August 8, 2005
One in seven mobile phones goes wrong within a year
In the UK, one in seven mobile phones goes wrong within a year and they are most likely to go wrong during the first six month, says Which? (via Tel&Co)
The 3 network has the worst record for faults - around one in three mobiles on this network developed a problem within 12 months. This may be because the brand-new, hi-tech products offered by 3 are prone to teething problems. Networks offering more of the longer-established models in their ranges, such as Virgin and Tesco, fare better for handset reliability. Among handset brands, Motorola and Sony Ericsson handsets were the most likely to go wrong; about a fifth of owners reported faults, while
Nokia and Samsung were the most reliable, although about one in ten users still had faulty phones.
To make it worse, people are finding it difficult to get problems put right. By law, if a phone develops a fault within six months and the shop can't show it was the customer's fault, the shop must sort out the problem. But over a quarter of people surveyed said they were unhappy with the way their mobile phone problem was handled.
Which? editor Malcolm Coles says: "A one-in-seven chance your phone's going to develop a fault is way too high. Not only that, but retailers who should be bending over backwards to help customers who've already suffered the inconvenience of a fault aren't giving people the help they need when they complain."
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