# DEMANDING A REFUND FOR KINDLE DX



## Pardes (Aug 27, 2009)

I settled down on the bus to read the Kindle. There was the happy little screen save of the "kindle" definition. I turned on the power button and was greeted with this.








I called tech support who questioned me about what I saw on the screen and then informed me that it had obviously been dropped and that wasn't covered. I'd have to pay $135 to repair it.

It wasn't dropped. It wasn't leaned on. It's been babied like an infant.

I was instructed to send them a photo for them to make sure but the one diagonal line meant it had been dropped and broken.

I'm going to demand a refund and cancel my "Prime" membership. I'm astonished they are selling products apparently so touchy and that they have forgotten to be a little less ornery about their accusations.

It IS possible something happened to it about which I not aware and if the tech had been at least a little less sure of her "rightness" I probably WOULD have eaten the repair cost and hoped for better luck in the future.

This is ridiculous.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I'd call again.  A lot of times, unfortunately, it's all about who you talk to and how you talk to them.  I worked as a Sprint CS for a while and I can't tell you the number of irate calls I got from people who were jerked around or put on hold and transfered fifty times, but I took the time to sit and help them and make sure it got resolved.  It cost me the job because they were more concerned with turnover than quality of the assistance, but I am glad I did it and wouldn't do it any differently.  From what I can tell Amazon isn't like this, but it's still possible to catch someone on a bad day, say something to set them off that you don't even realize you said, or just plain get hold of someone who doesn't care.

So definitely give them another call and hope for another rep, but don't let what you went through with the first one make you take it out on the second... that's easy to do.  I wouldn't act like it didn't happen because I am sure they have logs of calls, but you can say how disappointed you were with them and how you have received excellent customer service before or heard such good things that you were kind of shocked at the treatment... that sort of thing.  Worst they can do is say no again, best case scenario is they send you a new DX.

Someone might be able to tell you this as I'm not sure, but I think there is a specific number that tends to get better results.  Customer Support is almost always going to be more understanding and willing to help than a tech.  Techs are there because they know how to work with machines, not necessarily people...


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes . . . . .call back. First, pretend you've never called before and tell them the story. If they tell you "you must have dropped it," explain that you haven't and tell them you've talked to 4000 of your closest friends who all have Kindles and you'd really feel like they should replace it since you did not, in anyway, mistreat it. And if that person still says "no" then ask to speak to a supervisor, etc. etc. . . . .

Oh, and please don't yell at _us_ (all caps in your thread subject) 'cause we're totally on your side!


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

The screen is definitely cracked. Unfortunately, the displays are not very sturdy.


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## boxwave (Jun 17, 2009)

Yeah, it looks like the screens cracked... is it? You just turned it on and that showed up?


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

Does anyone else have access to your KDX?  Maybe a cleaning lady?  Maybe someone set something heavy on it?  I would keep calling CS.  They do not want to have a bad image with all of us, especially since you did NOT drop it.  I feel so bad for you.


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## Pardes (Aug 27, 2009)

Actually they now want $350 to fix it.  Yeah, right.  

It's really broken now.  I threw it against the wall.  Done with Kindle.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

Pardes said:


> It's really broken now. I threw it against the wall. Done with Kindle.


To each his own, but PLEASE tell us you are joking.


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## RamTheHammer (Apr 17, 2009)

Pardes said:


> Actually they now want $350 to fix it. Yeah, right.
> 
> It's really broken now. I threw it against the wall. Done with Kindle.


Would you consider sending it to me?

Send me an email at [email protected]

Richard


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

Pardes said:


> Actually they now want $350 to fix it. Yeah, right.
> 
> It's really broken now. I threw it against the wall. Done with Kindle.


So sorry you had such a bad experience with your Kindle DX.


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## Annie (May 28, 2009)

Wow, I'm sorry that you had such a horrible experience. If you didn't drop it, something else must of happened because it couldn't have just showed up one day. From the image, it doesn't appear to be any type of malfunction, so some physical damage was done to it. It might of not been you, but someone else or something. 

