I handed my smartphone in for repair into the local branch of a well known high street mobile phone provider after it decided to stop acting as a phone. There is an online tracking facility to track the progress of the repair which still shows the phone as being at the store, which it is not. I have contacted customer services on three occasions and have been in the shop on another three occasions and depending on who I talk to depends on the answer I get as to where the phone is. I get the feeling it will never be seen again. The company state 28 days max to turn the repair around which is nearly up.

So the question is what do I do when the time is up.? I know a replacement phone is the obvious answer but would it unreasonable to ask for the cost of the phone plus some sort of compensation for the inconvenience towards the cost of an upgrade.? If so what would be reasonable.?

Ask to see the terms and conditions for the service. Probably just a refurbished replacement, unless they go generously over the 28 days.

How old was the phone?

You’ve little rights to demand an upgrade, but there’s an argument for a “gesture of goodwill” if you ask nicely.

The phone is less than 1 year old. Nexus 5x.

Bump for the day shift.

still shows the phone as being at the store, which it is not. I have contacted customer services on three occasions and have been in the shop on another three occasions and depending on who I talk to depends on the answer I get as to where the phone is

you’ve not given us enough information to go on. how are you so sure its not at the store?

however. if the store itself denies its on the premises and the 28 days is up speak to highest ranking staff member at store. if that fails, highest ranking you can get via customer services on the phone.

(get past the front-line plebs and speak to someone who can do something)

I presume you signed something i.e. a contract, and have a copy of it, what does that say?

I presume you signed something i.e. a contract, and have a copy of it, what does that say?

It’s CPW for whats it’s worth so big old company, all signed for and a process they have done a million times before I would imagine.

you’ve not given us enough information to go on. how are you so sure its not at the store?

I go in store and man and or woman in store says it is not there. The phone originally gets sent to a central repair center and then on the manufacturer if required. Like I said depending on who I speak to depends on what answer I get or basically nobody has a clue. I’ll wait for the 28 days.

Once your 28 days are up then you can start asking more questions.

If it is truly lost then I would be asking for evidence it had been wiped and if they don’t have it then I would be asking for a new phone and gesture of goodwill considering they have lost all your personal data.

If they’ve lost a phone and can’t find it then I’d expect an equivalent replacement.
Once the 28 days is up I’d be speaking with the branch manager and try and sort something out.

Also, it’s CPW’s responsibility to resolve. Whether it’s in store, at a repair centre, with the manufacturer or on the moon is irrelevant; that’s their problem. You shouldn’t have to be chasing anyone bar the people you bought it from, and should reject any assertions from them that you should.

Speak to the manager, if he can’t give you either a straight answer or a replacement, then simply ask them for their Head Office address for small claims proceedings, seems to usually shake them into action.