14 DAY TRIAL // There's a general belief that "simple customers" can't sue big companies and win, even if they have the truth on their side. Moreover, many users don't even think about suing when a phone, a headset or another accessory doesn't work properly and the company that produced it refuses to change it or return the money initially spent by the buyer. This is firstly because a lawsuit requires time, that many of us don't have, and secondly because we prefer to buy a new device and pay a couple of hundred dollars again instead of filing a lawsuit that has little chances to bring something good.
Well, a woman from Singapore took that "little chance" and sued Nokia. In a post written on a popular Singaporean forum, the woman says that in August 2007 she bought a Nokia phone for $388, with a 2-year contract from Starhub, the second largest mobile operator in Singapore. The phone model is not mentioned, but judging by its price, it's almost sure that we're talking about a high-end Nokia.
After buying the phone, the woman noticed that it was not working properly, so she went to Nokia Care Center to repair the handset or get e new one. Several months passed and Nokia ignored the request, so in the end she filed a claim against the company, through the Singapore Small Claim Tribunal. She won the case and should have received $778 from Nokia. Since after 15 days the company still hadn't send the money, the woman went to the Nokia headquarters in Singapore, where she had an unpleasant surprise.
"I went to their HQ the next day, after presenting the Order of Tribunal to the Manager, he finally agreed to pay," writes the woman. "However, Nokia would pay me if only I agreed to sign a conditional letter. They wanted to keep my mouth shut and I was not allowed to disclose this claim to any third party. I refused as they had no right to impose any condition because this was not an out of court settlement."
The woman had to came back another day, accompanied by a bailiff officer, and only then Nokia agreed to pay without any other request. So the claimant finally got her money, a total of $1,018.43. The full "confession" of the brave woman can be seen at this address.
The conclusion: simple users can win a "battle" with a big company, if they have enough time and motivation to file a lawsuit. Another conclusion (that we actually knew) is that no one is perfect , not even Nokia.