My Soul Died A Little Today.


court? yea someone could go that route but it would hardly be worth the court/lawer costs to quibble over a $100 repair bill. A simple "at Pandora's sole discretion" clause would take care of a lot of legal mubo jumbo concerning whats covered or not. It's easy, whatever you modified is not covered, everything else - yes.
 
craigix said:
...
And I hate to say this but with the returns a big minority of them have *clearly* been opened and put back together wrongly. We know. We build them. One of them was particularly bad. Sometimes with these units I can fix them by just putting them together correctly. Sometimes due to the user putting the screws back in too tight they have broken the case (screws in plastic will turn forever unit they go out the other side or crush something internally).

Tell me, GP32X, what should we do with such units?
I think you should take the ED approach. If it is obvious that they broke it then charge the customer what ever it cost to fix it.

For example, I am one of your customers. I have clearly opened my case. If one of my nubs stop working I would still expect you to fix it.

However, if I opened the case and broke off the power switch (which I have done) and then sent it to you for repair (I did not) I'd expect to be quoted a modest repair fee.

Obviously you could just fix it and send it back for free and I would be even happier, but a reasonable fee wouldn't anger me.

Same thing with the LCD cable if I have opened it and it fails then I think I am on the hook because that is a part that notoriously fails due to opening the case.
BUT if you discover that the solder cut through the cable under the lid then I'd expect you to cover it. But I am on the hook because there is no way for me to know.

Opened case or not, if the problem is with the board itself (SD slots, nubs, etc.) then you should cover it under warranty unless it was clearly damaged by the end user.

BUT in the case of the poor reassembly I am not sure how much this costs you other than time. Maybe clearly post a modest reassembly fee or something.
Although I think it would be good customer service to just send it back to the customer assembled properly with a warning about opening the case.

We have been here with you guys for the long haul so I think a little leniency is in order.
 
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I wonder if posts made on this forum are considered advertising. Certain things were said before and after I paid my money.
 
MonkeyChops said:
yes they are! sue sue sue! :p

Prfff. I was thinking Trading Standards.

I managed to return an item to Argos once based on a technicality (it was an MP3 player and was advertised as non refundable for some reason). The manager looked so conerned by my trading standards letter, they rang head office who claimed they had to reprint the idea catalogue.

So long as OP keep paying the postage for returns, I'm relatively happy. I really want to tweak the buttons though. Anything not involving a soldering iron shouldn't void the warranty IMO.
 
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SomeGuy99 said:
(it was an MP3 player and was advertised as non refundable for some reason)
Argos print this with regard to electronic and electrical goods, unless they are faulty, due to the way their "No quibbles"-style refund policy used to be abused.

I remember one time, we went to buy a tent. I distinctly remember that it was a Monday. When we got it home we found that it was covered with mud, which was still wet, because someone else had bought it, used it for a weekend, and then returned it that morning! That is but one example of the many times I encountered misuse of their refund policy in that way.
 
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Prometheus said:
Argos print this with regard to electronic and electrical goods, unless they are faulty, due to the way their "No quibbles"-style refund policy used to be abused.

It wasn't faulty, it was just crap.

I did some research and found the claims for battery life listed in the catalogue were way higher than the official manufacturer specification. I nailed them on false advertising and got myself a refund (and then apparently they had to reprint the catalogue).

If it makes anyone feel better, I bought another MP3 player from them a year or two later and was quite happy with it.

As an interesting aside, I was once dubiously fired from an Argos store. Maybe that contributed to it ;)
 
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Earlier I saw the dialogue prior to this edit of Someguy99 in bold:

probably care a bit too much about this community if anything. To me, you're all some kind of big extended geek family. We've been through a lot together - what with all the waiting, the delays, the emotion and drama.

When I finally got my Pandora, I felt like I grew up a little - wised up. All you little brothers and sisters of mine, still waiting on your promises from Uncle Craig - I feel duty bound to protect you a little. You were told if you did your homework, eat your vegetables, went to bed on time, Craig would take you on the most amazing trip to to funpark.

You wanted to go on the rollercoaster, go on the ferris wheel - eat candyfloss till you puked, run around like idiots until your little legs got too tired. Every night when you tuck yourselves in at night and close your little weary eyes, this is what you dream of.

Uncle Craig tries hard, but he makes too many promises. Sometimes he just gets drunk and abuses us instead.


