OK, first message in a LONG time but here goes.

iPhone 3g is now a decent device and is worth using for business. The problems come with the source of this device.

O2 stores (if you have one near) should be your preferred outlet as they are the direct liaison between the airtime provider and the end user.

Regardless of Sir Dunstan's latest ploy (The Times "Be Nice to Clients") the truth is 180 degrees otherwise. Many long-time posters here will know of my hatred for the CPW empire and its long-standing love for money at the expense of customer rights. This time, I have had to face the CPW Corporate Brainwashing first hand with the branch in North Devon. A broken iPhone bought only a matter of days before from them was greeted by an assistant who was plainly unwilling to even consider replacing the handset without the pre-requisite fob-off fight. Every trick in the book was used from "It looks water damaged" to "we must send it away for checking before we will replace it."

The problems that iPhone customers face is one of restricted source. The UK is the only country in Europe where we face a sole source for the iPhone where we MUST buy from either O2 or CPW and it MUST be locked to the O2 network. This is a disgraceful state of affairs for one of the most useful Smartphones in existence. (Yeah I know a complete change of heart).

Bottom line here for any CPW person reading this: Equipment goes wrong - live with it and stop trying to cheat people out of their hard-earned money. If a user takes an item back to you because it is not working and you try to do anything other than replace it despite it only being a few days old, you are nothing more than con-artists and deserve every kicking you get in the press? Why do you always assume that the client has misused their device? Why is it your alleged policy to leave them with nothing whilst you then take it away so that the user has no proof of what you are doing? LIARS and CHEATS. I'm sick of your weasel words and corporate drones. It costs you nothing to replace a broken handset there and then if it is less than twelve months old and shows no sign of abuse. If you always treat customers as liars and double-dealers, then why bother being in business? I, for one, hope that your company losses build and the whole lot of you end up in the dole queue. I have met only ONE honest CPW employee and she no longer works for your wretched company.

WAKE UP!

SHARK!

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For every positive action, there's an equal and opposite government plan.

I have heard a few people complain about Carphone Warehouse. To be honest I have absolutely no problems at all. This time last year on iPhone launch day I went in and they had sold out of iPhone 3G's. The guy at the counter said he would reserve one for me and it would arrive on Monday morning. Sure enough, I went in Monday picked up my brand new iPhone and left. I have only had one problem with my iPhone in that the mute switch came loose. After experiencing T-Mobile, I figured O2 or CPW would just end up sending it back to Apple for a couple of weeks and give me a crappy loan phone. So I went to the Apple website, set up an appointment with a "Genius" at my local Apple Store. I walked in, was served straight away, they gave it a quick once over, gave me a new iPhone, activated it and I was good to go. Even better than that I just put in my MobileMe information all my contacts, calendars, email and bookmarks were back which meant I could carry on as normal.

CPW are not unique all phone shops are pretty dire. While all of retail is going down the pan with people going online, Apple is still enjoying tremendous growth. Why? Probably because Apple offers a service, they offer seminars and workshops, they have their "Genius" people who seem to know what they are talking about, who genuinely seem to care about the products they are selling. They also have phones to test! You go into most phone shops and they just have dummy models and you have to ask a sales assistant to use the phone. I thought I would go in and test the T-Mobile G1, but you had to ask to try it but I thought best of it as I had no intention of buying it as I had another 12 months of my iPhone contract left. I should be able to go around and have a play around with a phone without talking to anyone. If I want to ask anything I will, but more often than not I won't bother because they will just give me some brain dead generic response they could employee a parrot for.

I do believe Apple's achilles heel is O2 and I wish there was more networks carrying the iPhone to get more competition. However, all phone network retail stores are stuck in the past. They should all take a look at Apple retail stores and so should PC World and Curry's and every other electronics retailer to show how retail should be done. Geeky and tech savvy people will keep shopping online, but older people and less geeky people are the ones that are going to benefit most and these are your most important customers and the biggest area for growth. Do things like workshops in store to help people understand these new phones and maybe once they understand them and make them think I need that in my life, then they will sign the dotted line. Simple really.

Oh Dear Shark...

Sounds very ominous. No1 Son also has iphone and it has just gone pear shaped. As he was working yesterday I travelled all the way to Exeter to try and sort it at an o2 shop and the assistant was as much use as a paper tissue umbrella in a rainstorm... despite organising for me to take the phone in to the shop the assistant said it wasn't their problem and to try elsewhere... best bet was an Apple store as they had a tech dept, also they wouldn't deal with me as it wasn't my phone. Son has taken time off work today to try and sort it but judging from your post he could be in for a long ride...will keep posted. Lovely to see your posting... how is baby Shark???

DD

Hi DD,

Baby Shark is now nearly 2 (where did the time go?). My mother passed away in late November 2008 very suddenly so I have been up to my fins in legal as well as social paperwork.

iPhone is a wonderful machine - when it works - but there are known problems with them and the shops will give you every run-around possible rather than fix them. Best advice is to arrange to go to an Apple store (the one in Exeter is brilliant) and get their resident Genius to sort out any issues.

O2 shops are bordering on pond life as are CPW stores (apologies to pond life which is at least useful).

CPW continues to annoy me intensely and I really pray that Dunstone sorts out the attitude and corporate drone problem.

SHARK!

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For every positive action, there's an equal and opposite government plan.

Time with tiddlers goes so fast, my eldest is 22 now...gulp!

So sorry to hear about your Mum, thats something you are never really ready for and is especially worse if its sudden. The legal stuff tends to get in the way of the adjusting.

Have told No1 son your opinion of Exeter apple. I think he plans to go back there today. He will avoid 02.

I will keep you posted.

DD