HTC customer care - a joke that is not funny

deravarra

So I took the plunge and bought a HTC One X - paid €199 for it with Vodafone. Was initially happy with it, but when the cracks started appearing in the software and the phone's capabilities, I was not very happy at all.

I sent a message to HTC on May 2nd to inform them of my difficulties with the UI, software, camera and contacts on the phone. I received a response on May 3rd, informing me that a member of their technical team would respond soon.

However, after a full 13 days of hearing nothing back from HTC, I decided enough was enough, sent back the phone to Vodafone and got a lame S2 as a replacement in place of the HTC One X. At the same time I sent a mail to HTC informing them of my disgust in not sorting out my problems with the phone after my initial message to them almost 2 weeks previously, and that I had no option but to seek an alternative phone.

The response? "Sorry we cant help you because you no longer have a HTC phone. If you still had it, we could have helped."

Why couldn't they have responded in the 2 weeks that I had the phone?

Steer clear. DO NOT BUY!

drunkmonkey

HTC have probably the best support out there. I find it's always better to call support, you get help there and then.
You got a lame s2? Seriously, if you think the s2 is lame there's no helping you.

deravarra

You think having to send a second mail asking for help is acceptable and best practice for customer/technical support?

And yes, an S2 is lame considering I spent €199 on a phone which I do not have now, and get an S2 instead - which is available at a cost of €0 on the same price plan.

Jarren

Why did you settle for Sgs2 then,your contract is with Vodafone btw.

deravarra

Jarren wrote: »

Why did you settle for Sgs2 then,your contract is with Vodafone btw.

Because I had no alternative. It was either that or an iphone, which I had just changed from.

Yes, contract is with vodafone - but who is supposed to provide technical support? Vodafone also showed incompetence in this issue, but HTC just didnt bother to do their job either.

You think it acceptable to ignore a mail asking for technical help?

Jarren

Never had any technical issues with phones owned by me in the past so I can't comment on that, what I do know is you'd get your problems sorted quicker by ringing a customer service directly .

My 2cents

partyatmygaff

Never had any major issues with them either. They've always been pretty good to deal with.

deravarra

Jarren wrote: »

Never had any technical issues with phones owned by me in the past so I can't comment on that, what I do know is you'd get your problems sorted quicker by ringing a customer service directly .

My 2cents

True - but thing is ... I mailed them ... they said "ok, we'll have someone contact you" - the same as phoning and being put on hold.

Either way, crap service no matter what way you look at it ... and they just want to walk away without a care for their customers

deravarra

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Never had any major issues with them either. They've always been pretty good to deal with.

Im happy to hear that. However, in my case they have been awful

adrian522

What was the problem with your phone?

To be honest you should have returned the phone to vodafone and let them get you a replacement one x or get it repaired.

deravarra

adrian522 wrote: »

What was the problem with your phone?

To be honest you should have returned the phone to vodafone and let them get you a replacement one x or get it repaired.

Multiple problems - from inadequate battery life, camera switching on "by itself", issues with contact lists, music player not switching from one track to another.

Vodafone were awful too ... said they would send the phone away to get tested by HTC - would take 2-3 weeks to get sorted and I would be without a phone in the meantime... Because of work and young family, I could not do without a phone that long...

Jarren

Vodafone should issue a temp replacement while your phone is being repaired .
Which means you'd still have a phone some kind .

adrian522

Sounds to me your problem is with the One X in general not your particular handset or am I missing something.

Vodafone should have offered a replacement phone while yours was away for testing.

deravarra

Jarren wrote: »

Vodafone should issue a temp replacement while your phone is being repaired .
Which means you'd still have a phone some kind .

that was offered - a battered nokia from the stored where i got the HTC ... wasnt going to take that.

Bad Panda

deravarra wrote: »

that was offered - a battered nokia from the stored where i got the HTC ... wasnt going to take that.

You should've taken it. Seems more your level to be honest.

Jesus Shaves

Apple fan boy in "HTC are sh*t outburst"

deravarra

Bad Panda wrote: »

You should've taken it. Seems more your level to be honest.

Meaning what exactly?

deravarra

darokane wrote: »

Apple fan boy in "HTC are sh*t outburst"

Eh no. I am not an apple fan boy.

BabyMonkeyy

So if i am reading this correctly you sent them two emails. One explaining the issue and they emailed you back saying they would get onto technical support and then one after you had taken the phone back to Vodafone and got a replacement.

