Returning my Kobo - Page 2

baronrus · 01-16-2011, 10:40 AM

One other think I think that broken screens are largely a result of consumers not realizing what they are dealing with. It is after all 6 inch piece of glass (or breakable plastic).

MikeLC · 01-16-2011, 12:50 PM

There has been talks of a batch of Bad screens during the holiday season which is unfortunate but happens during the holiday season as well as with any electronic device.

Any Chapters/Indigo location will beable to exchange a faulty or defective (wifi Kobo) for a new one so long as we have them in stock. Simply bring in the Kobo, cables, box, and receipt if possible (not required)

Hope this helps you out

Michael

pholy · 01-16-2011, 03:48 PM

I have both a Bookeen Cybook Gen3 and a Foxit eSlick, which are earlier incarnations of the same basic Netronix design used in the Kobo. Those use simple plastic cases held together by four screws. They are considerably more flexible than the Kobo, and going through the Bookeen forums from two or three years ago shows lots more problems with broken screens than the Kobo has had. The Kobo case is thicker, uses an aluminum sheet reinforcement, and snaps together tightly around the entire perimeter. It is a much more rigid design, in my opinion.

MikeLC · 01-16-2011, 04:47 PM

The issue with faulty or broken screens is in the initial assembly of the device, if the cables in the back of the screen are not connected properly they can come loose and cause you to have a broken screen effect that people are seeing on their Kobos. This being unfortunate as majority of them were gifts means that people will simply have to bring the Kobos back to the stores to exchange for a new ereader.

Ppprrtt · 01-17-2011, 09:58 AM

Just thought I'd add an update.

Went to the Indigo in downtown Montreal and requested a "return". I made sure to choose the upstairs checkout as it's usually less crowded than downstairs. I assumed the employees there would less dismissive since there were no customers waiting to make their purchases.

I explained that I had already done an exchange and that I simply wanted to return the device as I did not want to go through another exchange. I had been happy to buy the product but would wait until the technology would get a bit better. I used a very friendly tone and smiled a lot throughout, and told them that I'd buy the next version Chapters/Indigo would release.The assistant at the cash informed me that only exchanges are possible and that they would be happy to provide me with a new Kobo in lieu of my defective one.

I asked: "Is it really not possible to get a refund?" and frowned subtly.

The cashier then said they would get a supervisor without me even asking for one. Either they've been through this road before and wanted to avoid arguing with me directly, or the "no refund policy" is only loosely applied.

Anyhow, the supervisor arrived and didn't speak a word to me, just nodded to the person at the register and they proceeded to refund me in cash.

I am ultimately very pleased with Chapters/Indigo and I will indeed consider buying the next Kobo.

dixieknits · 01-17-2011, 10:11 AM

I had to fight and fight and prove my Kobo was defective at a Borders in Florida, but since there were no signs posted and nothing printed on my receipt about refunds, they had to finally give me the cash on a return of a failed Kobo within the 30 day grace period. Since you have had 2 already failed, I would think you have a good case. Be prepared to be very assertive and let them know you will keep going up and up until your purchase is refunded.
I was very frustrated with the whole Borders/Kobo experience (especially Borders) and did not want another Kobo. If you dig back to the post where someone complained about trolls on this board, I believe I detailed the story . Also the week before my drama at Borders, another member had posted an almost identical experience.
Good luck and remeber to stand your ground...

Psyke · 01-17-2011, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ppprrtt

Just thought I'd add an update.

Went to the Indigo in downtown Montreal and requested a "return". I made sure to choose the upstairs checkout as it's usually less crowded than downstairs. I assumed the employees there would less dismissive since there were no customers waiting to make their purchases.

I explained that I had already done an exchange and that I simply wanted to return the device as I did not want to go through another exchange. I had been happy to buy the product but would wait until the technology would get a bit better. I used a very friendly tone and smiled a lot throughout, and told them that I'd buy the next version Chapters/Indigo would release.The assistant at the cash informed me that only exchanges are possible and that they would be happy to provide me with a new Kobo in lieu of my defective one.

I asked: "Is it really not possible to get a refund?" and frowned subtly.

The cashier then said they would get a supervisor without me even asking for one. Either they've been through this road before and wanted to avoid arguing with me directly, or the "no refund policy" is only loosely applied.

Anyhow, the supervisor arrived and didn't speak a word to me, just nodded to the person at the register and they proceeded to refund me in cash.

I am ultimately very pleased with Chapters/Indigo and I will indeed consider buying the next Kobo.

Glad to hear you were able to get the service you wanted. Deep down they understand the frustration but they have to try and enforce store policy while obviously trying to keep customers happy and returning, so it's a fine line they have to balance.

MikeLC · 01-17-2011, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ppprrtt

Just thought I'd add an update.

