I got a T-Mobile broadband dongle 18 months ago (on a 24 mth contract) that came with an Asus Netbook. The netbook has gone kaput so I need it to be fixed. I rang customer services. After a difficult conversation with someone at the call centre who struggled to understand me I was finally advised to take it back to the shop where I got it, I was also told I can have £5 off my bill for the next two months for the inconvenience – which was a nice gesture. 

Today I lugged the netbook in its original box on the bus to work and went into the T-mobile shop where I got it. The assistant told me he could put me through to customer services to arrange for the laptop to be picked up by a courier from my house to be sent for repair. I asked if it could not be collected from the store but apparently not (which seemed odd to me, an address is an address). I was put on the phone in the shop with someone again from the call centre (which I discovered is in Manila in the Philippines). The man had a strong accent and I couldn’t hear very well because of the music playing in store and other noise around me. After a very frustrating conversation about the laptop I was finally advised to take it to a ‘repair store’ and bill T-mobile for the cost! I tried to explain that the laptop is under warranty but he just repeated the same advice. After hanging up I told the shop assistant what I’d been advised and that I wasn’t happy. He then rang someone, didn’t get anywhere, tried again and then 20 minutes later told me that the laptop will be collected by courier from my house some time between 6am and 8pm tomorrow. Apparently I will receive a text from the courier when he is near my house and if I’m not in (which I won’t be as I’m at work) I can re-arrange a collection time.

So now I have to take the netbook home again (on the bus) and no doubt will have to reschedule collection at some point.

I’ve wasted a good 2 hours trying to sort this problem out and it’s still not resolved.

Why did this have to be so complicated?!