Broken Electronics

Our son needed a new mobile phone. Okay, he didn't *need* one, but he had fufilled the requirements we stipulated for getting a new one. We spent all afternoon, up and down the Schloßstr., and settled on one from LG. It said on the box "Infrared interface". This is important, as the old handy has all sorts of noise bits he wants to transfer to his new phone.

Got it home, unpacked ("Cool!"), charged, and tried to upload a sound. Nothing. Not with another phone, not with my PDA, not with a computer. Sigh. I hate electronics that don't work. So I started in on the handbook which makes the impression of having been translated from the Korean via Spanish to English. Infrared.... ah, here's a bit: Infrared only works with additional software and cable, which are not included.

Hello? Infrared cable? Infrared does not need a cable, it is a cable-less connection. I dug through the Internet, no avail. The next day we went back to the store (Schaulandt). No, all sales are final. If we wanted IR we should have purchased a more expensive phone. I point out that it says on the box that it has IR. Yes, well. Some phones only work together with other phones of the same kind. Sounds like a rip-off scheme to get people to send expensive MMS to each other.

So we send it in for "repairs". We fill out forms, and wait 3 weeks. Nothing happens. I call Schaulandt, it is always busy. The fax does not pick up. So I drag myself down, and lo and behold, the fax was out of paper
and was blocking the telefone line..... No sign of the phone, but they would call, we were to come backe the end of the next week. So we did, got the phone, it was recorded that the IR had been "repaired" - except that it did not work, just like it did 4 weeks ago.

So back we went to complain. The guy noted down my problems, and promised to call. Yeah, right. The amazing thing is: he did call and left a message on my answering machine! I called back, he had found some software updates. We tried this, no avail. He called again, he had found a new IR driver. We tried that, it did not work either. Extra points for calling, but the phone still did not work.

I got rather picky at this point, and lo and behold, we were able to return the phone. For cash back.

Phew!

Now we still have to find another phone, and meanwhile we bought a new computer from Aldi and it, too, does not work. I think I am being followed by broken electronics....