This is a public service announcement. Disclaimer: I bought a Nexus 7 mainly because of the stellar support I received on my first Nexus product, a Nexus 4 phone. The unit I purchased (privately, from a seller at RFD, our Canadian BST site) was a bit wonky and I called Google, who barely asked me any questions before giving me an RMA. Next one I got has been perfect. I figured 'Google is taking a page out of AAPL's book, trying to show them that they can compete on ease of warranty fixes'.
I bought a Nexus 7 last week, again from a seller at RFD. It was BNIB sealed. He gave me his receipt, from shop.ca. The unit was buggy right out of the box. Weird white horizontal lines on screen when I streamed Netflix, serious lagginess when doing common things like scrolling through a webpage or trying to click on a desktop icon, problems clicking links (non-responsive) and yesterday, the tablet started blipping back and forth between home screen, tile view, and various open apps. All on its own. I actually captured this on video.
Called Google. They said "This was not purchased through the Play store. Therefore we don't support it. You need to go to Asus'. Okay, fine, although does AAPL ask me to contact Foxconn if I have an issue with their hardware? So the guy conferences me in with an Asus rep. With Google guy still on the phone, Asus person says 'We do not support you. If you did not buy it directly from us, you need to go to the website you bought it from'. Google guy says 'Uhhh...' and I say thanks and goodbye to Asus person. Google guy then says 'Hang on' and goes away, comes back with an Asus 'supervisor'. Supervisor tells me that if my unit is in warranty, and undamaged by a drop etc., I will be covered for repair (not replacement). Okay fine.
At this point I've been on the phone for a while, so I ask Asus guy if, in case of a dropped or lost call, can he call me back. Absolutely, he says. He starts asking me questions, and then says 'You are eligible for warranty repair. You must ship it to us and we'll try to fix it'. 'Okay', I say, 'send me a shipping label and I'll send it over'.
'No', says the Asus guy. 'You have to pay to ship it to us'.
Huh?? I have a brand new unit that's almost non-functional, and I pay for shipping? And this is shipping for a repair? So I ask the guy 'What if the repaired unit comes back and there is still an issue? Who pays for me to ship it to you again'? 'You do', says this paragon of virtue.
So then it starts. I am forced to get into it with this guy about how ridiculous it is to make a customer pay for shipping when a brand new unit doesn't work. Finally he says 'I can offer you a one-time courtesy shipping label'.
Yes. Well thanks. He then starts taking my information. We get to address and I give it to him... and wait for him to respond. A few minutes later, I realize that the system has dropped the call. No problem, I specifically asked him to get back to me if this happened and he said he would.
... or not. No callback. He had my email address but no email. I now have to leave the house so I get in the car and call them back. Get a guy on the phone and he can actually see the case by entering my email address. This means the first guy did enough to make the case 'stick' in the system but couldn't be bothered to get back to me. So I tell the guy we need to complete the interrupted RMA process and that '______ has offered me a shipping label for the delivery of this item to your repair depot'. 'Nope' says the new guy. I say 'Well, okay. Can you see ____'s name on the ticket? You can right, because he created it?'. 'Yep' says the new guy. 'Okay, well just get ahold of him and he will confirm that he offered to pay for shipping'.
'Nope', says new guy. 'Umm, why not?', I ask. 'Because we don't pay for shipping. It is in your warranty that if you have an issue, you have to pay for shipping to us and we pay for return shipping'. 'Okay', I say, 'but the previous guy has already offered me a 'one-time courtesy shipping label and he's a supervisor!'. 'I am very sorry, sir, but that will not be possible'.
...Okay. Now I ask to bump the issue up the food chain. Next person I get on the phone listens to my story and says 'I have to look into it'. Again, I ask that if she comes back and I am not there, it's because the system dropped me and please call me back. I am not going anywhere. "Okay', she says. She then restates, as they usually do 'May I put you on a brief hold?' 'No problem', I say. I hear her go click-click... and she cuts me off.
I arrive home a few hours later and call back. Escalate to manager immediately. Manager tells me 'the decision as to whether to provide shipping is made by the repair people. I will put in a request and they will get back to you within 24 hours'.
And that's where I stand.
Does anyone else think it patently absurd that if I have a defective piece of hardware right out of the box, I should be asked to pay for shipping? And that's not for a replacement, that's for a repair that may or may not work. I told the Asus guy to have a look at the video I made but he wasn't interested.
Anyhow, that's it for me with Google and Asus. I moved away from AAPL because I didn't think I was getting value for money, but how much is the 2.5 hours I wasted today worth? What if I have to pay for shipping? Or pay for shipping twice? I'm not going to get the RMA and try to flip it as a new item. So that's it.
