Just after using it for a day I was surprised to pull it from my pocket and find that it wasn't on.
I shrugged it off, thinking that I may have somehow accidentally turned it off after taking a call.
The funny thing was that I couldn't just turn it back on. I had to do a reset (pressing power+home button simultaneously) before the apple logo appeared.
Then it happened again 2 days later, again in the middle of the day.
I tried shutting the phone off manually, but found that you need to slide to power off. I don't think it could've happened accidentally while in my pocket.
Last night i was driving home while playing music on my phone. No problems. I reached home and unplugged my phone. Still ok. I put the phone in my pocket and went inside my house. In my house I took my phone out and it was off. With 2 missed calls. Thats when I decided to return my phone to Maxis. And that was the beginning of my sorrows.
Today (Jan 3 2010) I went to the Maxis center in KLCC. Waited about half an hour eventhough there was only one person ahead of me (which is probably good time by their usual lousy standards). Then I was served by some guy named Alfy. Man, this guy really knew how to push my buttons. My anger meter only goes from 0 (calm) to 10 (you-don't-wanna-know), but this guy may have broke my meter...
I gave the guy my phone (perfect condition, and in the box like brand new) and told him the problem, which is my phone seems to shut down by itself.
All this while he is trying to get my phone out of the original box using one hand holding the box up and letting gravity suck the phone out. If you've seen the original box you probably know what I mean.
I was thinking - What a lazy b@s3rd... He doesn't look interested in solving any problems... That would probably be too much work for him...
Anger meter - 0.5
He switched on my phone and saw that it needed a SIM card. So he asked me for mine, which he took from my other iPhone - without even switching it off first.
I was thinking - What-the-?! Does this guy really know what he's doing?
Anger meter - 1.5
He then saw that the phone needed to be activated before it could be used. Well of course. Earlier I erased everything and reset the phone. I won't give them the phone with all my personal contacts, email and other stuff on it, which I explained to him. He took my phone somewhere then later brought it back and said OK. It was unlocked and in a usable state (ready to receive calls, etc)
I was thinking - that was fast. did they already know about this problem? maybe many other customers also had this issue?
I asked - so what happened?
He said - nothing, the phone wasn't activated or unlocked so they just had to activate the phone.
At this point I knew for sure that I was dealing with a type of human we know as morons.
Anger meter - 3
I explained again to him that I had reset my phone, because I thought I would have to return it. So of course he would have to re-activate it. I explained again that the problem was that the phone seems to shut down by itself.
He asked me whether I tried restoring the phone without any photos, music and apps. I'm not kidding.
I said no.
Anger meter - 4
He asked me to try doing that first. Really, he did.
I said what for.
Anger meter - 5
He said that some apps can cause the phone to auto shutdown. Yes, he really said that.
I said - are you really telling me that other apps installed on the phone will cause the phone to shut down by itself
Anger meter - 6
He said yes. he is using 2 iphones so he knows. He says try installing the apps back one by one.
I said - bullshit. I am also an iphone user. My other phone is also an iPhone3G. if my apps work on my other phone but can cause this phone to shutdown by itself it obviously means there is something wrong with this phone. and what kind of a solution is that anyway. whats the point of my phone if i can't have apps, photos and music on it?!
Anger meter - 7
He asked me if my other phone was from Maxis
Anger meter - 8
I said no.
He seemed very pleased about this and said that's why la. Did I jailbreak?
I said - no, I didn't have to. it is an unlocked phone. what does this have to do with anything?
I say - look, if this is the solution you are giving me then I'll just tell you right now that there is a problem with this phone and you need to give me a new one. My phone is only 7 days old.
Anger meter - 9
He asks me other trivial stuff like, what model is my phone (just turn the phone over, moron. its written right there!), asked me when I got it, my phone number, etc.
I say - my service card is here, use it. this is what its for.
Anger meter - 10
He checks the computer and confirms that I only had my phone for 7 days.
He says - they cannot give me a new one. Only unless I returned it within 24 hours.
I say - so what are you going to do? I've told you my problem so how can I get this phone replaced.
Anger meter - 10 and holding
He says - I need to leave it with them and it will take 2 - 4 weeks.
I say - 2 to 4 weeks is not acceptable. This is a brand new phone. Less than 7 days usage. I should get immediate replacement.
Anger meter - 10 and holding with smoke coming out
He says - They can't give replacement. They need to test the phone first to see whether there is really a problem with it. If they don't find any problem they can't send it to the supplier. if the supplier doesn't find any problem they will just send the phone back.
I ask him - with this kind of problem, how are you going to test? after all, you can't tell when it will happen.
He says - they need to leave it on for 24 hours.
I ask him - is that it? just leave it on for 24 hours? I'm pretty sure if I leave my phone on for 24 hours without ANYTHING on it and without using it won't show any problems. so what are you going to do? just return it to me saying no problems were found? then what, I will have to send it back again and wait again?
He says - normally their customers just send their phones without resetting it. and yes, they'll return the phone because they can't send it to the supplier or get a replacement if they don't find any problems.
Anger meter at 10 and still holding with clouds of smoke billowing out like a RAPID KL bus.
I say - look, when I first came, I wasn't asking for a new phone. but if you're going to waste my time like this, then I'll tell you now that you need to replace my phone.
Again he says they can't.
Anger meter broke already. probably would be at 13 now.
At around this point his colleague who is sitting at the station next to him asks him to just take the phone and test it. So he gives me a form which I fill in. I point out to him that there isn't a single scratch on my phone so make sure of that.
He says that they will test it and let me know.
I think, ok, fine. at least let someone hopefully smarter have a look at the phone instead.
I leave and about 30 minutes later the guy calls me and says I need to leave the phone with him 2 - 3 days.
Well, duh... Did he actually expect something to happen in 30 minutes of testing by doing nothing?
He says I need to come back again to sign some forms.
So I go back again.
At the end of it:
i wasted over an hour of my life, which I can never get back. And this is just the beginning.
my problem was not solved, and I don't think it will be.
I have a reinforced personal opinion that Maxis support SUCKS and they have utter morons holding the front lines.
consumers are never taken seriously. in another country they would've replaced the phone for me on the spot. they know better than to think we have nothing better to do than to return a phone that is in perfect condition for fun.
We paid good money to Maxis for this phone. Definitely not for their service or their laughable 3G speed. We wanted the phone, and Maxis is the only way to get it.
Not only that I will have to go back there again to collect the phone, find out the problem is still there, and go back there again for God knows how many more times. After forking out so much money I have to spend more money and more time trying to get them to fix my damn problem.
Even if they do fix my problem a few months down the road, will they compensate me for all the inconvenience their utter ignorance and stupidity has caused?
i think its because we consumers have no power thats why these guys dare to give us this kind of runaround. imagine if they really had to compensate for all our inconveniences...
