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Handset Lemon Law Passed in Illinois

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Oklahoma to adopt this bill as well >>

justinwilliams

Apr 29, 2007, 11:24 AM
Saw this story on the OKC news about 4 days ago.

What I love about this is that it holds cell phone companies responsible for their shibby handsets and shibby service.
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lancekalzas

Apr 30, 2007, 6:40 AM
The law doesn't refer to the service, only the handsets and cell phone carriers don't manufacture the handsets. Manufacturers, such as Motorola and Nokia do, so you're hold carriers responsible for another company's mistakes. Please explain again how is that a good thing? It's like blaming your cable provider for your tv malfunctioning.
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TechBoy2881

Apr 30, 2007, 12:04 PM
I understand the motivation behind the bill. The quality of the wireless experience in the last few years has gone down the toilet. Monthly charges are up. Customer service is down. Device quality is down.
Part of the blame on this downward spiral lies with the service providers. Companies got greedy in the early 00's, and snatched as many quick bucks they could. Activation fee. Over minute fees. Casual data usage. If you want to take the wireless companies to task for these transgressions and errors, I'll be first in line.
However, when it comes to the focus of this particular bill, its blaming the wrong company for the wrong issue. The low level of device quality we're all experiencing has very little to do with the wireless pr...
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mcfadonna

Apr 30, 2007, 9:02 PM
I would agree but for this point, You don't buy the phone directly from the Manufacturer, Unless buying unlocked then you must buy approved from the Carrier. The carrier sells the phone to work with the network. Unless damage is done by personal neglect then the carrier should deal with the manufacture. If it was easier to buy strait from the manufacturer and bypass the carrier altogether then you would have a solid case but being most are stuck with buying locked to the network like Verizon or Sprint i can see the reason for this.
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lancekalzas

May 1, 2007, 6:13 AM
Just because the cell phone carrier sells a phone doesn't mean they should be held responsible for excessive defects. They didn't make the phone. All a carrier does is buy the handsets in bulk and then subsidize the cost as an investment in a consumer. That doesn't mean they should responsible for another company's mistakes.
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mcfadonna

May 2, 2007, 3:32 PM
Then if they don't want to held responsible they should open up and let the consumer buy what ever phone they want to use on the network provided network compatibility . They should just provide the network and stay out of the way when it comes to handsets.

Look i don't care it doesn't affect me cause i buy unlocked anyway. You would think the Verizon and Sprint guys would be happy over this since your network and handsets are so locked down. Being with AT&T i don't have that problem.

But its just my opinion that when you have to buy their phone with their logo in it and have to pick from their line up, then yes they should be responsible.


If you have a choice like those of us that are with AT&T and T-mobile then deal ...
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amosjones

May 1, 2007, 12:22 PM
I would agree, UNLESS
1. I bought my TV from the Cable store
2. The Guaranteed it would work with their service
3. Recommended(required) I only use my TV with their service

If those 3 were true I would EXPECT my cable company to provide service for the TV, and I wouldn't really care who made it

The carriers may not manufacture the phones but they sell them with the service.

Ask the sales people they know some phones are total garbage, why should an end customer get screwed because they did not do an exhaustive search on the product?
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lancekalzas

May 1, 2007, 1:50 PM
No one is saying the customer should get screwed and they certainly should not. But everyone that is against this law is for the consumer. This law is not going to help the consumer but instead, it will hurt the cell carriers which will hurt the consumers in the end. The handset manufacturers should be held accountable for their defects, not the cell phone carrier that provides the service and doesn't make the phone. Cell phone carriers can't help it if a manufacturer uses cheap parts, cheap labor, etc to make the handsets.
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Versed

May 1, 2007, 4:28 PM
In all reality, most states consumer affairs and laws and departments already cover this to an extent. Most major carriers will in the end give in if there's even a hint of truth.
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wu10304

May 1, 2007, 4:48 PM
lance is absolutely correct. We're all talking about manufactures defects right? Who is the manufacture, Verizon or Samsung? T-Mobile or Nokia? Sprint or Sanyo? The simple fact of the matter is the manufacturers should be held responsible and if the lemon law is passed and you have an issue with your phone 3 times, then LG or Samsung or whoever should have to replace it. I don't understand how a customer's contract has anything to do with a bad phone.

