Consumerist – April 3, 2010:
If you buy a nook from Barnes & Noble and think there might be any possibility whatsoever that you could drop it, be sure to buy a protection plan for it. That’s because if the nook breaks and you didn’t buy an extended warranty, no one at Barnes and Noble can fix it. Not even if you offer to pay for the repairs.
My wife loves to read and pre-ordered the Nook in October of last year when Barnes & Noble first announced it. She finally received it sometime after the first of this year and despite the delay was genuinely excited about having one. She has purchased more books then ever before and uses it all of the time.
Yesterday she dropped it for the first time and the e-ink screen cracked. The device is now totally useless.
We’ve contacted Barnes & Noble through their 800-number and were told that there is nothing that can be done since we didn’t purchase the two-year protection plan when we bought the device.
I’m not asking for a hand out here. I know we didn’t purchase the insurance – we don’t on all consumer electronics we purchase. However, I don’t think that means we should now be stuck with a $270 (+ the cost of books purchased) paperweight.
What I need is a way to repair the device we already have. Ideally I would like to send it back to Barnes & Noble and have them fix it. Naturally we would pay any cost involved. Barnes & Noble refuses.
It’s a $270 device, a significant portion of which is the screen. What sort of response would you expect from the manufacturer? This is why they offer the damage protection plan.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple planted this story.
I bought my nook before Chirstmas and I recieved it on Jan. 5th…I’ve used it until today, and now its dead. Now I’ll not be using it again, because I don’t have a protection plan on my Nook. Well, heres the funny thing..I don’t recall seeing them asking me if I wanted to buy the extended 2 yr warranty on it. I usually buy these sort of things on all electronics for my clumsy cases. I’m beginning to think this is all on part of B&N. You buy this in good faith that the company will work with you..not against you. I realise I should be more careful. And by the way, it slipped off the couch onto the floor. Hardly enough to tear it up, I would think. Now half my screen is frozen in place, the other has lines running down the screen. And yet, “I’m sorry Mrs., but there is nothing I can do for you” I just wish there was something I could do. I really love my Nookie.
TOm there is generally a 1 year warranty, on Hardware.
My Patagonia cover is still on its way, but I’m already getting worried about the possibility of my K2 falling out of it because of the ineffective straps that some reviewers are mentioning
My first Nook case cracked and was replaced within the warranty period. The replacement also cracked and was replaced within the warranty period, My third Nook has also cracked, though it took over a year this time and it is out of the warranty period. B&N will neither replace it nor give me a credit/discount to apply to a new Nook.
So……that extra 50 bucks you were too cheap to spring for seems like a bargain now?
Same boat. My precious Nook got a bit wet- not soaked, mind you- in a torrential rainstorm that I couldn’t escape. (I was on foot, open area… it was an unexpected storm so no, I really couldn’t have predicted it or altered the course of events!) Now it’s fried. I really loved it because my parents gave it to me at xmas and I love reading. It was the Tablet, nonetheless. I’m pretty unimpressed with the service options.
I never get those extended warranties as they rarely are worth it. I really got nothing useful from the CS though they were polite and professional and yes, I do believe that if I want to offer to pay for repairs, they should be offered. They’re getting money for it so what it does it matter to them if I buy a new one or not? And no one told me about the extended warranty anyway.
I do want to stick to the Nook since I can re-download the books I already paid for, and B&N doesn’t promote their devices solely for all those stupid games that iPad does. I’m torn though because the CS is kinda limited in my opinion. I think for the time being, I’m not going to replace it. I don’t have the money for a new one, nor do I want a new one. Maybe I’ll try to repair it myself. B&N-offer some options or at least make it plain upfront that you MUST purchase the extended warranty to even look at it. This is clearly a ploy to get more money for a new device instead of fixing it for less.
By the way, I must say that I’ve dropped my iPod A LOT, it’s been wet and everything else aside from taking a swim.
It still works magnificently after five years. Apple at least makes durable products.