Mobile Phone advice

[Virgo's Haircut]

Hi guys,

Just wondering if any of you know where I stand on this...

Have a Samsung Galaxy S3 on Orange/EE.

On New Years day I took it in to the EE Store in Western Rd as it wouldn't switch on. They sent it away to the repair centre.

I still haven't got it back 28 days later. When I call them, I keep getting different excuses, waiting for parts, we have lots of S3's to fix. It'll be ready tomorrow etc. All bollocks.

I have phoned Orange, and all they say is I have to wait, and there is nothing I can do.

Surely 28 days is long enough to expect a phone to be fixed? Can I get out of my contract, or threaten to unless the phone is returned, or they give me a replacement? The phone is only 6 months old, so it's well in warranty.

Cheers for any advice.

 

[jackanada]

Definitely unacceptable. Sure someone else will remember and post the appropriate legislation.

Meantime nothing beats going into the shop and making a nice loud scene. Just stand in the middle and make your complaint loudly so that everyone can hear you but to no-one in particular. Within seconds of your freaking out the new customers they are trying to attract someone competent should magically appear to appease you. Don't leave until you have a working S3 or equivalent in your hand.

 

[Virgo's Haircut]

Cheers mate! I will pop in tomorrow, and vent my spleen.

 

[Aseros]

Firstly, the phone comes free with a contract. You pay for the contract, so even if your phone was damaged beyond repair you wouldn't be able to weasel your way out of a contract. Secondly, yes this is taking too long, but they will give you a new phone (or similar) long before they let you get out of the contract.

 

[algie]

Definitely unacceptable. Sure someone else will remember and post the appropriate legislation.

Meantime nothing beats going into the shop and making a nice loud scene. Just stand in the middle and make your complaint loudly so that everyone can hear you but to no-one in particular. Within seconds of your freaking out the new customers they are trying to attract someone competent should magically appear to appease you. Don't leave until you have a working S3 or equivalent in your hand.

What other options are there for people who don't like making a tit of themselves in a shop?

 

[Virgo's Haircut]

Firstly, the phone comes free with a contract. You pay for the contract, so even if your phone was damaged beyond repair you wouldn't be able to weasel your way out of a contract. Secondly, yes this is taking too long, but they will give you a new phone (or similar) long before they let you get out of the contract.

All I want is a working S3! Nothing more!

 

[desprateseagull]

MoneySavingExpert - Shopping & Spending advice

some help may be on the MSE forums too..

 

[Aseros]

All I want is a working S3! Nothing more!

You will most likely get that, but if they discover it was your own fault then you are stuck with a contract and no phone!

 

[Virgo's Haircut]

Thanks for the MSE link, just looking at it now.

They've admitted the phone is faulty, but are dragging their heels over fixing it. It just died when I was sitting on a train, texting a friend.

 

[jackanada]

What other options are there for people who don't like making a tit of themselves in a shop?

Ask to speak to a manager firmly and insistently. they will try to deflect you, you just smile and say "I understand you/your policy/what you are saying but I need to speak to a manager". they repeat their bollocks and you repeat yours maintaining an eerie calm. They should crack first.

Then onto the manager/supervisor

manager: Excuse excuse blah blah blah

You: Yes I appreciate that. I need you to provide me with a working phone of equivalent specification today

manager: Excuse excuse blah blah blah

you: Yes I appreciate that - what other solutions do you have?

manager: hem, bollocksy bollocksy crap crap

You: I'm afraid that doesnt address my problem adequately. I need you to provide me with a working phone of equivalent specification today

--- You are now in the death spiral where they stick to their script and you stick to yours. Much like a game of chicken, or bluffing in poker, do not blink, do not get angry, do not swear, remain calm and polite and they cannot terminate the conversation... they will crack.

So you can do it that way but the stage 1 of making a tit of yourself in the shop un-nerves them and makes them think they are dealing with a volatile individual, by then switching to persistent rational calmness you throw them a bit further. They are wasting time and losing money and a little voice in the back of their head is wishing you would lose it so they can have you thrown out the shop, when you dont lose it it becomes a more worried voice thinking this will never end and is this strange person currently devising the best way to eat my family.

oh yes and obviously insistent use of trades-descriptions talk like "not fit for purpose"

 

[Virgo's Haircut]

Excellent advice jackanda.

I must have been in the EE Store (the one next to Nero in Western Rd) about 5 times, and got fobbed off each time. Maybe tomorrow I should stick to my guns, as you say. I'm paying a premium price, for a premium phone!

 

[beorhthelm]

simply demand a replacment. the fact that the phone is "free" is acedemic, it still has to be fit for purpose and hasnt worked for so many days. people know they have rights with their TV etc and expect (or they should do) a replacement not a return to base/good luck when its back repair, why not apply the same to their phones? obviously it gets complicated if the phone has apps/music installed, one good reason to have removable media to store data on.

 

[Virgo's Haircut]

Cheers beorhthelm.

I've been reading up on MSE about this. It's all very vague it seems. I still am not sure where I stand legally on this.

It seems I have to give them a "reasonable" amount of time to fi the phone. But what is "reasonable"?