Does Anybody Get Real Help With Nook Problems Here? [ Edited ]

[wjmecca]

I've never posted before, so if I goof up something, please forgive me.  I loved my first Nook.  Then it developed a crack on the faceplate, after just a few weeks.  I sent it in for repair--following B&N instructions--and they lost it.  I was sent a "refurbished" unit.  I've had nothing but trouble with this unit.  I've called and emailed so many times, I lost count.  I was treated kindly by some folks, not so kindly by others, and I've always been very polite.  My son, who used to work IT customer service, and so understands their point of view, even called a couple times for me.  The result...I was put off, and put off, until the original warranty expired, and the warranty on the "refurbished" unit expired.  Now I'm stuck with a not very good ereader.  In order to read most of my ebooks, I download them to my computer, then side-load them to the Nook.  Is everyone treated like this?  I used to respect Barnes & Noble, and their good reputation.  No longer.  I don't know what else to do, to get them to replace this Nook that doesn't work very well with one that works like the one that I sent them.  I'd even take the cracked one back...I could always super glue it.  At least it would work properly.

Thanks for listening.

[Nevermore1]

Were you provided a case/ticket #? If so then you can argue that you brought this issue up before the warranty expired so it should still be covered. Either way the cracked bezel was a known issue and they should have replaced it with a new unit if one were available (when I had this issue the store manager handed me a brand new one off the shelf since it was a manufacturing defect). My understanding is that they have run out of the N1E and have started offering NST's as replacements. I know that some people have not been happy with BN CS but I have never had any issue with them so far. This case sounds like something slipped through somewhere, whether it was you missing an e-mail from BN or someone at BN not follwing through with something on their end. I would recommend calling and speaking with a supervisor and advising that the issue was brought to BN's attention while still under warranty so it should be covered (so long as it is not more than a few weeks since your last contact with them on the issue). If that does not work then this sounds like on of those rare cases that may need a letter to their corporate office to see if they can research what happened on their end and possibly offer a solution to the issue.

[keriflur]

Alex is off this week, but you could try sending a PM to Sam, or send a PM to Alex next week.  Just explain the issue and ask if they can help you.  I know Alex and Sam (two of the forum mods who work for B&N) have researched and escalated issues like this in this past.

Sam is SLevine

Alex is BN_AlexG

[wjmecca]

Thank you.  I will do that, as soon as I figure out how...I'm not very good with computer stuff.  I appreciate your help!

[wjmecca]

Thank you for your advice!  I was given a number, and had saved all of the emails related to this.  Unfortunately, I had problems with my computer, and lost all of my emails, along with the notes I had made of the phone calls.  My whole drive thing had to be redone.  I had just about given up getting help, until I came across this place.

[keriflur]

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wjmecca wrote:

Thank you.  I will do that, as soon as I figure out how...I'm not very good with computer stuff.  I appreciate your help!

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The first post at the very top of this forum (NOOK First Edition General Discussion) has both Sam and Alex in it.  Open that thread and click on one of their names.  Clicking the name opens the person's profile.  Once the profile is open there is a text button on the right side of the profile that says something like "Send this user a private message." Click on that to open the private message screen.  Then you can type and send your message.

[wjmecca]

Thank you again, keriflur!

[wjmecca]

I wanted to let anyone who has read this discussion, that I have been contected by both Sam and Alex.  They are both very nice.  I gave Alex additonal information that was needed.

[TXAnnie]

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wjmecca wrote:

I wanted to let anyone who has read this discussion, that I have been contected by both Sam and Alex.  They are both very nice.  I gave Alex additonal information that was needed.

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So glad you got someone to listen/help you.  I have had troubles and have had frustrating experiences as well.  However, someone always steps up to help!

[wjmecca]

Thank you, Alex, and to the folks here who helped me.  I wasn't able to have my original Nook replaced, but it was replaced with the Nook Simple Touch.  Now I just have to get the books to  download....The first one, the one I was reading came out okay, but I tried to download another one, and it's taking forever.  I think it may be going to sleep while it's syncing.  I set the screen for an hour, hoping that will help.

[kamas716]

It shouldn't take a real long time to download any particular book.  Since you started with the N1E and have now migrated to the NST, you might want to make sure all your books are in a format that the NST can read.  The NST doesn't support PDB files like the N1E did.

[wjmecca]

Thanks! I did get the book to download, and did a couple others, just to make sure things were okay.  I guess because it was the first time, it just needed more time, and I had the screen set at 2 min.  I changed that to  an hour.  After a bit, I turned the Nook off, then back on, and everything is fine now.  I even got the books from my Calibre library downloaded on the memory card I put in.  Some of them, the computer had to change the format.  It did it itself, though, I just had to click 'yes'...Good thing, because you can probably tell, I'm computer illiterate!!

