I bought an MS Band in April 2015. In October, I noticed that the paint had flaked off the metal battery covers on the inside, and even one of the screws holding the cover down had started to separate from the band. Then, I noticed the Band had actually torn right near where the metal clasp was joined to the rubber.
Aside from the issues I had actually getting the unit sent in under the 1-year Warranty (because I purchased it in the US, and I live in Canada where the Band was never sold), they are now telling me they won’t honor the Warranty due to “Excessive Damage.”
Now, I’m a responsible consumer. If I am at fault, I will accept it and take my lumps. But I did not use this device in any way Excessively. Hell, I took it off to shower, never got it wet, etc. I’ve owned 2 Fitbit devices prior, and not had any issues at all. I believe Microsoft knows they have an issue – the battery cover paint coming off is documented on the web – but isn’t honoring their Warranty and hiding behind some bullshit “Excessive Damage” clause. I mean, really… I only used the thing for 6 months!
Any advice or tips on how to get some satisfaction? I really like the device, and I miss not having it on my wrist. I’m a huge Microsoft hardware guy. I’ve owned 3 generations of Windows Phones, bought a day-1 Surface RT (which I’d love to upgrade, if I had the $$), and obviously bought the Band. The moronic CSR barely spoke English, and has no ability to waver from their script, so calling the Support line hasn’t been helpful at all.
Are you near any retail stores? They’re generally extremely generous about returns / exchanges. My Surface Pro 3 got a yelowish tint on the screen a full year after I bought it and in-store they exchanged it on the spot with no hesitation.
If that doesn’t help, I’d call customer service and escalate to someone who knows what they’re talking about. There’s no reason why a Band in that condition after less than a year shouldn’t be eligible for replacement.
Unfortunately, no. Web support just opens up some lame FAQ page.
I tried that initially, as I am near a MS Store. Problem is, the original MS Band wasn’t sold in Canada, so they couldn’t offer an exchange.
I’ve asked “my” CSR for an escalation contact. She asked me to send her pictures of the Band. :-\ I will continue to jump through the monkey hoops they set up for me. I’m hoping they’ll eventually figure out that I’m not just going to give up and I’ll get to speak to someone who can actually do something.
I was kinda hoping someone here would have some pull at Microsoft and would be able to help me navigate the roadblocks.
