And not just awful. It’s fucking horrific. I managed to break my berry a couple of 
days ago, and ever since I’ve spent all my time trying to get hold of SBE Replacement and Repair, who RIM pay to fix their phones for them.
I got the number off an O2 representative, whom I got hold of in a matter of seconds, but oh no, not SBE. First off, they have the most odd answering machine message – “Welcome to O2 Blackberry repair. Your call has been placed in a queue. Alternatively, you can email sbe-ltd.co.uk with your details…” etc – wait, I can email URLs now?
So anyways, I called them on Sunday and unsurprisingly they were closed, office hours of 0800-1700 mon/fri. Monday morning I’m up nice and early, and at 0759 I type the number in… hit it at 0800. Lines not open. Do the same thing ten seconds later, and I’m in queue, for half an hour. Then that evening, I get home at 1600, and dial straight away. I was on hold for an hour, before they simply hung up on me at 1700.
After all this frustration, I went into the O2 store we have nearby, and asked them if they’d send it back since I was having so much trouble with the phone service. Within 20 days she says, but it’s better than never – while I was there I asked what RIM R&R was like for her and she said it was awful. They can never get hold of them, they have almost zero contact and getting phones replaced is a pain. Hence the 20 days thing, my brothers Samsung phone was repaired within 4 days.
Now, RIM, I love your Blackberry Curve. It’s great, the best phone I’ve ever used. It does everything I need/want, but hell, your customer support is AWFUL. You really need to sort it.
Anyone else with similar stories?
here here what a waste of time to call the repair line im going to the o2 shop tomorrow!! i suggest any1 with a similer problem do the same
Lloyd
My experience is identical to you – so far.
About a month and a half ago my phone speaker stopped so I called SBE to get it repaired. No worries – jiffy bag arrived next day and off it went.
It came back about 5 days later. Except that the back cover was new and it didn’t fit properly so the case ‘wiggled’ when I typed.
I called again, SBE sent a jiffy bag and off it went. I got it back 5 days later. Excellent I thought, all fixed. 2 hours later it turned off. And it wouldn’t turn back on.
Bugger I thought so I phoned up again and the lady said that as it is returned 3 times it will be replaced. Is that ok? Sure I said, so long as it works.
SBE received my phone 9 business days ago and since then everything has been downhill.
O2 don’t want to know – despite being unfailingly polite – which somehow makes it worse.
If I ever get through to SBE they say that they will forward the query to the technicians. I don’t know why a technician is required to put a new handset in the post, but there you go.
I am assuming that as the handset was part of my contract, I have grounds to cancel the contract. Despite how much I loved my Bold handset, I am seriously entertaining the idea.
Craig
Indeed, they really are awful. It’s as if they don’t even try and see if the damn phones work before they send them back!
Funnily enough, the speaker on my Curve is also very tempramental.. I’ve only got a couple of months left on my contract though, so I’m just trying to live with it at the moment…
You could definitely give canceling the contract a go.. Plus you could hop carrier or even upgrade your handset when getting a new contract too (which is always good
).
Good luck, keep me posted