I bought this device a year ago and contacted Fairphone support first to check if they would really respond to me if I had any issues - this being a fairly small company and all. They did and promised me they would always be there.
Fast forward one year, and I contacted them 2 months ago for a really small issue, not urgent, but one I’d like to have resolved nonetheless. They are completely ghosting me and other people who have since contacted them with questions.
They have closed down and removed their phone service stating they only offer online options now (which is forbidden under Dutch/EU law, you are required to offer a phone number for customers) and even their live chat is fake - every option the topic choosers offers you just dumps you back into the online contact form. And you can log tickets all you want, they just flat out ignore you.
I don’t know if they are going bust but what you explain is how every other support case feels for me. Some chatbot tries ‘to help’ and when he fails you have to open a ticket. Sometimes even the person who reaches out to me again tells me to do what the bot already did. Customer support is just not what it uses to be…
a) the company presumably going bust, before officially doing so?
“Yes, we are about to go bust, but please keep this between us and this public forum for now.”
b) a cooperation partner like Murena?
“Yes, our partner is about to go bust, but please keep this between us and this public forum for now.”
c) forum users not in the know?
“Yes. PANIC!”
“Perhaps. PANIC!”
“Propably in some way during the next centuries like almost every other company. So, panic, I guess, I don’t like to stand out.”
“No, of course not. Source: Me.”
Same here in the USA and not just for consumer electronics. In many cases you can’t even find a phone number for support. Then once you do, you get put on infinite hold. If someone actually picks up they have no clue what they’re doing. It’s the new business plan, axe customer support and frustrate the hell out of all your customers.
Well in Canada i have same/similar ussues, however, one way or another i usually hve my problem solved here at Murena. Sometimes i may not get a verbal answer but problem resolves in a day or three. In my personal opinion, i think the giant revamping of system (s) was even bigger and more overwhelming than thay thought it would be.