HTC

[steffangl]

For the last few weeks I've had problems with an HTC Wildfire used by my sister (on my VF account).

The handset sometimes freezes, and regularly displays errors such as 'The application Email (process com.android.email) has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again.  This can be for YouTube, phone etc., not just email.  The software is up-to-date and I have tried doing a factory reset twice (once via menus, and once by holding volume down when turning on and selecting clear data), both did not work.

Then I called 191 and explained the problem and the steps I'd tried.  I was told I needed to go into a store and ask them to do a 'bootloader reset'.  So, went into the store and the staff were rather clueless, but did a reset exactly as I had done at home.  No surprises it didn't work.  The store advised calling 191 to arrange a like-for-like exchange if the fault persisted once I was back home.

At home, I call 191 again - the first advisor put me on hold and a minute later the call cut off (I was on my landline so I don't think I was to blame).  The second advisor said I could not do an exchange (as suggested by store staff), and it would need to be sent for repair.  I could go back to the store or he could send an envelope for me to send the phone in (which I opted for).

Questions the advisor could not answer:

1 - Is posting the phone free or not?  Am I advised to send special delivery?

2 - Will the phone be sent back to my house once complete?

3 - Should I have a repair or exchange?  The store said a repair would not be best as they would just reinstall the software, and there seems to be more wrong than that as the resets have not worked.

I am very annoyed as the store said I should call 191 to arrange an exchange rather than a repair.  Was this advise correct or not?  It is a lot of effort and inconvenience for me to get to a store, and this effort was wasted it seems.  191 have not been helpful either and are contradicting the store staff.  I am also disappointed with their VERY poor English and general lack of knowledge about the processes/procedures involved here.

[Ben_H]

Hi steffangl,

Thanks for sharing and my apologies if there's been some confusion over the advice you've received from Customer Services and the store so far. Let me respond to each question for you:

1 - Is posting the phone free or not?  Am I advised to send special delivery? The postage costs are all covered in the pre-paid envelope you receive. Be sure to keep a hold of the receipt and tracking details once you drop the phone off at the post office.

2 - Will the phone be sent back to my house once complete? You can opt for a home delivery or a store delivery on the form that comes with the pre-paid pack.

3 - Should I have a repair or exchange?  The store said a repair would not be best as they would just reinstall the software, and there seems to be more wrong than that as the resets have not worked. Our repair centres will attempt to repair the unit themselves. If the cost of replacing or servicing parts is beyond economical repair, a replacement like for like handset will be sent in its place. This and the software flashing performed during repair is why we recommend the data backup you've no doubt already managed to do.

I trust this answers all of your questions for you, however if you need more help, feel free to get back in touch. you can also see details around Repairs in our Help Centre here.

Cheers, Ben