When a big and renowned company allows herself amateur omissions
Are you interested to hear what news had me pleased so much at the beginning of October?
Yes, this story begins a month ago and still doesn’t have (happy) end. On October 1st, I was announced as one of three winners of “#LenovoLjeto” (eng. #LenovoSummer) prize draw. The award I won was the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro tablet.
I can’t describe how happy I was and couldn’t wait for my reward to come so that I can start playing with a tablet with a build-in projector.
PR agency MCMP d.o.o. has sent the tablet to my address on October 5th. This agency is hired by Lenovo Croatia for communication on social networks and was also in charge of organizing the whole prize draw. As I was not available, I pick up a tablet from the post office on October 9 early in the morning.
Do I need to describe the feeling of happiness when you open box and you feel that “perfume of new electronics”?
As the tablet was not charged, I tried to charge it with a charger that came in the box. While the battery started charging I turned the tablet on, activated it, and connected it to my Google Account. But after half an hour it became strange that the battery was charged only 6%. The charger may be defective so I connected the tablet to the computer with a different cable. Again, the battery didn’t charge more than 6%.
Of course, I was a bit crazy and decided to Google this problem and found users with a similar problem on the official forum. I didn’t wait and immediately contacted Lenovo Croatia about the problem through Facebook. They told me to take the tablet to the official Zel-Cos service. That’s what I was done. Tomorrow morning on October 10 tablet was at the service center.
The service confirmed my suspicion that the battery is defective and that it needs to be replaced!
I do not know the exact date when the new battery was ordered, but I know from telephone talk with Zel-Cos service staff that due to new laws the batteries can no longer be shipped with a plane so delivery takes longer. From the moment when my doubts were confirmed, I thought that I have right to get a new tablet as a replacement for this one that was defective. One of the reasons was IP21 certification — protected from condensation. I’ve talked to people who fix mobile phones/tablets about this certification and I was told that once the device is opened, the certificate is often lost. A good servicer can, however, in a certain way, seal everything and partly restore everything.
In an attempt to get a replacement tablet I talked over phone to representatives from Lenovo Croatia. To my great disappointment after their conversation with a service center and a headquarters (in Hungary or Bulgaria, I’m not sure) my replacement request was denied. Only thing I could do was to wait for the new battery.
The new battery arrived on November 6th. Until this moment, the tablet has been in service for nearly a month. After they exchange batteries and tried to charge the tablet, the same thing happens. Battery charged only up to 42%! The second new battery that is failed. Obviously, the tablet has a problem and replacing the battery will not fix it. Of course, I was more crazy about the whole situation and I asked for a replacement (for the new device) for the second time. And for the second time, my request was denied! This whole situation is not funny anymore and pathetic. I do not know what other words to use to describe it.
Of course, I will not reconcile with this situation, because although Zel-Cos and Lenovo Croatia are sticking to their procedures, I do not accept refurbished device as my prize. Also, this whole situation is extremely unprofessional and amateur. One world-renowned company like Lenovo shouldn’t allow that case like this happen. My intention was not to publish this whole case publicly, but not that I have a lot of choices.
The tablet is still in service, and how things stand he will stay there.