Amazfit Zen Buds
In today's highly competitive market, exceptional customer service can make or break a company's reputation. Unfortunately, not all companies prioritize providing satisfactory support to their customers. One such company that has failed to live up to customer expectations is Amazfit. As a loyal customer who has purchased multiple products from them, I have recently experienced their abysmal customer service firsthand. In this blog post, I will share my disappointing encounter with Amazfit and shed light on the various issues I encountered along the way.
Chronology of Events:
In July 2020, I eagerly purchased two pairs of ZenBuds through the AmazFit USA Indiegogo campaign. One pair was intended for myself, while the other was meant for my son, who was experiencing significant difficulty sleeping. Due to personal reasons, my son ultimately decided not to use the ZenBuds. As a result, one pair remained unopened and stored on a shelf, until March 2023 when I stumbled upon it while tidying my office.
Having been pleased with my own pair of ZenBuds, which I had been using without any issues, I decided to sell the unopened pair on eBay. To my surprise, the item sold quickly, and the buyer, Charlotte, later contacted me requesting a refund due to connectivity issues with the left Bud. Despite my eBay terms stating no refunds, I agreed to help her by contacting Amazfit's customer support on her behalf.
Unsatisfactory Support Communication:
My attempt to assist Charlotte quickly unveiled Amazfit's lackluster customer support. After reaching out to their support team, led by Joey, I was disheartened by the delayed response and the inadequacy of the reply. It became evident that resolving this issue would be a time-consuming and frustrating process.
Upon receiving the disappointing response, I anticipated a lengthy resolution process, as it had become apparent that Amazfit's support team was not proficient in prompt and effective communication. Waiting weeks for a response is simply unacceptable, particularly for a company in the technology industry where efficiency is valued.
Defective Product and Warranty:
In order to better understand Charlotte's concerns, I decided to provide her with a refund and requested that she return the ZenBuds to me. This allowed me to personally test the product and ascertain the validity of her claim. Unfortunately, I discovered that the left Bud failed to connect or would frequently disconnect, even when fully charged. Both Charlotte and I attempted various troubleshooting methods, such as depleting the battery and recharging, but to no avail.
It is important to note that although the ZenBuds were outside the warranty period, the fact that the unopened box remained sealed for two and a half years suggests that the product was essentially brand new when Charlotte opened it in March 2023. This raises concerns about the product's quality and durability, especially considering the limited use it had undergone.
Disillusionment as a Customer:
Amazfit's poor customer service and the numerous challenges faced throughout this ordeal have left me utterly disillusioned as a once-loyal customer. The lack of timely and satisfactory support from a company I had trusted has shattered my faith in Amazfit as a reliable brand. As a result, I will never consider purchasing their products again.
Comparison to Competitors:
This experience has reinforced the importance of exceptional customer service. While Amazfit may offer competitive pricing for their products, their disregard for customer satisfaction pales in comparison to companies like Apple, whose products may come at a premium but are accompanied by unparalleled support. With Apple, customers can be confident in receiving a superior level of customer service, compensating for any additional costs.
A Warning to Potential Customers:
By sharing my story through this blog post, I hope to caution prospective buyers considering Amazfit products. It is vital to make an informed decision and recognize the potential pitfalls that lie ahead. Chinese companies like Amazfit may be eager to sell their products in markets like the UK and Europe, but they often fall short when it comes to addressing customer issues and concerns.
Conclusion:
My personal experience with Amazfit's poor customer service has left me disappointed and disillusioned. I have highlighted the chronology of events, the ongoing lack of communication, the defective product, and the ultimate disillusionment as a customer. I believe it is crucial to warn others about these issues, encouraging them to think twice before purchasing Amazfit products. While price may be a consideration, it is essential to prioritize a company's commitment to customer satisfaction.
UPDATE: August 2023
In the end because of all the resistance from Amazfit, I decided to refund my eBay customer and instead decide on a different strategy. I searched high and low across the web and also on LinkedIn and finally found someone in the UK in their Zepp division. I connected with them and messaged them with this blogpost. After a few messages back and forth I received this message:
Hi Michael, thank you for sending over the receipt. Whilst I understand these were unopened for almost 3 years we as all businesses have to set clear policies and timings in place on sold items. Should you have had any issues within the warranty period from date of purchase we would have had no issues in accommodating your request. A warranty period is a warranty period right? Away from the business I will personally at my own cost send you a new pair of Zenbuds to resolve your out of warranty issue. Please provide me with your full address and I will post out this week. Many thanks
He very kindly did send me a brand new pair of Zen Buds. As I already have a perfectly working pair of Zen Buds, I naturally sold this new pair, in a totally unopened box on eBay.
The surprisingly sold quite fast and within a few days of them being sold I received the following message and my heart sank in despair.
Hi there, the Zenbuds have been received. However, the right one doesn’t work. It won’t connect, we’ve tried on 2 different phones, but same story. Any advice? Many thanks
I sold the Zen Buds on eBay on the basis of no return or refund. I sent a message to my contact and regrettably received the following message back.
Hi Michael, I am on my family holiday for the next 3 weeks, I will pick this up upon my return. Many thanks
My heart sank even further, I was not able to provide any kind of answer to my buyer and had to stall him for 3 weeks! Aargh!
I waited 3 weeks and messaged my contact at Zepp again and regrettably this is the response I received.
Hi Michael, that is correct. My actions to provide you with a new pair of Zenbuds was purely from my own goodwill and away from the companies policy. I don’t have another pair to send and your warranty for the first pair ran out a very long time ago as we’ve established. Kind regards
Of course I wasn’t that happy with that response, so asked who else I could contact.
Thanks, I totally understand your point of view and I have no idea how you came about those buds, but surely something is seriously wrong considering both these pairs went faulty and the company should know about this, whether inside warranty or not, both these pairs were brand new out of a sealed box and faulty at the same time. I am at a loss to understand why Amazfit can just turn a blind eye to this issue. Can you advise me who else I should contact about this, I don't expect you to have to resolve this. Thanks, Michael
And then the final blow was delivered.
Hi Michael, I’m sorry but as you’re out of the warranty period there is nothing more Amazfit can assist you with. I have tried assisting you away from the companies policy with a goodwill gesture, had you come to us within the warranty period then we as a brand would have happily assisted your issue. Kind regards
I unfortunately had to provide a full refund to my eBay customer, I couldn’t not, it just would play on my mind forever. But I still want to highlight this to a higher level if I can. I just found the COO at Zepp Health in the USA, so I will send him a copy of this post whether he would like to read it or not is up to him. Wish me luck!