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[Chopper]

It's too long. Needs editing down, needs things that look like threats taking out. Stick with the disappointment bit, stick with the contempt and the facts, maybe mention that Nintendo has an excellent reputation for customer service and you feel very let down and so should she. Maybe mention also that your first draft sounded a lot angrier but you've been advised to tone it down and let the facts speak for themselves (makes you come across reasonable).

Hmmm. Do you think she's less likely to read it if it's long? I feel as though I have alot to say to her!

I suppose I can remove anything already stated in the email transcripts. I am really relying on her to read them thoroughly though, as a result. And I'm not sure what you are referring to that might be threatening. I thought I was being extremely polite.

I do like the idea of claiming the team have let both me and herself down though...

 

[Maxrunner]

YEah here in Portugal it sucks too, i sent my 3ds because if i closed it while it was ON and then some hours later i would open it, it would not come back. Leds were ON but i couldn't do anything, i had to force it OFF and then turn it ON again....suffice to say they didn't find anything wrong with it...

 

[Pociask]

Hmmm. Do you think she's less likely to read it if it's long? I feel as though I have alot to say to her!

I suppose I can remove anything already stated in the email transcripts. I am really relying on her to read them thoroughly though, as a result. And I'm not sure what you are referring to that might be threatening. I thought I was being extremely polite.

I do like the idea of claiming the team have let both me and herself down though...

Absolutely less likely to read if long. As I noted in my suggested edits, almost zero chance that she will read through a bunch of email transcripts. I'm putting a revision in an email tag for an idea of something shorter, to the point. (and how come when I do the email tag, it shows those extra br code tags?)

Dear Ms Pearce,

I am writing to you today to make you aware of my Nintendo customer service experience, and see if you can help. I am a big Nintendo fan, and have a very substantial collection of Nintendo games and hardware. In addition, I am a careful gaming enthusiast. If the console is not in my hands, If the console is not in my hands, it is in its protective case. Safe from drops, knocks and scuffs at all times.

Unfortunately, a 3DS XL I purchased was defective. Normally, I would simply exchange my 3DS XL at the retail store I purchased it, for a non-defective version. However, returning the console to the shop would result in the loss of the many eShop games I had downloaded onto my launch 3DS, which I had then transferred to the XL almost immediately upon its purchase.

So, I contacted customer service, and they were happy to accept my console for diagnosis and repair (for your reference, I've attached transcripts of my communications with Nintendo customer service). I was shocked to be informed that customer service would not honor my warranty, as they had apparently diagnosed physical damage. However, the faults that were "diagnosed" were the defective faults I reported in the first place! When I attempted to point this out, I was at first treated with contempt, and then ignored.

"Customer service" is a very complimentary description of what I have received from that team. In truth, I have received no "service" from the team whatsoever. Instead I have repeatedly been fed scripted lines by people who are clearly unable to understand the truth or appreciate my loyalty as a Nintendo customer. At no point have I felt as though my side of the story, or the points I make are even being slightly acknowledged. The responses I received might as well have been automated.

I do not wish to pursue this matter in small claims court, as I have already spent an awful lot of time and energy on this matter. And I realize, after all, that what seems to be at stake is an unjustified payment of just £77.50. However, I feel like I may have no other choice.

My preferred resolution would simply be an acknowledgement that my case was exceptional and that my unit was defective. At this time, after the contempt I have suffered, I feel an apology would be appropriate too. I have never been "ignored" by any customer services team in my life before. It is an infuriating experience that I certainly do not expect from a company like Nintendo. A company I previously assumed to be approachable and reasonable.

I appreciate that the loss of one customer is not going to ruin Nintendo, but it is upsetting to me that my relationship with this company, that I used to love, would end under such cynical, stupid circumstances, but I fear it might. I am grateful to be able to air my grievances outside of the Codestorm bubble (I get the feeling Iwata-san would be less than impressed with their attitude!), and look forward to hearing anything you have to say regarding the matter.

 

[Chopper]

Absolutely less likely to read if long. As I noted in my suggested edits, almost zero chance that she will read through a bunch of email transcripts. I'm putting a revision in an email tag for an idea of something shorter, to the point. (and how come when I do the email tag, it shows those extra br code tags?)

