Hacking Loose hinge on DS?

[Wightslayer]

OK. I got a white DS lite, less than a year old. Play it heaps. The hinge is getting loose, so when I push the top screen side to side, it makes clicking noises and a bit of the hinge shows. This does not happen to my sister's DS lite, which is older than mine!
Is there any way to fix this without spending heaps or buying a new NDSL?
I'm just worried the hinge will break

It's been like this for quite a while, maybe about 2 months after I bought it.
From overuse maybe? I have a tendancy to open and close it quite a lot >_>

 

[V!olaPlayer]

Your lucky it's still under warranty!!
Go send it in to Nintendo. The repair is free
if its under warranty. Just call Nintendo
and talk to a rep and see if you can get your DS repaired.

 

[Wightslayer]

Is it?
How long is the warranty?
Will they fix it if they know I've been using a flash cart?
And where do I send it too @_@
Thanks anyway :3

P.S does anyone know where the spare parts and service centre in Australia is???

EDIT: On closer inspeciton of my DS hinge I can see it actually coming APART. Major problem...

 

[Fieryshadowz]

Warranty is only 1 year! Go Go Go! Abuse thy warranty~

 

[Wightslayer]

Lol...
I have no idea where to send it though, and the helpline is so expensive!!!
My sis said it looks minor, but I love my DS to pieces...so I should get it done, eh...
Oh well....not like I'll be playing it much since my flash cart died...and since I finished AAAJ4...
Any ideas?

 

[Ferrariman]

My hinge cracked and I had to duct tape it.

 

[Wightslayer]

Wow, does it still work?
Can I see a picture of it?
That's sorta cool O_O I've heard stories of people dropping them from extraordinary heights and they still lived but duct tape on a broken hinge...that's something new to me

 

[jimyyd]

dude why does it matter 5 of my friends hinges are cracked and they dont care

 

[Gman 101]

Don't worry, you can always comfort yourself in Nintendo Australia's lack of care for customers and horrible treatment of customers. Just go back to the store where you got it and get it replaced if possible.

 

[Kaos]

Here's all the info you should need.

My DS had a similar problem. I sent it in and they fixed it and got it back to me in about 3-4 working days. As long as it's under warranty you'll be fine.

 

[Wightslayer]

Thanks guys...
I rang Nintendo and they were no help...they just said
"Bring it/Send it in and we'll see if it's a manufacturing fault, if it isn't, then you have to pay $25"
What the hell man...
Luckily the place is not aeons away from where I live (but still quite far :\)so I'll go give them a visit...

jimyyd: Yeah, but it's how long it's going to /last/ with a cracked hinged. if my one breaks, you can bet my parent's aint gonna fork out more money to get me another.

Jerro123: I can't even find the receipt for it, which means no proof of purchase, which means x_x But I do agree they are no help AT ALL.

Kaos999: Thanks. I'm not sure if this thing's covered under warranty cos they said it might be a "stress related fracture" In which case I have to fork out heaps of cash...

 

[Kaos]

If you don't have the receipt then you'll have to pay for the repairs. They only honour the warranty if you still have the receipt.

 

[Flozem]

Funny thing is that in the Netherlands Nintendo also claims they only give one year warranty. But in fact we're protected by law that states the seller is obliged to give warranty for a longer period:

Our consumerlaw states that we can succesfully claim warranty for the same period we may expect a product to last when used under conditions the product was meant to operate.

So in fact this period encompasses the usual depreciation period. For computer appliances in the Netherlands, that would be five years. The one trick is you have to claim warranty with the selling company and not with the manufacturer directly.

So if my DS lite would get cracked hinges I would just write a fine letter to the company I bought my DS.


Dunno if the Netherlands is the only country with such grand consumer law. Might be useful to check locally...

 

[IainDS]

I dropped my lite down a concrete stair case and it only suffered a tiny crack!

 

[Wightslayer]

Wow, that's pretty hardcore...
I still haven't had time to take it to the Nintendo people yet...
I heard that you can sort of side step the reciept thing...you just ask them to look at the serial no. on the back of your ds and they can find out when it was made? Is that true?

 

[RaiDesu]

Only if your DS is registered in their system. Some manufacturers report it after purchase. If it was included in a bundle, you need the reciept. (Mine was Bundle, they didn't have my serial registered).

 

[Wightslayer]

Hmm...mine came with a game...does that count?
I'll have to check out with the store :\
Cool, thanks anyway

 

[krazykirk]

Funny thing is that in the Netherlands Nintendo also claims they only give one year warranty. But in fact we're protected by law that states the seller is obliged to give warranty for a longer period:

Our consumerlaw states that we can succesfully claim warranty for the same period we may expect a product to last when used under conditions the product was meant to operate.

So in fact this period encompasses the usual depreciation period. For computer appliances in the Netherlands, that would be five years. The one trick is you have to claim warranty with the selling company and not with the manufacturer directly.

So if my DS lite would get cracked hinges I would just write a fine letter to the company I bought my DS.


Dunno if the Netherlands is the only country with such grand consumer law. Might be useful to check locally...

We've also basically the same going on here in Australia as well.

Here we refer to it as statutory warranty. It's run by the Fair Trading Comission. Heres a information sheet. http://www.ara.com.au/fileadmin/user_uploa...rranty_Sign.pdf

In a nutshell, it means that if a product breaks within an unreasonable time, the manufacturer must give you a refund or replacement.
For example, we can reasonably expect the hinge to keep working for a period of 2 years (Or at the very bare minimum a year). If it breaks before then and you can prove that it is a unreasonable timeframe for it to break, they must give you a replacement or refund or something like that.

Hope that helps!

 

[krazykirk]

Oh and also about checking the serial number, most of the time, the only thing they can really determine is when it was made. But on the other hand, if you registered your DS online on nintendo's website after you bought it, you should of been able to put down the purchase date and they might be able to obtain the information from there. But the easiest way to go is to have a reciept!

 

[Wightslayer]

DAMN...CRAP
I hope I can find that receipt >< My mum said she might have throw it away ;_;
That would suck SO MUCH O_O
And when I shake it CLOSED it still rattles. found out that was just the Volume switch.
My sis' friend says it could be a loose component?

Hey cool, I never knew that about Australia...man...and I've been living here all my life XD
But I reall can't find that receipt ;_;