Zero-rated Android upgrades in the pipeline

I upgraded from 1.5 to 2.2 without having to go to 2.1 first. Don't know why people are going the extra mile. Just root it and update to whatever rom you want? BTW what roms are you guys running on your heroes?
 
I am still waiting for my OTA upgrade from 2.1 to 2.2.......... WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I can upgrade this myself, but why did I not receive an OTA update yet?????
 
Some more excuses

Me on HTC's support form:
Good day,
When will the Android 2.2 OTA update for the desire going to be released.

Please don't say that it is in testing and should be released within the next 3-4 weeks. It is unacceptable that the update was released almost 6 months ago and Leaf insists on "testing". This attitude is driving owners to 3rd party roms, especially with recent security vulnerabilities.
Regards

Suzanne responds:
Dear Mr/Ms ;Nicolas
Thank you for contacting HTC.

Unfortunately HTC didn't confirm with us when it will be released .
thank you for your patience .

If you have any other inquiries, don’t hesitate to contact us again.
Please note that you can contact us via support line which is a toll free number 0800 982 773. For further details, please go to http://www.htc.com/europe/CA_Hotline.aspx , Thank you so much for using HTC products.
Respect & Regards,
Mohamed elmasry
HTC Technical Support Team
http://www.htc.com

To send a reply to this message or let me know I have successfully answered your question log in to our ContactUs site using your email address and your ticket number xxx.

Sincerely,

Suzanne

HTC

HTC hasn't confirmed the release? What?? I don't believe that:

Hi Suzanne,

I'm sorry but I have a hard time believing your statement "Unfortunately HTC didn't confirm with us when it will be released". Are you saying that you have not received these firmware updates from HTC 4 months after the update was released in the rest of the world?

An apology and some more bullcrap:

Dear Mr/Ms ;Nicolas
Thank you for contacting HTC.

we appolgize for this issue ,we know its taking alot of time
but its still not available ,we as a technical support do not know when it will be released .

If you have any other inquiries, don’t hesitate to contact us again.
Please note that you can contact us via support line which is a toll free number 0800 982 773. For further details, please go to http://www.htc.com/europe/CA_Hotline.aspx , Thank you so much for using HTC products.
Respect & Regards,
Mohamed elmasry
HTC Technical Support Team
http://www.htc.com

I'm a tad bit annoyed at this:

Suzanne,

It has been 3 months and 1 week since of Leaf's Managing Director Quinton Leigh was quoted in saying that the FOTA update would be rolled out within 2-4 weeks: "“We're a couple of months behind in South Africa, but it is coming,” Leigh said. He added that getting all the agreements and servers in place would be a 2-4 week process"

It is your duty, as a technical support agent, to know the details as to when and how. The firmware is in Leaf's possession, why does Leaf not want to release it?

After a long wait, another reply:

Dear Mr Nicolas
Thank you for contacting HTC.

It didnt pass the first time is was tested, and its not available in the whole of Middle East & Africa as well as some other european countries , thats why its being tested again.

If you have any other inquiries, don’t hesitate to contact us again.
Please note that you can contact us via support line which is a toll free number 0800 982 773. For further details, please go to http://www.htc.com/europe/CA_Hotline.aspx , Thank you so much for using HTC products.

Respect & Regards,

James Blarke

HTC Technical Support Team
http://www.htc.com

My response the following morning:
Good Day,

If what you say is true - and searching around the internet leads me to believe that it is not - then why don't you communicate this with your users? Why is it that every single South African forum thread about HTC Android updates has someone complaining about the communication from Leaf and their promises that are not kept. All of these users love their HTC Androids, but they are completely jaded by Leaf's terrible customer support.

