Returning faulty SF after > 6 months

[Guest Borderland]

A SF I bought last October has been replaced twice. The last time was in mid Jan. Another fault appeared (screen is blank), so I took it back on Monday having checked that last time it was replaced I had a full 6 months replacement warranty. I got the store to check this again and they confirmed with their support desk this was the case. A replacement was scheduled for delivery today, but never arrived. I contacted the store, who chased it up to be told that I bought the phone over 6 months ago and the last replacement was more than 3 months ago, so they won't replace it! No phone call to tell me, just left me waiting in all day. :)

Has anyone else had a replacement in similar circumstances?

I've written a complaint, but they seem such an incompetent company I doubt I'll get much joy unless I take further action.

The store gave me a URL (http://repairmob.com/) and washed their hands of it. I see there is a £17 handling charge + postage + insurance and you end up with a repaired phone with 30 days warranty. Now that's certainly not what I was told on purchase. :rolleyes:

[Guest kd80]

A SF I bought last October has been replaced twice. The last time was in mid Jan. Another fault appeared (screen is blank), so I took it back on Monday having checked that last time it was replaced I had a full 6 months replacement warranty. I got the store to check this again and they confirmed with their support desk this was the case. A replacement was scheduled for delivery today, but never arrived. I contacted the store, who chased it up to be told that I bought the phone over 6 months ago and the last replacement was more than 3 months ago, so they won't replace it! No phone call to tell me, just left me waiting in all day. :)

Has anyone else had a replacement in similar circumstances?

I've written a complaint, but they seem such an incompetent company I doubt I'll get much joy unless I take further action.

The store gave me a URL (http://repairmob.com/) and washed their hands of it. I see there is a £17 handling charge + postage + insurance and you end up with a repaired phone with 30 days warranty. Now that's certainly not what I was told on purchase. :rolleyes:

I thought the phone came with a one year warranty? If I was you, I'd get on the phone to Orange Customer Services and tell them (they should be able to determine your phone is less than a year old). Then state the problem and they should be more than happy to replace it!

[Guest ShahinTehShiz]

I thought the phone came with a one year warranty? If I was you, I'd get on the phone to Orange Customer Services and tell them (they should be able to determine your phone is less than a year old). Then state the problem and they should be more than happy to replace it!

Someone told me that Orange provide the warranty through them for 6 months, and then they pass you on to another company after that for the remaining 6 months :/

[Guest jonnyboy93]

Hi

I have just been through this whole process, as my San Francisco developed a faulty power button after 7 months.

I had no luck through going into a shop, and the people on 450 were not particularly helpful, and directed me to repairmob, where you had to pay £17. Also, if repairmob then find no fault, they charge you £15 to get your phone back. After several phone calls, I followed the process here Orange Complaints. Basically I told them I wanted a replacement phone, and that having to spend £17 on an Orange branded phone that I got in an Orange shop was not acceptable. A few days later I got a call from someone at orange who arranged to do a phone swap where a new one is delivered to me and the old one picked up at the same time. They could arrange to do this any day of the week (including sunday) between either 9-1, 1-5 or 6-10pm.

Hope that helps you out!

[Guest baddogshuck]

I bought a PAYG SF from an Orange shop 7-8 months ago, a couple of weeks back the proximity sensor failed. Rang 450, not expecting much joy but got through to a very helpful chap at Orange who arranged a next-day swap via courier. He seemed suprised the system let him do a swap after six months and mentioned that buying it directly from Orange might have helped matters. Got a refurb OLED unit with the latest firmware on it. Happy :)

[Guest captain.dogendo]

I bought my SF in Nov '10 and now the screen is faulty. I spent most of last week on the phone and visiting the orange shop where I bought the phone.

The first girl said because I'm no longer an Orange customer I need to fax my receipt to her then she would arrange a replacement. So I did. I tried to call her back a number of times and she wasn't available.

One girl on the Orange customer care line told me I'm not an Orange customer (i'm using a Tesco SIM now) and she would not help me. I said obviously I am an Orange customer because I bought an Orange branded product from and Orange shop. I asked to speak to a supervisor, she said there weren't any, I said transfer me to the complaints dept. she said there isn't one! The she cut me off.

I sent an email to Orange customer services. They obviously didn't even read it and sent me a standard reply.

So at the end of the week I went back to the Orange shop and they fobbed me off with that same repairmob website. I havn't even been to the site yet. Its BS. I think I'll call Orange customer care again later today and kick up a fuss!

[Guest sambartle]

It's shouldnt be too difficult to get it fixed.

If you bought it from Orange in October all you need to do is march down to a store.. and demand they sort it out.

Within a year its a legal requirement that they resolve the problem, they can fix it, replace it or get it repaired.. they can do this themselves, through an agent, or via the manufacturer.. but its legally thier responsibility.

Your contract is with the people who sold you it and no one else.

Dont accept thier bullshit.. kick up a fuss in the store.. if you can get there when its busy thats even better as they wont want an irate customer annoying potential customers.

