Should I exchange my 928 again?

[9520G]

The 7th phone they gave you probably was the first or second you exchanged that was still sitting on the shelve.

 

[coip]

I went direct through Verizon ordering online initially and went through 3 defective phones that were exchanged with no hassle at a local VZW corporate store....The in-store reps were the least friendly as they went right to working through the process after quickly confirming the problem. .

What is a corporate store? I went to exchange mine and my wife's Lumia 928's today (that we got on launch day) at the local Verizon store and it was an awful experience. First, we went to one store, waited 25 minutes, then the guy grilled me on what was wrong with them:
mine: the ceramic bezel of the camera lens protruded out way on the back, something most people wouldn't care about but I'm pretty anal-retentive
hers: crazy loud vibrator syndrome
(plus both had goopy windows keys)

The guy said, "Okay, hers I get but yours is a pretty minor cosmetic issue, but I guess you're still in your 14 days. The problem is that we only have 2 928s in stock, and they're still from the original shipment, so probably the same batch. But we're a really low-traffic store, so I recommend you go to the other store in town and they are one of the busiest in the state. They've probably gotten much more shipments of it."

So we drove 25 minutes to the next store and then waited another 40 minutes before a rep finally serviced us. The guy was ****. He also grilled me on the problems and said the same thing after I showed him the camera bezel and the windows button: "Those are really minor cosmetic issues. You can only swap phones one time for small cosmetic issues like that." And it was obvious that he was annoyed at me. This store only had 3 left in stock (he said they were also from the initial shipment, so maybe they're not really selling that well?), and he let me choose 2 of the ones I liked (1 for me, 1 for my wife).

Both phones are great: the camera bezels are flush, the vibrators work normally, hers has no goopy windows button at all and mine has just a tiny bit (much less than before). Regardless, I felt really bad doing it as I saw him put our 'old' phones back in the box and write "DOA" (dead on arrival) on it to send back (presumably to Nokia). They weren't DOA--99.9% of customers would've found nothing wrong with them, and now they're labeled duds. I'm sure Nokia will get them and think, "WTF? Who deemed these DOA?"

 

[Huime]

hah god took 7 days to make our beautiful world.

 

[WizeGuyDezignz]

Ok guys, I'm getting really tired of this and it's becoming ridiculous. This is my first Nokia device and they certainly aren't living up to their reputation of good build quality for me yet. I've never had this many issues with any of the countless phones that I have owned over the years.

And let me fist admit that I have obsessed about this, but all of my exchanges were real issues that should not be accepted.

I thought phone #7 was the winner but sadly it's not. The case is clicking and popping again in the same exact areas of a prior exchange. It's super annoying. And when the phone vibrates it sounds like it's gonna fall apart.

As much as I love this phone and WP8, I don't know where to go from here. Do I just give up and get a different phone? Do I wait and hope they fix these issues soon and do another exchange before my 30 days runs out (Microsoft Store)?

I'm so frustrated because I really love this phone. But I just simply can't live with a phone that makes noises every time I pick it up and that makes a loud noise every time I receive a text. Especially during a meeting.

Thoughts?

 

[hopmedic]

If you're not happy, take it back. Venting here might make you feel better, and I understand that, but at the end of the day, it won't make you HAPPY. I'm not saying you're wrong for venting - we all do it from time to time, but you ask for thoughts, so my thought is that if you're not happy with the phone, take it back.

 

[WizeGuyDezignz]

If you're not happy, take it back. Venting here might make you feel better, and I understand that, but at the end of the day, it won't make you HAPPY. I'm not saying you're wrong for venting - we all do it from time to time, but you ask for thoughts, so my thought is that if you're not happy with the phone, take it back.

Thanks man, I know at the end of the day my venting won't make me happy. It's just sad and frustrating because I really like this phone. Just out of curiosity and as a point of reference, does your 928 have any issues?

The solution I would love would involve me owning this phone but defect free. It drives me nuts because that shouldn't be too much to ask I don't think.

 

[hopmedic]

Thanks man, I know at the end of the day my venting won't make me happy. It's just sad and frustrating because I really like this phone. Just out of curiosity and as a point of reference, does your 928 have any issues?

The solution I would love would involve me owning this phone but defect free. It drives me nuts because that shouldn't be too much to ask I don't think.