Dear Ms Pearce,

I am writing to you today to make you aware of my Nintendo customer service experience, and see if you can help. I am a big Nintendo fan, and have a very substantial collection of Nintendo games and hardware. In addition, I am a careful gaming enthusiast. If the console is not in my hands, If the console is not in my hands, it is in its protective case. Safe from drops, knocks and scuffs at all times.

Unfortunately, a 3DS XL I purchased was defective. Normally, I would simply exchange my 3DS XL at the retail store I purchased it, for a non-defective version. However, returning the console to the shop would result in the loss of the many eShop games I had downloaded onto my launch 3DS, which I had then transferred to the XL almost immediately upon its purchase.

So, I contacted customer service, and they were happy to accept my console for diagnosis and repair (for your reference, I've attached transcripts of my communications with Nintendo customer service). I was shocked to be informed that customer service would not honor my warranty, as they had apparently diagnosed physical damage. However, the faults that were "diagnosed" were the defective faults I reported in the first place! When I attempted to point this out, I was at first treated with contempt, and then ignored.

"Customer service" is a very complimentary description of what I have received from that team. In truth, I have received no "service" from the team whatsoever. Instead I have repeatedly been fed scripted lines by people who are clearly unable to understand the truth or appreciate my loyalty as a Nintendo customer. At no point have I felt as though my side of the story, or the points I make are even being slightly acknowledged. The responses I received might as well have been automated.

I do not wish to pursue this matter in small claims court, as I have already spent an awful lot of time and energy on this matter. And I realize, after all, that what seems to be at stake is an unjustified payment of just £77.50. However, I feel like I may have no other choice.

My preferred resolution would simply be an acknowledgement that my case was exceptional and that my unit was defective. At this time, after the contempt I have suffered, I feel an apology would be appropriate too. I have never been "ignored" by any customer services team in my life before. It is an infuriating experience that I certainly do not expect from a company like Nintendo. A company I previously assumed to be approachable and reasonable.

I appreciate that the loss of one customer is not going to ruin Nintendo, but it is upsetting to me that my relationship with this company, that I used to love, would end under such cynical, stupid circumstances, but I fear it might. I am grateful to be able to air my grievances outside of the Codestorm bubble (I get the feeling Iwata-san would be less than impressed with their attitude!), and look forward to hearing anything you have to say regarding the matter.

That's nice man. I toned it down a bit, and cut parts that I felt I had repeated too many times. It's not massively dissimilar from yours. I sent it off this evening, and I cannot wait to receive a response.

 

[Pociask]

That's nice man. I toned it down a bit, and cut parts that I felt I had repeated too many times. It's not massively dissimilar from yours. I sent it off this evening, and I cannot wait to receive a response.

Good luck!

 

[whitehawk]

I had the exact opposite experience with Nintendo. They repaired my Wii free of charge even though it east out of warranty. I think the lady I talked to made a mistake.

 

[Chopper]

22 days after sending my letter, Shelly Pearce, Director of Marketing & PR of Nintendo UK, sent me my reply!

I'm not gonna type it all out, it's pretty long, but I'll summarize:

She actually read all the transcripts (a fact which is evident from some of her letter's content), she has corresponded with Owen Fish and the Repairs Centre, and she does quite alot of apologizing. She makes excuses about post-Christmas being their busiest time and the launch of Wii U being reasons I went ignored for so long at a time. I can count three cases of apology, two for the level of service I feel I have received throughout (one at the beginning, one at the end), and one for the fact that I feel as though I have been fed lines and my case is not heard (not really an apology).

The paragraph that immediately follows her "apology" for being fed lines and not hearing out my case, she recycles the "I am unable to speculate how the damage was caused" line that undermines my whole point.

YOU DON'T NEED TO SPECULATE! I TOLD YOU! IT HAPPENED UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES! I PUSHED THE SWITCH "UP"!

So yeah, she won't believe me either. She makes claims that the damage falls into the "out of warranty" category, [even though the unit was faulty].

She claims that they "cannot accept responsibility" for my decision not to trade in my console and lose all my downloaded games.

She latched onto the fact that I paid up for my repair nicely by claiming that they could have provided proof of damage before the repair was done, but I didn't ask for it. This point is relentlessly nonsensical, as the proof they would have provided would simply be photos of the faulty screens and switch that I knew existed in the first place!

In order to bring the matter to resolution she apologises again for the "level of service I feel I have received". Of course, she is very grateful to for my 20 years of custom and would like to reiterate their offer of a "deluxe Nintendo goody bag".