This is one of those times when you wished you had bought some type of warranty.


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## L.Canton (Jan 21, 2009)

I'm sorry you had such a poor experience and I hope they remedy that in some fashion for you. I've had similar things happen, and that's why I almost always spring for the warranty.


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## Wheezie (Oct 28, 2008)

My DX arrived with a broken case-upper back right corner. The shipping and KDX box were in pristine condition. I was certain they were going to try to accuse me of breaking it.
I guess it really depends on what CS rep you get on the phone. My rep said said he had never heard of that type of "defect" but to send it back for exchange/refund. When he could not assure me that I would get a NEW one for exchange  I just returned it for a refund. 
I certainly wouldn't settle for the responses you have gotten from CS, I would definitely speak to someone else at AZ If not then successful, I would get with your credit card company.


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

Did you really throw it against the wall? If so, what additional damage was done? Did the wall break, too? I hope you are kidding about the wall-throwing and that you will call CS again and try to get a different person.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Yeah... definitely not going to be able to get anyone to help with it having been thrown against a wall.  You need to shop for good reps with these things sometimes.  Like I said before, worse they can do is tell you no again.  It's like going to mom after dad said no.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Scheherazade said:


> You need to shop for good reps with these things sometimes. Like I said before, worse they can do is tell you no again. It's like going to mom after dad said no.


And honey works better than vinegar. 

I never call any CS when I'm angry because I know it will be that much harder to stay calm. And, after all, if the customer starts out by biting his head off, why should the CS rep bother to do any more than the absolute minimum?

Oh, onions work good too. . . . .cry! (Which, if my Kindle was broken, wouldn't be very hard to do!)


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Yes, be nice to them no matter how mad you are.  I'm always horribly pleasant to people.  They can be calling me telling me my phone is going to be shut off cuz I haven't paid the bill and I'm still horribly nice to them.  It's funny because they'll be shocked sometimes.  Just the other day the girl was all happy just because I asked her how she was doing.  She'd been at it all day and apparently not one person had asked.  These are people on the other end of these phones and people like being treated like people.

I actually reacted better to angry people when I worked as a CS, though.  I guess it was like a challenge for me to have them happy by the time they hung up and they were more than not.  So you do want a good mix of sincerity, kindness, and patience spiced up with a little bit of a tone to let them know you're serious about the situation and want it resolved without being jerked around.  It's a hard line to walk, but it's always better to err on the side of politeness than to plummet over into the abyss of anger and lost temper.


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## gzigoris (Jul 31, 2009)

I had that same problem on a PDF file I loaded into my DX. I didn't have it on my screen savers though. It just might be a PDF problem. I was wondering if you can read a book? Heck at least go to amazon and try a sample and see if you can read it. I would definately do a reset.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

gzigoris said:


> I had that same problem on a PDF file I loaded into my DX. I didn't have it on my screen savers though. It just might be a PDF problem. I was wondering if you can read a book? Heck at least go to amazon and try a sample and see if you can read it. I would definately do a reset.


The screen is cracked on the inside. You can see it near the top/center, where it radiates out. I took apart my cracked Kindle 1 today (finally got all those screws loose!), and the crack on the interior radiates out just like it appears on the screen, similar to the picture in this thread. The top layer of the screen, on the exterior, is flexible. The bottom layer of the screen is not, and it does not take a lot of pressure to crack it.


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## evpseeker (May 29, 2009)

Pardes said:


> Actually they now want $350 to fix it. Yeah, right.
> 
> It's really broken now. I threw it against the wall. Done with Kindle.


Are you serious? You really threw it against the wall? 

Did you try writing a formal e-mail/mail or talking to a supervisor?


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

Pardes, if I remember right, you commute on a bike and bus and put your DX in your backpack while you're riding your bike, right? Due to the larger size of the DX screen, if pressure was exerted on it while in the backpack, it could've damaged the screen. Could that have happened? (You said that you saw it when you took it out after getting on the bus, so that's what made me think of this.) You haven't had it that long, so maybe they would make an even trade with a smaller Kindle 2 (which would be safer in your backpack, in my opinion due to the smaller screen size). If you really didn't throw it against the wall, call back and see if they'll make an even trade, if nothing else. Just an idea.


