For a Christmas promo price of PhP 4,990 (original price at PhP 6,490), I was able to purchase a Cherry Mobile phone (Trident Q300 a cellular phone that has a triple sim feature) last November 19, 2010 from Berlein Electronics in SM Cubao. On day 1 of purchase, I immediately noticed that the sim3 as well as the phone memory phonebook does not display the complete list of my contacts. I went back to the store where I got the phone and they offered to replace the unit but as soon as we tested it, the same problem occurred. I asked for a refund but they refused and all they can offer is a change of unit or a change to another phone model. I was so disappointed that time knowing that the phone I bought was brand new and yet it is already showing a lot of defects not to mention that the store will allow you to test the phone only upon purchase. (If only I gave in to my feeling that time that such tactic would only lead to a sale of a defective phone, then I should have not been experiencing these hassles.) I was then advised to bring the phone to their service center (INBUCKS ENTERPRISES, the official Cherry Mobile service center) located at Citimall in Philcoa. The service center advised me to leave my newly-purchased phone for repair with 3-4 days lead time. That was the time when a lot of disastrous things started to happen.
First, I was shocked to see a lot of consumers returning their phones for repair, majority of which are newly bought. That gave me the idea that Cherry Mobile phones may have had a lot of factory defects to start with. Second, after waiting for 3 days and with no single update from INBUCKS, I decided to call the numbers printed on their claim stub (4360050, 3898062, 0922-8697842) but the numbers were either directed to a voice mail, out of coverage or eternally busy. I went to the service center again only to find out that my phone hasn't reached the hands of the technician yet and if it wasn't because of my visit that day, my phone could've have gone a longer time to be checked. After patiently waiting for 2 hours, the customer service person finally approached me and told me that my phone's software needs to be upgraded but they cannot give an assurance that the problem would be addressed. I was then advised to go back to the store where I purchased the phone and have it replaced with a new unit that will be coming from a different batch and all they gave me was a copy of the technical report from the repair. I went back to Berlein in SM Cubao to have my phone replaced but there was no single defect-free phone that they could give. I asked for a refund but they declined again. They only assured me that they will give me a call once a new batch of Q300's would arrive and that would be the time that they can have my phone replaced. Meanwhile, Berlein told me that I can temporarily keep the phone and use it until such time that it is replaced.
The more that I used the phone while waiting for a new one to come, the more problems came out other than the phonebook problem which I originally complained about. The WIFI feature would always display a "insufficient memory" notification everytime I would go online, the messages in sim3 would come delayed and I would have to turn the phone off then on for the messages to come in. I went back to Berlein last December 6, 2010, 17 days after I purchased the phone to do a follow up and to my surprise, I found out that a new batch of Q300s has already arrived. I was disappointed with that development knowing that they have assured to inform me as soon as a new batch would come. Nevertheless, I received my new Q300 phone.
Immediately after receiving the new replacement phone, I found out that the same problems existed. I texted the Berlein saleslady about the problem and she told me to bring the phone back the next day. Upon checking, she said that they cannot replace the phone anymore and that I should call the Cherry Mobile Head office for assistance. That time, I felt like I was loured into buying something that would only turn out to be defective in the end not to mention all the hassles it has already brought me. Its as if I was held hostaged by Cherry Mobile into having a defective phone that I cannot fully use and enjoy, worse, they cannot even have it repaired, replaced and refunded.
Berlein store told me to bring my case to the Cherry Mobile head office and gave me their contact numbers. I called up many of their numbers (4000338, 5671342, 5673341, 4000340) and would end up with lines that are either eternally busy or unreached. When I was finally able to talk to a customer service person named Len, I was told that I should bring back my phone to a service center near me (INBUCKS). I asked her if she has received complaints regarding Q300 defects and she said that they have also received many complaints the same as mine. That made me ask her why Cherry Mobile has not recalled such phone model from the market when a lot of complaints has already been made regarding that specific phone model, silence was all I heard.
