the repair note didn't mention this and when I told him about the marks and the buttons he checked their system. He told me that this phone appeared to belong to some Spanish dude. That explains the language thing then. He apologised profusly and told me he would send out a Special Devliery bag to return the device. He said the manager would phone me back shortly to sort out the mess. However it was the same guy who phoned me back and began to go on about the IMEI change again being due to the new motherboard. I was very calm and told him it was crap it was all due to this mix up in the phones at which point he just said he would send me the Special Delivery bag. This now of course means that they are unlikely to get the phone back until Tuesday at the earliest. So no JAMin for at least another week. I am so pissed off. I have emailed iMate and detailed all of the above and told them I want a new JAMin as a replacement. This has gone on too long. Regards Edited June 1, 2006 by spangelsaregreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fluffcat1 Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 OMG...please post this in the 'we hate SBE' thread here: http://www.modaco.com/index.php?showtopic=241465&hl= and consider contacting trading standards. I'm sure you'll let i-mate know directly. :) Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 Well no reply from imate re my complaint email and no word from SBE. Phoned SBE and spoke to a female who knew nothing of the problems and was unable to shed any light on the situation (this was late afternoon and the device had been delivered mid morning). It was still shown as awaiting return. She said her supervisor would phone me, but they never did and I also asked for an email updating me on the situation but did not get that either. Might phone trading standards to see if I can go back to Expansys and lay the problems at their door. By the time this get sorted out all you guys will be using Pocket PCs built into your heads or something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chucky.egg Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 [prays his device never needs fixing] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 (edited) Hi, Phoned SBE again today and finally managed to speak with the customer services manager. He was not really able to shed any further light on the matter but agreed to get the problems resolved ASAP. I specifically asked him to update me by the end of the day which he did with an email. In this he stated that my device had been shipped back to me (Yeah). However, he makes mention of some "confusion over the sourcing of the exchange unit" and that the IMEI of the phone I had been shipped originally was the correct one ment for my phone. He does not, however, clarify if this mainboard has now been fitted to my phone or whether he is simply shipped the same device back to me (not good). Also he speaks of getting the unit refurbished in relation to the marks I highlighted to him on the device which was initially shipped to me. I did this to make it plain it was NOT my device. I am sincerely hope that he does not expect me to accept the same unit back just because he has had the casing tarted up!! I am going to phone him first thing tomorrow to clarify exactly what he means in his email as I will not see what has been delivered to me until tomorrow evening. I would like to say I am optimistic that it will all be sorted by this time tomorrow but experience this far suggest this may be misplaced. Fingers crossed. Edited June 6, 2006 by spangelsaregreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spangelsaregreat Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 Hi, Well phoned my new friend at SBE today to clarify what they had done (the device had been delivered by this point but I was at work). To cut a long story short they appear to have installed the PCB/Main board for my machine in the wrong case. Unfortunately they don't know now where my original case has gone (I am assuming it has been sent to someone else). So faced with this they installed the PCB/Main board in a new case and dispatched it to me. I arrived home and was able to confirm this so I now have what is in effect a new phone (new case and new PCB Main board). I have just finished reinstalling it and it seems to work okay. Obviously it will take a day or two to settle in and for me give it full test but it looks promising. So after just under one month and a lot of effort (mostly on my part) I have a functioning device. Overall I would have to say SBE Ltd are pretty poor. They do not keep in contact with you, are very slow to react to problems and require a lot of hassling to get them to work. Imate really need to look at them and seriously consider changing to a more reliable repair service. I certainly would not be happy if I had to send my device back to them. Imate themselves are not to bad on the comms front. They have answered all my emails (though with about a day and a half delay). They, however, don't appear to have really chased the repair centre. Most of the resolution of this problem has been due to me sticking to my guns and being persistant about SBE fixing the problems. It is unfortunate because at the end of the day I have a fully working device fixed under warranty. It just should not be this hard to get this result especially when I have only used the device for two months. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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