She apologized, I guess. But she knows I don't have the time or money for small claims court. She knows that this matter is public (to an extent), so can't be seen to roll over. But then she's feeding me lines and not actually listening to me.

I think I might send her one more letter, get a bit meta on her, proclaim my disappointment at her short-sightedness, but take the fucking goody bag anyway.

 

[shuri]

Dont take the goody bag, its going to be a bunch of promo material and stuff from the Nintendo Club like stickers and Yoshi keychains.

 

[Chopper]

Dont take the goody bag, its going to be a bunch of promo material and stuff from the Nintendo Club like stickers and Yoshi keychains.

That's what I thought. Though she has given me the Operations Executive's contact details in order to claim it. That's gotta be better than the one that would have come out of Codestorm House, wouldn't it? And it is "deluxe".

I might even say " If you can assure me that the goody bag contains no stickers, decorative decals or other useless shit, I'll take it."

 

[PhantomR]

HAHAHA! WOW! Nintendo UK is HARDCORE, to the max.


This just doesn't happen with NOA unless you've already been given an exception or a break before. Good luck man. Geez.

 

[GJS]

It costs like £35-50 to make a claim for the amount you are looking at, even cheaper if you do it all online, and if you can't afford it you might even be legible for it to be free. The whole thing doesn't even have to go to court, the judge could just read it and rule on it based upon the warranty.

 

[Baconsammy]

Sorry about that Chopper. NOA support isn't much better. Requiring a police report just to get back what they already know you lost is complete bullshit, but support is just working from a playbook that Nintendo headquarters in Japan has dictated with their horrendous online mechanisms. When they change, perhaps more people will start viewing the eshop as something other than a place to get a demo every now and then.

 

[Chopper]

It costs like £35-50 to make a claim for the amount you are looking at, even cheaper if you do it all online, and if you can't afford it you might even be legible for it to be free. The whole thing doesn't even have to go to court, the judge could just read it and rule on it based upon the warranty.

Homestly, I'm not sure where to start or how the process works. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. I mighht just go for it. See if I can successfuly claim, and get that goody bag.

 

[PhantomR]

Sorry about that Chopper. NOA support isn't much better. Requiring a police report just to get back what they already know you lost is complete bullshit, but support is just working from a playbook that Nintendo headquarters in Japan has dictated with their horrendous online mechanisms. When they change, perhaps more people will start viewing the eshop as something other than a place to get a demo every now and then.

 

[Chopper]

lmao

 

[Baconsammy]

Homestly, I'm not sure where to start or how the process works. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. I mighht just go for it. See if I can successfuly claim, and get that goody bag.

Drafting a reply now. Quote to see what I got so far...

That's a fine email. I assume you don't know any lawyers you could speak to about a plan of action to cheaply file a claim against Nintendo? There's definitely enough real-world examples to illustrate to any court that the 3DS' quality control is shoddy at best. Especially the screen scratching.

.

Yep, I get it, you're a super fan.

 

[Chopper]

That's a fine email. I assume you don't know any lawyers you could speak to about a plan of action to cheaply file a claim against Nintendo? There's definitely enough real-world examples to illustrate to any court that the 3DS' quality control is shoddy at best. Especially the screen scratching.

Well I have a CAB just down the road. It's just finding the time to go speak to them. I've just had a look at the file application form and it seems simple enough. I just hope the fact that I paid up in the first doesn't bite me in the ass. I mean, the system was faulty, dammit!

 

[keep]

Hi Chopper, I went through a similar process with the Nintendo Customer Service in the UK, although my case is a bit different I can relate to the incompetence of the Customer service and the disconnect between the repairs team and the guys picking up the phone.

My 3DS got stolen in a train journey in London's overground on 8th December so after putting a claim to British Police I rang Nintendo to ask whether they could pass the info (street passes, game charts, unlocked puzzles, profiles PLUS downloaded eShop games and ambassador games) to a new system. The first few tries on the phone were met with a simple 'no' but after pressing and saying I had seen people on the Internet retrieve their games back this way they conceded that they could actually do it (AWFUL). So I bought a 3DS XL and had to send this disproportionate amount of information (police reports, scans of old console ticket, new console ticket, etc. about THREE TIMES) before they would even consider it.

