Update: HTC is addressing after-the-sale Hot Deals customer service issues
In case you missed my post yesterday, I issued a general warning to anyone purchasing a device or accessory through HTC’s Hot Deals site. Here’s the TL;DR version: I bought a Nexus 9 for $199. It came with manufacturer defects, but rather than exchanging it like every other manufacturer on the planet, HTC required me to send the item back for a refund and reorder it. HTC also refused to guarantee that I would get the sale price when I reordered it. In other words, HTC didn’t want to deal with exchanges – only straight refunds. If I wanted anything else, it appears that I would have to start the warranty repair process, which is much too big a headache for something I just bought less than a month ago.
Luckily, I got good news last night: After reaching out to a media contact I have at HTC, I was given a one time coupon code to reorder the tablet for the original sale price of $199. Additionally, I was told that “[i]t does sound like you’re talking to our outsourced customer service partner” and that “we’re working through some logistical processes to address the Hot Deal customer service error you encountered.”
It’s good to hear that HTC is working on this, but I wish it hadn’t come down to this. Most people don’t have the media contacts that tech bloggers do, and thus the majority of people would have either been stuck with a defective tablet, no tablet, or a new tablet at twice the cost.
Have you ever gone through an exchange with HTC in the past? What has your experience been like? Let us know below!
