No to NSS/NSU - Keep Your Warranty: Phoenix

1 replies · 4,081 views · Started 16 July 2009

guerilla_jungle 16 Jul 2009, 08:43

So, I think it is important I post this.

If you wish to invalidate your UK warranty with Nokia over your N95/N95-8GB or any handset, go and change your product code with NSS then use Nokia Software Updater to update.

Nokia keep logs with NSU, they know you changed your product code, and as they are a scummy company, will then refuse to honour your warranty.

Solution:

Use NSS if you wish to change your product code, which can also be done with Phoenix, then use Phoenix to upgrade your firmware yourself.

It's important you familiarise yourself with the Phoenix interface, but it's basically very simple to use. You just need the software packages, and your normal USB able to your Nokia handset.

Why am I posting this? Well, Nokia wont know you've changed the firmware yourself, and the product code change will only be known by you. If something happens to your handset, Phoenix has a 'dead flash' feature, meaning that unless all hell breaks loose on your phone (very unlikely, most warranty problems are related to screen, software problems, or hardware problems with the keypad) then you will still be able to, at the very least, flash your original product code back to the handset.

If the service centre see you have the original product code on your handset when trying to claim for your warranty, they will be none the wiser.

In my opinion you would have to be crazy to use NSS+NSU as a software update combination right now. Go with phoenix. I'm not too technically minded, and I worked out how to use it in half a day.

Hope this helps someone.

Thanks.

dez_borders 16 Jul 2009, 13:42

guerilla_jungle wrote:I've managed to help people get repairs on products flashed with generic firmware, based on the fact that our lovely UK law states hardware faults and software faults are separate.
Yes, I'm a lawyer, so perhaps more clued up than your average customer, granted.
.

I agree with you totally, morally etc., but until some lawyer (hint hint!) takes out a class-action (or UK equivalent) and sues the pants off Nokia Europe, they will continue to get away with this for 99 out of every 100 users who cannot afford a lawyer (or don't know one well enough to get free advice). I have already lost 2 handset warranties in the last 15 months.

As for using Phoenix instead of NSU, that's cool, I have done this myself in the past. but please be aware that the more recent version of Phoenix will read the product code, then automatically download the required firmware for you, and, I very much suspect, LOG the product-code and IMEI number in the NSU database for later use against you.

If anyone is going to use Phoenix I would strongly advise they manually download (from torrent etc) the official Firmware package file and do not use the automatic FW download option.

Phoenix is also much more complex to install and use than NSU, so may be beyond the capabilities (and patience) of many Nokia smartphone owners.

So... getting back to my first point, as a lawyer, are you interested in collecting names for a possible (no win no fee) class-action against Nokia Europe?????