Booken (Cybook Gen3) do not complying with warranty

[clintbradford]

>> ... BUT the screen was NOT broken by a physical impact, because was just on the table and with its hard cover protection ...

YES - a sure sign of SSC - Spontaneous Screen Combustion. Screens break all the time just sitting on a table unused for a few days. Happens to all of us.

>> ... Physical screen breakage is not covered by warranty ...

Maybe not by the manufacturer or distributor ... but in the U.S., we have aftermarket warrantees. For ten bucks a year, my Kobo and Kindle 3 are both warranteed against accidental drops and spills - and even replacing the battery if need be - for three years.

[HarryT]

You may also find that your home contents insurance policy covers you against accidental damage.

[andavane]

Remember that with consumer grievances you can always contact the Trading Standards Institute:

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/

if you live in the UK.
If you place an order in the UK and the vendor is in another European Country, they do not support you as such. However the good news is that support is here provided by the UK European consumer Centre: http://www.ukecc.net/ with whom the first department has a good link.

If correspondence is commenced with the UK dept and they go on to refer to the second, your files are passed on by them.

I look after my Bookeen well but nonetheless it has had some knocks and been unscathed. It would take quite a knock to cause the breakage you describe.

One of these two centres would surely describe to you over the phone what protection and rights you have here.

Remember that the term of the warranty do not affect your rights in Common Law

[merlin]

It may be suspect the scepticism of someboby, because reading across the various post it may be easy see that what described here is a common problem. In one post one say that after two times the Gen 3 screen brooken, he decided to not repair and buy one of another company.

Apart the specific question, who plan to buy BOOKEN ebook readers should be aware of the following facts and it is not a question to bash Bookeen

1. the screen is VERY FRAGILE. It is not matter to discuss if and when something happen, but the fact that an ebook reader is planned to be transported. If the screen brooken easy without any impact and when the reader was protected from his rigid cover, means that it is very fragile or at least that some of the readers broken very easy. This is not happen with other ebook readers

2. to repair the screen it is necessary to send the device in France, because there is no assistance by the resellers. This means that in addition to the cost of reparation, tehre are the additional costs for shipping. To repair the screen the cost is 80€ + shipping, which means about 110-120€ in total. For the same price one buy Kindle Wireless Reading Device, which has wifi and other additional advantages (Booken Gen3 has a lot of limitations, no wifi, only few buttom, only limit use to pdf, etc.)

3. in legal terms, if some part is not covered by warranty, it should be clearly indicated in the warranty description.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by merlin

1. the screen is VERY FRAGILE. It is not matter to discuss if and when something happen, but the fact that an ebook reader is planned to be transported. If the screen brooken easy without any impact and when the reader was protected from his rigid cover, means that it is very fragile or at least that some of the readers broken very easy. This is not happen with other ebook readers

The screen is no more fragile than any other eInk screen it, meaning that it has to be treated with a degree of respect. Screens can and do break with any make of reader - you have only to read the forums here to see that. The screen on a Bookeen device is no more, and no less, likely to break than that of any other type of reader.

Carry it in a rigid case and you should be absolutely fine.

[EowynCarter]

What harry said.

As to sending device in france, well. Being french, i'm glad I can send my cybook for repeair easily Though I can understand the problem, as some company requiers you to ship outside of france.

3. in legal terms, if some part is not covered by warranty, it should be clearly indicated in the warranty description.

Sorry to say it, I doubt the screen broke "all by itself". You had to hit it / bend it / pressure it at some point. Trouble is, e-ink forgives that less easily then lcd does. And damage caused by the user is out of warranty.

[merlin]

The question is simple. An ebook reader is made to be transported and should be enough resistant for the normal use. The Gold ed of Booken gen 3 has in addition its protective (semirigid) book-type cover which further protect the device and the screen.

I had the device from few months and nothing particular happen, ie. the device was not falling down, impacted by somethink, etc. Therefore, it was I consider a "normal" use.
It may be easy verified that in the device there is no trace at all of indication which may suppose an external damage.

Nevertheless, the Booken refuse the reparation in warranty and the cost of the reparation (including the fact that it is necessary to send in France, being not present a service in other countries) at the end is more costly that to buy a new device (NOT FROM BOOKEN) which also has less limits that the Gen 3.

So my personal conclusion is that I refused the reparation and after only three months, without any damage from my side, I was forced to buy a new reader.

I feel that it is necessary to advice the potential buyers of this device that at least it is very fragile and that reparation is costly and they don't apply the warranty even if it was NOT indicated that the screen is not covered and I do not feel that the rupture (if any, I have no possibility to verify that it is the true cause) was caused by me and not an intrinsic defect.

[EowynCarter]

Once again, all reader have the same screens, from the same manufacturer. They are just as fragile. And screen are out of warrenty and expensive for all manufacturers.

