LG Issues Refunds To Nexus 5X Owners Plagued By Boot Loop Flaw
LG Electronics seems to be taking the unusual step of issuing full refunds to Nexus 5X owners who find their handsets stuck in an endless reboot cycle. Typically a customer could expect a refurbished replacement or free repair for a phone that is still under warranty, but apparently LG doesn't hold onto stock very long—it told a customer who sent in his phone for repair that it was out of parts necessary to complete the job.
"We're sorry to hear that you've experienced a problem with your LGH790 and appreciate you giving us the opportunity to provide a warranty repair. We have received your device at our repair facility but currently a part to complete the repair is out of stock and is no longer available," LG stated to the customer in an email. "To rectify this issue, we would like to offer you a refund for the full amount of your device. That amount will be determined by your sales receipt. Your refund can take approximately 4 weeks to receive due to the holiday."
Other smartphone makers can take a lesson from LG in how to handle customers when stuck in an unfortunate position. It is worth noting that the Nexus 5X was released more than a year ago. Most people would probably agree that offering a full refund for a handset that might have been used for 12 months or more is an acceptable course of action, if not pleasantly surprising. So, kudos to LG for that.
Where LG deserves some criticism is for having this problem creep up in the first place. This is not the first time one of LG's devices has been susceptible to a boot loop flaw. A similar issue plagued its G4 device, which LG traced to a "loose contact between components," something that was avoidable and should have been caught during Q&A.
"LG Electronics has been made aware of a booting issue with the LG G4 smartphone that has now been identified as resulting from a loose contact between components. Customers who are experiencing booting issues with their LG G4s should contact their local carrier from where the G4 was purchased or a nearby LG Service Center (www.lg.com/common) for repair under full warranty," LG said at the time.
It is not clear what is causing boot loops on the Nexus 5X.
"We're sorry to hear that you've experienced a problem with your LGH790 and appreciate you giving us the opportunity to provide a warranty repair. We have received your device at our repair facility but currently a part to complete the repair is out of stock and is no longer available," LG stated to the customer in an email. "To rectify this issue, we would like to offer you a refund for the full amount of your device. That amount will be determined by your sales receipt. Your refund can take approximately 4 weeks to receive due to the holiday."
Other smartphone makers can take a lesson from LG in how to handle customers when stuck in an unfortunate position. It is worth noting that the Nexus 5X was released more than a year ago. Most people would probably agree that offering a full refund for a handset that might have been used for 12 months or more is an acceptable course of action, if not pleasantly surprising. So, kudos to LG for that.
Where LG deserves some criticism is for having this problem creep up in the first place. This is not the first time one of LG's devices has been susceptible to a boot loop flaw. A similar issue plagued its G4 device, which LG traced to a "loose contact between components," something that was avoidable and should have been caught during Q&A.
"LG Electronics has been made aware of a booting issue with the LG G4 smartphone that has now been identified as resulting from a loose contact between components. Customers who are experiencing booting issues with their LG G4s should contact their local carrier from where the G4 was purchased or a nearby LG Service Center (www.lg.com/common) for repair under full warranty," LG said at the time.
It is not clear what is causing boot loops on the Nexus 5X.
