Imate Sucks

(The Empire) Imate Strikes Back

2006-01-17T08:59:00.000-06:00

Sunil, an Imate rep, has published a comment. First, I must say, I am impressed he posted. If you want to read the uncut version, check under comments. I have spliced it to address his claims in a point by point fashion. I think you will find I have not taken artistic license with his words. Let the good times roll....
Him=Red
Me=Black

"i would like to convey to all that we were genuinly trying to assist you, however you fail to recognize the same"

Really? see, actions speak louder than words. In this case, you failed to keep your own timeframe. You failed to respond to my emails completely or merely avoided answering my questions. You failed to send me the "additional" photos that support your case. You failed to provide me with the "alleged" report. I dont believe that is my unit in the two photos you sent. For all I know, you pulled them off your computer when I challenged you. I think they are photos from another unit. That is why you havent sent the photos and the corresponding tags which show when they were taken. Same goes for the report and when it was generated. You, of course, still possess the unit and the no one else can investigate your "alleged" findings.

"You had liquid damage on your device which is not covered under warranty by us or any other vendor"

Putting aside my stance there was no liquid damage to my unit, as I said from the begining, please explain how this alleged "liquid damage," still allowed me to update the rom, set the screen settings, resync my outllook, install the included cab, reboot and then, only then, stall on the blue screen of death. Must be some special "time release" liquid.

"nevertheless, we did provide you with a new device after which your comments grew stronger against us..."

You did nothing. You did not provide me with a new unit. Steve Abers did. You refused to fix the unit under warranty. You refused to provide the evidence that supported your conclusions. You sat back and waited for my money. You did not know about my new unit until I told you. As a matter of fact, you and your underlings are stilling trying to get me to pay for the repairs.

"Is this what we get for sorting out an issue which was no apparent fault of ours or should we have decided to let this go by and treat it as a liquid damage itself and let you have the device repaired at your own cost?"

Once again, you didn't sort out any issues. You were totally unaware of my dealings with Steve Albers until I disclosed them some 10 days later. Don't pretend you resolved the issue. You did decide that I was responsible for the repairs. You still are sending me emails seeking my decision.

"You have mentioned names of personnel in your Blogs and Forums posted which goes to show that you do not value anybody's perception except your own...I am sorry to say but this is not a very mature way of voicing out"

Yeah, I'm all about painting a one-side view. Did I forget to mention that Steve Albers from Imate USA sent me a new K-jam when he learned about how bad you guys were screwing with me? Oops, I'll make sure to include that in my posts/Blog.

"Finally i would like to thank you for providing us this wide arrayed publicity for having assisted you to the fullest"

This truly sums up your position. Much like a hollywood D list star, you firmly believe "any publicity is good publicity." To the contrary, I think your mishandling of this issue (whether the reader thinks Im lying or telling the truth) has shown many people that your company cannot be trusted. The wizard is great. Qteks sales are booming.

"We do our job and follow all strict guidelines to achieve complete customer satisfaction"

I think you meant to "to achieve the highest profits. We cannot afford to stand by our warranty and diminish them."

"I have no ill feelings towards your postings and would lastly like to say that we have played our part to the max and you govern your own opinions."

I love you, too. Yes, no one else has played your part "to the max." Furthermore, thank you for allowing me to "govern my own opinions."

Hello Imate Support

2006-01-16T15:21:00.000-06:00

So, it seems someone high up in Imate/ Imate Support finally read my emails. Moreover, based upon the pro k-jam campaign they subsequently have lodged , it seems as though someone had his/her ass chewed out, too . At least one employee (i'm not sure if there were several or one just one masquerading as multiple readers) left some priceless comments last night. My personal fav is the only who doesnt get my CIA joke. Hey Imate employees, if you want to get published on the front page, just email me a post and I promise I will publish it.

So you really want to buy from Imate, Huh?