After "passing" this test, they revealed I had to send the console to them in order to be able to get it fixed. The guy on the phone said he would send me the paid postage stamp and that I should send the console "as is", not in its box. He NEVER mentioned any other box and I asked him if he was sure, as I didn't mind sending it in a box (it was paid postage anyway), to which he replied "no, just make sure you wrap it in bubble wrap properly". So I did that, sent it off and waited another two weeks and over the Xmas period, all the while ringing them for updates to their very expensive call number only to be told "we'll ring you tomorrow with an update" (they NEVER rang).

After the two weeks I get an email saying I need to pay 77.50 pounds to repair the console and that I should ring them up (to their expensive call centre number) to arrange payment. It turns out the console had got damaged on the touchscreen, presumably in transit. I absolutely REFUSED to pay anything - I had sent the console completely new, straight out of the box, and I had been told NOT to send it in a box. They were very difficult at the beginning, hinting that it was my fault. They even 'threatened' me saying all conversations had been recorded, to see whether I was prepared to stand by what I was saying (that someone in their Customer Service had told me to send it "as is") to which I replied that DAMN FUCKING RIGHT I WAS. By this point I had clocked that if I wanted anything actioned with them I had to speak to James, which is the head of the Customer Service call centre so every time I rang I asked to speak to him straight away. I told him I was not prepared to pay a single penny for this and he begrudgingly conceded.

So they went away to repair the console, with the added warning that my 3DS XL had Mario Kart 7 pre-installed in it so please whatever magic they worked on it they had to ensure that I also had Mario Kart 7 in it. I mentioned this in EVERY SINGLE phone conversation with them and it was also pointed out to them in the letter I sent with the console. I got the console back around the last week of January, with a photocopy of my original letter (saying exactly this) and I turn on my XL to discover that, of course, Mario Kart 7 had vanished from it. It also turns out that the only thing they can really "transfer" from one console to another is the games I've downloaded from the eShop and the ambassador games, the rest of my profile was completely linked to my console and wasn't retrievable (while this makes sense -although it's completely unacceptable by 2013 standards, NOT A SINGLE PERSON had mentioned this to me over the phone when I had asked to have it all re-installed in my XL). But I let that go and concentrated on Mario Kart 7. By this point the daily calls to the Customer Service were something of a joke in my office, and the ridiculous phone bill I had amassed was adding even more salt to the wound.

I rang a couple more times asking to speak to James, who at that point sort of exploded and hinted that Nintendo had no obligation to transfer the games from one console to another for me and that they had done so "out of customer loyalty". I think I gave him a dress down on the phone about the FUCKING MILLIONS I've spent with Nintendo since 1991 and he never brought this up again. They managed to send me a code to download Mario Kart 7 mid-February which turned out to have been already used (I just laughed this off by this point) and then a week later sent another one which actually worked.

The end result of all this is I'm NEVER buying any more eShop games from Nintendo until they sort their shit together with their online profiles (I calculate this will happen around 2034). I also turned to my PSP and the backlog of games I had in it and I'm happily chugging along Persona 3 and Trails in the Sky now, so my 3DS is gathering dust in a corner at the moment. Honestly, FUCK their shitty customer service. No wonder they're going down.

Sorry to hi-jack your thread but this is the first time I tell this story and I thought you may be interested in knowing you are not alone. I know it's too late now but there's no way on earth I would have paid for a repair of something that wasn't my fault. Be polite, but don't take any shit from them. I repeatedly used expressions like "I am not satisfied with the answer you are giving me" and then went completely quiet, or simply stated "I am not prepared to pay a penny for a fault I didn't create" and then let them talk themselves into what I wanted to hear because I just wouldn't hang up. I picked this trick up from a friend of mine who is head of customer services for a very big company - companies can do PRETTY MUCH anything if you insist, particularly if they know you are in the right and they are just trying to avoid having to make special cases out of your issue.

 

[dallow_bg]

That is nuts.

If an issue gets up to one of our Directors here then it's usually resolved in the customer's favor immediately.
I was sure reading that she was going to take care of you. Wow!

 

[Baconsammy]

Well I have a CAB just down the road. It's just finding the time to go speak to them. I've just had a look at the file application form and it seems simple enough. I just hope the fact that I paid up in the first doesn't bite me in the ass. I mean, the system was faulty, dammit!