I went back to INBUCKS in Philcoa last December 9, 2010 and was again advised to leave my phone and that an update will be given to me through a call or text after 3-4 days. Unfortunately, 6 days have passed and I received none. I called INBUCKS just today (December 16, 2010) and found out that my phone was labelled unrepairable by their technician and that it will be forwarded to their head office in Roxas Boulevard for yet another repair. To my surprise, INBUCKS said that it will take another 3-7 WEEKS before I will have a final report with my phone's repair. Here goes another hostage to my person as a consumer: not only I am left with a defective phone that is unrepairable, I will be held hanging again for another 3-7 WEEKS. Worse, they even told me that if I want a faster service, I should bring my phone personally to the Cherry Mobile head office in Roxas Blvd. Damn, they are nuts! Haven't they thought of the inconvenience they have already brought me and yet they are giving another form of inconvenience again?
How on earth can this happen? I only went to purchase a triple sim phone for my convenience and here I am left with nothing but NO CHOICE. Dear people from DTI please help us. I am not the only one experiencing this unfair trade practices and poor customer service from Cherry Mobile. There are a lot of people out there who are victims of the said practices but has remained silent because they either have no guts or no known venues to make a complaint against Cherry Mobile. I hope that something can be done about this. I only wanted to have a functioning phone and their repair should not take that long. They should recall all the phone models that has received complaints and they should make a refund if they cannot repair the phone properly. The consumers are left to suffer Cherry Mobile's and their service centers' incompetence and disregard to genuine customer service and satisfaction. I have already made this complaint available to Cherry Mobile Head Office, NTC, DTI and ABS-CBN. This will also be published in my blog and several FB pages that I manage. I don't deserve this kind of treatment and I hope many people will learn from my story.
32 comments:
I have a Cherry D15 and same problems and experience you have. I will never purchase a Cherry Mobile or any cell phone product made in China.
Hi Sir Tim. :)
While I was also eyeing a Cherry Mobile Trident and a Torque Trinity, reading your blog gave me second thoughts.
The thing is, though, I read that the 3rd sim slot has to use a 32K SIM. That must be the reason why you were having problems with it. What SIM were you using? If it's a Globe SIM, I read that it would have the most problems on the Cherry Mobile Trident. The Torque Trinity also has the same quirk, though I think it fares better because I heard there were less complaints about it online.
That's why I bought a Sun International SIM in preparation for that quirk, because this SIM is only 32K, unlike Smart's and Globe's, which is 64K and 128K, respectively.
TM's SIM does not indicate what capacity it has, so it's probably 32K or 64K. Most likely it's 64K because it has a big phonebook capacity plus an enriched menu.
As to Vic's reply, yes, I've had a D15 too, and was pretty defective. Less than a month after I used it, its mic conked out because I dropped it. When I brought it back to a repair center, it was repaired once. Then I gave it to my cousin in Manila. She told me that it was fine when it got to her, but after sometime, people could not call her anymore; I think it was the D15's mic or speaker that was defective now.
I do have a friend who has an S30, and so far, she has no complaints about it. I guess it really depends on the unit.
As for my experience with other China Phones, it really depends on the unit. I have had two Nokia 6300 knockoffs (dual SIM version), and the only complaint I have for it is that it drains batteries too fast. The Nokia 6300 has the same defect, anyway, so no biggie. These phones lasted me 1 year and around 5 months now.
I have had a China Phone that was touchscreen, and its touchscreen died a couple of months before it turned a year.
I currently have a Chinaphone that is a Blackberry imitation, and I have only this to say: it drains its battery pretty fast, so you have to get a 1600 mAH battery for it. I have two 1600 mAH batteries that I alternate with my Chinaphones. It drains a 1600 mAH battery in a little over a day. Sometimes two days, if I don't text or use the WiFi often. Fair enough.
One thing though is that it had a small gap on the side. So when I accidentally kicked it off my bed, its small gap now turned into a 1/3 (of the phone's perimeter) gap that exposed the phone's innards. I just cope by using a jelly case to protect it.
Its white plastic backing also discolored. So less than a month, it already had these problems.
But despite these setbacks, you know what, I still like it. I dunno, maybe it's because I expect less of a China Phone. After all, I paid only Php 3040 for it, and it already has WiFi. :D Well, if you factor in the battery and the desktop charger I bought with it (Battery: Php 180, Charger: Php 100), everything would come up to Php 3320, but still, it's pretty cheap for a WiFi phone.