Went to the Indigo in downtown Montreal and requested a "return". I made sure to choose the upstairs checkout as it's usually less crowded than downstairs. I assumed the employees there would less dismissive since there were no customers waiting to make their purchases.

I explained that I had already done an exchange and that I simply wanted to return the device as I did not want to go through another exchange. I had been happy to buy the product but would wait until the technology would get a bit better. I used a very friendly tone and smiled a lot throughout, and told them that I'd buy the next version Chapters/Indigo would release.The assistant at the cash informed me that only exchanges are possible and that they would be happy to provide me with a new Kobo in lieu of my defective one.

I asked: "Is it really not possible to get a refund?" and frowned subtly.

The cashier then said they would get a supervisor without me even asking for one. Either they've been through this road before and wanted to avoid arguing with me directly, or the "no refund policy" is only loosely applied.

Anyhow, the supervisor arrived and didn't speak a word to me, just nodded to the person at the register and they proceeded to refund me in cash.

I am ultimately very pleased with Chapters/Indigo and I will indeed consider buying the next Kobo.

I'm glad that you were able to get this resolved as it happens only Managers give returns exchanges are more common.

mamasue · 01-17-2011, 07:32 PM

In the state where I live we have a really very fair return policy, which all retailers MUST adhere to.

If a product does not perform the function for which it was sold (ie it's defective) it must either be replaced, repaired or a full refund supplied (with receipt of course!). The customer chooses ...

even if the product has been opened. how the hell else can you tell if it's 'defective'.

sounds like chapters are easier to deal with than borders.

coinín · 02-01-2011, 05:19 PM

Of all of the Kobo returns I've ever encountered (and working for Chapters/Indigo, I've seen a few), I can tell you this...

Most of them have physical damage to the screen. There's often a nice, obvious place where the point of impact happened, then a spiderweb of cracks radiating from there. Sometimes it's just a few cracks across the surface- the same way a mirror in a frame would look if it were dropped on the side.
Having worked with electronics before and seen a ton of damaged devices over the years, I can testify to how few people are willing to admit that damage to their devices is caused by negligence or carelessness, or even due to a simple accident. Everyone wants it replaced and doesn't want to pay for it, and are willing to scream and cause a scene in order to make it unpleasant to deny them. That's just how the electronics biz goes. Accidents aren't generally covered under warranty. People don't want to admit to accidents/errors, because repairs and replacements are expensive... but I have yet to see a single electronic device of any kind that mysteriously damaged itself. If something's got a great big crack down the middle, something happened for that to get there.
The glasses in your cupboard and the glass in your picture frames on the wall don't mysteriously crack on their own, why would a Kobo?

Of those remaining returned readers that were not obviously physically damaged, when those readers were set back to factory settings and put through their paces, they've generally been just fine and behaved 100% normally. We send them back to Kobo anyway- something might be wrong that we can't see with brief testing at the store level, but I think the likelihood is that most of those turn out to be just fine even under closer scrutiny. Someday, I'd like to know how many Kobo gets back that are actually just fine.

So far, I've seen all of TWO Kobo readers that genuinely did something abnormal. TWO! That's pretty low, precentage-wise. One had a WiFi connection issue, and another one had a battery charging issue... but that is still a very, very low number of problematic readers.

As a result, I have a great deal of confidence that if you treat a Kobo with the care that a device that has a big piece of glass in it deserves, it'll serve you well for a good long while.

01-17-2011, 10:11 AM	#21
dixieknits Addict Posts: 283 Karma: 1011418 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kindle 3, Nook Color	I had to fight and fight and prove my Kobo was defective at a Borders in Florida, but since there were no signs posted and nothing printed on my receipt about refunds, they had to finally give me the cash on a return of a failed Kobo within the 30 day grace period. Since you have had 2 already failed, I would think you have a good case. Be prepared to be very assertive and let them know you will keep going up and up until your purchase is refunded. I was very frustrated with the whole Borders/Kobo experience (especially Borders) and did not want another Kobo. If you dig back to the post where someone complained about trolls on this board, I believe I detailed the story . Also the week before my drama at Borders, another member had posted an almost identical experience. Good luck and remeber to stand your ground... Last edited by dixieknits; 01-17-2011 at 10:12 AM. Reason: spelling/missing word

01-17-2011, 07:32 PM	#24
mamasue Zealot Posts: 110 Karma: 28 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo	In the state where I live we have a really very fair return policy, which all retailers MUST adhere to. If a product does not perform the function for which it was sold (ie it's defective) it must either be replaced, repaired or a full refund supplied (with receipt of course!). The customer chooses ... even if the product has been opened. how the hell else can you tell if it's 'defective'. sounds like chapters are easier to deal with than borders. Last edited by mamasue; 01-17-2011 at 07:33 PM. Reason: spelling

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01-16-2011, 10:40 AM	#16
baronrus Addict Posts: 217 Karma: 2975 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: KO, KW, and KT	One other think I think that broken screens are largely a result of consumers not realizing what they are dealing with. It is after all 6 inch piece of glass (or breakable plastic).

