HTC Snap
I will be the first to admit that I am somewhat of a gadget freak, and this includes my cell phone. While working at Microsoft, the smartphone has become a staple of my every day life and I’m not sure what I would do without it. The ability to look at my e-mail from almost anywhere at anytime allows me to know exactly what’s going on from the car, airport, couch, etc.
With a good friend of mine working in the Windows Mobile division at Microsoft, I became aware of smartphones available outside of the public providers. Specifically, a web site previously know as Mobile Planet, which is now known as Expansys, is a re-seller of a variety of smartphones and pocket PCs. Unlike the public providers such as AT&T Wireless, Verizon, etc., Expansys sells cellular phones that can be used within the provider’s network, assuming the provider allows it. My current provider is AT&T Wireless, and by purchasing an “unlocked” device through Expansys, and then inserting your simcard into the device, you’ve got a device without a contract. (My very first smartphone was with Cingular and was under contract, and that’s how I obtained my simcard. I’m not sure if you can get a simcard without a contract.)
My previous smartphone, an HTC model, had served it’s purpose quite well, but had seen it’s end-of-life when the “End” button fell off after being dropped one too many times. It was time to move on, and the HTC Snap was destined to become my next phone.
I purchased the phone from the Expansys web site back in June of 2009 and got it up and running right away. As I mentioned above, it was as easy as removing the simcard from my previous phone and inserting it into my Snap. Immediately I could start making and receiving calls. (Getting my phone working with my company’s Exchange server was a different story.)
It was a few days later that I was out playing golf and was carrying the phone in my pocket. I took the phone out and prepared to use it when I noticed a bunch of “dust speckles” in the upper right corner of the display. While this does not hinder the usage of the phone itself, it does make the display a little hard to read in heavy sunlight, and I was a little shocked that my brand new phone was exhibiting such a problem. (I have never opened the phone for any reason.)
I discussed the problem with a couple friends and one of them mentioned that they had heard about similar problems with the iPhone and a Google search reveals that this is pretty common.
In early July, after deciding that I did not pay a bunch of money for a sub-par smartphone, I contacted the HTC support department. Note that HTC is based in Taiwan, but they have support offices in the United States, as well as the UK.
I described the problem to the HTC support staff and they informed me that they could not help me at the time since they did not have any parts available in the United States for repair purposes. My call was logged, a case started, and I was told that someone would get back to me.
A little over a month later, I was planning a European vacation and this seemed like the perfect time to send my phone in for repair. I had no need to have my phone with me while travelling, and was hopeful that I could send it in before I left and have it waiting for me when I returned.
I contacted the HTC support department again and after some time, they were able to located my case. I explained my desire to send the phone in for repair before I left for vacation, but was told that parts were still not available within the US. This seemed pretty crazy since over a month had passed since my initial call, and the phone had been public for some time (released around June 9TH.)
It was at that point that I went on a mission to get my phone in for repair. I contacted another department within HTC hoping that I could get a better answer, but it didn’t help. I even went as far as staying up until midnight to contact the HTC support department within the UK, who said that they could fix my phone, but I would have to pay international shipping charges, and it was unlikely that my phone would be returned in time.
A couple days later, the HTC support department within the US contacted me and informed me that parts were now available and that I could send in the phone for repair. Several stipulations were placed on my sending the phone in, including:
- I would be required to pay the shipping charges to send the phone in for repair. While this seems somewhat expected, it seems unfair given that the phone has a defect that requires me to send it in. (The company should provide a pre-paid shipping label.)
- I would be required to pay a “triage fee” of $28. This is ridiculous given that the phone has a defect that I am not responsible for.
- I would be required to pay a “Global Warranty Service fee” of $20 since my phone comes from the UK. What?
- A customer service agent would contact me prior to the repair. This is perfectly reasonable, but not in my situation since I would be travelling and unavailable by phone.
- The return of the phone would require my signature upon delivery. Again reasonable, but not in my situation, since I would not be at home for a couple weeks.
I’m simply astounded by the triage fee and the global warranty service fee. How can a company charge you a fee to fix one of their own products that has a defect for which they are responsible?
I compare this experience to my digital camera, made by Canon, which I have sent in more than once. While you are required to pay the shipping charges for the initial shipment, if the product is under warranty and the defect is their responsibility, they will not charge any fees for the repair.
While I have learned to live with the dust under the screen, this experience makes me think twice about buying another HTC device in the future.
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