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## MineKinder (Jan 5, 2009)

The screens on the Kindles are soooo very delicate, I have cracked the screen my K2, a few times 

I am sooooo paranoid now, about cracking my DX screen. I always keep the Noreve cover on, and if I go out, I also use a Borsa Bella Bag.

No wonder we need so many accessories 

Hopefully in the future, that will be an improvement they make. A nice durable screen.

Accidents are bound to happen, Kindles are something most of us are using, during any free moment we have. And then taking them with us, where ever we go-> thats the whole point of having a Kindle. Easy to transport, and a library at our finger tips.
Not a good mix, with something so fragile.


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## jaybird123 (Mar 10, 2009)

Had a similar issue at the top of my screen.  I must have talked to the right person, they sent me a brand new the next day.


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## ReconDelta (Jul 22, 2009)

This is a prime example of why consumers get such a bad reputation with reputable companies.    Consumer calls company states they treated the product like a baby.  "I never stuffed my baby in a back pack while running around town."  The screen cracked, its primarily made from glass, unless elves broke in the night and did a elven dance on your kindle screen, YOU or someone in your family BROKE THE KINDLE.  

Option 1:  Accept responsibility, pay the cost to have the device repaired, stop feeling entitled to a free ride with everything in life.  

Option 2:  Whine and debase a product for being inferior when in fact, you're responsible.  Hope to get sympathy and justification for your mistakes.  Secretly pay the repair cost and move on.  

Option 3:  Write Obama and ask for a bailout since no one is at fault for anything and the government must protect us from the evils of business.


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## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

jaybird123 said:


> Had a similar issue at the top of my screen. I must have talked to the right person, they sent me a brand new the next day.


Thats what I'd expect, just call again and talk to someone else until your satisfied


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

Pardes said:


> Actually they now want $350 to fix it. Yeah, right.
> 
> It's really broken now. I threw it against the wall. Done with Kindle.


Seriously?


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## fastdogs (Jun 12, 2009)

oh no, Pardes. When I first bought my kindle2, it was a lot of money. I got just the kindle, no cover, no extended warranty. I continued reading this board, and learned of all the horrific things that can happen to them (worst one, someone fell asleep reading and accidently put an elbow down on it when they woke up). Then I dropped it about a foot getting it out of my bag.
The next day I ordered a fairly cheap trendy digital cover for it, and felt better- it really seems to protect it, and is stiff enough that I'm sure it provides some screen protection. I continued reading. I was almost at my 30 day limit. I got a coupon from square trade warranty for 50% off, and called and got my kindle an extended warranty, for three years, with accident coverage, for about $40. That $40 would have seemed like too much if I'd added it to the price of the kindle when I bought it, but somehow it didn't hurt so much 30 days later.
And it really does matter who you talk to at amazon. When they lowered the price of the kindle2, I was over the deadline by about 4 days. I emailed them, and they said that although I was over, they would go ahead and refund me the $60. Other people reported that they were turned down when they tried.
Try again, and see if you get someone different. If you really did throw it against the wall, take a photo of it so we can see what happens if we do that.
sorry it happened to you.
vickie


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## zeferjen (Feb 24, 2009)

My friend had a similar, if not exact problem with her K2. The top of her screen was partially frozen/partially blank. I asked her if she had dropped it, she said no (although she has a 4 year old, who knows). In addition, she doesn't keep it in a cover...

Anyway, after talking to me, she called CS and they offered to send her a replacement right away. She's lucky she has me, since she was ready to throw it out and order a new one!!!! 

Sorry that you had such a bad experience Pardes, but you should try again.


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

Oh dear.  Reading this made me immediately pull out my Kindle to check the screen.  I have a BB bag but I tend to put mine in my purse just in the Oberon case.  I hoped that the Oberon would protect it, but this may be a bad habit.

