- Report: #1067097
Complaint Review: Greenbrier International - Family Dollar Store - Helena Montana
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Greenbrier International - Family Dollar Store
3085 N Montana Ave Helena MT 59601 Helena, 59601 Montana, USA
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(406) 495-0640
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Greenbrier International - Family Dollar Store Family dollar -Auto Power Adapter BLOWS UP PHONES Auto power adapter for USB devices from Greenbrier KILLS phones Chesapeake virginia
I purchased a "USB Car Charger for DC 12v" at my local Family Dollar Store yesterday. It appears to be a very easy to use device. Plug it in to the car's cigarette lighter adapter and charge your phone or other device. Within 15 minutes of plugging the charger into my HTC Desire Android smartphone, the phone became completely useless. It had been "bricked" by the power adapter (bricked as in, the phome is now about as useful as a brick - it's not a phone anymore).
The adapter that Family Dollar sells, from Greenbrier does have a stupid message on the back of the packaging that warns the user to ONLY plug in devices AFTER the car is started. It actually says that having a device plugged in when the car starts "may damage your appliances" - what???!! What the F? That makes absolutely no sense form a real user perspective. Why would you need to unplug the charger when the car starts??!!
To me, the warning in small letters on the back of the package actually should read something like this - "This device can charge your phones and other equipment - but be careful. It does not have the simple electronic parts that most such devices contain. Instead, we made it as cheaply as possible. Be forewarned, you may destroy devices that cost a lot mor ethan this cheap little adapter". Or something lke that.....
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Tyg
Pahrump,Nevada,
Try this....
#2General Comment
Mon, July 15, 2013
You can try and have the manufacturer pay for a phone repair. They MAY do it. But if they can find ANY reason to NOT do it they will. Little provisios such as the one on the back stateing you shouldnt have your phone plugged in while starting your vehicle. The main reason is that there would be a surge of power to the adapter which would pass along to the phone. Thereby blowing it.
I know that in todays economy everyone is looking to save where they can. But you cant expect RadioShack quality on a Family Dollar price tag. Electronics cost money. Everything from a car charger to a phone is expensive. DO NOT GO CHEAP ON YOUR NEXT ONE!!! In fact go to a radioshack and spend the $20 on a GOOD car charger. They offer a warrenty on their products as well. Im glad Ive always gotten the warrenty. I havent had to pay full retail for a new car charger in almost 5 years. I live in the desert and the heat simply kills everything. So roughly every 11 months I go in and they give me a new car charger. I only have to pay a couple of bucks for the warrenty. Yes there is a process involved but its worth it to not have to worry about powering my phone or that cheap chinese electronics are going to blow up my phone.