01-16-2011, 12:50 PM	#17
MikeLC Chapter/Indigo Employee Posts: 47 Karma: 12 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: Kobo iPhone, Kobo Wifi, Kobo Touch Ereader	There has been talks of a batch of Bad screens during the holiday season which is unfortunate but happens during the holiday season as well as with any electronic device. Any Chapters/Indigo location will beable to exchange a faulty or defective (wifi Kobo) for a new one so long as we have them in stock. Simply bring in the Kobo, cables, box, and receipt if possible (not required) Hope this helps you out Michael

01-16-2011, 03:48 PM	#18
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	I have both a Bookeen Cybook Gen3 and a Foxit eSlick, which are earlier incarnations of the same basic Netronix design used in the Kobo. Those use simple plastic cases held together by four screws. They are considerably more flexible than the Kobo, and going through the Bookeen forums from two or three years ago shows lots more problems with broken screens than the Kobo has had. The Kobo case is thicker, uses an aluminum sheet reinforcement, and snaps together tightly around the entire perimeter. It is a much more rigid design, in my opinion.

01-16-2011, 04:47 PM	#19
MikeLC Chapter/Indigo Employee Posts: 47 Karma: 12 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: Kobo iPhone, Kobo Wifi, Kobo Touch Ereader	The issue with faulty or broken screens is in the initial assembly of the device, if the cables in the back of the screen are not connected properly they can come loose and cause you to have a broken screen effect that people are seeing on their Kobos. This being unfortunate as majority of them were gifts means that people will simply have to bring the Kobos back to the stores to exchange for a new ereader.

01-17-2011, 09:58 AM	#20
Ppprrtt Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kobo	Just thought I'd add an update. Went to the Indigo in downtown Montreal and requested a "return". I made sure to choose the upstairs checkout as it's usually less crowded than downstairs. I assumed the employees there would less dismissive since there were no customers waiting to make their purchases. I explained that I had already done an exchange and that I simply wanted to return the device as I did not want to go through another exchange. I had been happy to buy the product but would wait until the technology would get a bit better. I used a very friendly tone and smiled a lot throughout, and told them that I'd buy the next version Chapters/Indigo would release.The assistant at the cash informed me that only exchanges are possible and that they would be happy to provide me with a new Kobo in lieu of my defective one. I asked: "Is it really not possible to get a refund?" and frowned subtly. The cashier then said they would get a supervisor without me even asking for one. Either they've been through this road before and wanted to avoid arguing with me directly, or the "no refund policy" is only loosely applied. Anyhow, the supervisor arrived and didn't speak a word to me, just nodded to the person at the register and they proceeded to refund me in cash. I am ultimately very pleased with Chapters/Indigo and I will indeed consider buying the next Kobo.

02-01-2011, 05:19 PM	#25
coinín dust bunny Posts: 158 Karma: 512427 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo WiFi, Sony PRS-650, BlackBerry PlayBook	Of all of the Kobo returns I've ever encountered (and working for Chapters/Indigo, I've seen a few), I can tell you this... Most of them have physical damage to the screen. There's often a nice, obvious place where the point of impact happened, then a spiderweb of cracks radiating from there. Sometimes it's just a few cracks across the surface- the same way a mirror in a frame would look if it were dropped on the side. Having worked with electronics before and seen a ton of damaged devices over the years, I can testify to how few people are willing to admit that damage to their devices is caused by negligence or carelessness, or even due to a simple accident. Everyone wants it replaced and doesn't want to pay for it, and are willing to scream and cause a scene in order to make it unpleasant to deny them. That's just how the electronics biz goes. Accidents aren't generally covered under warranty. People don't want to admit to accidents/errors, because repairs and replacements are expensive... but I have yet to see a single electronic device of any kind that mysteriously damaged itself. If something's got a great big crack down the middle, something happened for that to get there. The glasses in your cupboard and the glass in your picture frames on the wall don't mysteriously crack on their own, why would a Kobo? Of those remaining returned readers that were not obviously physically damaged, when those readers were set back to factory settings and put through their paces, they've generally been just fine and behaved 100% normally. We send them back to Kobo anyway- something might be wrong that we can't see with brief testing at the store level, but I think the likelihood is that most of those turn out to be just fine even under closer scrutiny. Someday, I'd like to know how many Kobo gets back that are actually just fine. So far, I've seen all of TWO Kobo readers that genuinely did something abnormal. TWO! That's pretty low, precentage-wise. One had a WiFi connection issue, and another one had a battery charging issue... but that is still a very, very low number of problematic readers. As a result, I have a great deal of confidence that if you treat a Kobo with the care that a device that has a big piece of glass in it deserves, it'll serve you well for a good long while.

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