Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Pretty much all companies will send you a refurbished device as a warranty replacement
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I think it depends on the company. That's certainly not been my experience across the board.
Quote:
Originally Posted by soulfuldog
There should be nothing wrong with getting a refurb as a replacement, so don't let that sour you.
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I think the prospect of being sent a second-hand device masquerading as a new one is quite enough to sour things. If it's so normal and acceptable to get a used machine, then why isn't the company upfront about it? It was only when I was speaking with the customer service rep this morning, and said, "I think they've sent me a second-hand unit." that was the first I'd heard of a replacement device being a used one. But it was all dressed up as if it were new — new box, new temporary screen protector stuck back over the screen — which seems deceptive to me.
If it's refurbished, then it's a unit that has already been returned as faulty. And it's a common experience that once a device has been repaired, its lifespan is generally reduced, so it seems highly likely that, as I said, my overall useful span of this device will be shorter than if I'd had a device without a fault in the first place. But I paid full retail, as much for the thing as someone who got a fault-free device, so it seems unfair to have to accept a second-hand device now. I think I'm justified in being unhappy about that.
As I said in my OP, I know I can send it back. I was more interested in hearing what people would do if they were in the same situation. I suspect a lot of people who say things like "don't worry about it" would feel differently if they were in the situation themselves.
And yes, I'll be sending the device back. It's night-time here now, and I can see that the light is faulty as well: with the same setting (30%) as my previous unit, the light is only a bit over half as bright, and there are clear striations in the light field and a couple of bright bars across the screen, that are significantly distracting while trying to read.
My issue with this, separate from the question of sending it back, is that it makes me doubt the quality control of the refurbishment effort. As with the grit and hair under the removable screen protector, it doesn't indicate great care or attention to detail, so who knows what else may be wrong with it? Or, more to the point, with any other second-hand unit I'm sent?