Exchanger remorse

Barty · 10-18-2010, 08:28 PM

I exchanged my 3 week old K3 -- the paint on the T key had already rubbed off to two dots and a line, and the bevel on the right side was slightly warped so there was a gap b/t the bevel and the screen big enough to wedge a credit card (not the whole card, just a corner). The gap makes the unit creaks as i handle it, like walking on a hard wood floor when you have a loose piece. Since these are obvious blemishes and I plan on selling my K3 to upgrade to whatever comes out next, I called for an exchange. Amazon was very good about it.

Well guess what, the new one has a worse, albeit less concrete, problem: right away, I notice the background isn't as light as the old one. Looking at them closely side by side, the problem is uniformity. The lightest part of the new one is just as light the old one, but whereas the old one is pretty much the same throughout, the new one is darker on the right edge becoming lighter as you move to the left and center. A less anal person may not notice it, but I can't stop noticing it. If this were the only kindle I had, I'd probably just figure that's how these things are and live it with. But as it is, it's driving me to distraction, if not exactly nuts.

Am I being crazy? I don't know if this counts as a defect, or within tolerance. I dread calling Amazon and asking them for another exchange, or just letting me keep the old one. D'oh!

cvkemp · 10-18-2010, 08:55 PM

I would be calling CS and complainning at least.

desertgrandma · 10-18-2010, 09:34 PM

Call. Customer. Service.

You will never be happy with what you have. Explain the problem, and if that rep doesn't help you,. call again and get hold of another.

You deserve a primo device.

curstpriest · 10-19-2010, 06:03 AM

Every consumer product has defects. This is the world we live in.
Mabye you just won't notice the defects, but they will ALWAYS be there.

Here are some examples:
1 - Nand flash (the 4gb of storage) has a certain factory allowance for bad blocks.
2 - Most ICs have redundant pathways built into them, and are binned out by grade. You won't get top of the line ICs in a cheap consumer product like a kindle - EVER.
3 - Virtually all compact displays have defects of some sort, be it slow response pixels, dead pixels, stuck pixels, or pixels that refuse to display a certain tones accurately.

You also have to realize that kindles are super low cost devices. The PCB/components are extremely simplistic, and the casing is extremely basic. A smaller design (more compact pcb) would easily add a good 40-50$ to the price tag, and a higher quality case/buttons such as anodized aluminum or buttons with a lacquered coating would probably add another 20-40$.

A large selling point of the unit is the 140-180$ price tag, already people cry about the 40$ or whatever for 4g, another 40$ for a better keypad/case would only case more stirr among the average consumer.

I mean, would the average person consider buying a kindle3 today if it were to cost 250-300$ rather than 150? Probably not.

SO MANY POSTS ABOUT THESE KEYBOARDS AND MINOR FLAWS AND RETURNING THEM OVER THESE TINY DETAILS.

I see at least 5-10 of these posts a WEEK. "My X key is half scratched off, my world has fallen apart."

No doubt you are benefiting from sweatshop labor to get a fairly decent product for an extremely low price - like everything in your life. Deal with it.

If it were domestically made, quality controlled, and available, you probably couldn't afford it and wouldn't be posting at all, or would be happy to even have the technology at hand.

If you have not seen Louis Ck's "cellphones are amazing" bit, I would redirect you there now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZeymuOInys

my 2c.

curstpriest · 10-19-2010, 06:29 AM

Oh, K3 uses shitty snaps to hold the case together, you can just pop it into place (apply some pressure), there are 3 on each side, slight pressure should do it - that will solve that problem. The panel actually comes off really easily. Perhaps the back casing is not on enough to hold the bevel to the front, not sure, don't have K3, make sure that is the case. USPS bashes stuff around hard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD-wP...layer_embedded

This was posted earlier, he shows you where the snaps are, mabye this will fix the 1 problem you have.

kindle2owner · 10-19-2010, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curstpriest

If it were domestically made, quality controlled, and available, you probably couldn't afford it and wouldn't be posting at all, or would be happy to even have the technology at hand.

I can only speak for my $250 K2 but I’ve had it for over a year, using it near every day, and haven’t seen the problems the problems the OP reported – no warping, no worn off keys. Sure there’s a little more slop on the Next Page button and there’s a little bit of ghosting when I first load a book but that’s about it.

With that in mind, my guess is that the price drop of the K3 had less to do with reduced manufacturing quality and more to do with increased competition. Ergo the OP either got a poorly manufactured unit or is exceedingly hard on his device. And while I agree in principle about niggling defects we aren’t talking about a $10 tchotchke he picked up at the swap meet. For me, $140 - $180 is real money, I’d expect a unit to hold up for more than 3 weeks before it starts warping et al.

The problem for the OP is, despite Amazon’s easy return policy, I’m pretty sure you’re getting a refurb as a replacement. If it were me, I'd hang on to the original unit and keep an eye on the calendar. If the problems worsen then return it. "Better the devil you know...."

TallMomof2 · 10-19-2010, 01:22 PM

I ordered my K3 as soon as it was up at Amazon and have no quality issues. No fading numbers, rattles, or weird screen issues. But if I do have a problem I will be calling Kindle CS.

ManosHandsOfFate · 10-19-2010, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barty

A less anal person may not notice it, but I can't stop noticing it. If this were the only kindle I had, I'd probably just figure that's how these things are and live it with. But as it is, it's driving me to distraction, if not exactly nuts.

Am I being crazy? I don't know if this counts as a defect, or within tolerance. I dread calling Amazon and asking them for another exchange, or just letting me keep the old one. D'oh!

I sympathize with your anal tendencies. I'm the same way.

