Buy Mobile Phones - Stay Well Clear! :)

[jeebowhite]

Hi Guys,

I would like to share a bit of a negative experience I have encountered with buymobilephones.net, one which I would like to share in order to save you from suffering the ongoing trouble that I have experienced. As a moderator of this site, I should really clarify that these are not the opinions of the forum, administrators, management or brand, and therefore confirm that all the below are of my own personal opinion and are not defamatory in any undue means and are the personal opinion of the poor experience I have had with them.

At the start of the year, I took a contract out with them (I shall refer to buymobilephones.net as BMP going forth), not an expensive one, but one that ties me down for two years. I took out a contract for an LG Optimus L3 and a free gift of a Nexus 7, at the start, it was brilliant - God's gift to the first timer going onto contract. Oh how that has changed!

About 2 months ago, my phone stopped working for no reason, touch screen unusable, but without any damage or pressure damage or anything else that I am sure will be later used as an excuse. Having contacted BMP they advised that I could send the phone to them for repair, I duly did and the phone was returned as a "non warranty repair - internal damage not visible from the outside" - I would class that as an inherent fault, as I cant break something without leaving any signs! so they returned the phone (free of charge - if it was a fault of my own making they would have duly charged me for the privilege!). So I approached LG for a second opinion.

LG received my phone and have returned it to me as a non warranty repair. They then called me up about a half hour ago to advise that the reason the phone was returned is the fact that the phone has been "tampered" with and due to BMP actually opening my phone, it appears that they have LOST something from within the phone itself. This means that any repair is chargeable and any warranty that may have been present is now obliterated.

Having phoned BMP and arguing this point, they now want me to send a report to them by LG stating exactly what is wrong with the phone, and the reason it is out of warranty, before they will even consider that their incompetence has cost me a phone and I am now bound to a contract without the phone to use!

I am awaiting LG sending the report, but I anticipate that BMP will refuse outright any wrongdoing, and no doubt will find a way to pass the blame back to me! My options are as follows:

1) Pay £25 and claim off the insurance

2) Send the phone back to LG and at the pleasure of £10 have the phone returned to me with a quote for repair

3) Repair the phone at a cost of whatever it will be to get it back to a useable state

4) Pay for an independent report to confirm that the phone is indeed inherently faulty, in which case the cost should be reimbursed by BMP, alternatively be billed for the privilege if they are unable to confirm that the handset is indeed inherently faulty.

5) Continue my argument that BMP's incompetency is the root cause of my phones final "warranty void" claim and see if I can press for a replacement handset to be sent free of charge (should cost nothing!)

So far, all options Barr the last, appear to be costing me money at an expense that I fail to see, should be due to me.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the first Nexus 7 that I received was returned to them as the unit itself had a fault whereby the screen would randomly flicker off and was unusable.

So far both parts of my 'purchase' have deemed faulty and as a consumer, I see both of these faults appear to be inherent.

I would personally advise DO NOT approach these people for a contract phone, their products seem questionable, and their time in resolution is poor to say the least.

I am incredibly frustrated at this time, and envisage that the cost of time is now going to run into many more weeks, before I suspect that BMP will deny any liability.

So, there is my story, as soon as I can have clarification as to what they will do, I will update this thread, and perhaps even retract some of my more "blunt" comments about their general service, but I expect that probably will not happen :)

So there you are :) I ask now has anyone had any dealings with them and if so, where they as negative as my poor excuse of an experience appears to have been?

[crispy2013]

hey,

sad to say but this happens quite a lot

and not just with the smaller companies either

afew people I know have had the same thing with different networks

I have been with orange from day one, they are not perfect

but if my phone is faulty then they will send a guy out usually the next day with a new phone

and all I have to do is give him my broken one , then he gives me a new one and I just sign for it

no sending my phone off for weeks at a time waiting with no phone

[Preee]

Wow does not sound good , what they should have done is advised you to send it direct to LG in the first place under manufacturer's warranty.

If you can get the report from LG it might be worth a try , your contract will be with your provider , so if you stopped paying it would be them who would chase you not the company you brought it from.

I had a problem with Orange , i brought my daughter a Nokia phone PAYG idiots sent out an iPhone 5 sim which is smaller than the micro sim it should of had, daughter put it in the phone and it jammed , 16 calls later even after admitting liability they still had not sorted it.

I went back to Phones4U where i got it to ask advice ! , They changed the phone for me without question , after a two page rant to Orange head office all i got was a sorry and £20 credit. Total waste of time Orange are and i will be moving my phone from them as soon as i need a new contract.