I am concerned for Someguy by his unfortunate experiences and of course now, of potential dreams of uncle Craig and if I should report him to toilet trading standards?

Since then a whole range of things have been voiced.

In all though, I have seen only a few posts of real responsibility.

OPT made a device.

You pre-ordered it of your own choice.

You are a part of a unique, open, fuck tha man, kind of get up. Right?

You want your choice, your freedom, your responsibility. Right?

Craig n Co also wanted that and made a device YOU helped design that can do that for you.

Smiles all round. :) :)



You guys want it right?



..... EXCEPT

Also want to rip out its innards and ask for a refund from 'tha man' and bitch, if he wont agree to one! WTF?



Responsibility...?



If you receive a defective unit on arrival from OPT...send it back.

If you receive a unit that goes bad within its warranty period from OPT.....send it back.

If you receive a unit from OPT with, or without issues and decide.....

(to make good on the idea of its potential hardware hackability, or you fancy making it look like a face hugger with an octopus hub, ssd brain implant and some goofy assed MS Kinnect spy-system via rfid, IBM police owning, jewbranding punchcard strap-on wristed keyboard interface)

.... that's your business and keep it yours.... unless it works.

(In which case, please PND it for us dumbfucks and share in the basked glow of a well done mod, hack, or whatever your seeking to help with).

As it is though..... if YOU decide to tweak stuff as above...... or even have a look inside even.

Then that is your responsibility and not OPT's.

If you have the cash to mess with a unit and not be bothered if it dies in the process. DO SO.

If not DON'T

DON'T expect a miracle warranty under any LAW (fuck sake govern yourselves) or any attempt to write some more bs statute legislation that all of us dont need.

To Prometheus, perhaps we do need laws on dodgy PSU's though? No wait the laws haven't helped, only common sense on what you buy and how you treat it.
 
On the way to the fairground, Uncle Craig said he would stop at the motorway station so we could take a piss and eat a Little Chef breakfast. However, that never happened... I tried to hold in as best I could, and kept asking Uncle if we could stop the car. He was too busy shouting at the other drivers and pointing out horses.

So the lesson here is to make sure you go to the toilet before you leave, and get Aunty Ed to make some sandwiches.

Oh, and don't be surprised if you just get lost and the park is closed.
 
craigix said:
...

And I hate to say this but with the returns a big minority of them have *clearly* been opened and put back together wrongly. We know. We build them. One of them was particularly bad. Sometimes with these units I can fix them by just putting them together correctly. Sometimes due to the user putting the screws back in too tight they have broken the case (screws in plastic will turn forever unit they go out the other side or crush something internally).

...

Did it ever occur to you that some of these units that were put together wrongly left your shop that way? Because *clearly* a lot did, my own included.

And, no, replacing the screen didn't cause the shoulder buttons to come loose or the first three number keys to become unresponsive.
 
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emcee said:
craigix said:
...

And I hate to say this but with the returns a big minority of them have *clearly* been opened and put back together wrongly. We know. We build them. One of them was particularly bad. Sometimes with these units I can fix them by just putting them together correctly. Sometimes due to the user putting the screws back in too tight they have broken the case (screws in plastic will turn forever unit they go out the other side or crush something internally).

...

Did it ever occur to you that some of these units that were put together wrongly left your shop that way? Because *clearly* a lot did, my own included.

And, no, replacing the screen didn't cause the shoulder buttons to come loose or the first three number keys to become unresponsive.

My original Pandora came with half the screws missing :D
 
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emcee said:
craigix said:
...

And I hate to say this but with the returns a big minority of them have *clearly* been opened and put back together wrongly. We know. We build them. One of them was particularly bad. Sometimes with these units I can fix them by just putting them together correctly. Sometimes due to the user putting the screws back in too tight they have broken the case (screws in plastic will turn forever unit they go out the other side or crush something internally).

...

Did it ever occur to you that some of these units that were put together wrongly left your shop that way? Because *clearly* a lot did, my own included.
This is my concern as well as my unit came with gunk on the screen (underneath the plastic protector that they ship with), the hinge wasn't working properly, and the shoulder buttons did not feel well secured or springy (like the DS). It was one of the very first units, but I was still surprised it passed quality control and hope that my unit isn't falsely assumed to have been tampered with because I didn't bring a screwdriver anywhere near my unit...
 
