Your mobile issue could be the phone or the network. Who to talk to and rules on inspection and repairs.
Issues with your phone can be difficult to pin down because they could be caused by:
- the phone itself, for example not turning on, display issues, apps not updating
- the network, for example texts not sending or coming through, calls cutting off, Wi-Fi or internet not connecting.
Both your phone and network plan are covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act and must meet the guarantees in that law. For your phone or other hardware, such as a modem, you may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund. The Consumer Guarantees Act still applies after your manufacturer's warranty has expired.
Who to contact
Your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act:
- apply to mobile phones and mobile services
- apply even after the manufacturer’s warranty ends
- may include repair, replacement, or refund, depending on the fault.
If your mobile phone is not working:
- If you bought the phone and mobile plan together, contact your provider.
- If you bought the phone separately, contact:
- the retailer about the phone, and
- your provider about the network.
- If you're not sure what's causing the problem, contact your provider first.
Who you talk to about the problem depends on where you bought the phone and what the problem is.
If you:
- bought the phone from the same place as your plan, they can help with both phone and network issues.
- bought your phone separately from your plan, talk to the retailer about phone issues and your provider about network issues.
If you're not sure if it's a network or phone issue, contact your provider first to rule out a network issue before taking the phone back to the retailer. You can also check for network problems on the company's website.
Inspection and repair fees
Because phones can be expensive to repair or replace, the retailer might ask you to pay an inspection fee. If they find a genuine fault — a fault you didn't cause either by accident or on purpose — you should get a refund.
If the inspection shows you broke it, eg you got it wet or dropped it — or it's wear and tear from normal use— it's up to you to cover any inspection and repair costs.
Example — Network or phone issues
Rosie's phone isn't sending or receiving messages. She restarts it but it doesn't help. Rosie bought her phone from a different store to her internet service provider. She decides to try call her provider first to rule out an issue there. If they can't find anything, she will take her phone into the retailer. Her provider realises it's an issue with her plan. They fix it remotely and she doesn't need to take her phone into the store or send it away to be fixed.
Make a complaint
Speak to your provider first. Summarise the issue and what you would like them to do to fix it.
Telecommunications Dispute Resolution may be able to help if:
- you and your provider can't agree
- it has been more than six weeks since you complained and your issue still isn't resolved.
Making a complaint(external link) — Telecommunications Dispute Resolution