I'm a little disappointed in Pine64
#1
Good evening,
i'm one of the guys that has preordered the pinephone PMOS-Edition very early, because i was really eager to get a working linux phone.
And yeah, i received my pinephone, was very happy, until i noticed that the screen was not working as intended.
   

The did work, but had many problems with the image on it. I tried many things like flashing manjaro, in hope it world be the os, but no.
So then i did contact the Pine64 support. Didn't receive a message back for 9 days. Then i became worried and did, what i didn't want to do at all, opening a paypal case just to be on the safe side and get things going. After that i finally got a message back from the support telling me to please try to adjust the cables in the phone. So i did, and nothing changed.

After some conversation i was offered to get a replacement screen, which they sent out to me. While it was shipping my paypal case time was running out, but i didn't worry about that anymore. I would have a replacement screen, so no worries for me.

And indeed, i did receive my screen six days ago. I immediately started replacing it, and indeed, it worked. The problem here was, the touchscreen did not. So i tried reinserting the cables and looking for broken cables in the screen. I didn't find anything. What i tried then was connecting the old screen, and yeah, while the image was broken, the touchscreen worked. So in that case i can be sure it's a problem with the new screen, not with the phone itself.

I'm quite puzzled how it can be that i received two non-working devices in a row. After all i did not notice anyone else having problems with the quality of their phone here on the forums, maybe i just didn't look enough.

But i wonder how that could happen. Additionally i'm a bit disappointed in the support. I know, it's not like Pine64 is a multi-million dollar company with a giant support section. But i had to wait 10 days and a paypal case for an answer. While the case was running i got my answers rather quickly, now after it ran out and i have those two partially broken screens i don't get any answers anymore. Still waiting for one.

Did anyone else have a similar experience, am i just in an unlucky position to be here?

Greetings
Janik
#2
Reports of poor communication crop up fairly regularly, sometimes only sorted after IM to @tllim and an aspect I think Pine64 really need to get to do something about if they don't want it to be part of their reputation. Having said that, in some cases the lack of reply was reported to be because of a policy of not replying to abusive emails - understandable, but I think possibly counterproductive as all the sender knows is that they didn't get a response.
#3
There are definitely customers who get bad phone hardware, and unfortunately Pine64 support is terrible. TL Lim seems not capable of recognizing poor support as a problem somehow. That said, summoning him to a forum thread has seemed to help, and maybe it’s what the community will have to do for everyone every day who suffers the support black hole.

Here are some other people who got bad striped screens.
#4
Support is the weak point of Pine64. Since I order my phone last June (?) I have seen many people complaining and desperate for the lack of answers or satisfactory support.

Pine64 has to understand that by selling thousands of phones, a few units will be defective, and they have to take responsibility for that. Having people waiting weeks or months for an answer is not acceptable.
I also want to believe they are learning from mistakes. The sellings seem to be increasing, and maybe they are not prepared for this volume of customers.

I wish you the best, I hope Pine64 will help you. It's their responsibility, and they should replace the whole phone, not just the screen.
#5
(10-30-2020, 07:45 AM)daniel Wrote: Pine64 has to understand that by selling thousands of phones, a few units will be defective, and they have to take responsibility for that. Having people waiting weeks or months for an answer is not acceptable.
I also want to believe they are learning from mistakes. The sellings seem to be increasing, and maybe they are not prepared for this volume of customers.
I fully support your view.
Unfortunately there is quite a number of buyers who are unreasonably fascinated by the interesting products of pine64.org that they will accept all kind of disadvantages.
Once these enthusiasts direct their attention to other products, pine64 can only stay successful if they become a reliable and trustworthy shop.
It would be interesting to read how founder [b]tllim [/b]sees it?
#6
It's great to get a bit more information now.

I actually was under the impression that i've been the only one really having problems yet. Searched around a bit, but didn't really find anything.
Seems like screens with stripes and other failures aren't that uncommon. First of all, i'm happy that i received a replacement screen. Though very unsatisfactory is, that this screen has a broken touchscreen, and the support has trouble answering my messages.