[KristiKev]

I fully undertand your pain. I sent in my 1st Gen Nook for warranty replacement BEFORE THANKSGIVING!  It is now almost Valentines Day. I have spent about 9 hours total on the phone and have been endlessly tossed around the customer service machine. Before the decision to replace my device, I ran my cell phone dead on numerous occassions trying to get the device fixed over the phone. First they said they would send me a refurbished 1st Gen. Then I got an email saying my order had been cancelled. I called to inquire & the order # in their email wasn't even valid. An hour and a half later I found out they cancelled the order because they no longer had the 1st Gen to give out. Instead of calling and adressing the issue with me, they just cancelled the order and didn't take any further action until I called.

They agreed to send me a Simple Touch and confirmed my new address (I had recently moved and updated the address on my online account). They then shipped the device to my old address 300 miles away, where it sat on the doorstep of a vacant house for two weeks in the North Dakota sub zero winter. I informed them that there was no way I was going to accept that device because it likely didn't work anymore. They declared it lost in shipping and said they would send another. It didn't come.

I went to B&N and talked to a manager. He called and found out that they CANCELLED MY ORDER BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE 1ST GEN NOOKS TO GIVE OUT!!! (Sound familiar?). We jumped through the hoops again, and I was assured that my simple touch would be sent express to me.

Ten days went by. No Nook. I went back and informed the manager if I didn't get a Nook soon, the Better Business Bureau would be contacted. The store manager called & discovered it had been shipped the previous day. Express Shipping? That's not express in my book.

Anyway, to the credit of the people I physically spoke with, they were polite and helpful. As for online/phone customer service? Well, I really don't think it's ladylike of me to post my true feelings about them. Lets just say that 3 months to get a "you should recieve your replacement device in about 5 days" is COMPLETLY unacceptable. The store manager I spoke to today did assure me that if I didn't get my device this time, they would take care of it in store. It seems that the book support only gives their own employees slightly better support than their customers.

Bottom line: Love the service I recieve in store, but would rather take a servere beating than have to deal with phone/online support ever again! I am sad to say my next e-reader might be a Kindle.

[wjmecca]

Wow...you really went through it!  I agree, the customer service on the phone is horrid!  My son used to work for a large company out west, doing IT support over the phone--customer service- so he made some of my calls, knowing a little of how their end of it works..  I had given up, until one of the folks on here told me who to contact.  I still don't understand why they would send a refurb unit to replace a $259 unit.  We don't usually buy first generation items, but my kids {adults} had heard me talking about the 'new' readers.  I've always been a big reader...I have FMS, and have had to give away most of my hard back books...they're just too heavy.  That's all beside the point.

Contacting them by email is also pointless.  Must be the same folks who talk to you on the phone!

Did you receive your new one yet?  I did receive mine quickly, after the moderator {i think that's the title} on here got involved.  Took a week to get the response that I was hoping for--that they would replace my Nook, but only a few days after that, for it to get here.  I was a little disappointed that it would be the Nook Simple, at first, but now that I have it, I love it...so far..  Doesn't do anything fancy.  Doesn't surf the web.  But I don't want all that.  I just want it for books. 

Good Luck!!  Please post again, when you get your new unit!!

[keriflur]

@KristiKev - If you don't get your nook this time, contact Sam or Alex (info further up in this thread).

I agree, the phone CS at B&N isn't great.  I remember the good ole' days before nook where one could call Customer Service and get actual service, and be treated like a customer.  B&N can, and should, do better.  In a world of bad customer service, good customer service is a differentiating factor.  IMO B&N can't afford to continue to let their CS be so poor, not when Amazon's is so good (speaking from personal experience only, of course).

[wjmecca]

@KristiKev....Did you receive your new Nook?  I sincerely  hope that the folks who are in charge at B&N read these posts.  I haven't had to call for customer service lately, but they could learn a lot by reading all the feedback left here.

[kamas716]

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wjmecca wrote:

@KristiKev....Did you receive your new Nook?  I sincerely  hope that the folks who are in charge at B&N read these posts.  I haven't had to call for customer service lately, but they could learn a lot by reading all the feedback left here.

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Yeah, she got it a few weeks ago. 

[Sun_Cat]

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wjmecca wrote:

I sincerely  hope that the folks who are in charge at B&N read these posts.

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If only.

No disrespect intended to Alex or Sam. But if those in charge cared more about great customer service, it wouldn't be so difficult for us to get.

Does anyone remember the very funny satirical film The President's Analyst, starring James Coburn in the title role, from 1967? It featured a massive conspiracy by a monolithic telephone company (remember, this was way before the AT&T breakup), whose slogan was:

"We don't care. We don't have to. We're The Phone Company."

I'd rather see B&N appropriate another iconic advertising slogan from the same era:

"We try harder."