A cautionary tale. Take it for what you will. Both Google and Asus have dropped the ball, IMO. It was my first experience with Asus support and they were ridiculously bad. At the very least, *do not* buy one from anywhere other than the Play store, although I'd make sure about the RMA shipping policies first.
I bought a Nexus 7 last week, again from a seller at RFD. It was BNIB sealed. He gave me his receipt, from shop.ca. The unit was buggy right out of the box. Weird white horizontal lines on screen when I streamed Netflix, serious lagginess when doing common things like scrolling through a webpage or trying to click on a desktop icon, problems clicking links (non-responsive) and yesterday, the tablet started blipping back and forth between home screen, tile view, and various open apps. All on its own. I actually captured this on video.
Called Google. They said "This was not purchased through the Play store. Therefore we don't support it. You need to go to Asus'. Okay, fine, although does AAPL ask me to contact Foxconn if I have an issue with their hardware? So the guy conferences me in with an Asus rep. With Google guy still on the phone, Asus person says 'We do not support you. If you did not buy it directly from us, you need to go to the website you bought it from'. Google guy says 'Uhhh...' and I say thanks and goodbye to Asus person. Google guy then says 'Hang on' and goes away, comes back with an Asus 'supervisor'. Supervisor tells me that if my unit is in warranty, and undamaged by a drop etc., I will be covered for repair (not replacement). Okay fine.
At this point I've been on the phone for a while, so I ask Asus guy if, in case of a dropped or lost call, can he call me back. Absolutely, he says. He starts asking me questions, and then says 'You are eligible for warranty repair. You must ship it to us and we'll try to fix it'. 'Okay', I say, 'send me a shipping label and I'll send it over'.
'No', says the Asus guy. 'You have to pay to ship it to us'.
Huh?? I have a brand new unit that's almost non-functional, and I pay for shipping? And this is shipping for a repair? So I ask the guy 'What if the repaired unit comes back and there is still an issue? Who pays for me to ship it to you again'? 'You do', says this paragon of virtue.
So then it starts. I am forced to get into it with this guy about how ridiculous it is to make a customer pay for shipping when a brand new unit doesn't work. Finally he says 'I can offer you a one-time courtesy shipping label'.
Yes. Well thanks. He then starts taking my information. We get to address and I give it to him... and wait for him to respond. A few minutes later, I realize that the system has dropped the call. No problem, I specifically asked him to get back to me if this happened and he said he would.
... or not. No callback. He had my email address but no email. I now have to leave the house so I get in the car and call them back. Get a guy on the phone and he can actually see the case by entering my email address. This means the first guy did enough to make the case 'stick' in the system but couldn't be bothered to get back to me. So I tell the guy we need to complete the interrupted RMA process and that '______ has offered me a shipping label for the delivery of this item to your repair depot'. 'Nope' says the new guy. I say 'Well, okay. Can you see ____'s name on the ticket? You can right, because he created it?'. 'Yep' says the new guy. 'Okay, well just get ahold of him and he will confirm that he offered to pay for shipping'.
'Nope', says new guy. 'Umm, why not?', I ask. 'Because we don't pay for shipping. It is in your warranty that if you have an issue, you have to pay for shipping to us and we pay for return shipping'. 'Okay', I say, 'but the previous guy has already offered me a 'one-time courtesy shipping label and he's a supervisor!'. 'I am very sorry, sir, but that will not be possible'.
...Okay. Now I ask to bump the issue up the food chain. Next person I get on the phone listens to my story and says 'I have to look into it'. Again, I ask that if she comes back and I am not there, it's because the system dropped me and please call me back. I am not going anywhere. "Okay', she says. She then restates, as they usually do 'May I put you on a brief hold?' 'No problem', I say. I hear her go click-click... and she cuts me off.
I arrive home a few hours later and call back. Escalate to manager immediately. Manager tells me 'the decision as to whether to provide shipping is made by the repair people. I will put in a request and they will get back to you within 24 hours'.
And that's where I stand.
Does anyone else think it patently absurd that if I have a defective piece of hardware right out of the box, I should be asked to pay for shipping? And that's not for a replacement, that's for a repair that may or may not work. I told the Asus guy to have a look at the video I made but he wasn't interested.
Anyhow, that's it for me with Google and Asus. I moved away from AAPL because I didn't think I was getting value for money, but how much is the 2.5 hours I wasted today worth? What if I have to pay for shipping? Or pay for shipping twice? I'm not going to get the RMA and try to flip it as a new item. So that's it.
A cautionary tale. Take it for what you will. Both Google and Asus have dropped the ball, IMO. It was my first experience with Asus support and they were ridiculously bad. At the very least, *do not* buy one from anywhere other than the Play store, although I'd make sure about the RMA shipping policies first.
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