Need some advice: Samsung SII lost IMEI

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ushare

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Topic # 115642 2-Apr-2013 14:49

Hey guys

I have a bit of a problem. I purchased a galaxy s ii about 1 year and 3 months ago and there fore the warranty has expired. Just a few weeks ago a problem occurred on the phone. It is stuck in flight mode and wont come out. I did some research on the net and found out that you usually lose the imei number of the phone when this problem happens and so i checked for the imei. When i go *#06# imei comes up blank. So the phones basically lost it imei. It doesnt make calls or anything. THE PHONE HAS NEVER BEEN ROOTED and has always been taken care of well.

I decieded to call Fairbuy anf they told me warranty has expired. I said ok but the nz consumer gurantes act covers me. They just dont understand. They say warranty has expired so nothing can be done. I believe this is not true. There is only one lady who picks up the phone who can barely speak english, secondly she tells me to email their support team which i did and they said the following.
Hi,

We are so sorry to inform you that all sold items are covered in 12 months warranty period according to the T&C that has been consulted by our lawyer, which would be same as all local retail distributors. Thanks.

Best regards

Fair Buy

They took about a week to reply this crap. I told the lady on the phone i want to talk to the customer support and she says i cant because he is on a business trip. WTH!! :(

I also gave samsung a call who made me check the csc (i9100oxxkj1) which tells them which country the phone is from. Its from overseas so samsung NZ cant help. What if I change the firmware to an nz one then call samsung. Please help guys very fustrated.

What do you guys think? What should i do? Please help me here.

bradstewart

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Reply # 790743 2-Apr-2013 15:00

You can try the method here to recover your IMEI. This will require you to root your phone though.

jeffnz

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Reply # 790744 2-Apr-2013 15:01

go to the consumer site they have some really good letters you can send that usually get results.

IMHO I wouldn't flash anything then you will void warranty. Basically the manufacturers warranty can't contract out of the CGA so just send them a letter from the consumer site you just fill in blanks.

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ushare

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Reply # 790757 2-Apr-2013 15:14

Hey mate,

I have already sent them numerous emails that basically states what is in the template letter. They just take very long to reply. The second reply, after they denied replacement, repair or refund took more than a week.

I need a working phone and it seems to me these guys really dont plan to do anything quickly..

What should i say or do?

And thank you for the above suggestions. I dont plan to root the phone anytime soon.

ajobbins

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Reply # 790771 2-Apr-2013 15:34

One person supports this post

If they aren't going to fulfil their CGA obligations willingly, you need to file a case with the Disputes Tribunal

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ushare

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Reply # 791911 2-Apr-2013 19:52

Yeah i might just have to do that.

So i am just wondering..

I live in wellington and fairbuy is in auckland. Where would the hearing take place?

What do you guys think are my chances of winning?

And also at this moment, do i have the right to ask them for a refund? replacement?

richms

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Reply # 792028 3-Apr-2013 00:31

Chances of winning are quite good.

Chances of being able to get anything out of winning are a lot slimmer.

how did you pay for the phone in the first place?

Richard rich.ms

ushare

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Reply # 792091 3-Apr-2013 09:22

Paid via bank deposit. I still have receipt?

Laforet

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Reply # 792249 3-Apr-2013 12:24

Out of curiosity, what's the generally accepted term of warranty for a smartphone?

I have read the CGA myself and (if I understood it correctly) it only states for a "reasonable period of time". Most retailers have a 1 year warranty period by default but are happy to charge you more for an extended warranty. Another example is the iPhone which is only covered for 12 months from activation.

jeffnz

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Reply # 792270 3-Apr-2013 12:48

it is intentionally vague as one size won't fit all.

The manufacturers warranty is an add on to the CGA and cannot override it so if they state it is out of warranty it matters little under the CGA if it hasn't lasted a "reasonable" amount of time. ie take a fridge, one would expect it to last say 5 -10 years? so if there is only a 12 month manufacturers warranty on it is that fair, under CGA if it only lasted 2-3 years of fair use you would have a case.

The extended warranties sold by retailers are generally not required as you are covered however some electronics gear can be questionable.

I has an Ipod years ago that never worked well and the battery basically gave up, I never did anything about it until i read online that it was a known fault so i took it back to NL's and was told it was out of warranty (it was nearly 22 months since purchase) anyway long story short i ended up using one of the letters from consumer site and sent it to their head office and received an updated version free of charge.

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