I'm glad I bought the Square Trade warranty but I leave for Australia next week and I'd be crushed if something happened before I left.

So sorry that this happened and I hope you are able to resolve it to your satisfaction.  (and I'm hoping you didn't really throw it.)


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Kindle Gracie said:


> I tend to put mine in my purse just in the Oberon case. I hoped that the Oberon would protect it, but this may be a bad habit.


I have both of mine in Oberon covers and frequently put them in my purse or music bag without any additional protection. Those covers are quite sturdy and protect the device quite will I think.

I'm not sure, but I don't think the OP had it in either a cover or case. And I would observe that, the DX being larger, it would be somewhat more prone to damage from slight flexing type stresses, which I can imagine happening in any non-hardside backpack or such. Any cover or case, but especially the Oberon (in my opinion), would provide additional thickness and support to prevent such inadvertent damage.

Sad either way, I guess. . . . .


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## Garand (Jul 14, 2009)

ReconDelta said:


> This is a prime example of why consumers get such a bad reputation with reputable companies. Consumer calls company states they treated the product like a baby. "I never stuffed my baby in a back pack while running around town." The screen cracked, its primarily made from glass, unless elves broke in the night and did a elven dance on your kindle screen, YOU or someone in your family BROKE THE KINDLE.
> 
> Option 1: Accept responsibility, pay the cost to have the device repaired, stop feeling entitled to a free ride with everything in life.
> 
> ...


+1

Dave


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## lmk2045 (Jun 21, 2009)

ReconDelta said:


> This is a prime example of why consumers get such a bad reputation with reputable companies. Consumer calls company states they treated the product like a baby. "I never stuffed my baby in a back pack while running around town." The screen cracked, its primarily made from glass, unless elves broke in the night and did a elven dance on your kindle screen, YOU or someone in your family BROKE THE KINDLE.
> 
> Option 1: Accept responsibility, pay the cost to have the device repaired, stop feeling entitled to a free ride with everything in life.
> 
> ...


+1


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## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

Option 4: Put the device, unprotected, in a backpack, damage it, blame the device for not taking care of it, then throw the device against a wall in frustration, thus losing any chance of recouping even a portion of the $489 as a wronged consumer.


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## Annie (May 28, 2009)

Greg Banks said:


> Option 4: Put the device, unprotected, in a backpack, damage it, blame the device for not taking care of it, then throw the device against a wall in frustration, thus losing any chance of recouping even a portion of the $489 as a wronged consumer.


Amen to that.

Well, I guess she's either done with KB too, or just not answering.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Folks. . . let's not pile on or make any assumptions. Though we might have personally reacted differently, I'm sure we can all understand the frustration. . . .

Thanks,

Ann


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

Regarding assumptions, etc., I apologize if my questions to the OP resulted in those assumptions. She had posted previously about her bike/bus riding/commuting and mentioned that she stored her DX in her backpack. I asked her in my post if pressure was exerted on it somehow while it was in her backpack. Maybe in this instance, she didn't have it in her backpack, but I was just trying to help her figure out what happened. Again, I apologize if my questions/comments contributed to unfair assumptions/accusations.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Yes, but some of the other comments laid it on very thickly.  Pardes hasn't come back on the thread to post and I don't blame her.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I have my K2 in an Oberon and slammed on the breaks today, spilling it into the floorboard at which point one of my heavy hard cover school books pile drives the Kindle with one of its corners.  Didn't hurt a thing and mostly because of that thick leather.  I really feel a lot better having mine in a nice sturdy cover.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Honestly, I think Amazon has done users a disservice by (1) not including a sturdy sleeve or cover and telling consumers that it MUST be protected from pressure on the screen and (2) by posting that drop video, and making it seem like the Kindle is less fragile than it is.

The front of the screen is plastic, but the back is a very thin piece of glass. That glass will shatter if there is too much pressure placed on a small portion of the screen.


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## raccemup (Feb 19, 2009)

Just an interesting observation that has nothing to do with the OP...