I'm on my third 928. The second one I didn't even make it out of the mall before I turned back to the Microsoft Store to replace it, because it wouldn't let me sign in to my Microsoft account - it would reboot at that point. This one has the Start button gunk, which it was too bright in the store to notice before leaving. I haven't decided if I'll keep it or trade it in. I'm thinking if I trade it in, I'll contact Nokia instead of the Microsoft Store. We'll see.

 

[WizeGuyDezignz]

I'm on my third 928. The second one I didn't even make it out of the mall before I turned back to the Microsoft Store to replace it, because it wouldn't let me sign in to my Microsoft account - it would reboot at that point. This one has the Start button gunk, which it was too bright in the store to notice before leaving. I haven't decided if I'll keep it or trade it in. I'm thinking if I trade it in, I'll contact Nokia instead of the Microsoft Store. We'll see.

Oh I see, so you also have had some issues. What do you mean by trade it in? Exchange it again or just return it? I was also considering contacting Nokia about my issues as maybe they might be able to send me a defect free unit back.

 

[hopmedic]

Oh, I'll be sticking with the 928, but I mean exchange it with a new one. If I were you, after this many phones, I'd be going straight to Nokia. I found Stephen Elop's email address with a quick search. I'd give him a link to this thread, perhaps.

Stephen Elop replied to my email - re: N9 availability in the uk - maemo.org - Talk

 

[cmwys]

I'm on my third 928. The second one I didn't even make it out of the mall before I turned back to the Microsoft Store to replace it, because it wouldn't let me sign in to my Microsoft account - it would reboot at that point. This one has the Start button gunk, which it was too bright in the store to notice before leaving. I haven't decided if I'll keep it or trade it in. I'm thinking if I trade it in, I'll contact Nokia instead of the Microsoft Store. We'll see.

FYI: Nokia will want you to send your phone to their factory in Texas for evaluation and either repair or replacement pending their findings. I tried this already when going through my replacement phase and was not satisfied with the up to two week turnaround. Being able to walk into a store and then walk out with a new replacement is much easier and keeps that burden on Nokia/Verizon instead of you.

--

Corporate Verizon stores are locations that are directly owned and managed by Verizon. They are not affiliates or authorized resellers. These non-corporate stores are able to use official branding but they aren't Verizon and instead are a middleman.

I did have to wait for quite a bit when I went to get my replacements as the store is a fairly busy one located in the middle of town. However, the reps were polite and occasionally let me know that I was at this position in the queue and so on. The reps who worked with me did not question my defects as they mostly made the device unusable. I did have the defective vibration motor on my last one though and so had an app ready to be able to demo the obvious problem.

--

If your phone has functional defects or anything that will likely cause a problem later (such as the vibrating that sounds like it's drilling through the phone) then replace it. I felt very disappointed as this was also my first experience with Nokia products and was additionally concerned about requiring multiple replacements but you need to remember that if you love the phone (as I do) then you should be able to receive one that is defect free as you are paying for it.

 

[hopmedic]

Well, I decided to go ahead and email Stephen Elop. Here it is:

Dear Mr. Elop,

First, congratulations on the great phones coming from Nokia. Being a Verizon customer, I had an HTC Trophy from launch day over two years ago. Being a developer with apps in the store, I watch with greater anticipation than the average phone customer, so I was thrilled last year to learn that Nokia was coming to Verizon, as I had just bought Nokia stock, believing in what I saw from the WP 7 devices that you put out.

I was quite angry to hear that the top-end phone was reserved for ATT, though. I ended up with a Lumia 822 on launch day, and was happy with it, but wanted the 920's camera, as an amateur photographer. When the 928 went through the FCC, I was excited again, and picked one up on launch day.

Since then I have exchanged it twice. The first one worked fine for a week, but on a day I was taking lots of pictures, the camera button failed me. I drove the hour and fifteen minutes back to the Microsoft store and exchanged it.

I had decided that I wouldn't sign into my Microsoft account until I got home, knowing that restoring my backup would take nearly 2 GB of data, so I left without fully testing the phone. After walking back to he car, I decided to do it, and just turn off data before it got far in the restore.

It would not sign in. It would reboot at the page where you can tap the sign in button, if you didn't tap right away. If you did tap right away, the button would stay red, and lock up right there. I went back to the store and this time exchanged it and started it up.

Later that night, when it was dim enough for the backlight behind the hardware buttons to come on, I noticed the "gunk" behind the start button that so many are experiencing.

I don't want to have to drive the 75 minutes in Atlanta traffic back to the Microsoft store to replace my phone again. I also will not ship my phone off to some facility to have it evaluated while I am phoneless, for Nokia to decide whether to replace it. I would like a new phone shipped to me, and have it inspected for defects beforehand, and then I can ship this one back to you.