[salsheikh]

i had a similar issue with 3! the phones kept on swtching off so they said to return it and remove the battery, cover and sim. the sim wouldnt come out so i told them and they said they would send a replacement sim. sent phone off and a week later got it back saying they wont repair it as the sim is stuck. i only put the sim in once so why it got stuck i dont know. looks like they will try and use any excuse to get out of sorting it. i know vodafone were sending out new handsets instead of repairing them as Unipart who did the repair work got so far behind decided to replace the handsets - i know this cos i used to work for them! They are finally back on track and repairing handsets...the stuff people leave on memory cards in the handset is another matter.

[jeebowhite]

Well the email came through from LG, sent it on with a rant and my demands and just awaiting there response. Told them they have today and tomorrow to get it sorted, otherwise I will be calling, also demanded that only a decision making manager contacts me, as I am fed up of repeating the story, and want someone who will make a decision to listen to the scenario and give an answer to it!

Anyways, I will keep you all updated, I hope that they do sort it out, as I would rather not have to shoot a business down with a blunt honest opinion and put customers off, I would actually rather see them sort the issue...

[salsheikh]

good luck mate, i hope it works out for you.

[jeebowhite]

Well I promised an update and here it is... I am no further forward!

Having sent them the email 10 days ago with all the evidence that they require, specifically requesting a Manager contacts me to at least acknowledge the email I have been told that they have just received the escalation and will call me later today... I have called 5 days on the trot now, each sent a chaser email to the manager, each asked them to contact me, but there managers appear to be afraid of talking to customers, by text communication or verbal either way!

So I am still fuming, and my advise is still very much avoid at all costs. I have never been so disappointed in any customer service I have ever received. When you cant trust that a manager will be true to their word, who do you trust?

[salsheikh]

thats terrible service. customer service is what keeps your customers but these guys dont give a toot

[jeebowhite]

Fiinally! I have closure!

After 2 and a half months, the new supervisor (who actually seems to have a clue!) has finally resolved the issue! He acknowledged that the best method forward is to replace the handset. This was swapped out with a collection of the old and faulty phone at the same time, so I finally have the handset back and working!

I then followed up with a complaint about the overall shamoblic service, from the lies of the management team, to the incompetence of their repair centre, and the ongoing stress and aggravation that the saga has caused for 10 weeks! The same chap who was dealing with my complaint called me back and advised since he knew this case well he would pick it up. He offered in recompense, two months of a refund for the contract (as I had been unable to really use it!) and also offered a further £30 compensation for the disgraceful performance the company has so far offered. in all, £70 compensation for the problems and the replacement handset. Finally (with the right person looking into it!) and after the problem had gotten to this stage where it should never have been! the issue is resolved.

I am still disgusted by the overall experience, and I still would recommend that you do not approach them over a high street retailer, or if you do, you approach with extreme caution! whilst the prices are low, it seems you have to hit the right person to get the right experience. Otherwise, you will end up stuck in the above scenario!

I am very much glad that the issue has been drawn to a close, unfortunately now I have a new problem of mobile phone insurance via them that was apparently free, is now charging me £7 a month! grrrr! but the main complaint is done!

So proceed with caution!

[Preee]

Glad you got it sorted Jeeb , you can cancel the insurance :)

[b1g_dav3]

Another company to look out for is the courier service called Yodel, don't even know where to begin there...

[jeebowhite]

I wouldnt touch Yodel with a 3 mile bargepole!

If I see any reference to them on a site, I wont buy from that site. I dont care if its 95% cheaper than anyone else in the world...

[jeebowhite]

As for Preee, I just cancelled the direct debit. May contact them if I can be bothered, but for now, they will probably cancel the policy...

[The Dark Knight]

Missed this topic sadly but for future reference in any consumer dealings, the best advice is to forget ringing them and use email and recorded post so you can document every word. Also, never go to the manufacturer, use Sale of Goods Act against the seller. Any fault arising within 6 months of delivery to the buyer is taken to have been there from day 1. In simple terms, the seller has to prove the goods are not faulty/were not faulty when delivered to you (difficult for them) rather than you having to prove the fault.

If they mess you about just take them to court and watch them crumble lol.

[The Dark Knight]

By the way, you didn't need the opener. It's not defamation in a month of Sundays.

[jeebowhite]

Cheers Dave, I know you know your way around this back to front and side to side lol.

I sent shed loads of emails, and just recorded every time and date of the phonecall. I am considering investing in some means to record telephone conversations (no doubt theres an app for that ;)) but I got there in the end. Agreed though, the more evidence there is to throw the case at them, the better ;)