So the bottom line for me is that if you're going to buy a China Phone, go for an unbranded China rather than Torque or Cherry Mobile. While I would still want to buy both brands later, I would be buying for the free repairs for a whole year.
But if you want the gadget's longevity, you'd have to go for an unbranded one. Why? Because it just makes more sense. If you buy Torque or Cherry, it's the design and the warranty you're buying. Though, apparently, since Tim is in Manila, it's rather useless, since there's a long queue of people needing repairs.
It's only too bad that the unbranded China Phones have no triple-SIM QWERTY available in the market just yet. :( I'd rather get an unbranded one than Cherry, if this was what happened to you. Though, for some reason, despite this feedback, I still want one, just to try it. Hehe!
Btw, Sir Tim, question, where did Cherry locate the antenna for the TV? My China Phone has its antenna on the bottom, which you can angle sideways to the left. A rather awkward place and position to put a TV Antenna in. That's why I like the Torque Trinity better, because its antenna is on the top right. It has a defect with the keyboard though: its @ is located on the P button, and if you type, the @ is the next character if you press P twice. So if, say, you want to type "haPPy," you'd have to wait a second or two in order to have the 2nd P come out. :( That's the only thing I don't like about it.
I still want to see and test a Trident once more to see if I still want to buy it.
Thanks for this review! :)
torque has excellent service....with high quality products.torque can never be like cherry mobile...id prefer it much than others like the latter...now im enjoying a torque i68 flow phone...a good choice...definitely..
I bought a cherry m0bile q8 worth 5,999php plus 300php for a 1gb micro sd mem card, after 2 m0s of using it, the battery malfuncti0n. N0w after 6 m0nths i cant still find any available replacement for my battery, poor service. Need to go to manila to buy a new one, im fr0m nueva ecija. Buying a cherry m0bile is my biggest mistake.
Cheery Mobile Sucks! don't trust made in china cherry mobile all products are defective.
i also planned of buying a cherry mobile but no specific model yet, but after reading your blog, i'd stick to my erickson phone. try to forward your complaint to GMA-7, they might be able to help you, not being biased but you have nothing to lose anyway.
Similar experience, same store, same service center, same result from INBUCKS. what a waste of time and money.
What a Similar experience, same store, same actions, same service center and result.
WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.
Good news! ABS-CBN has already taken notice of our complaints against Cherry Mobile and they will be doing a report about this. They are asking us to email our complaints to ireport@abs-cbn.com so that they can have a strong evidence support for their report.
Just include in your complaint anything that you dislike about Cherry Mobile services (phone defects, poor customer service, poor after sales support). You can write your complaint in any format you are comfortable with, kahit tagalog pwede.
Please support this cause. Thank you.
THE CHERRY IS REALLY A LEMON
naku agree ako dyan!!!!
same problem with my unit...
wla pang 1 taon ndi na kagad ko mgamit...
ilang beses dn ako pabalikbalik sa repair center nila...
sobrang sayang yung pera ko...
same problem incurred in my new purchased trident.... SIM 3 seems an additional feature WITHOUT NO USE... iritating, kasi i tried to return the phone the next day i bought it pero kung saan saang service center na ako itinuro though authorized dealer na ang binilhan ko ng phone.... sana ma-block list na sa market ang cherry mobile kung ganito ang quality ng products nila. consumers just wasting money in their products.
i have d15 cb phone w/defective lcd,unang kinuha namin di pa kami nakakalabas sa mall nasira na,nawalan ng display,pinapalitan and after 2 months same trouble alang display.binabalik namin sa pinagbilhan namin ala daw warranty ang lcd,muntik ko na sapakin ang walang hiyang saleslady. bulok na cherry mobile na yan.