If you do not wish to do this, I am not going to make any trips out of my way to replace the phone, nor will I badmouth Nokia. But I will be a stockholder and a customer who has far less faith in the company, especially in their QC processes, and I am married to a quality inspector who inspects motors used by the Navy and the nuclear power industry.

Thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it.

Rich xxxxxxx

Sent from my developer unlocked Nokia Lumia 928 Windows Phone

 

[coip]

Ok guys, I'm getting really tired of this and it's becoming ridiculous. This is my first Nokia device and they certainly aren't living up to their reputation of good build quality for me yet. I've never had this many issues with any of the countless phones that I have owned over the years.

And let me fist admit that I have obsessed about this, but all of my exchanges were real issues that should not be accepted.

I thought phone #7 was the winner but sadly it's not. The case is clicking and popping again in the same exact areas of a prior exchange. It's super annoying. And when the phone vibrates it sounds like it's gonna fall apart.

As much as I love this phone and WP8, I don't know where to go from here. Do I just give up and get a different phone? Do I wait and hope they fix these issues soon and do another exchange before my 30 days runs out (Microsoft Store)?

I'm so frustrated because I really love this phone. But I just simply can't live with a phone that makes noises every time I pick it up and that makes a loud noise every time I receive a text. Especially during a meeting.

Thoughts?

I say don't give up on this phone. It's a great phone and you know you will love it when you get one that is flawless. That said, some of the things that aren't a big deal (like the Windows key), you may have to be less obsessive about as those just aren't really that big of a deal. But, good luck!

 

[hopmedic]

I say don't give up on this phone. It's a great phone and you know you will love it when you get one that is flawless. That said, some of the things that aren't a big deal (like the Windows key), you may have to be less obsessive about as those just aren't really that big of a deal. But, good luck!

I would agree with this. I did write a letter to Stephen Elop, though, since my third phone has the Windows key problem, and the only reason I'm even considering exchanging it is for resale value, should I later sell it on ebay.

 

[WizeGuyDezignz]

Oh, I'll be sticking with the 928, but I mean exchange it with a new one. If I were you, after this many phones, I'd be going straight to Nokia. I found Stephen Elop's email address with a quick search. I'd give him a link to this thread, perhaps.

Stephen Elop replied to my email - re: N9 availability in the uk - maemo.org - Talk

Thanks for this!! I also jumped on the train with you and emailed Elop. Here is what mine looks like:

Dear Mr. Elop,

First off, I'm sure you get bombarded with emails, so I understand if you can't respond. But I hope you do as there are many others with my issues and concerns about the newly released Nokia Lumia 928 for Verizon Wireless.

I was a diehard Android fan and owned many of their devices over the past 4 years. But I finally got fed up with their fragmentation and slow OS. I was recently introduced to Windows Phone 8 by fellow members of the WPCenteral.com website and forums. I then tried out a WP8 device in a store and I immediately fell in love.

Being on Verizon, I wasn't in love with the phone choices however. Fast forward to when I heard the 928 was coming out and I was ecstatic! It was going to be my first Nokia cell phone and I have heard rave reviews about the build quality of the devices.

Here is where my (and many others) problem comes in. I am currently using phone #7 of the 928 and even this one still has the issues of the other 6 that I returned. Between all of them, the most common problem is some substance behind the backlit Start, Search and Back buttons that show up when the backlight comes on. The buttons looks horrible when lit. Another common issue that I've had on a few of the phones was when the phone vibrates when you get a message, the phone rattles and sounds like it's going to fall apart. Another issue is the casing of the phone having a creaking, clicking and popping sound when you hold it certain ways. All of these are major annoyances to me and don't live up to the Nokia build quality reputation that I heard so much about.

Here is my bottom line....I really LOVE this phone and the OS!! But I can't and don't feel I should keep a phone that simply isn't up to high quality standards. I feel I am running out of options and don't really want to give up on this phone. I just know that if I exchange the phone again, I will get yet another one with some of these problems.

On the other hand, I really don't want to ship it to Nokia and be without a phone for a couple weeks. I would rather get a new phone shipped so I can inspect it first and then ship the defective unit back if the new one checks out OK. I would be willing to put a deposit or hold on my credit card, etc.

Would you please be so kind to consider this and put me in contact with someone where I can make this happen?

Thank you so much for your time and have a great day!