If the gen 3 isn't solid enough for you, no reader will be. You're shoudn't buy a new reader, or take more care with it than you did the poor gen 3.

Act as an adult, accept the consequance of your own miskake. You're the one who broke your cybook, you're the only one to blame for that.

Yeah, finding your screen broken is anoying. Been there, done that. But I knew where to put the blame : me, for putting the reader in my bag's front pocket, where it could easily be hit.
How can you be so sure you reader wasn't hit ? Mine was in my bag, either the bag was on me, or at work next to my desk. It's shoudn't have been hit without me noticing. Still, that happened. There where enough makrs on the cover to prove that.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Once again, all reader have the same screens, from the same manufacturer. They are just as fragile. And screen are out of warrenty and expensive for all manufacturers.

Just because a seller claim something does not mean it is correct. If something breaks inside of 6 months the seller have to show that the cause is not an original problem. If the seller cannot show that they have to fix it. Just refusing to handle it is wrong. This at least holds if you live in EU and buy things inside EU.

Even for faults Bookeen fixes they misbehave since they do not pay the postage costs.

[EowynCarter]

If something breaks inside of 6 months the seller have to show that the cause is not an original problem. If the seller cannot show that they have to fix it. Just refusing to handle it is wrong. This at least holds if you live in EU and buy things inside EU.

And in most case, that requiers having the device at hand.
And where there some case of screen that where actually defective ?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

And in most case, that requiers having the device at hand.
And where there some case of screen that where actually defective ?

Yes. But responding that warranty does not cover it is a try to fool the customer. First it is not warranty that covers it. And they do not mention at all that they are responsible to show that it was not an original defect.

What I do not get is why people here are so fast defending companies that try to not follow the EU rules.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

And in most case, that requiers having the device at hand.
And where there some case of screen that where actually defective ?

And if they need the device they have to pay for the postage.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by tompe

Yes. But responding that warranty does not cover it is a try to fool the customer. First it is not warranty that covers it. And they do not mention at all that they are responsible to show that it was not an original defect.

Because, most of times, if not all the times, broken screen happens because of user...

First mail from bookeen "looks like screen is broken", then after they had the cybook, they confirmed and asked for payment. ie, if they had some reason to think the screen was defective, they would have fixed it for free.

What I do not get is why people here are so fast defending companies that try to not follow the EU rules.

Well, maybe I had to pay for postage fee (they aren't that much, from paris to paris). But in the meantime, my e-reader came back fixed before I had time to really miss it. I had prepared myself to live without the reader for a month or so, that was only one week.
Guess the reason i see things differently there if the prise difference. Posting from Sweden to France in more expensive than France - France , so paying postage fees become more of a deal. I can even carry the reader myself if need be.

Then, customers pays for support anyway, one way or another. Either you have the customers pays when they need support, either you pay for support when you buy the device. But the money have to come from somewhere.

And at least, readers are light. I had a pair of speaker I gave up getting fixed, because postage fees to US would cost almost as much as the speakers themselves.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Because, most of times, if not all the times, broken screen happens because of user...

First mail from bookeen "looks like screen is broken", then after they had the cybook, they confirmed and asked for payment. ie, if they had some reason to think the screen was defective, they would have fixed it for free.

In case of the example in this thread the Cybook was not sent to Bookeen and yet they said that "screen damage is not covered". And that is not true. The seller have to fix everything that was an original fault and the seller have to show that it was not an original fault. I do not see from the facts given in this thread that the seller showed that or tried to show that.

And your reasoning is wrong. It is not "if they had some reason to think" that holds. It is "if they could not show that it was not an original fault they have to fix it". What matter is what they can show. Not what they think.

Well, maybe I had to pay for postage fee (they aren't that much, from paris to paris). But in the meantime, my e-reader came back fixed before I had time to really miss it. I had prepared myself to live without the reader for a month or so, that was only one week.
Guess the reason i see things differently there if the prise difference. Posting from Sweden to France in more expensive than France - France , so paying postage fees because more of deal. I can even carry the reader myself if need be.

It is also the trouble. When I fixed my phone recently I just filled in a web page. The company sent me packing material and everything needed to sent in the phone. Minimal problem and no cost for me.

Then, customers pays for support anyway, one way or another. Either you have the customers pays when they need support, either you pay for support when you buy the device. But the money have to come from somewhere.

Yes, we have already paid for it with the very high price. That is one reason to accept the high price. And still they cheat us out of the postage cost.

[EowynCarter]

And your reasoning is wrong. It is not "if they had some reason to think" that holds. It is "if they could not show that it was not an original fault they have to fix it". What matter is what they can show. Not what they think.

What can we do but actually trust the manufacturer to be honest ?
And isn't a broken screen enough to say the reader was presured / hit ? And most of times, that happens becasue of the user.