Thursday, February 5, 2009

I hate IResQ

Update in iResQ:
After some excessive “fact-checking” on their part, iResQ removed the diagnostic fee and overnight shipping charges from the bill, but not the cost to actually repair my phone. I agreed, finally, because it was obvious that this was the closest thing to customer service they were willing to provide. However, even though I already expect piss-poor customer service from iResQ, today they’ve exceeded my expectations. Today iResQ threatened to “rescind the refunds” UNLESS I REMOVED MY BLOG POST.Short of libel, independent consumers have every right to express anger and dissatisfaction with businesses that fail their expectations. iResQ’s blatant attempt to stifle negative feedback is completely unacceptable.

Since I know iResQ is reading this, let me address them directly: iResQ - If you cannot provide the service turnaround times promised on your website and by your customer service representatives, stop advertising them! As an “authorized service provider”, you should be grateful if I stop short of filing a complaint with Apple directly. Consumers deserve to hear the good, bad, and ugly about potential service providers. I’ve given you partial credit for a partial refund. You have responded with threats. You’ve already lost me as a customer, and I will leave this thread up as a notice to my friends, family, and anyone else who would consider using your “service.”

_____________________________________________________________

Okay, so you all have seen my iphone post about the screen shattering, etc. iResQ has a guarantee that they will fix your broken iphone the day it arrives. Well, it had been over a week, I upgraded to overnight shipping, and it still hadn't arrived. Finally, I call customer service, the representative went to the back where they fix the phones, and IT STILL HASN'T BEEN FIXED! I am SOOO frustrated! And all this, when there has been zero communication from iResQ to me. No phone call, sayting it is taking them longer to fix it, and they'll get it to me ASAP. Nada.

My recommendation? Don;'t ever send your iphone to iResQ. ever. I hate iResQ.

below is a copy of my email "letter of compaint" that I sent to iResQ.


Hello,
I recently called your customer service line to ask about the status of my iphone, which I mailed to your office on Tuesday, January 27th using overnight express mail via USPS. I was expecting the 24-hour turnaround that your website promised, and thought that at the latest, I could expect my phone on Friday, January 30th. It is now February 5th, and I still don’t have my phone back, even after I upgraded to overnight shipping. And, to top it off, I have received no further communication from anyone at iResQ letting me know that my phone repair has been delayed, and that the 24-hr turnaround time for servicing my phone could not be met.

I called your customer service line, and the representative went to check on my phone, and it still hasn’t been fixed, even after you’ve had it for over a week. While the customer service guy was as polite as could be, it does not remedy the situation where repair and delivery of my phone takes over a week longer than advertised, from a company who prides themselves on same-day service.

It is very frustrating to be without my phone for now, almost 2 weeks. I use it for personal calls, sms, work calendar and meeting planning, and business email. While I am seething and really want to complain to the Better Business Bureau, writing negative reviews to my blog site, etc., I would like to give you the opportunity to remedy the situation by not charging me for the cost to repair and return my phone to me via overnight shipping. I would like it very much if you could do this for me.

Please feel free to contact me about my request via email at
xxxx@xxxx.net

daytime phone at
xxx-xxx-xxx

Or at my husband’s cellphone after business hours at xxx-xxx-xxxx

Thank you.

20 comments:

Laura123 said...

sorry you had trouble with them. my phone battery wasn't keeping charge and i ended up sending it off to ipodjuice. They did a good job letting me know when it was received, fixed, tested, shipped. i was a little leary sending it off to an online company but they did a swell job. here is their link if you need it and again sorry you had trouble:

http://www.ipodjuice.com/apple-iphone-repair.htm#iphone-repair

Unknown said...

I can't believe how they're treating you.. how horrid. How any company thinks they can get away with such service in an open information age is beyond me. I hope your warning serves other consumers well. There was nothing libelous in your post, just a relaying of your experience. I even checked out their website and statements, and you had every right to have expected a 1 day turn around time according their advertising.

Please do follow up with a complaint to the BBB and anywhere else you can leave public reviews.

Anonymous said...

Nobody threatens my Lindsay like that and gets away with that.

iResQ will regret the day they messed with you.

*grrrr*

millihelen said...

Thank you for the information about IResQ. Certainly won't be doing business with them. Wow - their PR department must suck. It's so stupid to send out take down notices and threats in such an interconnected world - the end result is that everybody finds out that the company is evil.

Nikki said...

Just as an FYI, iResQ is NOT an Apple Authorized iPhone service provider. There are none. They are authorized for Mac Repairs - a status the current owners inherited when the purchased the business 3 years ago or so.

