Vodafone repair are saying I damaged my phone and I did not

[totallyttrs-com]

Hi All

I have a samsung s7 that I got 3 months ago. After using the phone a few weeks I noticed that the volume buttons did not work, i can go into settings as change the volume and did that for a while. Busy December/Christmas came and went. Then I went on holiday in early Jan and my wife noticed me messing about with the volume and asked why I did that and told here the volume buttons did not work and that it would be fixed under warranty. When we got home I phoned vodafone and told them what was wrong, as I do not live anywhere near a store they sent a bag to return it in.

They phoned me today to say that there was damage around the volume button and they would not fix it under warranty and I would have to pay! I asked to speak to customer services to complain. I then got grilled on why I never sent the phone back earlier, I told them I had been busy and did not get around to it.

I told them that there was no damage to the phone when I sent it and they told me that as I did not take it into a store for inspection prior to being returned, they could not confirm this, I asked if the damage could have been done at their end as it was definetly not damaged when I sent it. I was told that because I cold not prove this they would believe that I sent it damaged....

Why did they not explain this to me when they sent me a bag to return it in? I would have gone to a store for prior inspection, if this would have been pointed ot to me. I have been made to feel very upset, I have been with vodafone for a very long time and it is wrong to be treated like this. They are sending the phone back to me so I can inspect it, but have been told they will not do anything else about it.

This is extremely annoying.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[wwhyte92]

I understand that it may take slightly longer, but from my previous experience Vodafone have tried to avoid their legal responsibility as a seller under these regulations and pass the actions back onto the customer to chase up themselves. All I am suggesting is that the customer considers the route of action that they take.

Samsung won't do a straight out swap of the handset I wouldn't have thought if the defect is found, instead they will attempt a repair on a couple of occassions as they are allowed to do under the manufacturer's warranty agreement. If the customer sends it back to Vodafone as the seller, whom then send back to Samsung for an attempted repair, if that first repair doesn't work they can request a brand new handset under the EU regulations rather than having to faff around going back and forth with Samsung multiple times. 

[totallyttrs-com]

Thanks for the replies.

Vodafone customer services have refused to fix it under warranty, not sure how I can get them to fix it even with this info, I will try Samsung and send them a picture, to see what they say.

[63johnw]

I wouldn't send a picture or mention that you have sent it to Vodafone and they refused. Can you get to a Samsung store ? If not try contacting them online, they should send out an envelope. Keep photos for yourself in case of more damage appearing.

[hrym]

I absolutely agree with @63johnw.  Just go direct to Samsung and say nothing about Vodafone's involvement.   As I said before, if you mention that, they'll probably say the warranty's been invalidated and then you'll be on your own.

Keep schtum and the chances are they'll do the necessary repair under waranty and regard the damage as trivial.

[totallyttrs-com]

Always like to be honest, that is why I am so miffed with the lack of vodafones help, especially as I have been a customer for so long.

[hrym]

They've spotted damage and refused a warranty repair, which is what they have to do under the terms imposed on them by all manufacturers.  Because of this, they can't tell you to go to Samsung (it would effectively be fraud).   Because we're users and not Vodafone employees, we can.   It's an anomalous situation in some ways, but it is what it is.

[totallyttrs-com]

Hi All

Thanks for all the advice and a quick update for you.... Took the phone to a Samsung store in Plymouth today, they looked at it and couldn't work out why Vodafone would not repair it, as ity was clear that such a small dent would not stop the volume buttons working, so they took it in for repair under warranty. Before I had finished shopping, they phoned me back in one and a half hours to tell me the phone was fixed and ready for collection. No charge and all done under warranty. No why could Vodafone not do the same, Poor show of vodafone, I have been a customer of theirs for over 20 years and they treated me like rubbish. A big 0 marks to Vodafone, their customer support/ complaints and repair centre, all of them rubbish. Top marks to Samsung, great service all round.

Thanks to you all on this forum for your help.

[63johnw]

Glad you sorted but as has been said if there is any physical damage Vodafone are not allowed to repair under warranty, it's not that they don't want to, they simply are not allowed to.

[hrym]

Vodafone get reimbursed by the manufacturer for warranty work.   They'd love the job but, if the manufacturer declines to pay, they lose money.   IMHO, this particular case sounds like a very strict interpretation of the rules, but that operative or that depot may have taken a hit for doing work they shouldn't.   The main thing is that your phone is now fixed.   You took as risk mentioning Vodafone's refusal and I'm glad it didn't come back to bite you.

[spencer24]

In my experience VF are con merchants, They broke my S8+ less than 6 months old said I did it didn't fix it replace it or offer compensation . Treated me like scum. And of course Samsung wouldn't touch it as VF already broke the rear panel and blamed me even though it was inspected in store before it was sent off. Scumbags and liar's.