DAPAT SA MGA YAN IPAKULONG AT SUNUGIN LAHAT NG UNIT NILA HAYOP NA MGA GUMAWA NG CHERRY MOBILE NA YAN.ISANG SCAM,ANONG GINAGAWA NG DTI BAT DI NILA E-BAN BAKIT MALAKI BA ANG BIGAY
CHERRY MOBILE ALANG KWENTA HUWAG KAYONG BUMILI SAYANG ANG PERA AT BAKA MAKAPATAY KA PA NG TAO
i feel your pain sir, im also victim of another cellphone company..NOKIA..last december 12, 2010 i bought a bnew n85 at silicon valley pioneer..as i test the phone (text and call only) everything is going well.. but by the time i went home i tested its wifi and video playing abilities..then it showed it true color..in rebooted when playing mp4 or when using the wifi.then it hangs when it charges..
december 15, 2010 i was fed up with its defects, i brought the unit to nokia care glorieta..they took the n85 and advised me to be back after one week..so i've waited until my 1 week is up.. when i picked up my unit i tested its wifi and mp4 playing abilites..to my shock it still reboots and it still hangs when charging..the funny thing here is that my n85 was cerrtified by the nokia technician to be defect free as stated in there job ordder form..
january 3, 2010..i went back to nokia care glorietta to return my n85..i've told them that the defects are still imminent..
january 13, 2010..up to now my n85 is still in nokia head office..the y have informed me that they will replace its motherboard..but the problem is it haven't arrived yet..
there is no time table on when i'll have my n85..
how i've wished i've never bought such a banger of a phone..im having headaches just thinking of my hard earned cash down the drain due to nokia's poor quality control
agree po ako sa mga comment nyo about cherry mobile,kasi po last june bumili kami dalawang unit,pero wala pang 1year dina magamit,sira LCD,and ayaw magcharge,dinala namin sa binilhan namin,at ang sabi dalhin daw namin sa service center,the problem is sa dami ng mga service center na sinabi nlla di namin alam kung saan at kung anong gawin,sayang oras,at pera mo!
Dont ever buy a cherry mobile phone. Most of their phones are defective and repair service takes a long time. you cant get a refund for your phone and they'll just replace it with a new one with the same defective concern. masakit sa ulo at sa bulsa. maawa kayo sa sarili niyo. Dont buy!!!!!
i own an m35 cherry mobile phone with a broken viewng screen. went to their service center to buy one for P85.00. pero nung babayaran ko na ito, sinabihan ako na hindi sila nagbebenta ng parts kung di ko pagagawa sa kanila at ang labor ay P200.00 raw. sabi ko wala namang gagawing sa phone kundi ididikit lang ang scren a kaya ko na ito. pero di nila ako pinagbilhan dahil company policy raw ito. ganyan sila kagahaman sa pera. nais nilang pagnakawan ang kanilang mga customer. holdap ito.
I'm also having problems with my Q300 mobile phone which I purchased last year of Sept. 2010. Until now problems are still unresolved..It's definitely a waste of time and effort going to service centers only giving you more problems! Better throw all defective units in the garbage! It will never be resolved at all I guess. Moreover, China made is never for QUALITY but for QUANTITY of products they sell just to earn money. I've learned my lesson. I will never ever patronized their product anymore!
hi people! so far my cherry mobile fone is doin great..... more than a year na.... thank god...
same here... :( wala pang isang taon sira na A5 ko :(
gnyan dn saken papz ... pangit ng mga products nla .... ung battery mdaling lumobo pero gumagana kya lng nde ko n gngmit bka ksi delikado na kya bumili ako ng bago ung hongkong made ata un ... tpos ung java may defect na dn nde na maasave ung mga last n laro saka ung settings ng opera mini ko ... t*ngina this cherry mobile ... BURN !
wala taalaga kwenta yang cherry mobile na yan!their WARRANTY SUCKS!
NO!!! You fucking weird people. Cherry mobile is great , with its low price and its specs. That is why your phones have defects because , *****
naman , ayusin niyo pag gamit niyo. Yung aking flare walang kasira sira , actually nailaglag ko pa nga to. Nasa gumagamit yan. Hindi kayo marunong.
Hi guys !!!
I have a Cherry Mobile W19. So far maayos pa itong phone ko na ito.... Lahat mg features nay gumagana!