If you cant resolve it give Consumer Direct or your local trading standards a call.. they will be able to advise how to force orange to sort it.

Edited July 19, 2011 by sambartle

[Guest finbaar]

I will say that this sounds better than what Tesco offered me with my second OSF purchaced from there store. They only offer a replacement within 28 days. Mine was faulty after 30 days and they tried to repair it but sent it back faulty again. I did get a replacement in the end from the shop though.

As for the legality of the situation. A product is expected to last a "reasonable" amount of time. What reasonable means is pretty much open to interpretation. What the seller (not manufacturer) must do is offer a replacement or repair (or refund). In practice this means in the first 6 months a fault is held to have been present in the device during manufacture and it is up to the shop to prove otherwise – i.e. you have dropped it etc. After 6 months but inside the guarantee it gets a bit woolly but really it is then up to the buyer to prove the fault was inherent and not down to misuse.

Orange have obviously interpreted this to within in 6 months – new phone, after 6 months repair and if the repairer discovers you are at fault then I have no doubt they will charge you.

If I was you OP I would know the legal situation (i.e. don’t take my word for it). Then providing your phone is in good condition, so it looks like you have cared for it, then go to the shop and ask to see the manager. Explain how impressed you have been at the good service you have received from Orange in the past with the two replacements and that how much better this has been when compared to the problems you had with Three (just make up a simple story here as no one will disbelieve a negative tale about those clowns). Show them how loved and cared for your phone is and ask them if they think it has been misused. Then ask for your replacement. Might work but you wont get anywhere by shouting.

Edited July 19, 2011 by finbaar

[Guest sambartle]

6 months as a 'reasonable time' from orange is stupid..

A great counter argument to support this is that on contract Orange now love to sell 2 year contracts.. which shows that they themselves feel a phone should last that long.. Personally I think thats very short.. ive got phone 12 years old still working fine. Ive never had one fail yet that I havent dropped or mistreated.

Its pretty generally accepted that 1 year is the minimum reasonable time period on most electronics.. (based on most manufacturer warranties being that long i suspect), phones shoudl be no different..

Edited July 19, 2011 by sambartle

[Guest ColdEmbrace]

I have to say that the talk about 6months replace and final 6 months repair seems right, i buy most electronical goods from argos and if an item is less than 6 months old they replace it presuming that the fault doesn't seem obviously yours. After 6 months they send it for repair.

[Guest captain.dogendo]

Orange have offered to repair but at a charge to me of 17GBP. Plus if the repairer decides the fault was caused by something external then there is a further 15GBP charge. I think thats unreasonable.

I am worried that if I do send my SF that they will find Clockworkmod installed and tell me I have voided the warranty. Then I'll still have a knackered phone and a bill for 32GBP - a third of the price of the phone...

[Guest wbaw]

If you're sure that you didn't cause the fault, ask Orange if they want you to get an independent engineers report (at their expense) to show that it is a manufacturing defect. If you can prove it is due to a manufacturing defect, then you're entitled to a new one. Before 6 months they have to prove that you broke it.

[Guest geezerone]

I have to say that the talk about 6months replace and final 6 months repair seems right, i buy most electronical goods from argos and if an item is less than 6 months old they replace it presuming that the fault doesn't seem obviously yours. After 6 months they send it for repair.

I bought my second OSF directly from Orange as there was generally a better chance of replacement than with Argos. I had my first OSF go faulty with poor wifi and they didn't even offer replacement - was straight to repair (took about 2 weeks). When the repair made no difference I got a refund as no stock there. Seems to be a matter of who is serving you as to what they will do for you. Shame they don't make this clear when selling the goods.

[Guest Cobble]

Having to deal with these people myself atm.

San Fran isn't charging right, or holding charge when it does finally reach 100%. Been tested with 3 different batteries and all have the same results - a very hot phone and 2 hours stand-by time.

Took it to the Orange shop this morning and got fobbed off with a Repairmob business card as 10 months had passed since purchase. Took it to another branch this afternoon and got them to call customer services to see what could be done. After a good 15 mins, they took my details and fobbed me off with another Repairmob card.

I've no real problems sending the phone to Repairmob as they couldn't be any worse than dealing with the network or OEM, BUT there's no frigging way I'm handing over £17 for them to look at my phone. I bought it from an Orange shop, so they can deal with it.

I'll be visiting Belfast City Councils consumer advice office over the next few days to see what they think.

[Guest Borderland]

After a month of dealing with the most incompetent company on Earth I finally received a replacement today. The story is far too long and full of unbelievably stupid people who have about as much knowledge of what customer service is as Mr. Bean has of comedy to bore you with.

My store manager was very helpful, it's just a shame about all the other idiots.

Once I've got over the hassle I will formulate how to go about making a complaint to the ombudsman. Orange took 3 weeks to reply to my complaint and then just fobbed it off to the branch.

Did I mention that they are all incompetents?!!!