You don't need to tell us. We know. There's mountains of evidence that the 3DS' quality control is shit. You should use that information to help you. But the impression I'm getting from the communications you've had is that they don't even fear losing a small claims case to you. Their stance on most things lately is a complete 180 from the Nintendo I used to deal with 8-10 years ago, unfortunately.

That is nuts.

If an issue gets up to one of our Directors here then it's usually resolved in the customer's favor immediately.
I was sure reading that she was going to take care of you. Wow!

Yep, that is in fact how a competent company usually deals with things. If someone is mad enough that they'll go as far as Chopper has, you make that person happy.

 

[Chopper]

Hi Chopper...

Sorry to hi-jack your thread but this is the first time I tell this story and I thought you may be interested in knowing you are not alone. I know it's too late now but there's no way on earth I would have paid for a repair of something that wasn't my fault. Be polite, but don't take any shit from them. I repeatedly used expressions like "I am not satisfied with the answer you are giving me" and then went completely quiet, or simply stated "I am not prepared to pay a penny for a fault I didn't create" and then let them talk themselves into what I wanted to hear because I just wouldn't hang up. I picked this trick up from a friend of mine who is head of customer services for a very big company - companies can do PRETTY MUCH anything if you insist, particularly if they know you are in the right and they are just trying to avoid having to make special cases out of your issue.

Sorry to hear all that mate. They really are dog shit. Although James isn't around any more. Owen Fish is the guy you want to talk to down there now. And I'm past the point of shouting at them down the phone. A few letters to the Director of Marketing and PR is much more fun.

Yep, that is in fact how a competent company usually deals with things. If someone is mad enough that they'll go as far as Chopper has, you make that person happy.

To be honest, I thought exactly that. I mean, if I was just a chancer, would I really have bothered with all this?!

 

[serplux]

The end result of all this is I'm NEVER buying any more eShop games from Nintendo until they sort their shit together with their online profiles (I calculate this will happen around 2034). I also turned to my PSP and the backlog of games I had in it and I'm happily chugging along Persona 3 and Trails in the Sky now, so my 3DS is gathering dust in a corner at the moment. Honestly, FUCK their shitty customer service. No wonder they're going down.

Shit man, who'd you deal with? That's entirely messed up. I mean, seriously, that's horrible. My personal experience with customer service at Nintendo is awesome. I lost my previous 3DS, went out and bought a new one, and called up Nintendo to see if there was a way I could transfer my eShop titles. They were like, oh, let's look it up. They saw my eShop titles, asked me for my serial number on both consoles, deleted the eShop account on my old console and gave me enough credit to buy back all of my eShop games. I also broke my Wii and asked for a repair. After I refused their $90 offer to fix my Wii, they cut the price down significantly to around $60, if I remember correctly.

Again, sorry for your troubles. Both side of the barrels.

 

[keep]

Although James isn't around any more. Owen Fish is the guy you want to talk to down there now.

Wow, that was quick. My last conversation with them was less than two weeks ago.. maybe I broke him down.. or maybe he realised he's fucked giving any customer satisfaction when the company clearly does not believe in actioning this properly.

And I'm past the point of shouting at them down the phone. A few letters to the Director of Marketing and PR is much more fun.

You're absolutely right, I was so determined to write a massive letter of complaint, but then life got in the way and I've been absolutely swamped in work since. You may want to check this blog out, this guy went and emailed Satoru Shibata directly! http://jamesonline.net/blog/?p=270

 

[keep]

I lost my previous 3DS, went out and bought a new one, and called up Nintendo to see if there was a way I could transfer my eShop titles. They were like, oh, let's look it up. They saw my eShop titles, asked me for my serial number on both consoles, deleted the eShop account on my old console and gave me enough credit to buy back all of my eShop games.

I don't know if this makes me happy (for you) or extremely angry that they messed me around for three months for something they sorted in one phone call to you? More power to you anyway.

 

[Christopher]

Awful awful awful.

I don't see how even hardcore Nintendo fans can defend this asanine archaic online system...never will I buy a product from them digitally.

iTunes is fresking fantastic as well as playstation store when these sad things happen

 

[serplux]

I don't know if this makes me happy (for you) or extremely angry that they messed me around for three months for something they sorted in one phone call to you? More power to you anyway.

I'd be extremely pissed off in your case, and I don't blame you for not buying any more eShop titles. But Nintendo will implement an account system on the 3DS soon enough, because they're implementing Miiverse. Hopefully this mitigates the problems you had.

