Aura One - Terrible Quality Control?

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by robilarocn

Kobo customer service is the worst customer service I have ever encountered... ever.

My daughter's kobo died while under warranty (For no reason we could determine) and it took me almost 7 weeks to get a replacement....

I could write two pages on the trek it took to get them to warranty replace a 3 month old device bought at chapters (a partner of kobo's).

Kobo's customer support can be a nightmare. 1) They don't speak English well. 2) It takes a superhuman effort to get them to stop reading from the FAQs when your problem is outside the norm. This is exacerbated by point #1. 3) Returned units are actually sent back to Canada. The tracking ID stops back East (NY, I think), but then the device crawls its way over the border to Canada. 4) Your ticket's update page is often out of date.

However, once you understand that English isn't their native tongue, and that they are required to assume user error first, you can hurry them through their script. Most of the phone reps are friendly. Jump through the hoops. Be patient.

Still, when my KA1 LE arrived at Christmas with a night mode that was FAR too red (My other KA1 is more green), I opted to just live with it instead of banging my head against their glacier-like return process. I *definitely* am looking forward to Walmarts selling Kobos. The return process will be so much easier. I hope Kobo is ready for it. :>

[johnnyb]

Originally Posted by Cootey

I *definitely* am looking forward to Walmarts selling Kobos. The return process will be so much easier. I hope Kobo is ready for it. :>

Let's hope that once they realize what Walmart normally does in terms of customer service 1. they do not immediately stop the partnership because it cuts into their margin too much and 2. Walmart leaves the partnership because Kobo's b2b customer service is just as bad and it takes them months of arguments to get their returns refunded.

[robilarocn]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Kobo's customer support can be a nightmare. 1) They don't speak English well. 2) It takes a superhuman effort to get them to stop reading from the FAQs when your problem is outside the norm. This is exacerbated by point #1. 3) Returned units are actually sent back to Canada. The tracking ID stops back East (NY, I think), but then the device crawls its way over the border to Canada. 4) Your ticket's update page is often out of date.

However, once you understand that English isn't their native tongue, and that they are required to assume user error first, you can hurry them through their script. Most of the phone reps are friendly. Jump through the hoops. Be patient.

Still, when my KA1 LE arrived at Christmas with a night mode that was FAR too red (My other KA1 is more green), I opted to just live with it instead of banging my head against their glacier-like return process. I *definitely* am looking forward to Walmarts selling Kobos. The return process will be so much easier. I hope Kobo is ready for it. :>

The irony is, I am in Canada... In fact their repair facility is in Mississauga, about 20 minutes from where I live and it still took 7 weeks. 7 weeks to send a device 20 km.

[Pulpwood]

Received an AK1 02-14-18 in Michigan, USA. It was delivered by FedEx and ordered from Kobo.com on 02-08-18. All is well with wifi and lighting gradients. So far none of the quality issues raised in this thread have surfaced, all is up to snuff at this time.

[Richwood]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Kobo's customer support can be a nightmare. 1) They don't speak English well. 2) It takes a superhuman effort to get them to stop reading from the FAQs when your problem is outside the norm. This is exacerbated by point #1. 3) Returned units are actually sent back to Canada. The tracking ID stops back East (NY, I think), but then the device crawls its way over the border to Canada. 4) Your ticket's update page is often out of date.

However, once you understand that English isn't their native tongue, and that they are required to assume user error first, you can hurry them through their script. Most of the phone reps are friendly. Jump through the hoops. Be patient.

Still, when my KA1 LE arrived at Christmas with a night mode that was FAR too red (My other KA1 is more green), I opted to just live with it instead of banging my head against their glacier-like return process. I *definitely* am looking forward to Walmarts selling Kobos. The return process will be so much easier. I hope Kobo is ready for it. :>

Kobo's tech support seems to all be in Mexico city as I have asked where they are when contacting them. English speaking ability is variable as far as amount of accent is concerned. No idea how their French language support is.

Kindle support seems to be worldwide as I have reached people in the Philippines as well as Central America. Modern communications allows them to be anywhere they can be hired cheap. At least Amazon support can get things to happen a lot faster than Kobo's can.