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Chaser said:
To Prometheus, perhaps we do need laws on dodgy PSU's though? No wait the laws haven't helped, only common sense on what you buy and how you treat it.
I'm not quite sure why you're (seemingly sarcastically?) responding to my signature in this thread to which it doesn't really relate, but I suppose I should give my thoughts on this. :p

I dare say that the laws have helped to some degree, because if you purchase a PSU from a genuine source - for example, Amazon UK, to throw one off of the top of my head - you can be pretty assured that they've made sure to source a genuine product that complies with those laws, barring some highly unlikely scenario such as Amazon suddenly deciding to buy a bunch of them from some dodgy street trader or suchlike. :p

The trouble is, a number of folks just don't realise that there might be unsafe ones out there, as well as the fact that there are some very convincing counterfeits (hence my signature). For example, a number of folks don't realise that there are a lot of fake goods on eBay nowadays, and still think that it's more like an online rummage-sale filled with people's old stuff. Whilst we know that a lot of things on there are drop-shipped from wherever, not everybody does.

Anecdotally, speaking of drop-shipping, I recall that a while ago some folks kept mentioning getting cheap power supplies from the likes of DealExtreme, and I always cringed at the very thought, having seen a teardown of some of the rechargeable batteries they sell (it was actually posted on this very forum, though I can't recall in which thread, right now)... I very much agree that you definitely do need common sense in that regard. However, I don't think it hurts to include it in my signature for those who don't realise what's out there, perhaps because of those laws mostly keeping those things out of everyday life in their countries. :p
 
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Prometheus said:
I dare say that the laws have helped to some degree, because if you purchase a PSU from a genuine source - for example, Amazon UK, to throw one off of the top of my head - you can be pretty assured that they've made sure to source a genuine product that complies with those laws, barring some highly unlikely scenario such as Amazon suddenly deciding to buy a bunch of them from some dodgy street trader or suchlike. :p
I purchased a replacement Nintendo DS power supply from Amazon,
It was listed as "Official" and sold by Amazon themselves, not a third party.
However it is quite clearly fake.
It looks kind of cheap, nothing like my old one, and the sticker on it is a stretched image.
 
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Wow. I stand corrected. I hope you made them aware of that. :blink: I'm reminded of the recent Tesco-selling-counterfeit-wine thing.
 
I'm telling this because I sorta want to let OPT know of stuff, and also a mistake someone can make when assembling the pandora.

Firstly, I'm not returning mine for warranty ever (I'd propably lose my LED mod), so I'm hoping for honest answers.

- It is a one-nubber. At first I thought that they both worked. Some weeks later one lost all centring, and the other one feels a little gritty. I'd classify it to be a bit less than one-nubber now. Just interested, would one nub (the working one) be under warranty in one-nubbed devices?
- Sub note: I'd be interested in purchasing two (this time working? :p) nubs someday; Any info on availability/price?
- The first time I opened it, when I tried to open the screws, one of the screw holes (right down one, if you watch the pandora from under with USB port to "up") was already screwed too much, eg. the screw rotated quite freely (it didnt come up). It doesnt drop out but it doesnt really keep it tightly in either. WTF?
- I did manage to "screw up" (quite literally, or maybe down in the position i did it) one of the screws under the battery cover (through the case). This is my fault, and causes mostly cosmetical issues, so not a big problem for me, but:

It would be a nice idea to publish a pandora assembly/disassembly document with all the little things one should be careful about when doing this stuff, it could have helped me on this one (and propably others too).
 
Prometheus said:
Wow. I stand corrected. I hope you made them aware of that. :blink: I'm reminded of the recent Tesco-selling-counterfeit-wine thing.
Counterfeit components (not just knock off chargers) is a big issue, particularly in areas like aviation or anywhere else that components designed in 10-20 years ago are now obsolete. Even down to trivial things like capacitors which can work fine when new, but not have the temperature rating or lifetime that was expected by the original designer. The number of fake components in the supply chain is (supposedly) in the 10s of %, rather than the fraction of % you might assume.
 
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Prometheus said:
Wow. I stand corrected. I hope you made them aware of that. :blink: I'm reminded of the recent Tesco-selling-counterfeit-wine thing.

If you think that's bad: a few years ago this part of the country was inundated with fake vodka. It contained Methanol, and I seem to recall a few people died.
 
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