'Customer care' frustration...

[peterbye]

Sent 2 notes to Philips customer care today. It's clearly a complete and utter waste of time and effort:

Note 1:
I cannot find how to set the alarm volume. At the moment it seems to come on quietly and build up to full volume which is much too loud - how can the maximum volume be set?
Answer 1:
In the last step of setting the Alarm, you can select a different alarm sound source. You can select the music you desire or a radio station or buzzer.

Duh, and how do you set the alarm volume?

Note 2:
The display is much too bright. Even on the dimmest setting it illuminates the entire bedroom. This is ridiculous for an alarm clock, there needs to be a much dimmer setting.
Answer 2:
There are 3 brightness levels to select: DIM OFF, DIM 1 , DIM 2. ( From bright to weak ). In order to get step by step instruction, I request you to visit the followign web site:

Thank you, and why do you think I said 'Even on the dimmest setting...'

[Swann]

Keep on trying, we all do that...

In the end I got a good support that forwarded my request to development (at least that's what they said to me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif ).

[Himbeertoni]

On request of my dealer i sent him a fax prescribing all of the "malfunctions" i have experienced with piece of machinery /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif. He went over to a internal Philips fair in Hamburg and handed over this to a responsible person last Friday. They promised him a response (not a solution /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif)
When i am back home second half of october i will check
on an answer. If there is no improvement/new firmware i will return it to the dealer and get back my money.

Cheers
Himbeertoni

[peterbye]

I received one further joke of a reply from them:

================================================== ==========

I understand from your email that yo want to alter the volum esettings for the alarm clock.

This option cannot be alterd as the volume pattern has been fixed and will continue to increase on volume.

We have not received any additional information if this option will be changed in the future.

I hope I have answered your question satisfactorily. If you have any further enquiries into this matter, please contact us and refer to your case number PMS-070829-0282

================================================== ==========

This is a completely ridiculous state of affairs. The thing is completely unfit for purpose as they well know, yet they seem to have no intention of addressing the issues.
The uselessness of the product, followed by the uselessness of the support has made certain that I will never ever in my life buy anything else with the name Philips on it.

[Himbeertoni]

I have returned it to my dealer. I bought a Sangeon with 2 different waking times which are chosen automatically depending on the weekday. It does everything better except streaming, but i had a station left which i put in the bedroom. Now i am happy.

Cheers
Himbeertoni

[Swann]

I'm making one last futile attempt with customer support, depending on the response... after that it goes in the closet, to be used as a useful parts thingy....

sadly there isn't any other product out on the market that suits my needs in one unit;
1. Big nice snooze button
2. Streaming from UPNP
3. FM Radio with reasonable alarm level
4. Ethernet via cable (not wireless)

Why should it be so hard ???