Why are cell phone companies treated any different then Walmart or Target or stores like that. If your Samsung cd player, tv, or anything else they make is deffective, Walmart doesn't have to replace it.
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amosjones

May 2, 2007, 8:14 AM
Because you but the phone with service attached. and because you don't pay Wal-mart/Target a monthly fee to keep using your TV
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lancekalzas

May 2, 2007, 12:45 PM
The problem with that statement is you are paying your cell carrier to make the service work, not the handset. That's the manufacturer's responsibility hence a 12 month warranty. Cell carriers are being nice in serving as a go between by having handset exchange programs that support the warranty but they don't have to do that. They could simply refer the customer to the manufacturer of that handset and that could be a result of this law passing so they can save on some of the cost of losing customers over it.
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mogdog

May 1, 2007, 5:22 PM
The carriers influence on what the manufactures produce, and if you do not believe in this theory, than you should really look at this industry closer. We are all in it together, and someone needs to take resposibility, or you will see more of this to come.
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lancekalzas

May 1, 2007, 6:38 PM
So why can't the companies that actually make the phones be responsible? What is wrong with that idea compared to a company that only provides the service and doesn't make the phones? It doesn't matter if the carriers influence what the manufacturers make. Most cell phones are released to the majority of the carriers so the influence is actually smaller than what you're saying.
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amosjones

May 2, 2007, 8:44 AM
Do you own a major carrier?

If you look at the way products are distributed and how money is made, the end seller (phone carrier) makes more $$ on the product than the manufacturer. Cell carriers sell the phones at a loss leader to get people to sign a contract.
a contract is guaranteed money to the carrier. after 14 days (30 in Cali) each contract is worth at LEAST $150, or they will ruin your credit.

I still fail to see why the carries should be allowed to sell phones they KNOW will fail to uneducated consumers, keep all the profits and pass the responsibility of all failures on the manufacturer. Whose number is oddly not on any documentation I get on my phone bill.
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lancekalzas

May 2, 2007, 12:49 PM
You're right but their name and number is on the handset manual and warranty that it comes with. If manufacturers weren't making money off of what they manufacture, they wouldn't be in business. Cell carriers pay the full price on all of those handsets, sometimes as much as $600 a shot so you can't tell me that the cell carriers are the only ones that should be the target of this law. I think the manufacturer should be solely responsible because they're the ones that made the defective handset to begin with and that is one fact that can not be denied.
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mcfadonna

May 2, 2007, 3:52 PM
I still think your missing the point Lance. If with Verizon Or Sprint you do NOT have a choice of Manufacture besides what they sell there in the store. The phone has The carriers label on phone. You cant just read up on a phone say like Sony Ericsson 790a. You like the phone and read that it works great on the network. Oh but its not the network you have . You call them and they say NOWAY! You have to pick from the pre-approved line up. If its a line up that they APPROVE and REQUIRE then yes the carrier is on the hook for it.
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lancekalzas

May 2, 2007, 8:51 PM
They didn't make the phone. Defects are unintentional problems that go wrong with the phone. This is simple logic. Those who made it should be responsible. I understand your point but you're wanting to hold accountable a company that wasn't involved in the manufacturing of the phone. Oh, the carrier does have a say-so as to what features are on it but they're not the ones who mass produced the handsets on an assembly line, which is where most of the defects are going to come from.
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mcfadonna

May 3, 2007, 11:47 AM
If the network is open to other phones not required by the network via Sim card then No i don't think the carrier should be responsible. But on a network like Sprint or Verizon that require specific pre approved devices to access the network then yes they should be responsible. Being with AT&T i chose to deal direct with the manufacture. I however didn't have that choice when i had Verizon and Sprint.


Buying from SE I have features on my hand set that others don't have buying from AT&T . That is what i love about GSM.

I am hopeing that with this bill it will Force these Carriers to open up to consumers having more of a direct contact with Manufacturers. The Manufacture most being out of the country will need to open rep...
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