Can i say that mistakes happen, i don't understand why you didn't email them again or ring them (which is better) just in case they misplaced your request before handing the phone back to Vodafone for the replacement phone.

And i don't understand why you wouldn't take the temporary phone for 2 or 3 weeks, its only temporary.

deravarra

BabyMonkeyy wrote: »

So if i am reading this correctly you sent them two emails. One explaining the issue and they emailed you back saying they would get onto technical support and then one after you had taken the phone back to Vodafone and got a replacement.

Can i say that mistakes happen, i don't understand why you didn't email them again or ring them (which is better) just in case they misplaced your request before handing the phone back to Vodafone for the replacement phone.

And i don't understand why you wouldn't take the temporary phone for 2 or 3 weeks, its only temporary.

I emailed them on the 2nd - got a reply back on the 3rd to say they would get back in touch - but they didn't respond until after i made contact with them again, where they offered to help - but then said they couldn't help as I had taken another phone.

I didn't want to accept a phone which was in rag order. If you had seen it, you wouldn't take it either.

Jesus Shaves

deravarra wrote: »

Vodafone were awful too ... said they would send the phone away to get tested by HTC - would take 2-3 weeks to get sorted and I would be without a phone in the meantime... Because of work and young family, I could not do without a phone that long...

deravarra wrote: »

that was offered - a battered nokia from the stored where i got the HTC ... wasnt going to take that.

What am i missing, your phone was getting sent away to be fixed, you were offered a phone, you refused it and you decided to get an S2 instead and you're even complaining about that

Sounds to me like you're the problem in all of this.

deravarra

darokane wrote: »

What am i missing, your phone was getting sent away to be fixed, you were offered a phone, you refused it and you decided to get an S2 instead and you're even complaining about that

Sounds to me like you're the problem in all of this.

What are you missing?

Some manners for a start! Liking a post which intimated a nokia would have been "my level" ... and then accusing me of being an apple fanboy.

If you want to have a go at someone, find somebody else - do not pick a fight with me

Jesus Shaves

deravarra wrote: »

What are you missing?

Some manners for a start! Liking a post which intimated a nokia would have been "my level" ... and then accusing me of being an apple fanboy.

If you want to have a go at someone, find somebody else - do not pick a fight with me

thank you for proving my point

ChopShop

If we could move beyond the bickering.......

O/P : Based on the events you explained, it does sound like VF failed to provide you with an adequate substitute whilst your phone would've been away, and whilst the S2 is still fairly well regarded phone, i'll presume it's early in your contract, and it is already a good year since it was released.

Do you have any comeback on a more recent phone?

deravarra

darokane wrote: »

deravarra wrote: »

What are you missing?

Some manners for a start! Liking a post which intimated a nokia would have been "my level" ... and then accusing me of being an apple fanboy.

If you want to have a go at someone, find somebody else - do not pick a fight with me

thank you for proving my point

Just what was your point? That the nokia was my level? That i was an apple fanboy? That i was the problem?

If all you can do is insult people it shows that YOU have the problem.

If you want to respond in a more respectful manner, fire ahead. If not, just dont bother to respond.

deravarra

wernstrom! wrote: »

If we could move beyond the bickering.......

O/P : Based on the events you explained, it does sound like VF failed to provide you with an adequate substitute whilst your phone would've been away, and whilst the S2 is still fairly well regarded phone, i'll presume it's early in your contract, and it is already a good year since it was released.

Do you have any comeback on a more recent phone?

The HTC was the upgrade phone replacing my iphone 4. Didnt want to stay with apple ... despite some people accusing me of fanboyism. the only two phones offered in place of the htc were an iphone 4s or an S2. I opted for the S2. This was offered for a zero cost over the same contract period as i had paid €199 for the htc one x... leaving me €199 out of pocket.

TBi

deravarra wrote: »

The HTC was the upgrade phone replacing my iphone 4. Didnt want to stay with apple ... despite some people accusing me of fanboyism. the only two phones offered in place of the htc were an iphone 4s or an S2. I opted for the S2. This was offered for a zero cost over the same contract period as i had paid €199 for the htc one x... leaving me €199 out of pocket.

Why didn't you take a replacement One X?

deravarra

TBi wrote: »

Why didn't you take a replacement One X?

