Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[amyoung85]

I purchased the new htc hero on October 14th.  Everything was great until earlier this week (November 17th) I began experiencing problems with people being able to hear me.  I took my phone into sprint on November 18th and they told me that my microphone was broken.  They also informed me that since the phone was so new they didn't have any of the parts to repair it.  They suggested that I take it to the corporate store to see what they could do.  I took it to the corporate store on the 19th and left it with them to fix.  Today I went back to pick  it up and they told me that they also didn't have the parts to fix it.  They said the only thing they could do was to order a refurbished phone and it would take a week to get here.  I asked to speak to the manager and he agreed to go ahead and give me a new one even though I was outside my 30 days.  However once they realized that I had purchased it at Best Buy they told me that there wasn't anything they could do and to go to Best Buy.

I then went to Best Buy and waited a half an hour in the mobile department for them to tell me that there wasn't anything they could do.  They said that they have a contract with HTC and that they couldn't give me a new phone after 30 days.  They then directed me to the geek squad department.  I then waited there almost an hour.  They ended up getting the store supervisor involved who told me the same thing.  They said the only option would be to send it to HTC to be repaired but that would mean being out of a phone for 2-3 weeks!!!!

I'm so frustrated now.  I feel like everyone is just passing the blame off to someone else.  Sprint says I have to go to Best Buy, and Best Buy says they can't because of HTC.  This phone wasn't cheap, I'm not looking for anything besides a working phone.  I don't know if I should try contacting HTC now?

It really irritates me that even though Sprint originally told me that they couldn't help because I was outside the 30 day window by a few days, they were going to give me a new phone.  However, Best Buy isn't willing to accommodation.

I guess the lesson I have learned is not to buy phones from Best Buy.

Amanda

[Nokia]

While stores are able to make an exception to the 30 day return policy, they are not required to. Since BB does offer their GSBTP plan, which would cover the problem you're having, most stores are unwilling to make exceptions for customers who haven't purchased it. I do agree with them, as that is the point of the GSBTP plan. By refusing it, you're agreeing to the risk that the phone may fail after 30 days, and that BB will not replace it.

What I am confused about is Sprint's response. The phone being purchased at BB should not have stopped them from ordering a refurbished phone for you. You should be mad at Sprint, not BB.

Now, BB is able to help you out, but as you found out, the phone would need to be sent out (not to HTC, but a third party service center) for repair. I would go through Sprint, as the turn time for phones at BB is 2-6 weeks.

[amyoung85]

I understand that Best Buy isn't required to do anything.  However, good customer service would be simply give me a new phone.  The only reason they are refusing is because this issue happened 2 days after the 30 day policy.  When I first purchased the phone they asked about the gsbtp plan.  I told them that I already had insurance through sprint.  They simply said OK.  I was never told that since I was purchasing a phone through BB then sprint wouldn't be able to help me.  

What really frustrates me is the fact that Best Buy sold me a defective phone.  This problem is nothing that I did to the phone, I was sold a defective phone from Best Buy.  Not from sprint, from Best Buy.  Now they say that they have a contract with HTC that says they can't exchange phones after 30 days.  I Called HTC and spoke with one of their managers.  They told me that this simply wasn't true.  They said that their contracts through sprint and Best Buy are the same.  That is up to Best Buy if they want to let me exchange it or not.  So now they aren't just providing bad customer service, they are also lying to me.  

I have spent so much time and energy into this simply because I was sold a defective phone.  Overall, this has been a really really disappointing experience.

[Nokia]

If you have insurance through Sprint, call Sprint CS. It doesn't matter where the phone was purchased. In addition to BB, Sprint is also lying to you.

[Dorothy-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hello amyoung85 -

Melissa, from our Community Connector team, will be reaching out to you regarding your HTC concern.  I appreciate your continued patience!

[Melissa-BBY Community Connector]

Hi amyoung85,

I am glad to hear you have been enjoying your HTC Hero, at least until your recent issues with the microphone failing. It was very disappointing to hear of all the trouble you have had thus far trying to get your phone fixed or replaced.

As Nokia mentioned, once outside of our 30-day return policy on cell phones, our stores are not obligated to provide an exchange even if it is a hardware failure. We can however send it in for a repair it under the manufacturer’s warranty, as the store has offered. Regrettably, as Sprint is a separate company from us, I am unable to comment on what their policies or procedures are for servicing or exchanging phones not purchased from them.

That being said, it sounds like you have been left without a working phone, and I do want to look into this further for you. I have sent you a private message regarding this issue, so please be on the lookout. To check your private messages, first ensure you are logged into the forum, and then click the envelope icon in the upper right corner of this page.

Thanks for sharing your experience!