Mo' Imate, Mo' Problems

2006-01-15T08:57:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my local retailer (OntheGoSolutions) and to IMate USA (specifically Steve Albers) I now possess a brand new K-jam. So far, so good. However, to illustrate how much Imate still sucks and no one in their right mind should buy from this company, my saga with support continues. Now, I want to believe that once they start repairing these units in the USA we will no longer experience this problem. However, until my childlike faith is confirmed, do not buy from Imate. As always, I kid you not, these are the most recent emails (I am incorporating my comments, they are the parenthetical red text ):

From: Mojahed Jazmati [mailto:mojahed.jazmati@imate.com]
Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 1:17 PM
To: Me
Subject: RE: My K-jam

Dear Me:
Regarding your issue and after contacting the service center, please see the marked area wit liquid damaged and corroded which can lead to the problems you mentioned in the attached pictures.
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
(That is the original email. NO EDITING AT ALL except for removing my name)
Best regards

Mojahed Jazmati

From: Me
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 7:08 AM
To: Mojahed Jazmati
Subject: RE: My K-jam

Mojahed:

Your message makes no sense to me. Are you trying to tell me that those are pictures of the my K-jam? are you further trying to say that the images show water damage and corrossion? If this is the case, I would like to see all of the pictures that establish the identity of the unit, the date and time they were taken and the corresponding report with the name of the employee who alleges that these problems are the result of water damage. I know that unit was never near water and I want to gather all of the evidence so I can file my fraud suit against your comany

Me

From: Mojahed Jazmati [mailto:mojahed.jazmati@imate.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:00 PM
To: Me
Subject: RE: My K-jam

Michael,

Regarding your issue, I shall tell you that the only way we can accurately assess these types of occurrences is to ask our repair engineers for a full and proper assessment of the damage. Remember, our repair specialists are highly trained engineers who use sophisticated test equipment to diagnose failure and damage on all our products. Your device has been reported to have liquid damage and if you need it to be repaired, please let us know.
(Can you say, "Failing to answer the questions posed." Why, oh why, are they ducking my questions?)
Regards

Mojahed Jazmati

From: Me
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 1:19 AM
To: Mojahed Jazmati
Subject: RE: My K-jam

Mojahed:

Once again, your response makes no sense to me. Just to clarify, are you stating:

You will not provide me with a full set of pictures which establish that the unit depicted is in fact my unit.
You will not provide me with a report that outlines the process and conclusions reached by your engineers.
You will not allow me to question the report of your engineers.
There can be no doubt at all (they are 100% accurate) in their findings.
These findings (which you refuse to provide to me) unequivocally support that the alleged damage to my unit was the result of my recklessness or negligence (as opposed to a hardware malfunction or improper manufacturing) and therefore not covered under warranty repairs.
You refuse to subject your “scientific findings” to peer review or public scrutiny.
I will be waiting for your immediate response.

Me

From: Shadi Zaytoon [mailto:shadi@imate.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 2:31 AM
To: Me
Cc: Mojahed Jazmati; Sunil Kumar
Subject: RE: My K-jam

Dear Me,

I am sorry about this situation of which I have been following closely but instead of going through such discussion we have already provided you with the report and photos of the damaged unit. ((No, you have not.)
This is liquid damage and very easy to see especially when you open the device as liquid leaves traces. (Then why didnt you provide a picture of such.)
We will be returning your unit without repairing it to you in case you do not want to go ahead with the out of warranty repairs.
Please confirm to the service center if they should go ahead or not as they are on standby waiting for you.
Best regards,

Shadi (Like their prior Representative "Bufoon", I dont think the Enlgish meaning to his name is an accident.)

From: Me
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 8:12 PM
To: Shadi Zaytoon
Subject: RE: My K-jam

Your company never sent me the report or the other photos. I have only been provided two photos, unless, of course, that is all you mean by photos. Please return the advice. (I need to learn how to reread my emails, advice should be device; minus 5 for bad typing) I will need it for when I pursue legal action against your company.