Nasa gumagamit lang yan. Kung hindi kayo careful sa gamit ninyo, edi syempre masisira at masisira ng mabilisan yan.....
Meron akong Cherry Mobile Phone na F11 di ko na ginagamit yung phone na iyon kasi ako mismo nakabasag ng screen nun.. pero di ko sinasadya.... Nagamit ko din yung phone na iyon for 2 years..
Meron akong kaibigan na may Q300 na phone ... and all its features works fine !!! walang kasira sira....
Nasa gumagamit lang po iyan... Walang bagay na madaling masira sa taong magaling magdala.
Wag na laang keo bumili ng cellphones para walang reklamo!
badtrip talaga cherry mobile!!!
We have the same problem Sir Tim! And the same din yung binilhan ko (Berlein). Kabibili ko lang ng kanilang Omega HD, and guess what, in just TWO WEEKS, nasira kaagad yung camera nya. Then hindi na siya pwedeng i-replace kasi lagpas na daw ng 1 week. So dapat ipa-repair nalang daw siya. When I called naman their service center dito sa Cebu, sabi nila ipapadala pa daw nila sa Manila kasi Android nga daw. And it will take pa daw 3-5 weeks before I can get my phone again!
Grabe sobrang inis ko talaga, kasi naman 2 weeks palang nasira na kaagad. Tapos hindi pa nila ako binigyan ng leeway kahit two weeks palang yung phone ko. Ang laki pa ng hassle kung ipapadala pa siya sa Manila. Sayang talaga yung pera ko. Money doesn't grow on trees!
Tapos grabeng care ko pa ng phone ko, hindi talaga siya nabagsak, whatsoever. I guarded it with my life tapos nasira pa rin!
To Cherry Mobile, if you're reading this, sana naman you'll consider i-replace yung defective phone kahit more than a week na siyang nabili as long as hindi lang siya lalagpas ng 1 month. Kasi naman diba yung 2 weeks is not that much of a difference sa one week? Then ipapadala pa sa Manila for repair. Ang laki na po ng hassle. Eh pano kung sira pa rin siya pagkatapos i-repair? Ang layo pa naman ng service center dito sa amin. Mura lang nga yung phone nyo pero dito naman maubos yung pera namin dahil sa inyong after sales service :(
I think the real problem here is the lack of adequate consumer protections as a result of the institutionalized political corruption (aka pandering to Big Business, screw the little guy).
In "1st World" countries such as US, AU, UK, etc., consumers can always return defective product for full cash (or credit) refund, usually with no questions asked. In fact even if the item is perfectly fine, and the customer simply changed their mind, most businesses will take it back and issue a refund. But not here in the Third World. In which status this country will always be stuck as long as the laws and politics are so anti-consumer.
So the way I see it, this is much bigger than Cherry Mobile alone. This involves the authorized dealers, their 'official' repair shops, the DTI and every relevant agency and politician up to and including NoyNoy. And their lapdogs the MSM for instead of reporting it, they ignore it and instead feed the people mindless childish drivel to keep them docile and sheep-like.
I had a similarly disappointing experience with a Smart Bro 3G USB modem (dongle) purchased in SM City Cebu at the Smart Store in the Cyberzone as part of a contract, which was destroyed by EMP from nearby lightning some months later. They told me that it was out of warranty (how am I supposed to use the service I'm paying monthly for, under contract, without the needed device??? Oh, I know, cough up another grand!) Further they said to take it to their authorized repair facility (AirPOD, in the same mall), who in turn charged me 100Php just to tell me that it was unrepairable, a fact which I already knew!
Not nearly as big a deal as some of you have had in terms of financial loss, but it's the principle of the thing, not the amount. It shows that most 'warranties' and so-called service centers are nothing more than scams- they make money off of every customer. They could just do this all day, tell people their devices are unrepairable and pull a handsome profit, without so much as lifting a finger.
ganyan dn yung cherry jelly namin 1 day after namin bilin sa mall .. ung camera nya nagla-log na .. tapos may mga colored lines na lumalabas ng kusa ..
and another phone this time cherry edge 5 months pa lang samen di na matouch yung screen .. sayang talga yung pera ..
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