Have you ever thought that when buying a new phone the warranty agreement was slightly harsh on you as a consumer?
I’ve encountered this problem before when two of my devices (my iPod and iPhone) broke down at the same time. Both came with a year warranty and but I bought them at two separate shops.
I took my iPod to an established service centre in Brunei only to be told that the warranty was void due to dents. I took my flawless iphone to another shop and the warranty was also void because the broken rotational motor with counterweight vibrator was clearly human error and they charged me B$500 for it! (I checked online, the spare parts only cost US$11.99)
Also, the warranty cards provided by most tech shops often details rules and regulations that leave no room for common sense. One case I encountered was the warranty was void only because it had a slight scratch on the device – what does that got to do with firmware problem??
Here’s what you can do when the shops are making you pay for technology that’s under warranty:
Get a second opinion
The shop might have tricked you to pay for things that is not even broken. It’s best to get a second opinion of your tech savvy cousin or another service shop.
Research and DIY
Once you get the general idea of what is causing the problem, you can buy the spare parts online and even fix them yourself. Some websites can guide you, e.g. ifixit.com.
*this may require further guidance from experts
Complain
If all else fails and you find that the shop is being ridiculous for charging you too much, ensure that you get the quotation and forward your warranty card and other documents to relevant authorities such as the JPKE Consumer Complaint:
• JPKE office at Level 3, West Wing, Room 3:04, Block 2A, Ong Sum Ping Road
• Through hotline number 2230223 (during office hours only); or
• Via email at consumercomplaint@jpke.gov.bn / aduanpengguna@jpke.gov.bn ; or
• Via Facebook at AduanPenggunaJPKE
Consumers often overlooked this part. Remember that the next time you’re in a pickle, the JPKE consumer complaint hotline is just a phone call away.
