Like this:

If you thought the story of my N97 ended with my decision to send it back – not so. Next, I had to get my money back.

Having decided to send the N97 back, it got a stay of execution when I learned that a software upgrade was to appear shortly. If the upgrade cured the serious software problems, I’d put up with the keyboard and other hardware niggles.

Unfortunately the software update took several weeks to appear and after I applied it, I had a phone pretty much as it was before. Not one of the problems that bothered me had been addressed.

I called Nokia Customer Service and arranged to send the phone back. It was a curious conversation. It seemed like I was the twentieth person he’d just dealt with who asked to return an N97. With barely any questioning, he gave me a URL for a form to print and which has a Nokia freepost address.

The next day, 10 August, I posted the phone in its original box and got a proof of posting from the Post Office.

Then I waited.

After two weeks, I started calling Nokia Customer Service to find out what was happening with my refund. No one I spoke to could find out anything. I was promissed calls back which never occured. After

I started keeping a log.

2009-09-07
10:00 Called Nokia Care UK
Selected option 5 – N97 -> black hole

10:02 Called Nokia Care UK
option 5 – N97 -> black hole

Obviously, there was a special option for N97 callers which dumped the call into a hole. Was Nokia already getting more calls than they could handle?

Tried going for the sales dept – just to find someone.

10:03 Called Nokia Care UK
option 1 – sales -> can’t help and not interested in trying.

Try a different option:

10:07 Called Nokia Care UK
option 4 – after sales for Nokia shop
-> 10:10 answered by someone who transfers me…
-> 10:12 transferred to N97 dept
-> 10:18 silence for 6 mins – black hole

Again – the N97 queue with nothing on the end of it.

10:27:59 Called Nokia Care UK
-> option 5
10:34:53 answered by operator. Transferring…
10:36:05 back on hold
10:36:54 pre-recorded announcement
10:37:10 answered by Billy
10:40:30 on hold
10:41:30 back with Billy
10:44:36 Billy took details. Someone will call me back.

No one called back

A week later and another go.

2009-09-15
09:45:20 Called 0800 331 6021. Told to call 0845 045 5555
09:46:51 Called 0845 045 5555
09:47:35 Pressed 4 -> in queue
10:01:00 Answered by an American?
10:05:36 on hold – checking…
10:12:17 back. S**** D**** Online sales support SF USA
10:20:11 she will call me back in 24-48 hours. End of call

She didn’t call back

Two days later

2009-09-17
09:54:17 Called 0845 045 5555
09:56:15 Answered by operator
09:59:32 on hold. Hold tune is distorted all to hell and truly vile.
10:08:45 D**** in Finland. Explained problem.
10:16:55 “Give us 24-48 hours. We’ll call you back”
10:20:20 end

He didn’t call back.

2009-09-28
10:05:10 Called 0845 045 5555
10:05:24 Recorded announcement: “We are currently experiencing technical difficulties and will not be able to handle your call.”
10:05:48 Called 0845 045 5555
10:06:14 Call dropped
10:06:18 Called 0845 045 5555
10:06:45 “We are currently experiencing technical difficulties and will not be able to handle your call.”

No pretence any longer. They really can’t be bothered to offer a phone service.

2009-09-29
23:30:00 appx Sent web form from Nokia’s web site explaining problem. Web page and acknowledgement email says they’ll be in touch in 48 hours:
—
Thank you for contacting Nokia.

You will be receiving a reply from one of our Customer Care Representatives within the next 48 hours.

Have a good day.

[This is an automatically generated acknowledgement. Please do not reply to this e-mail.]
—

2009-10-01
No response to web form.
10:57:49 Tried 0800 331 6021 (sales) got through quickly but sales bod utterly useless.

10:59:15 Called 0845 045 5555
10:59:38 STILL Recorded announcement: “We are currently experiencing technical difficulties and will not be able to handle your call.”

For three days Nokia Customer Care phone line has been out of service. Clearly this was a pointless avenue to follow.

2009-10-07
Email from Nokia:
—
Thank you for contacting Nokia Care. We appreciate you choosing Nokia N97 as your preffered device. With regards to your enquiry, we do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and thank you for bringing this to our attention. How did you send your mobile phone? Is it via freepost? The reason why i’m asking this is just because when I checked your IMEI no. here in our system, it say’s that no records found.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us again if you have any further questions.

Yours faithfully,
RollyS
Nokia Service Professional
UK & Ireland Team
Nokia Care
—

I replied immediately with:
—
Hi

Thanks for the reply but it has taken you over a week to do it.

Mobile was sent via freepost to the address on the form downloaded from your
web site.

The phone is back with you. I sent it on August 10 and I have a proof of
posting from the post office.

As it is now nearly two months since I returned the phone, I think I am quite
entitled to get my money back.

Please arrange for an immediate refund.

Thank you.
—

2009-10-08
Another Email from Nokia
—
Thank you for contacting Nokia Care.

Hi Dale. Regarding your concern we will be escalating the case to the next level of support and they will take over the case. Some one will be calling you back with in 24-48 hours to sort things with you. We do apologize for the inconvenience that this has cost you but rest assured that everything will be dealt with properly.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us again if you have any further questions.

Yours faithfully

KristianV
Nokia Service Professional
UK & Ireland Team
Nokia Care
—

It goes quiet again so I fire off a prodding email:

2009-10-13
—
Where are we with this, please?
—

I get a reply which I think is asking me to wait a bit:

2009-10-13
—
Thank you for contacting Nokia Care. We do apologize for the inconvenience it has cause you. With regards to your email ill be making a follow-up on this but as of the moment please kindly monitor or wait for the callback of the next level of support.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us again if you have any further questions.

Yours faithfully,

Menard C.
Nokia Service Professional
UK & Ireland Team
Nokia Care
—

This is another approach that is clearly not going anywhere.

I get the address of Nokia’s UK headquarters and send a letter to:

Managing Director, Sales.
Nokia House,
Summit Avenue,
Farnborough,
Hampshire
GU14 0NG

Laying out the story, giving my original order number and IMEI number and giving two weeks for them to investigate and organise a refund.

Five days before the deadline of October 21, I send another copy recorded delivery.

I’ve heard nothing.

Advertisement