Although I will say that over time the bezel/LCD glare on the Nook has become a bit less annoying. . .

leungss · 10-19-2010, 09:19 PM

bear in mind that if you exchange it again, the third one could be worse, and the fourth one could be even worser.

curstpriest · 10-20-2010, 08:12 AM

Read the limited warranty service. They are not going to give you new parts, they are going to give you refurbs. These refurb parts must pass QC and fall "within acceptable limits," which are probably considerably lower than your "anal" expectations. So if you use this service, know what you will be getting into. Now if there are severe defects, they will fix them. And if they ever admit that there are severe defects with faded keys or whatever, or if some third party releases a kit, you can buy that and install it yourself (voiding your warranty of course).

10-18-2010, 08:28 PM	#1
Barty doofus Posts: 2,549 Karma: 13089041 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	Exchanger remorse I exchanged my 3 week old K3 -- the paint on the T key had already rubbed off to two dots and a line, and the bevel on the right side was slightly warped so there was a gap b/t the bevel and the screen big enough to wedge a credit card (not the whole card, just a corner). The gap makes the unit creaks as i handle it, like walking on a hard wood floor when you have a loose piece. Since these are obvious blemishes and I plan on selling my K3 to upgrade to whatever comes out next, I called for an exchange. Amazon was very good about it. Well guess what, the new one has a worse, albeit less concrete, problem: right away, I notice the background isn't as light as the old one. Looking at them closely side by side, the problem is uniformity. The lightest part of the new one is just as light the old one, but whereas the old one is pretty much the same throughout, the new one is darker on the right edge becoming lighter as you move to the left and center. A less anal person may not notice it, but I can't stop noticing it. If this were the only kindle I had, I'd probably just figure that's how these things are and live it with. But as it is, it's driving me to distraction, if not exactly nuts. Am I being crazy? I don't know if this counts as a defect, or within tolerance. I dread calling Amazon and asking them for another exchange, or just letting me keep the old one. D'oh!

10-19-2010, 06:03 AM	#4
curstpriest Confused Posts: 402 Karma: 5538 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Bay Area Device: Kindle DXG	Every consumer product has defects. This is the world we live in. Mabye you just won't notice the defects, but they will ALWAYS be there. Here are some examples: 1 - Nand flash (the 4gb of storage) has a certain factory allowance for bad blocks. 2 - Most ICs have redundant pathways built into them, and are binned out by grade. You won't get top of the line ICs in a cheap consumer product like a kindle - EVER. 3 - Virtually all compact displays have defects of some sort, be it slow response pixels, dead pixels, stuck pixels, or pixels that refuse to display a certain tones accurately. You also have to realize that kindles are super low cost devices. The PCB/components are extremely simplistic, and the casing is extremely basic. A smaller design (more compact pcb) would easily add a good 40-50$ to the price tag, and a higher quality case/buttons such as anodized aluminum or buttons with a lacquered coating would probably add another 20-40$. A large selling point of the unit is the 140-180$ price tag, already people cry about the 40$ or whatever for 4g, another 40$ for a better keypad/case would only case more stirr among the average consumer. I mean, would the average person consider buying a kindle3 today if it were to cost 250-300$ rather than 150? Probably not. SO MANY POSTS ABOUT THESE KEYBOARDS AND MINOR FLAWS AND RETURNING THEM OVER THESE TINY DETAILS. I see at least 5-10 of these posts a WEEK. "My X key is half scratched off, my world has fallen apart." No doubt you are benefiting from sweatshop labor to get a fairly decent product for an extremely low price - like everything in your life. Deal with it. If it were domestically made, quality controlled, and available, you probably couldn't afford it and wouldn't be posting at all, or would be happy to even have the technology at hand. If you have not seen Louis Ck's "cellphones are amazing" bit, I would redirect you there now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZeymuOInys my 2c. Last edited by curstpriest; 10-19-2010 at 06:06 AM.

10-19-2010, 06:29 AM	#5
curstpriest Confused Posts: 402 Karma: 5538 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Bay Area Device: Kindle DXG	Oh, K3 uses shitty snaps to hold the case together, you can just pop it into place (apply some pressure), there are 3 on each side, slight pressure should do it - that will solve that problem. The panel actually comes off really easily. Perhaps the back casing is not on enough to hold the bevel to the front, not sure, don't have K3, make sure that is the case. USPS bashes stuff around hard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD-wP...layer_embedded This was posted earlier, he shows you where the snaps are, mabye this will fix the 1 problem you have. Last edited by curstpriest; 10-19-2010 at 06:32 AM.

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10-18-2010, 08:55 PM	#2
cvkemp Loving life Posts: 1,430 Karma: 7991496 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Hot Springs Village, Arkansas Device: PaperWhite 6 SE, Fire HD8	I would be calling CS and complainning at least.

10-18-2010, 09:34 PM	#3
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Call. Customer. Service. You will never be happy with what you have. Explain the problem, and if that rep doesn't help you,. call again and get hold of another. You deserve a primo device.

10-19-2010, 01:22 PM	#7
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	I ordered my K3 as soon as it was up at Amazon and have no quality issues. No fading numbers, rattles, or weird screen issues. But if I do have a problem I will be calling Kindle CS.

10-19-2010, 09:19 PM	#9
leungss Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle 3	bear in mind that if you exchange it again, the third one could be worse, and the fourth one could be even worser.

10-20-2010, 08:12 AM	#10
curstpriest Confused Posts: 402 Karma: 5538 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Bay Area Device: Kindle DXG	Read the limited warranty service. They are not going to give you new parts, they are going to give you refurbs. These refurb parts must pass QC and fall "within acceptable limits," which are probably considerably lower than your "anal" expectations. So if you use this service, know what you will be getting into. Now if there are severe defects, they will fix them. And if they ever admit that there are severe defects with faded keys or whatever, or if some third party releases a kit, you can buy that and install it yourself (voiding your warranty of course).

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