Sadly, I am returning my U11 to HTC

[kgbkny]

As I've mentioned previously in this thread, my return was received and signed for on June 28 (returned via UPS, signature required). To this day, the return status still displays "Quantity Pending Return: 1" and my PayPal account still hasn't been refunded. The fact that other forum members who returned their phones later have already gotten refunds is disconcerting. I will be escalating my refund with HTC right now.

Update: Just got off the phone with HTC. The customer service rep found it unusual that my refund still hasn't been issued and escalated the process, assuring me that I will be contacted in 24-48 hours. He asked for the usual information (order no. and tracking no. for the returned package); I also provided the name of the individual who signed for the package. Since HTC is not a fly-by-night eBay vendor, I'm sure they'll resolve this quickly. If not, there's always PayPal Buyer Protection.

 

[JoshDunc]

The front camera on G6 was a potato camera, battery life was not great, previous gen processor (yeah sure day to day usage it shouldn't matter but I like the latest gen processor) and LG skin is still cartoonish. The only thing I liked when I had the G6 was the amazing wide angle camera on the back and the feel of the device in hand. IMO OP5 at $479 is a better buy than G6. U11, Pixel XL and S8 are one level above G6 and OP5. But I definitely agree if you rely on headphone jack U11 might not be the right fit if you don't want to use the 3.5mm adapter.

I respectfully disagree. I had the S8 Plus, recently sold it, and got the LG G6. The in hand feel is amazing. I did not recognize the lag as much on my S8 Plus until i started using the G6. Seems Samsung is the only company who could bog down the SD 835 processor. My G6 is slightly more fluid than my S8 Plus. I love the decision and do not regret it one bit. The S8 Plus is more aestethically pleasing but the G6 is subtly better imo.

 

[bhatech]

I respectfully disagree. I had the S8 Plus, recently sold it, and got the LG G6. The in hand feel is amazing. I did not recognize the lag as much on my S8 Plus until i started using the G6. Seems Samsung is the only company who could bog down the SD 835 processor. My G6 is slightly more fluid than my S8 Plus. I love the decision and do not regret it one bit. The S8 Plus is more aestethically pleasing but the G6 is subtly better imo.

OK that's fine, but the Pixel, U11, Xperia XZ premium, OP5 all are buttery smooth compared to G6.

 

[JoshDunc]

OK that's fine, but the Pixel, U11, Xperia XZ premium, OP5 all are buttery smooth compared to G6.

Having had the Pixel ans S8 Plus recently, i agree they are buttery smooth. But the LG G6 is just as smooth in mu experience. Overall, it is 2017 and these devices do WAY more than we need them to. Really, it is impossible to make a wrong decision. Everyone uses their phones differently.

 

[dannyar11]

Having had the Pixel ans S8 Plus recently, i agree they are buttery smooth. But the LG G6 is just as smooth in mu experience. Overall, it is 2017 and these devices do WAY more than we need them to. Really, it is impossible to make a wrong decision. Everyone uses their phones differently.

See that's the thing with the G6, its actually not buttery smooth. There are many times when Im hopping in and out of apps and theres subtle delays and hiccups that you don't get with phones like the u11, op5 and pixel. Even the s8 plus which im using now with all its complaints of lag keep up just as good. Ive used all 3 devices (s8 plus, u11, G6) side by side concurrently before making a decision on which to keep and the g6 was noticeably slower than the other which is the reason it was eliminated on day 2.

 

[kgbkny]

I just received a phone call from HTC's escalation team. It came from a phone number in Romania (displayed as +40 1 on my phone) and the agent, who spoke almost perfect English, apologized for the delay in processing my refund and stated that I will be receiving the credit back to my PayPal account within 24-48 hours. She also mentioned that I will receive confirmation via e-mail and another follow-up phone call.

It's a shame that we have to jump through hoops a bit to get refunded, but at least HTC is being very responsive.