I work in an electronics shop and the broken Kindle display looks EXACTLY like a LCD TV screen looks when it's broken.  Except for the color of course!  Weird!


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## lisa.m (May 6, 2009)

If you take a look at Pardes' blog, there is a photo of her sitting on her bike. Between the saddlebags and the backpack piled on top, it is no wonder her screen is cracked. Definitely not rocket science.


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## fastdogs (Jun 12, 2009)

The backpack might be on her back, but even strapped to the luggage rack seems like it should be fine, if it's in a cover. Securely strapped to the bike, it would be no different than carrying it in a bag. But I don't have a DX, just a k2. If I carried it on my bike, I'd almost rather have it in a backpack strapped to a luggage rack than on my back ( it could stay flat, not curve as my back curved). But I mountain bike, and I fall a lot, so I don't take it on my bike. A leisurely ride on pavement, looks like a good setup to carry something like that.
vickie


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Well, if she's truly "through with Kindle", and really did throw it against a wall, she has no reason to come back here.
I do wonder if she made the mistake of calling Amazon Customer Support instead of Kindle Customer Support.  It wouldn't be the first time that's happened - Kindle CS seems to be much better at understanding and dealing with Kindle issues (as it should be).
As far as a customer's attitude making a difference - it absolutely does.  Much better to throw yourself on the mercy of customer service than to call with your list of demands.
Modified to add that now that I see the picture on the big monitor screen I see two diagonal lines - definitely looks almost like a pressure point where the lines meet, much like something pressed down on it with enough pressure to make it crack.


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## ReconDelta (Jul 22, 2009)

I did come on a little strong in my previous post regarding this cracked screen, I do wish to apologize.   It was not meant as a personal attack against the OP.    More an attack on American society in general.

Forum members telling OP to call back and hope for a "better" CS only contributes to the problem of entitlement.   Indeed it is a shame her Kindle broke prematurely, but that does not change the fact OP was the cause of this damage, either directly or indirectly.   Rather than accepting this mistake, paying the "price", and moving on with life she decided to complain and seek sympathy from other Kindle users.   

Feeling entitled to get a free fix for her error is fraud.   Telling OP to call back and hope to get another CS rep to fix her self-inflicted problem is contributing to this fraud.   This additional cost to a manufacturer is directly passed on to the other consumers.   Meaning those who do not attempt to commit fraud or get a free ride when they break their kindle, end up subsidizing those who whine to get their mistakes taken care of free. 

Personally the FIRST day I took my new DX out, it dropped on hard cement.   Fortunately the only damage was a cosmetic scar on the bottom corner, seems the leather cover did a bit of good.   Now I could easily have LIED, called Amazon, and said this was a manufacturer or shipping defect, and obtained a new Kindle.  I only had this device for a week, when my unfortunate event occurred.    If the screen had cracked during my mishap, I would have called Amazon, explained the situation, and either gladly paid the $150.00 or gladly have accepted a new one Amazon offered.   I would not have called back to "try again" or lied and blamed Amazon for what was my fault.   My INTEGRITY is worth more than a few hundred dollars.   (Even millions that DEVIL Madoff stole wouldn't be enough.)

Greed, lack of integrity, self indulgence, corruption, selfishness, lack of personal responsibility all directly contributed to the mess we are in now.  I want my child to grow up in a better world.   There are many very intelligent and moral people on this forum, so I was surprised by the initial responses.   This one trivial matter is insignificant in the big picture, but if we ALL start trying, maybe its not too late to fix this mess.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

My feeling is that the initial suggestions to call back were based on experience: many others have been told on first calling that there was nothing to be done. . . .and based on the initial statement, she hadn't done anything to cause the damage and the device was only a few days old. Given that, calling back was a reasonable suggestion.

In fact, she did call back, apparently received the same answer and we haven't heard from her since.

Further discussion of the topic seems to be counterproductive so I'm going to close this thread.

Pardes, if you come back and wish to add anything, please PM me.

Ann


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