It was not offered. It was either send it away for a number of weeks for testing and take a rubbish nokia or the samsung s2/iphone 4s

TBi

deravarra wrote: »

It was not offered. It was either send it away for a number of weeks for testing and take a rubbish nokia or the samsung s2/iphone 4s

Probably because you were outside the 2 week window. I'd have argued for a replacement since i had contacted HTC. ALTHOUGH since your primary contact is with Vodafone you should have contacted them, not HTC when you had the first issue.

deravarra

TBi wrote: »

Probably because you were outside the 2 week window. I'd have argued for a replacement since i had contacted HTC. ALTHOUGH since your primary contact is with Vodafone you should have contacted them, not HTC when you had the first issue.

I tried both ... vodafone provided no support, so i tried HTC ... and was met with silence. And I was also informed that the 2 week window is only for those purchasing online. Does not apply to those buying in shops apparently

adrian522

How long did you have the phone for ? If it was within 14 days they should give you a replacement rather than sending it for repair,

What was the nokia being offered as a temp replacement? I would have thought they would offer a phone comparable to the one you bought.

deravarra

adrian522 wrote: »

How long did you have the phone for ? If it was within 14 days they should give you a replacement rather than sending it for repair,

What was the nokia being offered as a temp replacement? I would have thought they would offer a phone comparable to the one you bought.

I had the phone for 10 days before I contacted vodafone. I was told by those in the shop that I only had a right to return the phone for an alternative if i had purchased online.

The Nokia I was being offered was a 6700 i think...

The choices I was given were: test - phone gone for up two-three weeks - nokia as substitute ... or make do with the phone as was. It was only after I contacted Vodafone customer care in dundalk that they offered the other two alternatives as a replacement.

TBi

deravarra wrote: »

I tried both ... vodafone provided no support, so i tried HTC ... and was met with silence. And I was also informed that the 2 week window is only for those purchasing online. Does not apply to those buying in shops apparently

Pretty sure the 2 week thing is for all purchases, i don't believe a thing that salesmen say anymore. They'll say anything to get you out the door.

Jesus Shaves

deravarra wrote: »

I had the phone for 10 days before I contacted vodafone. I was told by those in the shop that I only had a right to return the phone for an alternative if i had purchased online.

The Nokia I was being offered was a 6700 i think...

The choices I was given were: test - phone gone for up two-three weeks - nokia as substitute ... or make do with the phone as was. It was only after I contacted Vodafone customer care in dundalk that they offered the other two alternatives as a replacement.

so what are you complaining about, you were offered a solution and you chose one, you're just complaining for the sake of complinaing

The Corinthian

Please keep things civil. Neither provoke, nor feed flame wars.

Deravarra, I'm not entirely certain what you want from this thread. You have an issue, others have suggested solutions and you've complained that these are not acceptable, which is up to you. I'm not really interested in threads that do little more than belly ache about operator / phone manufacturer X, and that's where this seems to be going.

Bad Panda, behave.

At this stage, perhaps you should accept that you may not find a solution that is acceptable to you and move on.

TBi

darokane wrote: »

so what are you complaining about, you were offered a solution and you chose one, you're just complaining for the sake of complinaing

To be fair, the choices given probably weren't correct when you consider his consumer rights. I.E. he should have been offered a identical replacement for his defective phone.

Jesus Shaves

TBi wrote: »

To be fair, the choices given probably weren't correct when you consider his consumer rights. I.E. he should have been offered a identical replacement for his defective phone.

that's not true, the retailer gave him the option of a repair which they are entirely entitled to do so

deravarra

darokane wrote: »

that's not true, the retailer gave him the option of a repair which they are entirely entitled to do so

No, they didn't. They offered to take the phone in and give it to HTC to test.
No offer of a repair was given.

Perhaps you should hold off on responding. Between not knowing what you're talking about and belting out insults, I think you're offering nothing positive to this thread.

Maybe you would like to try After Hours

TBi

darokane wrote: »

that's not true, the retailer gave him the option of a repair which they are entirely entitled to do so

Under two weeks you should be offered a replacement phone. It's unacceptable to have to wait for a repair or to be given an inferior phone.

deravarra

The Corinthian wrote: »

Please keep things civil. Neither provoke, nor feed flame wars.

Can you address that to those who provided nothing positive in this thread please?

The Corinthian wrote: »

Deravarra, I'm not entirely certain what you want from this thread. [/B]

Some helpful advice on a new approach to rectify this issue would be nice. Instead, a few fools with free time on their hands choose to insult and provoke. However, there are some who are trying to help.