 

[SkypilotOfHope]

I just received a phone call from HTC's escalation team. It came from a phone number in Romania (displayed as +40 1 on my phone) and the agent, who spoke almost perfect English, apologized for the delay in processing my refund and stated that I will be receiving the credit back to my PayPal account within 24-48 hours. She also mentioned that I will receive confirmation via e-mail and another follow-up phone call.

It's a shame that we have to jump through hoops a bit to get refunded, but at least HTC is being very responsive.

Good news for your situation. Mine was escalated Monday afternoon and I was informed I would receive a call within 48 hrs. That window ends in just under two hours from now.

 

[Scott8881]

Thank you for this detailed review, you saved me from experiencing the same hassles on VZW. I guess I will keep waiting. Was hoping the U11 was going to be my next phone.

 

[kgbkny]

Good news for your situation. Mine was escalated Monday afternoon and I was informed I would receive a call within 48 hrs. That window ends in just under two hours from now.

Did you use the PayPal financing option? If yes, you can use the buyer protection if HTC makes it difficult. If you paid with a credit card, you can always file a chargeback. As I've mentioned in my previous post, it's disconcerting that we have to jump through hoops to get refunded under HTC's own policy.

 

[sangs]

Thank you for this detailed review, you saved me from experiencing the same hassles on VZW. I guess I will keep waiting. Was hoping the U11 was going to be my next phone.

The shame about it is that the U11 was my favorite phone to use this year, but the VZW hiccups were just too troublesome for me. If VZW starts selling it - and that means it stops being handicapped - I might jump back in, if that happens before the Pixel 2 drops (assuming I like the Pixel 2 anyway).

 

[sangs]

See that's the thing with the G6, its actually not buttery smooth. There are many times when Im hopping in and out of apps and theres subtle delays and hiccups that you don't get with phones like the u11, op5 and pixel. Even the s8 plus which im using now with all its complaints of lag keep up just as good. Ive used all 3 devices (s8 plus, u11, G6) side by side concurrently before making a decision on which to keep and the g6 was noticeably slower than the other which is the reason it was eliminated on day 2.

Couldn't agree more. I tried the G6. The only thing enjoyable about it was its form and wide-angle camera. It's use - especially the horrendous battery life - didn't hold a candle to the others you listed.

 

[davidb423]

I returned my htc u11 via amazon and just got my refund.
I opted to buy from Amazon in case I wanted to return it
I had gotten a htc 10 from HTC directly back in the day and did return it , and it took several phone calls and a few weeks to get the refund issued back to my paypal account. It was a big enough hassle I paid an extra $50 to amazon just in case.

I really liked the HTC u11 but it was just missing a few items that I felt better returning it.
I know a lot of people don't care about the headphone jack, but I found myself in a few situations that I wanted to use something wired and needed to fumble to find the adapter to use a regular set.

Given that other flagships and flagship alternatives (s8, s8 plus, one plus 5, lg g6) do have jacks, I don't think its a huge issue to include it. I know htc is trying to do different things with its audio, but its still kind of messy (their own adapter and usonic earpuds only work on htc phones, etc).

I am also a bit curious about the lack of wireless charging...given its a glass backed phone.....

Eventually I'll find a phone that can replace my mate 9, but not the u11. Perhaps the mate 10!

 

[kgbkny]

The 48 hours in which I was promised my refund to be posted to my PayPal account came and went; no refund has been issued. I reached out to HTC on Twitter, hoping that making it public will light a fire under their rears. They are looking into the issue right now. If I don't receive a refund by Monday, I will be filing a dispute with PayPal. Enough is enough.

 

[bhatech]

The 48 hours in which I was promised my refund to be posted to my PayPal account came and went; no refund has been issued. I reached out to HTC on Twitter, hoping that making it public will light a fire under their rears. They are looking into the issue right now. If I don't receive a refund by Monday, I will be filing a dispute with PayPal. Enough is enough.

Same here escalation ticket was created 10 days ago and got a call on Thursday from escalation team saying that they will process the refund within 1 or 2 days. I'll give them time till Tuesday before filling complaint with BBB and opening a case with PayPal.

Phone was delivered to them on June 22nd with signature confirmation, all the details like RMA#, order number details in the package. It's crazy that it's close to a month and they are still fooling around.

