Thumbs up: Sandisk RMA (despite the terrible UPS service)

RMA waiting time explained

Sometimes shit happens, even when buing quality sdcards. This is exacly what happened with my SanDisk Ultra 32GB. Afer some time the card was not detected anymore (intermittently). So I went to SanDisk website and followed the procedure in their faq (format the card...) without success and for this reason I decided to contact them.

Here is a short summary of all that went right and wrong in the process:

Day 0: my first message

Here is the essence of my message to their customer services:

• My card is not working
• I followed your FAQ and it did not help
• The serial number is ...
• Here is a copy of the receipt from Amazon.de
• Can you please help me?

Day 2: Sandisk's answer 

I'm impressed, 36h later I got an answer:

• We're sorry (...)
• Is your product refurbished?
• How was your product packaged at the time of purchase?
• Could you please send us your details?

Day 2: answering Sandisk's questions

Not losing any time, I answered their questions on the same day.

Day 2: Sandisk: OK you may return the microsd 

Day 4: I'm sending the card back to Sandisk

Ok... I lost two days here. I'm just not going every day to the post office to send registered/signed for mail.

Day 6: the card arrives to Sandisk

The registered letter I sent

(according to the track & trace of my registered letter)

Day 10: Sandisk confirms the reception

Ok this is a little long just to acknowledge the reception of my letter.

Day 11: replacement is sent 

That was fast ! Just one day ! It was sent with UPS (supposedly a much better courier than the postal service) and I got the tracking number. (6/11)

Day 17: still no sign from UPS and nothing in my mailbox...

Day 18: two UPS slips in my mailbox (?)

This is incredible: on the evening of day 17 I had nothing in my mailbox. On day 18 I have two notes saying they came on day 17 and 18 and that both times I was absent. Their track&trace website says the same.

It is true that I was not home at the time UPS came by on day 17 and 18. I would however like UPS to explain why:

• I received both slips on the same day
• It took them 7 days to bring me my parcel (while it took two days for the postal service)

Day 18: I'm not taking any chances... 

On the evening of day 18, I'm not taking any chances. If the courier comes a 'third time' (read 'second) time'), I will have to collect it at their warehouse. I'm therefore asking them to deliver it at work were there is always somebody to collect and sign for it.

Day 20: The new sdcard is in my hands

It took a while but I eventually got it... :-)

Conclusions

• Thumbs up for Sandisk: One week for processing my request (5 workdays + week-end)
• Thumbs up for the European postal services: Two days to bring a letter from Belgium to Czech Republic
• UPS service is terrible:
• 7 days to send a letter from Czech republic to Belgium
• Did they really come twice to my place? Both slips were received on the same day

Here is a graph showing who was responsible for the delay during these 20 days: