My Nokia N75 was sent to their US warranty service on 4/20. I got the Fedex delivery confirmation on the 23rd. So I know it’s there. It’s now May 3rd, over a week later. If I go to Nokia’s Repair Status page and put in the IMEI, it STILL shows that they’re waiting for the Repair Service to update the status as "received."
I understand that companies outsource things. And there is a TON of different banter as to what portions of your business are OK to outsource and what aren’t. However, if you’re going to outsource something, you need to make sure your customers are being taken care of…..
Whenever I read people on HowardForums saying they’ll wait for Nokia
USA to get a phone before buying it, or worrying about buying an import
without a warranty, I just have to laugh. Nokia’s warranty service in
the US is just that – laughable.
That is the only, repeat ONLY benefit to having a branded device. Every
single one of the major cellphone carriers in the United States has a
superb warranty program on their devices. You call, tell them what’s
wrong (and do some light diagnostics over the phone) and then they send
you a replacement, including prepaid shipping to return your defective
unit. THESE ARE CELLPHONES. People run entire businesses (and their
lives) off of them. How is it that the largest manufacturer in the
world expects us to go weeks without even a peep on the status?!
We live in an information age. I want information, and I want it now. I
can ship something clear across the country in under 48 hrs, and get an
update every few hours as to where it is, physically, in the country. I
also get an update online from Fedex within minutes of delivery showing
the precise time it was received, and even WHO signed for it.
We are also chained to our mobile phones. Mine never leaves my sight,
literally. The only time my mobile phone is more than 2 feet away from
my body is when I’m in the shower. That’s it. Nokia is the largest
cellphone manufacturer IN THE WORLD. And yet when their product breaks or
malfunctions, and I send it in, I am not offered a replacement, either
temporary or permanent. Nor am I given any timeframe as to when to
expect it back.
And to make matters worse, they send it to some other company, and
apparently DON’T have a clause in the contract that states I should
receive proper notification of the status of my device. What if that
was my ONLY phone? What if I dropped my car off at the mechanic and
didn’t get any idea as to when it would be ready, nor a call at the end
of the day to say, "Mr. Cadden, I found this, this, and this wrong with
your car, but I’ve ordered parts and expect it to be ready to pick up
tomorrow at 5pm." I’d be outraged, and rightfully so.