 

[davidb423]

I've been in the same position as you in the past.

Just be advised, if you do file a dspute with Paypal, it will likely take at least another 3 weeks to resolve, if not longer. I have not had great experiences with them on this--you often have to call because the website doesn't update properly--it will likely get resolved, but it will require more involvement by you. And lots of time on the phone.

I had to call HTC several times myself to resolve a prior refund--the purchase is handled by digital river and you might want to check their web site customer service first--sometimes the delay is just communication between them and HTC. When I've gone there, it got fixed quickly.

 

[kgbkny]

After reaching out to them on Twitter, HTC was very quick to look into my case and reply. Unfortunately, their response wasn't promising:

"Thanks for. the info. As further checked, there's still an ongoing escalation of your case. We do apologize for the inconvenience that the refund wasn't completed yet. We'll have this followed up with your case handler to ensure progress. They'll reach out to you for resolution update. We appreciate your patience."

I'll contact Digital River on Monday and see what can be done on their end. I did a bit of research yesterday and came across several Reddit threads and customer reviews of similar situations involving Digital River. Quite a few people resorted to filing PayPal disputes, as they weren't able to get anywhere with Digital River. It's appalling that this company continues to get away with such behavior. One thing's for sure - never again will I order from a company that uses Digital River to handle their fulfillments. Talk about a valuable lesson.

 

[SkypilotOfHope]

Phone was delivered to them on June 22nd with signature confirmation, all the details like RMA#, order number details in the package. It's crazy that it's close to a month and they are still fooling around.

Mine was delivered one day after yours: signature required upon delivery etc. Just escalated this past week. Unacceptable delay processes!

 

[bhatech]

Mine was delivered one day after yours: signature required upon delivery etc. Just escalated this past week. Unacceptable delay processes!

I know it'll eventually resolve and we will get our money back but just sucks that we have to follow up so much. If it takes one month for the return be upfront and I'm fine with that. In their return initiation email, it said refund will be processed in 5-7 business days after they receive the product. 5-7 days is long past and they have no clue and so disorganized. Even for the escalation ticket, HTC support emails and say they tried to call me and they can't reach me. You know why? They are dialing the RMA# as my phone number (smh). I had to email them again my phone number and finally they called me and again gave 1-2 days to process refund. I'm still skeptical and may take couple more calls and more escalation before this gets resolved.

 

[kgbkny]

So this situation is getting more and more interesting. I just reached out to HTC once again, explaining to them that I was promised by the representative of the escalation team that my money would be refunded last Friday and I am extremely concerned that that timeframe has expired and the refund still hasn't been issued. The rep then put me on hold several times, eventually transferring me to a member of the escalation team named Jenny. She informed me that the person in charge of my case is out of the office today, but that my refund has already been processed and should appear in my PayPal account within 7-14 business days. Hmm...whatever happened to the 5-7 business day refund timeframe plastered all over HTC's website and explicitly stated in the return e-mail?

I then requested that this information be sent to me in writing, restating that this is an unacceptable delay and that I want an e-mail record that the refund has been issued and is processing. Jenny stated that she will speak to the person in charge of my case when she returns to the office tomorrow and that she will send me the e-mail. Based on what has been going on with this situation, I am sensing that this may be a stalling tactic. Today, I had to make the first payment to PayPal, for a phone that hasn't been in my possession for 3 weeks.

Those of you who are in a similar situation, what course of action will you be taking? As I've mentioned earlier, I am seriously inclined to file a claim with PayPal right now, but I'm open to other suggestions.

 

[bhatech]

If only the tech sites can pick up this and light a fire under HTC ***

Honestly, it's border line fraud and incompetence from HTC/digital River support. It shouldn't take this long to figure out this, I can understand one or two cases of being delayed for some odd reason but happening to everyone that's unacceptable.
Personally, I'll wait few more days since the escalation team contacted me on Thursday and said they will process refund in 1 or 2 days. She said she'll follow up with me, so will give her the chance before deciding other action.