Me

From: Shadi Zaytoon [mailto:shadi@imate.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 2:06 AM
To: Me; Jinesh; Rodrigues, Calvern
Cc: Mojahed Jazmati
Subject: RE: My K-jam
Importance: High

Hi Jinesh / Calvern,
Please return the unit IMEI number 356384005406531 with a report without repairing it to Me. (So, now I am getting a report. When do you think it was created? Do you think they will let me check their computer to verify this?)

Thanks,
Shadi Zaytoon

From: Me
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 8:16 PM
To: Shadi Zaytoon
Subject: RE: My K-jam
Shadi-

For the record, I am not agreeing to receive my K-jam without the repairs submitted to you under warranty service. I will be taking subsequent action against your company. Thank you for your emails, reports and photos. They will provide excellent evidence against your company. By the way, I must ask you, is it really cost effective to screw with a client and then take on thousands of dollars in legal fees rather than to simply admit your production error and fix it? I, personally, fail to comprehend how fixing a mistake and keeping a client happy (who would have likely recommended your product to others) would not have better served your company’s interest in building a market share. Your response has only created a disgruntled client who has already negatively impacted your sales (and will continue to) and presented a legal claim that will likely cost your company tens of thousands of dollars to resolve. I’m sure glad I don’t invest in your company.

Me

A Picture is worth a 1000 words

2006-01-02T21:19:00.000-06:00

Any "expert" out there who can interpret the circled areas? Click to enlarge....

Silence is not so Golden

2005-12-26T10:27:00.000-06:00

So, I'm still waiting for a response from my dear Calvern. She must be so involved in fixing my K-jam that there is no time to drop an email.

Nevertheless, this post from a reader brought me some holiday cheer. I hope anyone else considering the I-mate will follow suit:

Wow, this is totally crazy! I feel for you, man... I hate dealing with stuff like this.

About a year ago I had to send my imate SP2 in for repairs to the UAE because it died. It wasn't the most pleasant experience in the world, only because it took way longer than it should have.

My prior experience wasn't
good, but after reading this story, it was definitely one of the reasons why I was sold on getting the Qtek 9000 over the Jasjar. If it's any consolation, your tale caused imate to say, "Lost another one to Qtek!

Twas the night before Christmas....

2005-12-24T10:47:00.000-06:00

I wish Santa would drop me an email from my new bestest friend Calvern. She wont respond to my emails. Could the CIA be holding her for questioning about the "special" liquid? Maybe the same server problem that erased my complaints from the Imate club forum has attacked their email system? Maybe she is spending a much needed break from her hard work of screwing over their customers? (insert sarcasm here) Maybe, just maybe, she is diligently fixing my k-jam?

As the holiday season approaches and businesses buy those much needed communication devices near the end of the tax year, I hope anyone reading this remembers that buying from Imate will lead to anger and despair. I hope that my experience leads you to other repackagers of this great HTC product.

Happy Holidays to all and to Calvern, I hope your holiday gifts malfunction and you get a dose of your own medicine.

Stay tuned for her response. We are at 72+ hours....It must take a while to fabricate some photos and an inspection report.

Wherefor art thou, Calvern?

2005-12-22T20:10:00.000-06:00

Calvern, sweet Calvern, my Imate Rep has yet to respond to my last email requesting she disclose her evidence of the liquid damge and a simple explanation as to how this special liquid can cause a stall only after the updated rom intiates its reboot after the included self executing cab installation.

I feel like a kid on christmas eve waiting for Santa. The wait it killing me. I know you're sitting on pins and needles in hope of sharing in this chemical phenomena.

Of course, if you would like to hear it from the ass' mouth, here is the contact info:

Calvern Rodrigues
Customer Service / Logistics Executive

Workz International FZE

Unit B5, Dubai Airport Free Zone
P.O. Box 54322, Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel +971 (0)4 2990788
Fax +971 (0)4 2995957

Email: Calvern.Rodrigues@workz.ae

Web: www.workzintl.com

And The Stories Roll In...

