Folks, this is to alert you to a massive rip-off being perpetrated on consumers by Motorola India.
I had bought a Motorola Razr V3 GSM phone in June 2006. Within 2 months, the main LCD display started flickering. It was replaced under warranty by Motorola’s outsourced(3rd party) service provider M/S JBC Impex on Residency Road, Bangalore. Read on to see why I suspect that Motorola was shipping phones with known problems like defective LCD’s – and then quietly replacing them when the phone failed in the hands of customers.
In February 2007, the phone had to go back in for another service, as dust had seeped inside and started obscuring the display. This time, I was charged Rs. 250/- for replacement of the glass cover of the main LCD. I have reason to suspect that this was due to a shoddy replacement of the LCD in June ’06.
In late April 2007, I noticed a huge black spot on the main LCD and again took the phone to JBC Impex. I assumed it was a problem with the glass and enquired whether there was a warranty for the previous servicing, given that I had just spent Rs. 250 only 2 months before. A cursory inspection later, I was quoted Rs. 4, 900/- for replacement of the LCD, and another Rs. 250/- for replacement of the glass cover(lens).
Note that a Mot. Razr V3 is now available for less than Rs. 6K in Bangalore, and they wanted almost Rs. 5K for just the LCD!
I disputed this diagnosis of the problem. I also suspected that JBC had put in a reconditioned LCD in June 2006, when it was first replaced under warranty.
I took the phone back from them and escalated the complaint to Motorola India via their helpline.
Two days later, I received a call from Motorola Delhi. They had checked with JBC Impex who told them my phone was “water-logged”! Based on this fantastic diagnosis from their authorized sole service centre in Bangalore, Motorola India refused to do anything further.
This diagnosis of “water-logging” on the phone confirms my suspicion that JBC Impex is committing a massive fraud on customers as my phone was never taken anywhere near water in the first place. I further suspect that this is probably in collusion with Motorola support staff, who refuse to get involved when I complained to them of faulty diagnosis by JBC and even gave them details of exactly what transpired – along with specific dates, job card numbers etc.
Subsequent calls to the Moto-Assist helpline and e-mails to their generic help id. – addressed specifically to the MD of Motorola India – have drawn no response.
Now the amazing part.
I took the phone to a private repair centre on Infantry road, Bangalore. He replaced the display AND lens of the smaller display for just Rs. 2K – i.e. at almost 1/3rd the cost quoted by Motorola’s authorized service centre. What’s more, he even gave me a stand-by handset for the 90 minutes he took to repair the phone. Contrast this with JB Impex who could not be bothered to do anything whilst one waits for the phone to be repaired.
The private service centre also told me that the dirt seepage under the lens of the main display was due to the fact that the previous repair(by JBC Impex) was incomplete as they had not bothered to re-fix the rubber beading inside – which is precisely designed to keep out dirt and moisture.
My intention of posting this long description is to warn all users to deal with Motorola at your own peril.
The Razr is a GREAT LOOKING phone built using sub-standard components with a fraudulent, incompetent, and unprofessional third party service backup. To top it all, Motorola seems to follow the policy of “deliver and disappear” as regards their products – they could not care less when customers complain about their support or their products.
I have learnt my lesson very well after this disasterous dalliance with Motorola – AVOID THEIR PRODUCTS LIKE THE BUBONIC PLAGUE!