 

[Chopper]

Wow, that was quick. My last conversation with them was less than two weeks ago.. maybe I broke him down.. or maybe he realised he's fucked giving any customer satisfaction when the company clearly does not believe in actioning this properly.

Or maybe you (or I) were being screwed around. Seriously, call again and ask to speak to Owen. Or not. I suppose your problem got sorted. Still, now I'm suspicious.

 

[Chopper]

Quote to see my final(?) draft. Let me know if there's any opportunities I've missed!

I'm really not sure about this deluxe goody bag. How is there NO reference to one anywhere on the internet?!

 

[PhantomR]

I don't know if this makes me happy (for you) or extremely angry that they messed me around for three months for something they sorted in one phone call to you? More power to you anyway.

Well again, was this Nintendo UK or NOA he was dealing with? It makes a massive difference.

NOA? Shit gets done in one phone call unless it's some sort of extenuating circumstance.

 

[Chopper]

Right. Letter is signed, sealed and sent. The nature and reasons for my grief are unavoidable at this point. I just hope she actually fucking listens this time round.

 

[keep]

Quote to see my final(?) draft. Let me know if there's any opportunities I've missed!

I'm really not sure about this deluxe goody bag. How is there NO reference to one anywhere on the internet?!

EDIT: Ah! Just ten minutes too late.


I do not know the case in & out to be able to give you a confident reply in all points but a few of my suggestions:

- Don't accept the goody bag as a 'substitute' for what you REALLY want (you may want to ask yourself WHAT is it that you want, then ask for that) - the goody bag is bound to be some crap anyway (what would make you happy at this point? not much that's available on Nintendo's marketing department that's for sure). also, if you accept you'll be put in a position where yeah, they were shit to you but they gave you a Yoshi sticker in the end... I think the goody bag is buying your silence. Don't compromise your point!

- I would finish the email with something a bit more RESOLUTE about your plans after this - not just saying that you're unhappy but also what you plan to do afterwards (eg. tell all your mates not to buy a 3DS, buy a Vita, publish an account of what has happened online (including her email of course), go to Watchdog, etc. - you should also mention this thread and how other people are sharing their frustrations with them here too)

- As I said I do not know the whole story but one thing I think I get is that Nintendo is not trusting you on the issue of how the defect came to appear on the console. I would definitely spell out for her in very clear terms how appalling you think it is that a company you have been so loyal to in the past is doubting your claims and how offensive it is for them to cast aspersions over your honesty.

 

[dallow_bg]

Great email.

 

[Killer]

I contacted NCS recently and before they answer my concern, they sent me a customer satisfaction survey. Smh

 

[Pociask]

Right. Letter is signed, sealed and sent. The nature and reasons for my grief are unavoidable at this point. I just hope she actually fucking listens this time round.

Hey Chopper - missed the thread bump, sorry to hear your first letter didn't get anything beyond an offer of a goody-bag. You have to think it's a bunch of swag they have to send out to journalism outlets and stuff, kind of left-overs they can throw together that is either a) not going to cost them anything, as it's surplus, or b) in any event, less value than the cost to reimburse you, or c) actually a really good collection of stuff, perhaps worth more than just paying you cash, but they don't want to pay out money because for some reason they've decided as a matter of principle they're not going to pay out.

Wish I knew some English lawyers, but I'd have a hard time giving you a referral outside the southeastern United States.

Super quick edit: Read over your e-mail, looked good to me. Also looking over the thread, saw that you found some paperwork for a consumer complaint court of some kind - I have no experience with how they are over there, but I would jump in with that - I would guess it's going to be easier than you'd think/fear.

 

[ragincajun77]

That's a fine email. I assume you don't know any lawyers you could speak to about a plan of action to cheaply file a claim against Nintendo? There's definitely enough real-world examples to illustrate to any court that the 3DS' quality control is shoddy at best. Especially the screen scratching.

I know a good lawyer!

Edit: Oh wait a minute, you are in the U.K. aren't you. I'm just licensed in the U.S. federal courts and Louisiana state courts. NOA did the exact same thing to me. I've been considering filing a class action against them for the screen scratch issue that occurred with the regular 3DS (not the XL), but the time and money involved with class actions always makes me second guess it.

 

[Chopper]

EDIT: Ah! Just ten minutes too late.