If you are testing the 2.2 update, then make an announcement to this effect, apologize to users for the wait and set a release date. This is a simple PR exercise, and yet Leaf manages to mess this up. Some quotes from various forums regarding Leaf:

"Okay, the Desire is confirmed for a Froyo update later this year...awesome news! Now knowing Leaf, that might mean if I get my contract in October as intended, it should be ready for my Desire by the time I upgrade again in late 2012:-) Yay!"
"I'm very happy with the Froyo I have on my Desire - no thanks to Leaf."
"I personally will either bug Leaf 24/7 for the release, and get them to promise, or just DIY the update."
"Be it for the fact that Leaf have proven to be trustworthy with but 1 thing....taking forever to update things after the rest of the world has been updated. I wonder what it would take to get another company to become the official distributors of HTC in South Africa, a company way more capable. We need it here, but as they are the only people doing it officially, there won't be any competition except from the rogue market."
"Couldn’t expect any less from LEAF."
"I checked, yet again, and still cannot find the update! – FRUSTRATING! Their service / support really sucks!"
"Please HTC, give Leaf the boot and give as a supplier with integrity – one week, to weeks, African time!"
"I agree, please get rid of LEAF, they suck. never have stock for parts, and crap service."
"What a lame excuse, how long have they known about hero 2.1 update and only now they talk to the service providers"
"I love HTC and Android so my next phone will have to come from outside SA. I have had it with Leaf."
"We are all fed up and horrified with how these matters are handled. It is a joke, Leaf Vodacom HTC… to them it seems we are gullable idiots that will blindly just buy a new dog for it’s leash. I am sorry, I’d rather just make the shift to the evil iPhone next upgrade. At least you know what you are in for and only have to complain to your service provider should there be issues… one is better than three. All of them treating us like mushrooms by keep us in the dark and feeding us bull s**t."

And so on and so on. Even on hellopeter.com, the number of complaints far exceed the number of compliments. Over the last year, 71 complaints and 7 compliments. What kind of a company is this?

As I mentioned in an earlier, Leaf's MD was quoted as saying the the FOTA updates would be done months ago. Since then there have been no press releases or postings of any kind giving users an update. What kind of a company is this? One that just collects a markup on imported phones?

I wait in earnest for a response.

I was having a crappy day at work until I received this response:

Dear Mr Nicolas
Thank you for contacting HTC.

Android 2.2 has been officially released today kindly visit Leaf International Communications for the upgrade.

If you have any other inquiries, don’t hesitate to contact us again.
Please note that you can contact us via support line which is a toll free number 0800 982 773. For further details, please go to http://www.htc.com/europe/CA_Hotline.aspx , Thank you so much for using HTC products.

Respect & Regards,

James Blarke

HTC Technical Support Team
http://www.htc.com

Can anyone find it? I hate people lying continually to me.

Hi James/Suzanne,

Neither your website (http://www.leaf.co.za/pages/support/product.aspx) nor HTC's (http://www.htc.com/mea-en/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=312&act=sd&cat=3) show any firmware upgrades. I have cleared my cache.

Regards,

Nicolas

On the side, I also found Peter Blantanis' email on http://www.leaf.co.za/pages/press.aspx. Yes, he's probably not the right guy, but I want answers as to why there is no communication. One would think that Peter would know.:
Hi Peter,

Please can you follow the HTC Global ContactUs System activity ID 10ZACW46ENA000063. This is between myself and either your or HTC's support.

Please understand that I and many other South African HTC Android owners are angry by the lack of communication from Leaf regarding firmware updates - whether they are FOTA, RUU or otherwise. Your or HTC's support center appears to give different answers to the same question from different owners.

My point is that there is no proper communication from Leaf. As the importer who - as I believe - have sole rights, Leaf is failing the owners of HTC phones. If you tell me that there is an update that will be released 6 months after the rest of the world, then make damn sure that you stick to that promise. Your users are angry by the lack of communication, the difficulty in getting information and the lies told by your customer support center not necessarily that an update has not been released.

Regards,

Nicolas

Or that Peter would reply. The next day, and the answer is no.

So, Peter Blantanis's email address is [email protected], then it stands to reason that the MD Quinton Leigh's email address is [email protected]. I've taken a chance and forwarded the email I sent to Peter to Quinton:

Hello Quinton,

I've been having a major problem with my experience with Leaf. I will not let this matter go, despite the lies that your and HTC's support offer me and many, many other people. Please can you track the communication between myself and your support on HTC's Global ContactUs system using activity ID 10ZACW46ENA000063.

Please respond.

Regards,

Nicolas

I really, don't think I'm going to get any response, but I'll stay hopeful.
The rest has been moved to http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/283951-Leaf-International-Communication-Your-experiences
 
Last edited:
Android is about to release Gingerbread. I'm looking forward to that. In the mean time, I'm very happy with the Froyo I have on my Desire - no thanks to Leaf.
 
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