Even if pine64 is more of a community than a company i think it should be important to take care about problems by the support. It shouldn't be necissary to summon a paypal case or to open a thread in the forum. Like that you lose trust and make it hard for everyone.

In my case i just wish that either my phone works, because i paid for it, or that i can send it back to get my money back.
My ticket has been open for one and a half month - did get a screen, but one with a broken touchscreen. That all is a hassle to work with.

I don't want to charge at pine at all. I really love the idea of the devices. I mean i was already prepared to buy a pinebook after the pinephone. But as long as it is like this, i'm a bit worried. I have received two out of two broken things and the support hasn't been helpful at all. For me things have been looking like lost money so far.

But i'd love to be proven otherwise. Smile

Greetings
Janik
#7
(10-31-2020, 05:42 PM)Janik020301 Wrote: I

I don't want to charge at pine at all. I really love the idea of the devices. I mean i was already prepared to buy a pinebook after the pinephone. But as long as it is like this, i'm a bit worried. I have received two out of two broken things and the support hasn't been helpful at all. For me things have been looking like lost money so far.

But i'd love to be proven otherwise. Smile

Greetings
Janik

Good thing you did not order the PineBook Pro, you would of had three out of three broken things. The plastic cases on those were cracking.
#8
(10-31-2020, 02:25 AM)LinAdmin2 Wrote:
(10-30-2020, 07:45 AM)daniel Wrote: Pine64 has to understand that by selling thousands of phones, a few units will be defective, and they have to take responsibility for that. Having people waiting weeks or months for an answer is not acceptable.
I also want to believe they are learning from mistakes. The sellings seem to be increasing, and maybe they are not prepared for this volume of customers.

I fully support your view.
Unfortunately there is quite a number of buyers who are unreasonably fascinated by the interesting products of pine64.org that they will accept all kind of disadvantages.
Once these enthusiasts direct their attention to other products, pine64 can only stay successful if they become a reliable and trustworthy shop.
It would be interesting to read how founder [b]tllim [/b]sees it?

Well, sadly tllim has not yet written anything here. Would be interesting to see though. I'm fully aware that a single person can't hold track on everything that's going on. But i'd be happy to hear from him.

(10-31-2020, 09:29 PM)KNERD Wrote: Good thing you did not order the PineBook Pro, you would of had three out of three broken things. The plastic cases on those were cracking.

That's scary. Did not hear from that either. I guess i haven't informed myself too well. Just saw all this positive feedback.
Well, i guess i have to wait a bit before i can go with a arm-based laptop, or even a pinebook.

For me, and obviously everyone else that has problems with their products i'd just would like to see a little help from the side of pine64.

(10-31-2020, 11:15 AM)Braveheart Wrote: Very disappointed with this company. PayPal has closed the case for not meeting the requirements for "buyer protection". Okay. But Pine has not even responded to me at any time, they take the problems of their users as if it were a joke.

It's been 13 days and they haven't even responded to my ticket.

Sadly it seems like things are not going well for us. Currently i've also waited for more than 10 days.

Currently i only have the hopes, that i'm going to receive an answer to my ticket at some point, the quality of the answers i got weren't bad at all. The time it took to get the answers though was horrible - and i hope that will change, because pine64 does have a lot of potential if this works.

Greetings
Janik
#9
When I had a support ticket that was being ignored, after a week or so I went to the ticket and pinged them to see whether that would help. I don’t know whether it actually made any difference, but I did get a reply maybe a day after that.
#10
(11-01-2020, 09:40 PM)desca Wrote: When I had a support ticket that was being ignored, after a week or so I went to the ticket and pinged them to see whether that would help. I don’t know whether it actually made any difference, but I did get a reply maybe a day after that.

I can't really imagine that that would help. Usually, as far as i know, when you add something to a ticket, ergo a new reply, you just wander down the list.
It would be easier, if just someone would work on them. If that would happen, everything would be a lot better already.


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