I do not know the case in & out to be able to give you a confident reply in all points but a few of my suggestions:

- Don't accept the goody bag as a 'substitute' for what you REALLY want (you may want to ask yourself WHAT is it that you want, then ask for that) - the goody bag is bound to be some crap anyway (what would make you happy at this point? not much that's available on Nintendo's marketing department that's for sure). also, if you accept you'll be put in a position where yeah, they were shit to you but they gave you a Yoshi sticker in the end... I think the goody bag is buying your silence. Don't compromise your point!

- I would finish the email with something a bit more RESOLUTE about your plans after this - not just saying that you're unhappy but also what you plan to do afterwards (eg. tell all your mates not to buy a 3DS, buy a Vita, publish an account of what has happened online (including her email of course), go to Watchdog, etc. - you should also mention this thread and how other people are sharing their frustrations with them here too)

- As I said I do not know the whole story but one thing I think I get is that Nintendo is not trusting you on the issue of how the defect came to appear on the console. I would definitely spell out for her in very clear terms how appalling you think it is that a company you have been so loyal to in the past is doubting your claims and how offensive it is for them to cast aspersions over your honesty.

Thanks for the feedback. I have managed to cover alot of your pointers in previous emails or letters, thankfully, so I was able to stay focussed on the real problem at hand this time. I think I've left her very little wiggling room.

And thanks to those of you who wish you could provide the legal aid from across the pond! I will be marching into my lcal CAB office as soon as I can...

 

[Chopper]

Okay, so it's been over a month since I sent my last letter to Shelly Pearce, and cc'd in the General Manager Simon Kemp. Nothing. Not a whimper of feedback. I am officially being ignored at Director level, which is simply incredible.

I managed to guess these jokers' email addresses (at least, I have not received delivery failure notices), and sent the following:

Mr Kemp

I am very keen to hear your comments on the matter of my faulty XL unit. Having already been ignored by your customer services team for a number of weeks, I now feel as though I am being ignored at Director level, seeing as my last correspondence to yourselves was well over a month ago, which is absolutely astonishing.

I emailed Ms Pearce late last week as a reminder that she is yet to respond to my argument that all signs point to my XL unit being faulty, but I assume it got lost in the weekend shuffle.

For prosperity's sake, here is a picture of the collection of Nintendo games currently sat in one of my shelving units: http://i.imgur.com/y3Bvk.jpg

This is by no means a complete collection. Merely my most recent purchases over the last couple of years. Does this look like the collection of someone who is looking for something for nothing? I am concerned that my argument is being ignored for this reason.

This is not the case. I am merely looking for acceptance that my unit was faulty. I am looking for a response that does not feed me irrelevant lines about warranty guidelines. I am looking for a human within your organisation to look at my case and say "this guy isn't lying". I want someone to appreciate that I should NOT have paid £75 (and a whole load of premium-rate phonecalls) for the repair of a faulty XL unit.

Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Chopper

I refer to a very short email "tester" I sent to Ms Pearce in an attempt to prompt a response to my letter. I heard nothing after 4 days so sent the above to Mr Kemp. That was on Monday. Still nothing.

I cannot believe their lackadaisical attitude towards myself and my case. Infuriating.

I'll send the email again at some point. And maybe again after that.

I'm thinking a stern letter to Shibata-san might be my next move.

 

[also]

It's really painful to see how badly Nintendo's costumer service has been treating you. I hope you will persist and eventually get your money back.

 

[Madouu]

Woah I see why you asked me where I was from when I was praising Nintendo customer service in Canada. Damn, you'd think they would've fixed this matter since then, but no. This is really bad, it's a good thing you made this topic.

 

[Erekiddo]

Definitely subbing this. I gotta find out what happens.

I've called NOA once, concerning a cracked hinge on my DS Lite. They wouldn't budge on me paying $75 for it. When I told them I couldn't afford it, they went down to $50. That's stupid and weird. Still didn't go for it.

Funniest part was I got the guy to acknowledge it was a common flaw, yet still they were going to charge me.

 

[Herne]

Nintendo's customer services in the UK are handled by an external company, Codestorm. Actual Nintendo customer service - awesome. Codestorm - shit.

 

[Persona7]

Nintendo's customer services in the UK are handled by an external company, Codestorm. Actual Nintendo customer service - awesome. Codestorm - shit.

That would explain why NOA customer service is absolutely horrible. That and poor employee training.

