Unwitting Owner of a New Surface Pro

[Russ]

I just want people to know about the policy in advance so precautions can be taken . . ..

Warranty Guy --

Yes, yes, of course; we are so lucky to have you looking after our best interests.

You sound like a very learned person, perhaps you can help me: Is "phony" properly spelled with an "F" or is it "Ph?"

I never have been able to figger that out.

Be well,
Russ

 

[ArnoldC]

Very interesting J515OP, I would definitely be interested in posts where scratched devices were exchanged. Surface Support assured me that scratches void the warranty as pointed out in item (iv) of the warranty exclusions. Do you remember where you saw the posts? I would like for Surface Support to be incorrect in their interpretation of the warranty exclusion. I did purchase the devices from the MS Store.

Was your conversation with them via Chat? You can post copy of the discussion which they email to you after the chat session.

By the way- http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/support/warranty-service-and-recovery/surface-warranty

 

[J515OP]

Very interesting J515OP, I would definitely be interested in posts where scratched devices were exchanged. Surface Support assured me that scratches void the warranty as pointed out in item (iv) of the warranty exclusions. Do you remember where you saw the posts? I would like for Surface Support to be incorrect in their interpretation of the warranty exclusion. I did purchase the devices from the MS Store.

Try a forum search. I will also see what I can find and give you a link but I am certain that is the case.

P.S. per Arnold's suggestion there is no need to make duplicate threads/posts and it is against the forum guidelines:

4. Create threads in the proper forum. Threads created in the wrong forum are subject to deletion. One thread posted in multiple forums(Cross Posting) is subject to deletion and issuance of Infractions.

http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/...162-guidelines-conduct-surfaceforums-net.html

You have made you point and if you still feel it is necessary you can start a thread dedicated to the the warranty clauses.

JP

 

[Zardoz2293]

In Warranty - Out Of Warranty Fee Charges

Consider yourself fortunate. MS has one of the most draconian warranty policies of any of the tablet manufacturers. If you return a Surface to MS for a warranty repair the surface is scrutinized for the sign of any scratches. If scratches are found any where on the device then your warranty is VOIDED. It doesn't matter that the scratches are cosmetic and totally unrelated to the malfunctioning tablet you no longer have warranty coverage. The only way MS will repair the device is if you pay $300.00 for out of warranty support. You are not advised of this anywhere when you purchase the device. You have to read the warranty policy on their web site. Item (iv) is the relevant clause:
I don't know about the extended warranty but MS's standard warranty is a rip off. The way it works is if you buy a Surface you are supposed to be covered by the standard warranty for a year. Assume your Surface stops working after two months and you return it for it for repair.

I have no doubt this can and has happened. However, I would address your concern to the store manager and if they stick to this illegal policy the next step would be contacting a lawyer who would be interested in representing your case and going public with it. Of course this is assuming the scratches are cosmetic and appear to be normal wear and tear, and not something like scratches with your name spelled across the screen. It is *highly* unlikely you would not be successful in your lawsuit (including lawyer fees). Having experienced more than once Microsoft's hardware warranty claims I know they have policies of consuming as much of your time as possible to the point where you would be happy to pay that $300 OOW fee so you can get back to your productive life. I think at the end of the day if you are calm when you experience some nonsense and address your concerns with a manager, in most cases a positive outcome will be achieved. After all, having you buy future hardware and software is worth significantly more to their business model.

 

[olimjj]

Russ, I appreciate your passion. I too am passionate about MS products. I have 3 Surface RTs, 1 Surface Pro, and 3 Nokia 920's. I am personally betting on the success of the Surface products and Windows Phone 8. I just want people to know about the policy in advance so precautions can be taken in order to avoid a backlash when people find out once they are in need of a repair.

Odd that you own so many surface devices are not "passionate" enough to list at least one of them in My Device.

PS
Glad to hear from Russ again

 

[warranty guy]

I have no doubt this can and has happened. However, I would address your concern to the store manager and if they stick to this illegal policy the next step would be contacting a lawyer who would be interested in representing your case and going public with it. Of course this is assuming the scratches are cosmetic and appear to be normal wear and tear, and not something like scratches with your name spelled across the screen. It is *highly* unlikely you would not be successful in your lawsuit (including lawyer fees). Having experienced more than once Microsoft's hardware warranty claims I know they have policies of consuming as much of your time as possible to the point where you would be happy to pay that $300 OOW fee so you can get back to your productive life. I think at the end of the day if you are calm when you experience some nonsense and address your concerns with a manager, in most cases a positive outcome will be achieved. After all, having you buy future hardware and software is worth significantly more to their business model.

You have pretty good insight on how to deal with MS. I was a neophyte in these matters. Luckily one of the moderators here became interested and contacted MS and gave me the necessary insight into how to get the problem addressed. The problem was escalated to the MS Surface Escalation team. MS replaced my Surface with a new one. I was told that the people in receiving don't have much discretion in what they can accept. Whereas the Escalation Team can take other factors into consideration. You were correct in your assertion that it takes patience to get through the process. I have not had any further problems with any of the other Surfaces we have. I am planning to order a 512GB Surface Pro 3 i7 when it becomes available. My daughter, starting college Fall '15, wants to take a Surface Pro to college with her. It was her RT that had to be replaced. She loves that device. I am a happy camper, as a family we love our Surface tablets and Nokia Windows phones. Have a good day with the knowledge that MS can ultimately be prevailed upon to come thorough -- just takes persistence.

 

[wynand32]

I get the feeling that Microsoft is changing in many ways, not the least of which is their approach to customer service. The Surface Pro 3 is incredibly important to them--not necessarily in terms of how many units it sells, although I'm sure they'd love to sell millions, but rather in terms of the perception it creates in the market. They NEED their "one OS, many devices" strategy to work in order to compete against Apple and Google, and the SP3 is vital to that strategy. The last thing they want is tens or hundreds or thousands of well-publicized complaints about poor customer service, terrible build quality, etc. (which they'll get to some extent no matter what, because the tech press does love its controversies). I've found the Microsoft Store staff to be incredibly accommodating when it came to questions and issues around my SP3, replacing my Type Cover because I didn't like the feel (and I was wrong about that one, there was nothing wrong with my first one), replacing my SP3 with no questions asked because of an audio problem, even adjusting my purchase price to reflect my wife's educational discount--including the Type Cover, case, Microsoft complete bundle that company policy doesn't allow the discount to be applied to.

I think the Store staff has received instructions from on high to do whatever it takes to create happy customers. To me, this indicates a new and much more aggressive Microsoft that bodes well for the platform.