I purchased an Amazon Fire 7″ Kids Edition Tablet for one of my children in February and despite not being hugely impressed, I assumed the issues were teething problems and for balance, purchased another for my other child in May.
Unfortunately these have proven to be nothing short of a disaster with the latterly bought one having to be sent back and its replacement never working. After 10 months of disappointment I just want a refund, I have contacted Amazon support almost daily since November 2017 and never had a single pro-active response from them nor any sign of a fix (in October I started logging the problems – see below).
There’s a review I wrote that gives some more information here: http://bobmckay.com/life/tech-gadgets/real-amazon-fire-7-kids-edition-tablet-review/
A quick video clip shows the kind of problems we’re seeing every time we try and use them:
So in an effort to warn others and to provide a place to log the ongoing mission that is me trying to stop my kids being constantly disappointed, I’ve decided to start logging everything going on with the two Amazon Fire 7″ Kids Edition Tablets I bought.
If this was my tablet, I wouldn’t be too bothered but its my daughters who we rarely allow to use the tablet so its a real treat, meaning she’s so disappointed every time she gets to go on it and it doesn’t work.
I only wish I’d started logging all the problems from when we first got them earlier in 2017! The worst thing is the number of different people that I’m getting responses from. The support people so far: Fabi, Meghana, Luis, Hyder, Saranyavani, Balakumar, Akshay, Sampath, Swathika, Sirisha, Sindhuja, Vensiya, Rohith, Thomson, Durga (these are just the ones I’ve logged).
You can see that the responses I’ve received over the past couple of months are a combination of the following boilerplate statements:
- I’d like to advise that your query is still being investigated by my colleague.
- I’d like to advise that your query is still being investigated.
- Meanwhile, personally I have contacted my previous colleague to contact you as soon as possible.
- I have contacted my previous colleague to contact you as soon as possible with an update.
- Please accept my apologies for this delay.
- Although we try to complete our research at the earliest, sometimes it may take slightly longer. Please be assured that we shall contact you shortly with further information.
- Although we try to complete our research at the earliest possible, sometimes it may take slightly longer. Please be assured that we shall contact you shortly with further information.
Twitter Replies
Given I was getting nothing from emailing Amazon support, I started tweeting them too, getting the same level of responses there too, including classics like “It seems this issue is still being investigated. May I ask if you checked your spam/junk folders for a reply?” and “Without providing us any personal information would you be able to elaborate a bit further on the issues you are having with the kindles?” (this after I sent a link to this page).
Amazon Support Contact Log
3rd January 2018, Part 2
I received an email giving me the details of how to return the two tablets but then when I checked my account, I could only see one replacement laptop being issued, despite specifically confirming with ‘Thomson’ that he would issue two replacements.
I began talking to Ashwin and I explained the situation until he unceremoniously transferred me to a new department and someone called D Durga, I explained the situation to D Durga until he unceremoniously transferred me to Srinvas.
After explaining again that I had agreed both tablets would be replaced, Srinvas confirmed he would arrange a replacement. I have a horrible feeling that now I have 3 return labels for 2 tablets, things are going to awry in the future again.
On a side note, I asked Srinvas “What happened to D Durga?” and he told me “I will check this for you” – I’m a little concerned that Srinvas has buried Durga somewhere…. 🙂
3rd January 2018, Part 1
I sent another follow up email today but received no response so decided to contact support via chat and got through to ‘Thomson’. I got the usual ‘lets do a factory reset’ response so I pointed out I had already tried this and Thomson said the next step was to replace the tablets (the second time for one of them!). While I sincerely doubt this will solve the problem, I’ve agreed just to remove one more hurdle/excuse.
2nd January 2018
Same problems today, emailed support and got the following mix of boilerplate statements from ‘Rohith’:
I’d like to advise that your query is still being investigated by my colleague.
Meanwhile, personally I have contacted my previous colleague to contact you as soon as possible.
Please accept my apologies for this delay. Although we try to complete our research at the earliest, sometimes it may take slightly longer. Please be assured that we shall contact you shortly with further information.
31st December 2017
Last day of the year and still no sign of even a response from Amazon support other than the standard boilerplate placation I’ve been receiving for months.
Tried the tablet again this morning to see if my kids could get to use their tablets today but same problem, took a couple of screenshots for evidence:
30th December 2017
Email for a follow up yesterday, got the usual mix of boillerplate responses (from ‘Sirisha’):
Thank you for contacting Amazon Customer Service.
I’d like to advise that your query is still being investigated.
One of our colleague has followed this up with the technical team to update us with a resolution as soon as possible.
I have contacted my previous colleague to contact you as soon as possible with an update.
Please accept my apologies for this delay. Although we try to complete our research at the earliest possible, sometimes it may take slightly longer. Please be assured that we shall contact you shortly with further information.
29th December 2017
Follow up again and received the following standard response (from ‘Vensiya’):
I’d like to advise that your query is still being investigated.
One of our colleague has followed this up with the technical team to update us with a resolution as soon as possible.
I have contacted my previous colleague to contact you as soon as possible with an update.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding in this matter.
24th December 2017
Christmas Eve and sSo still no answer from Amazon support and still problems with both my kids Fire HD tablets, one intermittently not loading apps, the other one has no working apps as they all say we don’t own them. It’s now been months of problems with the second tablet (basically since I bought it in May) and I’ve been chasing Amazon support daily since the beginning of December and not received any response other than one telling me the issue would be resolved within 2 days.
I really just want my money back as they are clearly not fit for purpose and Amazon support are incapable (or unwilling) to help.
Took a break over Christmas!
29th December 2017
Same problems with both of the kids tablets today, chased Amazon but no response yet.
28th December 2017
Same problems with both of the kids tablets today, no time to chase Amazon.
