Nintendo gives in, offers free repair
While we reported that Nintendo did indeed recognize the problem, we weren't sure if they would repair the issue for free or continue charging the $50 US fee to repair the unit. Word is, they'll do it for free, with both American and UK spokespersons verifying the statement as truth. And why not, their release even states its such a freak problem that it wouldn't even cost them that much to repair them. So, got a crack in the hinge? Call 'em up!
[Thanks Patrick!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Loban @ Jul 21st 2006 3:05PM
Wow, that was fast. And i'm betting they're working on fixing the problem on all new DSs right now so that it doesn't happen anymore. Perhaps a flaw in the plastic?
Mohan @ Jul 21st 2006 3:35PM
Sweet, good job Nintendo. Keep you customers happy.
adam @ Jul 21st 2006 4:00PM
Nintendo:
Some users are reporting a cosmetic defect. Defect does not affect gameplay. We will repair it for you.
Sony:
Some users are reporting defective buttons. Defect does affect game play. "There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to." - Ken Kutaragi, Sony Computer Entertainment President
http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/27/1616254&tid=207
Between their locked formats, rootkits, and this, I still don't know why people support sony. In their defense, they owned up to the problem.
SuicideNinja @ Jul 21st 2006 4:44PM
I knew they would cave quickly. It's not not in their nature to lack good Customer Service like Sony.
Liam @ Jul 21st 2006 4:48PM
Nintendo never ceases to amaze me, even with such a slight error such as a crazked hinge or dead pixels (I think this was only apparent on the old DS) you still go and offer free repair, whereas my Xbox can't even run games or movies properly and they say 'tough luck'.
Katotetu @ Jul 21st 2006 4:57PM
Wow.
I luff nintendo.
And guess what?
I just checked my ds lite.
Kee-racked, baybee!
^_^
I luff nintendo!
billychaos @ Jul 21st 2006 5:32PM
Looks like Nintendo continues to hold their title as one of the few remaining companies with excellent customer service!
Roy @ Jul 21st 2006 5:48PM
This is an excellent thing Nintendo is doing, I'm afraid people are going to misuse it though, like manually "creating" a crack just to have their system whose LCD screen has been scratched by their cat replaced.
Raaaaaaah! @ Jul 21st 2006 7:31PM
Nintendo can fix MY crack any day! *giggle*
Samus Rox @ Jul 21st 2006 10:07PM
Wow.
Nintendo rules.
im also going to get a lite soon.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Aran @ Jul 22nd 2006 4:09PM
This is why I'm a happy customer. And this is also very good PR for Nintendo.
*Happy DS Lite owner*
Ritz @ Jul 22nd 2006 9:01PM
Indeed, I phoned them up and after ensuring me that the problem wouldn't get any worse and that it would probably be more convient to just keep the system as is, the rep did say if I so wished, I could send in the system for a free repair.
By the way, if you use Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, make sure you back up your current data somehow on another DS or something, because the current data will be erased once the unit is returned to you.
Jason @ Jul 23rd 2006 4:00AM
You know what this kind of complaining will likely do if it turns out to annoy or hurt Nintendo financially? Force Nintendo to implement higher quality standards on all future handhelds, thus raising their costs and decreasing the number of units that can be produced.
MKcom @ Jul 23rd 2006 10:31PM
Well, according to Nintendo, it only affects 0.02% of units, so why wouldn't they fix it for free (Kotaku unofficial poll aside).
Matt Cook @ Jul 24th 2006 5:56PM
who do i call to get it fixed
Rich Frueh @ Jul 25th 2006 1:08AM
The first time this kind of thing happened, it was Compaq, with the new LTE notebooks (1990). The plastic on a series of units had a defect in that it hadn't cured all the way, so as people used their notebooks, the plastic continued to shrink, and often cracking all over the place.
Pain in the rear to replace the entire plastics kit, but free of charge to the end users. Us dealers did hundreds of these for a 1-hour labor reimb. from compaq. But people stayed with Compaq over it.
vSaAmTp @ Jul 25th 2006 3:43PM
i have the ds one week and it is broken. when i repair this and it comes back, i think one week later i have the same problem.
i am from germany, have a nintendo ds white.
KrAzYmAn @ Jul 27th 2006 12:59PM
I just notcied my crack today, I guess I'll have to call them up.
Palivizumab @ Sep 12th 2006 8:35PM
Where do we call?
Just find a number on the nintendo site?????????
tyler @ Sep 21st 2006 4:46PM
do the new black and pink lite's have the crack problem?
Fred @ Jun 16th 2007 7:19PM
what number are you suppose to call?