Nokia 701 purchased from ebay rogue trader

Forums › Legacy mobile platforms (Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Web OS, Symbian, Meego, Blackberry) › Nokia 701 purchased from ebay rogue trader - now I am stuffed two ways

nickb99

128 posts

Master Geek

#103174 31-May-2012 20:26

This is a bit of a moan but I am throwing it out there in case anyone has any useful advice.

Bought a Nokia 701 from Ebay.com.au in December 2011 for almost $400aud. Seller was professional, 6000+ and 99.9% feedback. I paid using ASB debit Visa card via Paypal. In April the phone alerted me to a firmware update. I did that that and (without a long story) it bricked the phone. Shame, its a lovely phone when working right.

Reported it to seller as it was sold with a 12 mth guarantee. They asked some questions and had me return it to Sydney with a RMA. All professional. Since then nothing but the runaround. Various contradictory excuses by email why it it not yet fixed/replaced. Its been gone nearly six weeks and I don't think they have done anything with it.

Today I tried to take some action. Ebay won't help as the auction was more than 90 days ago. Paypal the same, their limit is 45 days. ASB 'Visa' purchase protection only lasts 30 days. So that is stuffed #1, I am at the mercy of the seller if they ever decide to return my phone.

I also contacted the Nokia care centre in Auckland - in case I do ever get it back. They advised me in writing that Nokia phones bought overseas should never be updated by the user in NZ - even if the phone so advises - because doing it outside the country of purchase can brick the phone. I find this completely astonishing. Do Nokia think their customers never move countries? So that is stuffed #2.

So my dilemma is this. I am minded to just take the hit and move on. Sh*t happens. I don't want Android or iPhone or a Windows Nokia. As a long term Symbian user my buying choice today would be another 701 or a N9. But I would have to import either of those and then could never dare update it!
So so so so frustrated.

alexx

867 posts

Ultimate Geek

#633691 31-May-2012 20:42

I have never heard of that problem (doing it outside the country of purchase can brick the phone).
Is it possible that at some stage the product version of the phone was changed, so that when the firmware update came it was intended for a different product version?

#include <standard.disclaimer>

Tradepub

Free professional, reference and technical white papers (affiliate link).

nickb99

128 posts

Master Geek

#633693 31-May-2012 20:54

Yes, it seems rather unlikely doesn't it? But I have seen the same issue reported on a few forums, and had that information both verbally now and in writing from Nokia directly. Pretty disappointed with Nokia...

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#633695 31-May-2012 21:03

Can brick a handset updating it in country of purchase, Nokia NZ does not support imported handsets as I understand

John

NZtechfreak

4649 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#633696 31-May-2012 21:04

Sounds like a bunch of bull, when I owned a lot of Nokia's I regularly changed their product codes to those of other countries and flashed them here. Heck, some of them were originally imports with their foreign country code intact. I definitely call BS on that.

Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org

BrentR

1315 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#633697 31-May-2012 21:04

That is not something I have ever heard of.

I'll PM you my email address, could I get you to forward me the email you were sent by NokiaCare please.

Brent

nickb99

128 posts

Master Geek

#633701 31-May-2012 21:20

Thanks Brent, I will email them to you. I appreciate the interest.

To be clear to all I received this advice in two ways from Nokia. Today was via email from the Auckland care centre. I also called Nokia direct when the phone failed. I got some guy in some call centre somewhere. But he was knowledgeable and explained about the bricking problem. He told me that Nokia NZ would not be able to help (cos they don't support overseas phones) and advised me to return it to the vendor under the guarantee.

I am really confused now about what to do. It seems pointless to chase the vendor, I don't believe their emails any more. I think I will let them know that I have now registered a fraud complaint with ebay and also with the queensland police. Maybe that will scare them into action if nothing else. Seems like the seller is a Taiwanese person who works between there and Oz.

Pwned

105 posts

Master Geek

#633906 1-Jun-2012 09:39

I've been updating imported Nokia phones firmware for the last 8 years, changing product code etc.. I've never had problems. The only way you can semi-brick a BB5 Nokia phone is when you downgrade a firmware, but it can be recovered by again updating/reinstalling the firmware using of course 3rd party tools.

If you need my help just PM me, I will do my best to revive your phone, free of charge. Treat it as your last option. We're here to help each other.

Good luck!

nickb99

128 posts

Master Geek

#634005 1-Jun-2012 11:27

Cheers bud. I will contact you if the phone comes back and I have no other options. Your offer of help greatly appreciated

uglyb0b

335 posts

Ultimate Geek

#634012 1-Jun-2012 11:29

Pwned: I've been updating imported Nokia phones firmware for the last 8 years, changing product code etc.. I've never had problems. The only way you can semi-brick a BB5 Nokia phone is when you downgrade a firmware, but it can be recovered by again updating/reinstalling the firmware using of course 3rd party tools.

If you need my help just PM me, I will do my best to revive your phone, free of charge. Treat it as your last option. We're here to help each other.

Good luck!

I was about to offer the same thing :)

If nothing else one of us should be able to provide a guide on how to do it yourself. But as pwned says - use this as a last resort. The seller should be taking care of this, so hopefully Brent will be able to point you in the right direction.

Technofreak

6523 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#635189 3-Jun-2012 20:18

To echo what other posters have said. I have an E7 bought here in New Zealand from a parallel importer, it has a Malaysian product code. I've successfully updated the software firstly to Anna and now Belle without any problems. My BS antenna is picking up something with the info you have been given.

Prior to the E7 I had a 5800XM, North American version, and upgraded the software on that with any issues as well.

I can't see any reason why you should have any problems upgrading a foreign product code phone providing you used the upgrade for that product code. As has been pointed out there's going to be plenty of instances where owners shift to another country and there has to be a way for them to be able to upgrade.

I too, like the Symbian OS, there's nothing so far that makes me want to go to Windows Phone or any other OS. I am keen to see how good the new Symbian phones with the faster processors are, I'm picking they'll be a match for any other phone on the market. At this stage when I do change phones I'm thinking it'll be an imported Symbian as I suspect the new Symbian phones (Donna and her successors) will not be available here.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

nickb99

128 posts

Master Geek

#635647 4-Jun-2012 20:27

Thx too UglyBob and Technofreak. Your offers of help greatly appreciated. I will post here again if the phone comes back and is still bricked. My threat of an official complaint to ebay prompted a fast reply from the vendor - lets hope he acts on his word.