Two Service Needs And Their Resolutions: Bad Display, Intermittent Output Jack
I bought my PAW Gold used in October, 2016. In late 2017, its display started to lose brightness and take on a pink tint, as others have reported here. I wrote
info@lotoo.cn, raising the possibility of also replacing the battery since it was already being serviced, to receive this prompt response:
“Since your machine is out of warranty, you have to pay for the maintenance fee. Because it is a waste of time and money to send the machine back to China, can we only send the screen? And you change the screen by yourself. Replace the screen is easy. Please see the video in the attachment.
“In addition, is the battery must be replaced? If you replace the battery, you need to send the machine back to us, because the battery can not be sent separately. If the battery does not need to be replaced at present, you can contact us when it need to be replaced in the future. If you need to replace the screen and battery, you have to send the machine back to China and pay for the whole freight(come and go). The fee for screen is $111, for battery is $111, the freight for the machine from China to USA is $84 by fedex, You need to pay us total $306. If you just want to replace the screen by yourself, the fee for screen is $111, the freight for screen from China to USA is $19 by SF EXPRESS. You need to pay us total $130. We accept paypal.
“Any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Looking forward to your reply.
Have a nice day.
Lotoo Customer Support”
After viewing the video, I felt I could perform the work myself, so I requested that they send a new display for $130 with shipping. I received the display within a week, and tried to do it myself. I had trouble replacing a ribbon connection, and so I resigned myself to sending unit back with the new display partially installed. That cost me $92 in Fedex shipping, plus another $84 for return shipping. Once in transit to Lotoo, I was told that there was a Customs hold on my player, adding another week and $30 import duty. Hence, I paid a total of $336. Turnaround was 26 days.
Then, in July, only four months later, my Headphone Out jack developed an intermittency in one channel. I suspected that stress on the connection, likely from a straight-in headphone jack applying leverage in my pocket and loosening the solder connection, caused the problem.
Again, I contacted Lotoo. They said if I could solder, I could reflow the solder and fix the jack. They sent a high resolution annotated photo. I again took my Lotoo apart, took a peek inside at the number of layers of stuff I had to remove, then again how much it would be for them to fix it. I again inquired about battery replacement. Here is what they said:
“If you are not confident in repairing the earphone jack by yourself, you have to send the machine back to China.
“This machine has had few customers changing batteries since it was launched in 2014. If it is used normally, the battery can be used for three to five years, but since the battery cannot be mailed separately, if you need to replace the battery in the future, you have to send the whole machine back to us. If you want to change the battery this time by the way, you can open the back cover of the battery, remove the original battery, and send the machine without the battery to us. After we installed the new battery, we will send it back to you, so that you have a spare battery. The cost of repairing the earphone jack is $45, the cost of replacing the battery is $105, the shipping cost from Beijing to the United States is $84, total is $234. And you need to pay for the shipping cost of the machine from the US to Beijing by yourself. In addition, if the tariff is generated(maybe about $30), you need to bear it yourself. What is your opinion?
“Sorry for the inconvenience and looking forward to your reply.
Best regards,
Lotoo Customer Support”
With the fee to send the PAW Gold from U.S. to Lotoo, the total with battery replacement would be $360. Without battery replacement, it would be $255. They cannot send the battery separate, for mail safety fire concerns...it HAS to be inside the Lotoo.
After a month of using the Line Out instead, I screwed my courage to the sticking post and tried to disassemble the player, revelry the solder, and reassemble it. I succeeded, but was nervous and still think that there is magic missing if I disassemble and reassemble over when the manufacturer does.
It now has been working great for about two months and is STILL my best sounding player (vs. Sony NW-1A and other lesser players.)
WHEW!! Great service from Lotoo! This leaves me questioning the wisdom of buying used, rather than new, for things I really love. However, it is only after I have them that I know that I love, not just like, an item!