2005-12-21T16:44:00.000-06:00

Read the forum:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=758648

Lets Get This Started

2005-12-21T16:33:00.000-06:00

Item: K-jam
Purchase Date: 10/05
Retailer: On the Go Solutions
Issues: Where shall we begin

Putting aside the minor problems: constant resetting, non responsive screen, blah, blah, blah, the real fun begins when you have a major problem. My first major problem started December 5, 2005, A little background:

I run my own business. I purposefully bought the k-jam because it offered Windows 5.0 and would allow easy use with outlook and other microsoft documents. Sure, the treo could do all of that without windows, but the future was here with the k-jam or so I thought.

So, I set up my k-jam and managed through its quirks. Screen problems and resets were minor drawbacks. Then, along came my vacation. My wife and I planned an 11 day vacation to the carribean. But, I had no fear. My contacts, my calendar, my personal info, a couple documents, and the interent were a moment away on my k-jam. I could forward the office calls to my cell and it would be like i was like everyone else suffering through the bitter cold chicago winter. Only if the fairy tale had come true.

Unfortunately, my k-jam failed to cooperate. On December 5th , at around midnight, I accessed the internet to check my bank account and fantasy football league and my k-jam had no problems other that a dying battery. So I finished up my web sessions and plugged it into my computer for the evening. The next morning I awoke to a dead k-jam that failed to charge over night. Thinking it needed a soft reset or maybe a hard reset, I tried both but nothing changed. Panic set it.

Luckily, a short 20 minute ride from our vacation home led me to an interent connection and the imate support group. I had found my savior. I penned off an email requesting a phone call to my wife's phone (my cell being dead and no regular email). I waited for that call. Three weeks later I still am waiting. Three days later and a check of my email, I learned the genius at imate had responded to my email telling me to perform a hard reset. Wow. You can't pay for that kind of insight.

Nevertheless, I returned back to my home on December 12th and the real fun began. I charged the phone with my wall unit overnight and hoped I would awake to a reinvigorated k-jam. Silly little boy. The next morning provided a still dead k-jam so I contacted live customer support. I think "live" is pushing the envelope when describing Imates online support team. They were rude and refused to acknowledge the product was faulty. After countless disconnects because their system claimed lack of communication (mind you, these long gaps in communication were a result of their customer service reps trying to figure our my next step), numerous resets and rom updates, the k-jam was still non functioning. Finally, however, after 4 hours they finally provided me with a phone number and return slip to Dubai.

So, like a fool, I sent off my k-jam hoping they would acknowledge the problem, fix it or replace the defective k-jam. I waited. No communication for 7 days. Then a revelation: Liquid damage. A mere 450 bucks and my k-jam would work perfect, they promises. Now you may be thinking: carribean vacation? sounds reasonable, the guy just dropped it into the old ocean. Yet, this is why the times are important. My cellphone bill corrobates the midnight on th 5th (running into the 6th) usage. Then no other usage. My email stamp (thanks microsoft sent folder file system) establishes that I sent the email at 10:30 a.m. on the 6th. I'm a R.E.M. fan but there was no nightswimming with my K-jam folks. I wish I had the engergy and my wife is better company than the k-jam anyway.

So, here I stand with "liquid damage." I have asked for an explanation of such, and the support center had failed to respond. I can't wait for their explanation. I then want them to explain how the liquid damage failed to stop the rom update, resync of my outlook and reload of the built in cab files that come with the rom update. It must be a time delay damage that only kicks in after these events. Must be some special substance. I bet the FBI and CIA would love to get ahold of this stuff. Just think of the possibilites. Nevertheless, my sage continues and updates are in line.
To quote the late great Christ Farley from Tommy Boy:

"But why do they put a guarantee on the box then?
'Cause all the know is that they sold you a guaranteed box of shit."

Lets come together and share our woes. Add yours to mine and remember to help those poor souls who even contemplate buying from these assholes.