The Corinthian wrote: »

At this stage, perhaps you should accept that you may not find a solution that is acceptable to you and move on.[/B]

True. Maybe I was mistaken in the belief that this forum would help me to find a workable solution. After seeing the responses of one in particular, I'd have been better off asking a gnat for a solution.

The Corinthian

Two week ban for deravarra, which should give him plenty of time to find a gnat for a solution.

Jesus Shaves

TBi wrote: »

Under two weeks you should be offered a replacement phone. It's unacceptable to have to wait for a repair or to be given an inferior phone.

that is not true, it's not law and the retailer acted within the law by offering to send away the phone to be tested, if it was found to be faulty it would have been repaired.

ChopShop

deravarra wrote: »

The HTC was the upgrade phone replacing my iphone 4. Didnt want to stay with apple ... despite some people accusing me of fanboyism. the only two phones offered in place of the htc were an iphone 4s or an S2. I opted for the S2. This was offered for a zero cost over the same contract period as i had paid €199 for the htc one x... leaving me €199 out of pocket.

You explained that already.

Now do you currently have any comeback with Vodafone?

Because the events you explained sound iniquitous to me, and i would raise a bit of a stink with them.

Jarren

Read this OP

http://www.nca.ie/nca/faulty-goods

TBi

darokane wrote: »

that is not true, it's not law and the retailer acted within the law by offering to send away the phone to be tested, if it was found to be faulty it would have been repaired.

Read the link from Jarren above.

Jesus Shaves

TBi wrote: »

Read the link from Jarren above.

They offered to test and repair it, they were well within their rights to do this, By the looks of it the OP changed his mind about the phone and didnt like its interface and came across like a complete d!ck to vodafone and htc(as he done here).
Being nice gets you places with any retailer

TBi

darokane wrote: »

They offered to test and repair it, they were well within their rights to do this, By the looks of it the OP changed his mind about the phone and didnt like its interface and came across like a complete d!ck to vodafone and htc(as he done here).
Being nice gets you places with any retailer

Yes but he was within his rights to get a brand new replacement (as per link from Jarren). You are assuming he didn't like the phone, you don't know if there was a real issue with the phone or not. Maybe the screen was damaged?

He was a bit of a dick but it takes two to tango and boy were ye dancing!

When i'm treated like crap by a retailer i get bloody angry, maybe he just wanted to vent because he was treated so badly. How would you feel if your 5 day old phone started giving trouble and the seller told you to take a crap phone or downgrade to a cheaper phone and now get your money back? You'd be well pissed off. Jasus i was pissed off when you said just to accept the crap alternative instead of fighting for his rights to a new one.

Jesus Shaves

I would have taken the crap loan phone for a few weeks while the phone which i originally wanted was in getting tested and hopefully repaired, if it wasn't repaired to my satisfaction then i would have demanded a new replacement phone

griffdaddy

I actually posted last week in the Android forum about how good HTC customer care is. They're currently shipping back my 19 month old HTC Desire after the motherboard gave up. Collected/Fixed/Shipped all for free. HTC have a 2 year warranty, almost all other phone manufacturers only have a 1 year warranty

Op, the problems you're describing are well documented. If you'd done even a basic search you'd realise it was a software issue which caused those problems and the latest firmware update fixes it. The update is due on Vodafone this Friday. The S2 is not lame, it's not as good as the One X granted but it's still one of the best phones out there. My advice, go back to Vodafone, tell them you realise now that it's a software issue that will be rectified, and ask for HTC One X back. I'm using a branded Vodafone One X at the moment, and while I've seen traces of the problems you mention, they're no where near as bad as you're making out.

theteal

griffdaddy wrote: »

HTC have a 2 year warranty, almost all other phone manufacturers only have a 1 year warranty

incorrect, all manufacturers (that have phones for sale in ireland) except apple have a 2 year warranty and have done for several years now.

i think the op got a bit of misinformation from the store. it does not take a number of weeks to verify a fault, generally this is referred to as a "24 hour test". Shipping times have to be taken into account but this still only results in a few days wait as opposed to a few weeks.

Does the gs2 cost €199? I would have assumed it would be a fair bit cheaper than the oneX at this stage

vicM

I don't know about HTC customer care, but there is something amiss if they don't refund the 199, though prices for the sgs2 haven't really dropped esp for new handsets
My take is that we don't have all the information from the situation