 

[Chopper]

Nintendo's customer services in the UK are handled by an external company, Codestorm. Actual Nintendo customer service - awesome. Codestorm - shit.

This is why I broke through the Codestorm ceiling and made the effort to contact Nintendo's PR Director. Honestly, her response was a joke.

Awesome update: I found an actual phone number for the office in Windsor! I spoke to the receptionist:

"Hi there, could I speak to Shelly please?"

"Sure, I'll see if I can get hold of her. Who's speaking please?"

"My name is [Chopper]. she should be expecting my call."

"Okay, great. One moment please"

*One minute on hold*

"Hi, sorry, Mr [Chopper], I'm not getting a response form her or any of the marketing team. They might well be in a meeting."

"Oh, okay. If I try later, will I have better luck?"

"Yes, probably. She's in the office all day as far as I'm aware."

"Okay, great. Thankyou. Goodbye."

That was yesterday. I ran out of time (at work) to call back, but I'll try again on Monday.

I'm in.

 

[Def Jukie]

I just sent in my 3DS XL to be repaired and could not have been happier with the whole process. I had somehow gotten a small scratch on the top screen and wanted to get it fixed. I called Nintendo and their rep was super easy to deal with and very nice. He set up a fully covered, warranty repair for me. I received a couple emails from them while I was still on the phone with him detailing the process including a pre-paid shipping label. I sent my system off to California (from Oregon) and received it back in a little over a week. They replaced the screen and the system is good as new. They have given me a fresh 1 year warranty and my system was packed very well when shipped back. This has probably been the easiest, most pleasant customer service experience I've had. Sorry to hear that others have not had the same.

 

[Chopper]

I have no doubt that if I was dealing with NoA, there would be no issue here.

Initially my broken switch was the only contentious issue. It's only as time and communications have moved on that Nintendo UK have used the screens in an attempt to strengthen their argument.

So many inconsistencies on their part...

 

[TaroYamada]

I have no doubt that if I was dealing with NoA, there would be no issue here.

Initially my broken switch was the only contentious issue. It's only as time and communications have moved on that Nintendo UK have used the screens in an attempt to strengthen their argument.

So many inconsistencies on their part...

Nah, I gave up on 3DS due to bad experiences with NoA CS. Their CS is going downhill in a lot of ways I think. I sent in a 3DS, two or three times over 1st. scratching screen issues, 2. dead pixels. I ended up selling it due to difficulties with them.

It sucks because I like 3DS and its library but I on principle don't buy products I've found unreliable in my life. 360, 3DS etc.

 

[dc89]

I recently sent an 3DS for repair because the face buttons were discoloured. I had no quibbles but I was expecting them to say it's cosmetic etc. They repaired it and gave me a new warranty. What's happening the OP really sucks!

Chopper, where did you buy your 3DS from. Because your contract is actually with the retailer, not the manufacturer. You should be aiming that Sales of Goods Act at the retailer.

 

[Chopper]

I just got it from Game here in the UK. I know that I could have taken my console back to the retailer, but of course by that time I had transferred all my downloads onto it from my launch unit. As an Ambassador (and a mindless spender of monies) I had alot of stuff on there, and I did not want to risk losing any of my games, nor use up another of my 5 transfers. I didn't think it unreasonable that Nintendo would be happy to help out, especially considering they had already repaired my launch unit's screens so easily in the past. You live and learn, I suppose, but the complete absence of responsibilty or help on Nintendo's part really is astonishing.

 

[btrboyev]

And people... Hate apple. If that was an apple product, you would have had it all resolved (possibly new item too) by now

That's not true, I had an iPad that stopped working and wouldn't sync to any PC. I sent it in and Apple said there was water damage to it. The iPad was never near water and in no way ever got wet.

 

[dc89]

I just got it from Game here in the UK. I know that I could have taken my console back to the retailer, but of course by that time I had transferred all my downloads onto it from my launch unit. As an Ambassador (and a mindless spender of monies) I had alot of stuff on there, and I did not want to risk losing any of my games, nor use up another of my 5 transfers. I didn't think it unreasonable that Nintendo would be happy to help out, especially considering they had already repaired my launch unit's screens so easily in the past. You live and learn, I suppose, but the complete absence of responsibilty or help on Nintendo's part really is astonishing.

Yeah, you are right to expect a decent level of support from Nintendo. This really sucks.