Handset damaged in post - SBE Huawei's repairer

[jmacp1808]

Hi Everyone

 

I have an Huawei P20 Pro contract handset on Vodafone and the display suddenly stopped working.  I called Huawei to book it in for repair and they asked me to photograph the Handset brfore sending which I duly did.  I then went on Holiday for a fortnight and when I returned the return jiffy bag had arrived so I posted it off to SBE Huaweis repairer.

 

A few days later I get and unexpected quote for repaur from SBE.  After asking for pictures the handset now has a crack in the display starting from the power button.  So I get back on to Huawei thinking it will be no problem because I pictured the handset before sending.

 

Huawei will not accept my photographs as proof of condition as they want photographs immediately prior to sending so that they can claim Royal Mail.

 

Can anybody advise where I stand here my pictures are clear and dated after I booked in the repair with Huawei.

 

John 

[BankFodder]

What you are going to hate me saying it but at least for the benefit of others, I don't think you helped yourself very much by photographing the screen and then sending it off two weeks later. Whatever the truth of the matter is, you're dealing with a company whose starting point is that the customer is a lying money grabber and anything that can be done to squash them, will be done. Lots of other companies have the same attitude. Currys is one of them.

I think you may have a difficult journey now. I can't imagine that Huawei are going to be very bothered about any threats you make against them. It becomes your word against theirs. You would actually have been better off not taking any photographs at all because at least then they wouldn't be able to point to a 14 day delay in posting the unit after you had taken the photograph.

I expect that if you want to stand any chance of this then you will have to threaten and begin a legal action against them on the basis that the Royal mail was their courier and so it is their responsibility because they were the party which contracted with Royal mail.  How long have you had the phone before the display stopped working?

 

[jmacp1808]

Hi 

 

Ive had the phone since April 2018 shortly after launch.

 

I had just moved house and was fully expecting their jiffy bag to arrive before I went on holiday.  Photographing the hand set and then putting it out the way just seemed the easiest thing to do.

 

John

[BankFodder]

Well it's not often that I give this kind of advice on this forum. I generally speaking have a "no-prisoners" approach. I'm afraid that in your case I don't expect there is going to be much you can do – certainly not without bringing a legal action and if you do bring a small claim I would suspect that your chances of success are possibly 50% which aren't odds that I like. Your chances that they will simply put their hands up in order to avoid the expense of having to travel to your local court and fighting it are probably 75%. These are odds which I can just about live with but you would be taking the risk of losing your court fee and possibly a hearing fee if they did decide to turn up and the judge went with them.

Handling the photograph and dispatch in the way you did may well have been the easiest option but it certainly wasn't the best option

[BankFodder]

I should add that if you can get them to agree that the display did actually stop then I think that you have a good basis for saying that the phone should be repaired – and maybe you might make a contribution in respect of the damage screen. Personally that would stick in my gullet – but it could be a negotiating hand

[jmacp1808]

Hi

 

Thanks for your advice.  Ive asked Huawei to look at it again, there is no physical damage to the Handset just a small crack starting from the power button.  

 

John