24th December 2017
Received an email from someone called ‘Sindhuja’ today saying “personally I have contacted my previous colleague to contact you as soon as possible”. Well that’s reassuring. Same problems as before.
23rd December 2017
Still no word from Amazon support, same problem as yesterday.
22nd December 2017
Same problem the tablets, one with unresponsive apps and the other with all apps loading but then closing afterwards.
21st December 2017
Tested both tables today, same problems, recorded another video clip for evidence. Email Amazon support too, got the usual bollocks back, today from yet another support person:
I’d like to advise that your query is still being investigated by my colleague.
Meanwhile, personally I have contacted my previous colleague to contact you as soon as possible.
Please accept my apologies for this delay. Although we try to complete our research within 1 to 2 business days, sometimes it may take slightly longer. Please be assured that we shall contact you shortly with further information.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding in this matter.
20th December 2017
Tested both tablets and problems remain. Still no update or response from Amazon support. Didn’t have it in me to send another follow up email.
19th December 2017
Usual problem this morning, apps not working. Emailed Amazon and got the usual auto-response from ‘Vensiya ‘ today:
On of our colleague has followed this up with the technical team to update us with a resolution as soon as possible.
Please accept my apologies for this delay. Although we try to complete our research within 1 to 2 business days, sometimes it may take slightly longer. Please be assured that we shall contact you shortly with further information.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding in this matter.
18th December 2017
Same problem again this morning with us not owning the apps, emailed support to follow up and got the usual response (from ‘Balakumar’):
On of our colleague has followed this up with the technical team to update us with a resolution as soon as possible.
Please accept my apologies for this delay. Although we try to complete our research within 1 to 2 business days, sometimes it may take slightly longer. Please be assured that we shall contact you shortly with further information.
Every day they tell me they aim to complete their research within 1 to 2 business days – I think they might need to update that.
17th December 2017
Tested the tablets and one of them is sort of working, the other still has the same problems with no apps working.
Followed up with the <irony>A team</irony>.
Exiting news, I got a slightly different boilerplate response today (from ‘Saranyavani’):
As it is not yet possible to provide you with a resolution, we continue to work hard to provide an update and we still expect to be in contact with you as soon as possible.
Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience; we want to be sure to address this matter as thoroughly as possible.
16th December 2017
More Errors – the kids love ’em. Having not heard anything for 24 hours I followed up again, receiving the following boilerplate response (from ‘Hyder’):
I’ve checked the previous correspondence and see that one of my colleague is already following up with you on this issue. I’ve forwarded your query to my colleague. You should receive a reply from him within 24 – 48hrs.
15th December 2017
I got an email today asking me two things I’ve already told them. In my experience, Amazon’s customer service desk needs to be told the same thing at least three times before they are able to process it, their request was thus (from ‘Luis’):
Please confirm if the issue is limited to one app or is it the same with all the apps, and are the apps 1st party or 3rd party or all apps.
Is there any error message that you see when trying to open the app.
I replied straight away.
14th December 2017
Neither of the kids tablets working properly today, I recorded a video (below), these are the sort of problems we’ve faced since first getting the tablets. Despite yesterdays email saying I was going to be contacted by a support person, no response from Amazon so I have followed up. Boilerplate response from ‘Meghana’.
13th December 2017
Received a response from Amazon about the problems with the kids tablets simply saying (from ‘Fabi’):
We’ll need to look into the problem with your Fire tablets a little more deeply. I’ve contacted our technical specialists who should be able to provide further guidance.
Situations such as this are rare, and our goal is to help resolve any problems you encounter as quickly as possible. I’m sorry I was unable to solve this problem more quickly and will write back as soon as a resolution is available.
I’ve notified the co-worker who previously assisted you, for her to contact you as soon as possible.
Yay, they’re getting the person who originally couldn’t solve the problem to get in touch.
12th December 2017
I spent an hour on a support chat session firstly with someone called Akshay who transferred me to someone called Sampath. I answered a bunch of questions and were unable to get the apps to appear. I ran out of time but just before the end of the session, I at least found an option to get the apps to appear (for some reason a tickbox hidden away had been unticked for one of the profiles).
11th December 2017
Finally received the refund, I thought all was well (aside from the general shiteness of the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablets). Then the problems started with no apps visible on the replacement tablet and the same old intermittent issues with the first one we bought.
10th December 2017
Still no sign of my refund so I contacted Amazon support to ask where the money was, they confirmed it would be processed.
30th November 2017
I received an email from Amazon confirming they had charged me £100 for the replacement tablet despite the fact that a tablet + case costs only £70! and that I had been waiting for confirmation on where to send the replacement. I contacted them again and got an address, shipping it back to them myself and paying for recorded delivery out of my own pocket.
14th November 2017
I contacted Amazon and asked for confirmation of where it should be sent to, the support person wasn’t sure and said they would let me know.
8th November 2017
Received an email from Amazon reminding me to return the old one.
22nd October 2017
Case arrived and we finally have a tablet that looks right – woohoo!
20th October 2017
The replacement tablet arrived today. Unfortunately it arrived without the case and the case from the existing tablet wouldn’t fit. Contacted Amazon support again and they confirmed that yes, it would not fit and they would send one out (why didn’t they just send it with one?!).
18th October 2017
After months of problems, I’ve had enough and have requested Amazon replace it. Despite their promise that they will replace them ‘No questions asked’, I was grilled for ages about the problems (bearing in mind a less honest person would have just hit it with a hammer and claimed accidental damage).
20th September 2017
Repeated problems with the tablet, in the end I performed a full factory reset and replaced the Micro SD-card with a newly formatted one. After a lot messing around, the tablet is already showing some of the same symptoms again.