Regards,
John (last name)

 

[GolferChris68]

Thanks man, I know at the end of the day my venting won't make me happy. It's just sad and frustrating because I really like this phone. Just out of curiosity and as a point of reference, does your 928 have any issues?

The solution I would love would involve me owning this phone but defect free. It drives me nuts because that shouldn't be too much to ask I don't think.

I would recommend taking it back, getting your money refunded, then waiting for a couple of months till the initial issues get corrected. First batches of new phones typically have QC issues, and later batches of phones are typically better.

I finally broke down and picked up one from my local Verizon corporate store a week ago. The buttons are a little yellow, and there is gunk in the windows button. These seem like "normal" defects in these initial batches of this phone. I was tempted to go for a replacement to see if I could get one without the gunk, but my 928 doesn't seem to have any other issues. I suspect a new replacement 928 would have the same issues with the gunk under the windows button, and would probably come with additional problems. So I'm sticking with this one, as it seems pretty good.

 

[GolferChris68]

Thanks for this!! I also jumped on the train with you and emailed Elop. Here is what mine looks like:

Dear Mr. Elop,

First off, I'm sure you get bombarded with emails, so I understand if you can't respond. But I hope you do as there are many others with my issues and concerns about the newly released Nokia Lumia 928 for Verizon Wireless.

I was a diehard Android fan and owned many of their devices over the past 4 years. But I finally got fed up with their fragmentation and slow OS. I was recently introduced to Windows Phone 8 by fellow members of the WPCenteral.com website and forums. I then tried out a WP8 device in a store and I immediately fell in love.

Being on Verizon, I wasn't in love with the phone choices however. Fast forward to when I heard the 928 was coming out and I was ecstatic! It was going to be my first Nokia cell phone and I have heard rave reviews about the build quality of the devices.

Here is where my (and many others) problem comes in. I am currently using phone #7 of the 928 and even this one still has the issues of the other 6 that I returned. Between all of them, the most common problem is some substance behind the backlit Start, Search and Back buttons that show up when the backlight comes on. The buttons looks horrible when lit. Another common issue that I've had on a few of the phones was when the phone vibrates when you get a message, the phone rattles and sounds like it's going to fall apart. Another issue is the casing of the phone having a creaking, clicking and popping sound when you hold it certain ways. All of these are major annoyances to me and don't live up to the Nokia build quality reputation that I heard so much about.

Here is my bottom line....I really LOVE this phone and the OS!! But I can't and don't feel I should keep a phone that simply isn't up to high quality standards. I feel I am running out of options and don't really want to give up on this phone. I just know that if I exchange the phone again, I will get yet another one with some of these problems.

On the other hand, I really don't want to ship it to Nokia and be without a phone for a couple weeks. I would rather get a new phone shipped so I can inspect it first and then ship the defective unit back if the new one checks out OK. I would be willing to put a deposit or hold on my credit card, etc.

Would you please be so kind to consider this and put me in contact with someone where I can make this happen?

Thank you so much for your time and have a great day!

Regards,
John (last name)

Please let us know if you get a response, and what the response is. Thanks!

 

[WizeGuyDezignz]

I say don't give up on this phone. It's a great phone and you know you will love it when you get one that is flawless. That said, some of the things that aren't a big deal (like the Windows key), you may have to be less obsessive about as those just aren't really that big of a deal. But, good luck!

Thanks for the response and I'm definitely leaning towards keeping the phone, although hopefully a more defect free version than I have. I can most likely live with the dirty Windows key if needed, but I still don't feel like I should have to. Not only does it look bad and it shouldn't be that way, but I'm with hopmedic concerned a lot about resell value if need be.

So if a dirty Windows key was my only issue, I would definitely just live with it for now at least. I purchased the $99 two-year protection plan from the Microsoft Store so I could always just get a new one down the road that would have (hopefully) a better looking key.

But my current issues I can't deal with. The creaking, clicking and popping casing and the loud rattling vibration that it throws off when I get a text message.

Thanks for your feedback, I think I will keep the phone in the long run!!

 

[cdaq]

What is start button gunk?

 

[WizeGuyDezignz]

What is start button gunk?

I have encountered different versions of a bad start button. One is the keys are yellow and not white. Some are darker than others. The gunk is dark to light spots behind the button. It almost looks like glue or some sort of substance is behind the glass.

 

[nunyazz]

What is start button gunk?

http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...me-soft-key-looks-terrible-when-back-lit.html