Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterT
I have to say I would not expect the manufacturer to replace a unit with scratches on the screen. Its not as if this is a software issue or even a device that became corrupted on a f/w upgrade. Rather it is an issue caused by the user, either via dirt on the screen that gets dragged around, or some impurity within the case.
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I think you're right, in most cases. But here, I disagree. It's not as simple as "I scratched my e-reader." If I scratched it due to my own mishandling, that's my own fault.
I can only speak from my own e-reader experiences. I've owned an e-ink device since 2009. I had a Nook Simple Touch, and a Nook 1E. I never used a case or a sleeve on either of them and in all that time I never experienced a single scratch, scuff, mark, or anything. I take good care of my things. When it comes to my gadgets, I'm obsessive about them being pristine.
I bought a small sleeve for my Kobo because of the flat screen. I suspected it would need the extra protection. So yes, in my view and based on my experiences, a brand new e-reader that accumulates the kind of screen-damage that mine has in 6 weeks of use, in a case, and stored in my padded messenger bag, is in some way "bad." You don't get that kind of damage unawares unless there's something wrong. And I can guarantee you, that if anything happened to that e-reader that would have caused a scratch, I'm pretty sure I would have known.
In the end, it wasn't just scratching. There were also pinpoint light spots on the screen, and a really big light leak along the top. The top bezel is actually separating...there's a gap between the brown plastic and the screen itself now, and it's growing. The lighting on the screen is really bad...not only compared to the new Kindle. I also went online and checked out video reviews that show much better lighting than mine has. Mine has dark shadows around the edges and in the middle. I assumed that was par for the course.
So yes, it seems that I have a poorly constructed Aura. It's not unreasonable to think that the tendency to scratch easily could be related to an overall shoddy device.
I'm sure that my replacement, if it ever arrives, will turn out to be fine. I think I just got a device that slipped through QC, which is not unheard of or really all that big of a deal.
It's really Kobo's customer service that drove me away. To say that a light leak is, in their words, "not that bad" and that the bright spots are "not that noticeable" is unacceptable. If a new device shows those flaws, you take it back. You don't try to talk the customer down and persuade them to live with it.
My Kobo is unusable right now. The screen reflects light and highlights all the scuffs and obscures words. The front-light does the same. And it's been almost a week now, and Kobo STILL has not created an order to send me a replacement.