3GScottishUser
4th August 2005, 02:10 PM
From Which Website (04/08/2005):
One in seven mobile phones goes wrong within a year and getting retailers to put problems right isn't easy, says Which?
According to Which? findings, at least two million of the 18 million mobile phones sold in the UK last year could have been faulty. Handsets are most likely to go wrong during the first six months.
To help people affected who aren't getting any joy from their retailer Which? has set up a model complaint letter.
The 3 network has the worst record for faults - around one in three mobiles on this network developed a problem within 12 months.
This may be because the brand-new, hi-tech products offered by 3 are prone to teething problems.
Networks offering more of the longer-established models in their ranges, such as Virgin and Tesco, fare better for handset reliability.
Some handset brands themselves have more problems than others. Motorola and Sony Ericsson handsets were the most likely to go wrong; about a fifth of owners reported faults.
Nokia and Samsung were the most reliable, although about one in ten users still had faulty phones.
To make it worse, people are finding it difficult to get problems put right. By law, if a phone develops a fault within six months and the shop can't show it was the customer's fault, the shop must sort out the problem.
However, over a quarter of people surveyed said they were unhappy with the way their mobile phone problem was handled.
Which? editor Malcolm Coles says:
'A one-in-seven chance your phone's going to develop a fault is way too high. Not only that, but retailers who should be bending over backwards to help customers who've already suffered the inconvenience of a fault aren't giving people the help they need when they complain.'
http://trial.which.co.uk/audio_visual_equipment.php?m_id=80&source_code=j8uw04
One in seven mobile phones goes wrong within a year and getting retailers to put problems right isn't easy, says Which?
According to Which? findings, at least two million of the 18 million mobile phones sold in the UK last year could have been faulty. Handsets are most likely to go wrong during the first six months.
To help people affected who aren't getting any joy from their retailer Which? has set up a model complaint letter.
The 3 network has the worst record for faults - around one in three mobiles on this network developed a problem within 12 months.
This may be because the brand-new, hi-tech products offered by 3 are prone to teething problems.
Networks offering more of the longer-established models in their ranges, such as Virgin and Tesco, fare better for handset reliability.
Some handset brands themselves have more problems than others. Motorola and Sony Ericsson handsets were the most likely to go wrong; about a fifth of owners reported faults.
Nokia and Samsung were the most reliable, although about one in ten users still had faulty phones.
To make it worse, people are finding it difficult to get problems put right. By law, if a phone develops a fault within six months and the shop can't show it was the customer's fault, the shop must sort out the problem.
However, over a quarter of people surveyed said they were unhappy with the way their mobile phone problem was handled.
Which? editor Malcolm Coles says:
'A one-in-seven chance your phone's going to develop a fault is way too high. Not only that, but retailers who should be bending over backwards to help customers who've already suffered the inconvenience of a fault aren't giving people the help they need when they complain.'
http://trial.which.co.uk/audio_visual_equipment.php?m_id=80&source_code=j8uw04