Do NOT buy from Kobo - worst company ever

Marcy · 04-05-2012, 10:52 AM

Much to my regret a bought a Kobo Vox when they were first launched. It is the biggest piece of garbage ever. The thing won't hold a charge and dies within 6 hours of charging to full charge even if it's not used at all.

I emailed Kobo tech support for help. After futile tech "support" I said I didn't want it and please give me a RMA number so I could return the item. They refused! They told me I had to go through more "troubleshooting" even though I could see we were going nowhere. They stopped even answering my email.

After several demands for an RMA number I finally just charged this back on my credit card. Lo and behold, 3 days before the chargeback is due to go through I get an email from them that starts "We are very sorry for the long delay in getting back to you. We have been experiencing higher than normal call volume and are trying to work our way through our customers' queries as quickly as we can." This email was sent TWO MONTHS after the last ignored email! Two months.

Obviously someone at Kobo got the chargeback and said they had to pretend to care about me.

I'm sorry folks but the customer service from this company sucks. And the Vox is a useless piece of crap that I'm now stuck with. I shouldn't have to beg to return something -- I wanted to return it within a week of getting it, but was unable. Now I have to eat the $200 for this piece of crap because they REFUSED to let me return it.

Kobo is a dishonest company that is happy to steal your money.

peterhondak · 04-05-2012, 05:34 PM

sorry you had such a hard time. I've had great success. The 6 hrs on charge is sucky though. But I use it while its on charge anyhow.
Does it lose its charge even when turned off? not in sleep mode (sleep mode doesn't work for me it freezes it), other than that I like it.
I admit there are better things out there, but in Canada anything else is more $$ or not available.

Marbles · 04-05-2012, 09:55 PM

I am sorry that you are having problems. Other than the battery life what problems have you had? I have both the touch and the Vox and like both of them. They do have their quirks but I am of the belief that they all have their own set of quirks. If you are not getting your money back are you wanting to try and sell it?

oldyellr · 04-06-2012, 09:24 AM

If it discharged in 6 hours when turned OFF, it's most certainly defective. If it was just in sleep mode with WiFi running, I can believe it. Most tablets and smartphones are battery hogs.

DarrellAtKobo · 04-06-2012, 02:20 PM

Hello Marcy,

I am sincerely sorry to learn that this has been the experience you have had. I am a Kobo employee and I would be very happy to assist you in resolving this matter. If you would be so kind as to email your contact information to KOBOExecutiveCare@kobo.com I will contact you personally to have this matter resolved for you. If you have an incident number form your communication with our support staff please include it in your email. I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Darrell.

ronlizpatsimon · 04-06-2012, 05:22 PM

The 6 hours is about normal if you leave the wifi on. (even if screen switched off)
I,m very happy with my vox - had it about 4 months.

Marcy · 04-09-2012, 05:13 PM

I never left wi-fi on, always kept it in airplane mode.

Darrell from Kobo has contacted me and finally arranged it so I can return this defective item. I'm very grateful to him for his help so I'm not out $200 on this. He is a great customer service person and Kobo needs more like him, because the people I dealt with prior were horrible.

ronlizpatsimon · 04-09-2012, 05:22 PM

For maximum battery life, switch off completely (hold down the on/off switch for several seconds)

Marcy · 04-09-2012, 06:39 PM

I shouldn't have to switch my reader off completely to not have it die every day. My Nook color always made it to the night and I always left wi-fi on. Same for my Samsung Galaxy Tab which I bought when the Vox turned out to be such a dud.

oldyellr · 04-09-2012, 07:08 PM

Marcy, you do have a point there. I think the Vox has a lot more going on in sleep mode that taxes the battery. Mine wakes from sleep momentarily from time to time and I've seen others report that also. Maybe that's a kludge to try and ward off the infamous SOD some people have reported. Kobo has more work to do.

Personally, I turn mine off if I don't expect to need it in the next 2 or 3 hours. It takes about 1-1/2 minutes to boot and load the home screen, but seems like 5 minutes, so I can see why people don't like turning it off.

