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chris_gee · 12-07-2012, 10:42 PM

I got a Kobo Glo nine days ago at Whitcoulls in New Zealand. It started playing up yesterday with the light going on and off by itself. Then it went into the reactivating thing and then came up with connect to a computer then Kobo. So it re-downloaded the firmware, sync’d and reloaded a few books from Kobo. Then it did its internal fiddling and came right. Then I had to reload all the other books.
Five minutes later as I adjusted the print size it did it again. Same process.
It was okay for some hours then I switched it off. Later it said powered off although the screen was not blank but showed the cover, not the page I had been reading.
Once again it reactivated itself and came up with connect computer screen. This looks like 3 factory reboots in one day. Hardly practical when traveling or on the boat etc.

It seems to me that it was losing the firmware so that there was a problem with the memory chip. I took it back to Whitcoulls at Sylvia Park.

The manageress, who was not unpleasant, declined to replace it, despite my displeasure, and said that it was their policy and required by Kobo that it go to their head office to be looked at then they would contact Kobo for directions, as required by Kobo otherwise they might be stuck with it. This could take up to a week.

I pointed out that others had pointed to a one month immediate replacement policy in other stores. There is .no Kobo number or contact on their website for NZ. There is a suggestion elsewhere that Whitcoulls may be the distributor. I doubt that there is a local repair facility. The earliest they can presumably contact Canada is in four days.

I wonder about the economics of repair on something costing here 150NZ before tax.. Sure the part might be cheap but labour isn’t, at least as charged out.

I appreciate some might have problems setting the thing up. However, if the unit is in as new condition and obviously has a major problem, this attitude by Whitcoulls and or Kobo could mean a customer buys a unit takes it home and it is dead on arrival. To then say we might replace it in a week suggests to me a pissed off customer.

Our Consumer Guarantee Act says it must be fit for purpose but gives the option to the seller to repair or replace. What is missing is where or when. Surely a staff member in each store or someone should be available to do an on the spot assessment.

I am not saying the model is no good, (the manageress said this was their first return (in 2-3 weeks)), but a small percentage may be duds. But it seems to me handling returns in a way that does not alienate customers is a basic even if it does give a few false positives.
What do others think?

12-07-2012, 10:42 PM	#1
chris_gee Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 4212 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Kobo glo	Replacement policy I got a Kobo Glo nine days ago at Whitcoulls in New Zealand. It started playing up yesterday with the light going on and off by itself. Then it went into the reactivating thing and then came up with connect to a computer then Kobo. So it re-downloaded the firmware, sync’d and reloaded a few books from Kobo. Then it did its internal fiddling and came right. Then I had to reload all the other books. Five minutes later as I adjusted the print size it did it again. Same process. It was okay for some hours then I switched it off. Later it said powered off although the screen was not blank but showed the cover, not the page I had been reading. Once again it reactivated itself and came up with connect computer screen. This looks like 3 factory reboots in one day. Hardly practical when traveling or on the boat etc. It seems to me that it was losing the firmware so that there was a problem with the memory chip. I took it back to Whitcoulls at Sylvia Park. The manageress, who was not unpleasant, declined to replace it, despite my displeasure, and said that it was their policy and required by Kobo that it go to their head office to be looked at then they would contact Kobo for directions, as required by Kobo otherwise they might be stuck with it. This could take up to a week. I pointed out that others had pointed to a one month immediate replacement policy in other stores. There is .no Kobo number or contact on their website for NZ. There is a suggestion elsewhere that Whitcoulls may be the distributor. I doubt that there is a local repair facility. The earliest they can presumably contact Canada is in four days. I wonder about the economics of repair on something costing here 150NZ before tax.. Sure the part might be cheap but labour isn’t, at least as charged out. I appreciate some might have problems setting the thing up. However, if the unit is in as new condition and obviously has a major problem, this attitude by Whitcoulls and or Kobo could mean a customer buys a unit takes it home and it is dead on arrival. To then say we might replace it in a week suggests to me a pissed off customer. Our Consumer Guarantee Act says it must be fit for purpose but gives the option to the seller to repair or replace. What is missing is where or when. Surely a staff member in each store or someone should be available to do an on the spot assessment. I am not saying the model is no good, (the manageress said this was their first return (in 2-3 weeks)), but a small percentage may be duds. But it seems to me handling returns in a way that does not alienate customers is a basic even if it does give a few false positives. What do others think?