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Comment by hutzlibu | Hacker News Reader

Your story sounds bad, but I would bear in mind, that they are not professionals for handling consumer cases.

They are mainly linux smartphone hackers. If I would buy a device, I would consider it a donation if something goes wrong and not expect something to be able to work with. But that part should probably be made clearer. I also cannot say they are fully to blame, I found their website clear enough that there is no real quality control or support. But if I would have believed certain internet enthusiasts, I would be sad because of broken promises regarding stability. At least basic working functionality by now would have been nice.

Still, things are maybe getting there.

"It's incredible... how much the PinePhone experience improved in the meantime"

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> I would bear in mind, that they are not professionals for handling consumer cases

If they take your money for a product, then they are professionals for handling consumer cases, they are obliged to be.

They might not want to be, in which case they should hire people who do want to be.

Moreover, if you are producing a device for open source developers, people working for free , giving their free time to contribute to create a valid product, you can't spit on them when they have problem with the hardware they are contributing to develop, IMHO. At the end, I paid the phone, the shipment, custom duties, VAT, the shipment costs back in USA (why USA ???), a lot of my time, for nothing. So I felt was better to stop, spending my time elsewhere.

SO TRUE!

It is not about what you do, it is how you do it, and in particular what expectations you set.

If you sell it like a regular product, without saying clearly up front that it is not supported, then people will legitimately not like you.

IF you are just selling a kit without support, SAY SO. Then the people you want will come buy it, and if you did well on the parts that you claim to do well, you'd have happy customers (modulo the few Kens & Karens who expect everything for nothing).

I'm an hacker and I gave up with that platform after that experience because if you can't guarantee reasonable assistance quality , a basic replacement service if the device is defective and a procedure for RMAs in reasonable times, I feel is better to employ my time elsewhere. Two months asking a replacement and obtaining nothing, two months : we aren't talking about a service from hacker to hackers as it should be. > I would consider it a donation I'm also donating my time, for that reason I don't feel their behavior is justifiable.

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