Marcy · 04-09-2012, 08:53 PM

The problem with turning it off like that is that I read everywhere. I carry my reader with me because I read while waiting in line at the grocery store, I snatch a few pages in the bathroom, I read at traffic lights that I know are long. Once I have to turn the device on every time that makes all my little stolen reading moments impossible.

Kboland · 04-09-2012, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcy

...I read while waiting in line at the grocery store, I snatch a few pages in the bathroom, I read at traffic lights that I know are long.

I'm just going to throw this out there, but I think you may want to rethink your daily reading habits a bit Marcy. While I completely agree on your previous points about the issues surrounding the Vox, I personally think that an e-reader has no place in the hands of a person operating a motor vehicle. I'm not sure where you are posting from but I'm sure that your state/province has a law against using distracting mobile devices (cellphones/etc.) while driving, and if it doesn't, it probably should.

Just sayin...

Cheers

ronlizpatsimon · 04-10-2012, 01:54 AM

Marcy; A partial answer to your problem would be to purchase a spare battery. A further option is to keep it plugged in whilst reading near a power point. Another possibility is to buy a spare power cable; cut off the plug containing the transformer and replace it with an automobile transformer with a variable DC output ( so 12v input and 4.5v output)

Marcy · 04-10-2012, 10:16 PM

I think reading at a red traffic light when I'm stopped is not much of a hazard. I don't read while the car is moving. There are lights I get stuck at where I have to wait for 3 cycles of the light before I get to go through them.

Ronlizpatsimon I'm assuming your answer is tongue in cheek. You're not seriously suggesting I carry a transformer everywhere with me to keep my ereader battery from dying.

Kboland · 04-10-2012, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcy

I think reading at a red traffic light when I'm stopped is not much of a hazard.

Oh dear...did I really just read that? I know this is a forum for technology related to the joys of reading, but I feel like this needs to be said.

Marcy, you have no idea how many things are wrong with your statement. One only needs to look at your profile picture to see why you especially shouldn't be intentionally distracting yourself while operating a vehicle. Being alert to your surroundings while in a stopped car waiting for a light is no different from the need to be alert while driving a moving one. If you don't understand that, then all I can say is that I hope you either drive a tank, or that you own the only car in the city you live in.

Cheers.

04-05-2012, 10:52 AM	#1
Marcy Guru Posts: 893 Karma: 950683 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kobo Libra2	Do NOT buy from Kobo - worst company ever Much to my regret a bought a Kobo Vox when they were first launched. It is the biggest piece of garbage ever. The thing won't hold a charge and dies within 6 hours of charging to full charge even if it's not used at all. I emailed Kobo tech support for help. After futile tech "support" I said I didn't want it and please give me a RMA number so I could return the item. They refused! They told me I had to go through more "troubleshooting" even though I could see we were going nowhere. They stopped even answering my email. After several demands for an RMA number I finally just charged this back on my credit card. Lo and behold, 3 days before the chargeback is due to go through I get an email from them that starts "We are very sorry for the long delay in getting back to you. We have been experiencing higher than normal call volume and are trying to work our way through our customers' queries as quickly as we can." This email was sent TWO MONTHS after the last ignored email! Two months. Obviously someone at Kobo got the chargeback and said they had to pretend to care about me. I'm sorry folks but the customer service from this company sucks. And the Vox is a useless piece of crap that I'm now stuck with. I shouldn't have to beg to return something -- I wanted to return it within a week of getting it, but was unable. Now I have to eat the $200 for this piece of crap because they REFUSED to let me return it. Kobo is a dishonest company that is happy to steal your money.

04-06-2012, 02:20 PM	#5
DarrellAtKobo Kobo Customer Care Posts: 9 Karma: 124574 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kobo Vox	Your Kobo Vox Hello Marcy, I am sincerely sorry to learn that this has been the experience you have had. I am a Kobo employee and I would be very happy to assist you in resolving this matter. If you would be so kind as to email your contact information to KOBOExecutiveCare@kobo.com I will contact you personally to have this matter resolved for you. If you have an incident number form your communication with our support staff please include it in your email. I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Darrell.

