脆弱的iRiver Story HD

一直想買一台電子閱讀器。電子閱讀器在香港不太流行，大部份人都喜歡用平板電腦。在網上做了資料搜集，似乎iRiver Story HD在閱讀pdf檔較kindle優勝，而我又經常要讀pdf的文獻，所以三便在美國的 Target store (US$109 incl. tax)買了一台iRiver Story HD電子閱讀器。這部閱讀器的確不錯，為了避免割花，我還特地買了一個保護套。

上星期午飯後，我把iRiver Story HD接駁到電腦時，竟發現屏幕變了這個樣子：

因為我午飯前還在看文獻，離開時把在放在桌上，所以見到顯示屏變了這個樣子，真的嚇了一跳。其實一看也知道顯示屏有問題，不過，「死馬當活馬醫」，我也盡人事嘗試重設（reset），如我所料，一點用也沒有。

於是我聯絡iRiver的支援查詢保養事宜，然而，iRiver的支援人員只是不斷叫我把閱讀器送回Target。我相信Target不會回收一部壞的閱讀器，所以我不斷以電郵向支援人員提問。發了八回電郵，我終於得到以下的回覆：

Dear iriver customer, 

Thank you for contacting iriver customer support.   

Yes, Target should be able to provide you with an exchange unit as long as you abide by their return policy. （如果你符合target的退貨政策，他們應該可以替你更換一台新的閱讀器） For further information on Target’s return policy, please contact them.  The limited 1-year manufacture warranty covers everything except for display damages due to personal usage.  Even though you may not have dropped the device, any form of light impact may have caused the internal crack of the screen（任何形式的輕微碰撞，均可能造成屏幕的內部破裂）.  If you would like, we can provide you with proof showing the point of impact on the display if you send in your unit to us through an RMA process.  We can tell by looking at the screen whether the screen was damaged due to personal usage or not.  In your case, looking at the picture you provided (without opening up the unit at our repair center), it has enough damage to conclude that it was due to personal usage.  

If you have any further questions or concerns, please email us back at any time.   

Thanks & Regards,  

Customer & Tech Support 

XXXXX XXX 

iriver Inc.

從這個電郵：

1. 我相信沒有任何一間公司的退貨政策會容許顧客退回壞了的商品；
2. iRiver  承認他們的iRiver Story HD極度脆弱－－「任何形式的輕微碰撞」也可以造成屏幕破裂。儘管我無法想到在我去了吃午飯的半小時內有甚麼輕微碰可以發生（我的房間裡面沒有人）。或許是一隻巨大的蒼蠅降落在閱讀器上吧。

iRiver Story HD is extremely fragile

I got a iRiver Story HD ebook reader from Target store (US$109 incl. tax) three weeks ago. It was a pretty neat machine and I enjoyed reading papers on it, I even bought a softcase to protect it from scratches.

Last week, after lunch, I connected the unit to my computer for file transfer, I saw this:

Since I was reading a paper on the iRiver Story HD right before lunch, and I just left it on my table, I was shocked to see the screen looked like this. I tried resetting it, although I was quite sure this won't help, and yes, it didn't work.

So I contacted iRiver support for warranty claim. Yet, the iRiver support asked me to return the unit to Target. I doubted if Target would accept a return of a broken machine, so I followed up with the iRiver support, and after emailing like 8 times, I finally got their reply as follow:

Dear iriver customer, 

Thank you for contacting iriver customer support.   

Yes, Target should be able to provide you with an exchange unit as long as you abide by their return policy.  For further information on Target’s return policy, please contact them.  The limited 1-year manufacture warranty covers everything except for display damages due to personal usage.  Even though you may not have dropped the device, any form of light impact may have caused the internal crack of the screen.  If you would like, we can provide you with proof showing the point of impact on the display if you send in your unit to us through an RMA process.  We can tell by looking at the screen whether the screen was damaged due to personal usage or not.  In your case, looking at the picture you provided (without opening up the unit at our repair center), it has enough damage to conclude that it was due to personal usage.  

If you have any further questions or concerns, please email us back at any time.   

Thanks & Regards,  

Customer & Tech Support 

XXXXX XXX 

iriver Inc.

From this final email,

1. I believe it is impossible to abide to any store's return policy with a broken unit (Please let me know which store accept return of a broken unit);
2. iRiver admitted their iRiver Story HD is so fragile that "any form of light impact" can crack the screen. Despite I cannot think of what kind of light impact may have happened during the short period I was away for lunch (with no one else inside my room). Hmm, may be a gigantic fly landed on my machine and caused the light impact.