So I have been loving my Nokia N90 phone as far as functionality goes, but there are a few design issues that bug me. One is the rather primitive battery cover, which I managed to re-fasten a number of times until it finally came off without me realizing it. Beside that, a piece of the metal inlay by the camera button keeps popping loose on one end. I figure US$650 is way too much for a phone with pieces popping off, so I contact Nokia to send it in under warrantly.

And that’s where we pick up in the story…

I bought the phone from TigerDirect; they had the best price on an unlocked Nokia N90 that I could find while still being a store I knew of and felt I could trust. When the phone arrived, to my shock it had a UK charger. Weird! But, it was 2 days before I was going out of town for 10 days, and I had the phone rushed so I’d have it before leaving. I popped over to Radio Shack, bought an adapter, and got on with life.

So I am on the phone with Nokia USA support, going through the steps for a warranty repair scenario. After they run my serial number, I am placed on hold for several minutes. The representative comes back to chide me for having bought a non-US phone, and says that if I ship it they will return it to me unrepaired. He goes on to explain that less-honest retailers will purchase overseas unlocked GSM phones and then sell them here. Purchasers of these phones basically forego any support or warranty for these phones except in the phone’s country of origin. Who knew phones could have nationalities and be refused care when not in their home country? Perhaps Nokia should set up embassies for these poor, displaced phones.

Well, as you can imagine I am totally ticked by now. I call up TigerDirect and start in on them. Right now there’s an agreement of working out an exchange, though I am having to reiterate in every paragraph of the conversation that I do not want another UK phone. Heck, I didn’t want a UK phone the first time. My “case” is awaiting manager approval; I have to call back my phone’s social worker tomorrow.