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04-05-2012, 05:34 PM	#2
peterhondak Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 60 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: KoboMini (mine and MIL) KoboVox(returned), sonytouch(mom's),samsung7"	sorry you had such a hard time. I've had great success. The 6 hrs on charge is sucky though. But I use it while its on charge anyhow. Does it lose its charge even when turned off? not in sleep mode (sleep mode doesn't work for me it freezes it), other than that I like it. I admit there are better things out there, but in Canada anything else is more $$ or not available.

04-05-2012, 09:55 PM	#3
Marbles Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 6296 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Albert, Canada Device: KoboTouch & Kobo Vox iPad2	I am sorry that you are having problems. Other than the battery life what problems have you had? I have both the touch and the Vox and like both of them. They do have their quirks but I am of the belief that they all have their own set of quirks. If you are not getting your money back are you wanting to try and sell it?

04-06-2012, 09:24 AM	#4
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	If it discharged in 6 hours when turned OFF, it's most certainly defective. If it was just in sleep mode with WiFi running, I can believe it. Most tablets and smartphones are battery hogs.

04-06-2012, 05:22 PM	#6
ronlizpatsimon Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Cambridge UK Device: Kobo Vox	The 6 hours is about normal if you leave the wifi on. (even if screen switched off) I,m very happy with my vox - had it about 4 months.

04-09-2012, 05:13 PM	#7
Marcy Guru Posts: 893 Karma: 950683 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kobo Libra2	I never left wi-fi on, always kept it in airplane mode. Darrell from Kobo has contacted me and finally arranged it so I can return this defective item. I'm very grateful to him for his help so I'm not out $200 on this. He is a great customer service person and Kobo needs more like him, because the people I dealt with prior were horrible.

04-09-2012, 05:22 PM	#8
ronlizpatsimon Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Cambridge UK Device: Kobo Vox	For maximum battery life, switch off completely (hold down the on/off switch for several seconds)

04-09-2012, 06:39 PM	#9
Marcy Guru Posts: 893 Karma: 950683 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kobo Libra2	I shouldn't have to switch my reader off completely to not have it die every day. My Nook color always made it to the night and I always left wi-fi on. Same for my Samsung Galaxy Tab which I bought when the Vox turned out to be such a dud.

04-09-2012, 07:08 PM	#10
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	Marcy, you do have a point there. I think the Vox has a lot more going on in sleep mode that taxes the battery. Mine wakes from sleep momentarily from time to time and I've seen others report that also. Maybe that's a kludge to try and ward off the infamous SOD some people have reported. Kobo has more work to do. Personally, I turn mine off if I don't expect to need it in the next 2 or 3 hours. It takes about 1-1/2 minutes to boot and load the home screen, but seems like 5 minutes, so I can see why people don't like turning it off.

04-09-2012, 08:53 PM	#11
Marcy Guru Posts: 893 Karma: 950683 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kobo Libra2	The problem with turning it off like that is that I read everywhere. I carry my reader with me because I read while waiting in line at the grocery store, I snatch a few pages in the bathroom, I read at traffic lights that I know are long. Once I have to turn the device on every time that makes all my little stolen reading moments impossible.

04-10-2012, 01:54 AM	#13
ronlizpatsimon Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Cambridge UK Device: Kobo Vox	Marcy; A partial answer to your problem would be to purchase a spare battery. A further option is to keep it plugged in whilst reading near a power point. Another possibility is to buy a spare power cable; cut off the plug containing the transformer and replace it with an automobile transformer with a variable DC output ( so 12v input and 4.5v output)

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04-10-2012, 10:16 PM	#14
Marcy Guru Posts: 893 Karma: 950683 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kobo Libra2	I think reading at a red traffic light when I'm stopped is not much of a hazard. I don't read while the car is moving. There are lights I get stuck at where I have to wait for 3 cycles of the light before I get to go through them. Ronlizpatsimon I'm assuming your answer is tongue in cheek. You're not seriously suggesting I carry a transformer everywhere with me to keep my ereader battery from dying.