The original owner now runs techrestore.com - which he started after the buyers started to screw over customers and employees.
Also, their repair price is almost exactly the same as having it replaced by Apple directly - and an Apple store will likely have the replacement in stock for same day turn around.

Feel free to post this or not - it's mostly for your info.

Wayne Stevenson Thomas said...

What a scum company. We need legislation to make this sort of pressure from companies illegal and to require that claims that can be proven false not be made.

DVDestroyer said...

I have luckily never had to send my ipod in and let's hope I never do. You are right to stand tall. Let them eat it if they can't man up and do the right thing.

Thatroubleshootah
http://dvdestroyer.blogspot.com/

Summer Seale said...

Well, BoingBoing just picked up your post, which means it is probably across half the net right now. =)

Some companies are just plain fucking stupid. Instead of threatening you when they saw your blog post, they should have tried to understand and make good and make up for their mistakes and problems. Instead, their stupid reaction is to try to censor you, and that just isn't gonna work. I'm glad you didn't cave in! =)

Anonymous said...

This is horrible!! Did you ever get your phone back, or are they still holding it hostage?

Thanks for the tip, btw. I never heard of this company until now, and I definitely will remember them if my iPhone breaks. I'll be sure to advise every one I know NOT to use them.

archbishop said...

Thanks for the post. I saw you off of BoingBoing. I've been looking for a spot to fix my iPod 160 and I live in Sacto. Core Care is off my list after they screwed me fixing my iBook. I was leaving the country and they kept pushing back the date until after I left but kept telling me "we'll look at it today". I had to buy another laptop right before I left.

MisterTea said...

Wow! Keep us updated! IResQ (or whatever its called) should be ashamed. You've only told the truth; they are against freedom of speech?

daryl said...

By demanding silence, they only create bad publicity, which exposes them for what they are. If they said "my bad, let's make this right," then you could post about a positive experience. But they took the other option, so...

Sten said...

Hope you resolve your issues with this horrid company (iResQ)

Pity this recession doesn't weed out cowboy outfits like this from operating as they should.

Will Koffel said...

I had a similarly awful experience with MacResQ when I had a simple hinge repair done on a powerbook G4 a few years back. They did the repairs, my machine came back with a splotchy monitor. They took it back to "repair it", but then held the machine while they tried to blame UPS for the damage. After many weeks, they still hadn't returned my hostage machine, and I had to initiate legal action to get them just to ship back the still broken machine.

No question on this one, buyer beware. In my experience, their business policies are dramatically anti-consumer.

OffYourTrolley said...

Thank goodness I came across your blog. I'd just Googled iResQ with a view to sending them my broken desktop PC. With service care like this, I'd be foolish to give them my custom.

Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your experience.

Shame on iResQ!

Dickster said...

That is absolutely disgusting customer service, you really should take your complaint further. I just hope everyone with an iphone gets to read this and IResQ go out of business!

Johnston756 said...

i had dropped my ipod and wrecked the screen about a year ago. i finally got around to sending into IresQ.. i waited several weeks before i started calling to find out where it was. both IresQ and FedEx said the ipod had been delivered to my house, but i had never received it. about 8 months later a fixed ipod, still scratched up as hell but fixed, shows up at my door. (i already got a new one) i dont know if fedex or iresq was to blame, but after reading this i do.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the post. My iPhone needs fixing and I was going to try them. Note "was".

silence4now said...

IResQ has repaired 2 or 3 laptops for me and I've never had a problem with them. You never said what explanation they offered for not having your iphone back to you on time. Were they waiting on parts, on absent employees, or what. I would at least want to heart their side of the story before completely writing them off. You have every right to hate them but at least invite them here to defend themselves if you're going to try to ruin their reputation.

Unknown said...

My iPhone stopped working. it wont charge, turn on,or sync/restore with itunes. I have squaretrade warranty and they work with iresq.com for their iphone repairs. My 2g 8gb iphone was in great to excellent condition(no dents, never dropped,no scratches). I always used a silicon case along with a screen protector since i purchased it. When i sent the phone to iresq i removed the case and screen protector since it was peeling from the side. It took them 7 days to get my phone back to me since they received it. The phone turns on now but i havent restored it through itunes. My pack panel has a dent right by the switch for the ringer/silent which makes to toggle stiffer than normal. The phones housing doesnt line up correctly and has uneven gaps. The screen has a scratch as well and the chrome bezel around the phone is all scratched up. The repair stated that the frame was replaced(i dont know how the frame relates to my phone not turning on/charging) but it seems to me that this phone was just put together using salvaged parts. The serial number on the back is still the same but ill check the boards info once i restore it and see if it matches. I tried to contact sqauretrade and iresq but its not their bussines hours. Ill call back tomorrow.