How Nokia stole $450 from me or how i purchased an...

Question

Hi: 
I don't normally take the time to write in this type of forum, but I've never been so poorly treated by any corporation, ever, period, particularly considering I purchased their highest-end, most technically sophisticated product.  I purchased a Nokia E71 in April 2009, approximately 2 months ago.  One week ago, the phone began having an issue where it would turn off every time I pushed the button to answer a call.  I spent $20 to get the phone fixed in the local care centre where they claimed to have replaced a part that was "bent" (how it became bent is unbeknownst to me, I am extremely careful with the phone, have never dropped it, etc.)  
The following day after receiving the phone back from the care centre, it broke again.  Again, I went back to the Care Centre where they kept the phone for three days, claiming to want to ensure that the phone "worked."  I had it back in my possession for about 22 hours when it broke yet again with the exact same problem.  
The Nokia Care Centre now has no solution for me exept to refund the money that I had to have the phone fixed.  I am beyond anger and frustration and have relinquished myself to accepting that Nokia has taken 450 dollars from my pocket.  All I can advise is BEWARE...If you have the misfortune of getting a technically defective phone, Nokia will not provide you with any assistance or support to have the phone fixed.  
I spent probably close to 6 hours dealing with this phone with zero resolution.  Most companies would accept some liability in this instance and stand behind their product.  Nokia is, however, different.  If you are happy with your E71, congrats, you really lucked out.  I hope for your sake that the machine doesn't break or else you will be completely out of luck.  
Can anyone suggest a non-Nokia device that might actually work?     
Sincerely, 
An extremely disgruntled customer  

Answer 1

Hello All,
I bought a E71 nearly 2 months ago and it's currently on a Nokia Care Point for almost a month now. The problem with my phone it's simple, while I was using the Multiscan application to show how it worked to a friend of mine, pressed the middle button to take the picture and the Phone just frooze. After a few seconds, the screen started to fade its light and image until it completely turned off. Never turned on again.
Like irritatede71 mentioned, the phone never when to the ground and was allways inside its holster. I had termendous care with it.
Anyway, placed the phone for repair, and in the next day received a message that I could go a get it back. Went to the store and the result was... lets say not what I was expecting. The technical report was that it was not repairable, and that it was due to a bent pcb (or board), and that it was due to misuse, so it was not covered by warranty. Since no quote for repair was given, I would just had to take the phone and loose the money I invested in it.
I did not take the phone out the store and filled in an internal complaint in the store that is at the same time my mobile service operator. I don't believe that a 1 month old high end phone just dies on my hand and the result is no warranty coverage.
After several days complaining with them, I contacted Nokia Care by email and the result was, Nokia and mobile operator join forces. They told me exaclty the same thing, that it had no repair and that was due to misuse.
I'll translate a part of the technical report given by Nokia Care into English because it's originaly in Portuguese.
They say that: "according to the technical review made by the authorized Nokia technicians, the unit shows physical damage. It reveals that on the board matrix areas designated by: C2, C3, C6, C7, D2, D3, D6, D7, the refered board is not perfectly flat. In practice it means that in the marked area in red, on the report photos, the board is bent."
I've seen the photos on the store but they didn't give them to me. It's photos of the phone board disassembled with some markings.
So after complaining a bit more, they want me to go to the stora again to get the phone like it is, with no repair, no refund, no nothing. But I'm not sitting. I'll go to the store and ask for the compaints book, and I'll now file in a formal writen complaint that will be forwared to supervisory entities. If this doesn't work I've found out that there is an European Consumer Affairs Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/) that might worth to also try to contact in order to help me solve mine, and others problem.
By the way, and sorry for being so long, I've wondering what does Nokia mean with the "etc" on their "European limited warranty" when they say: "What is not covered?.... This Limited Warranty does not cover a) normal wear and tear (including, without limitation, wear and tear of camera lenses, batteries or displays), b) defects caused by rough handling (including, without limitation, defects caused by sharp items, by bending, compressing or dropping, etc.), or ....".
Does this means that it can be anything? "etc" it's quite vague for me, it can be anything, maybe when we buy one of their equipments we need to keep them in a safe, just to make sure it does not get damaged by an "etc".
Hope it helps, and If you are interested in this story, I'll be glad to be posting my achievements.
Cheers,
Hugo