Helping getting Base Station back

[Imaginax]

TLDR : I appear to have been scammed by support and wonder if there is anything I can do about it.

 

Longer Version :

A couple of weeks ago I had friends coming over who were interested in getting a Vive so we arranged drinks and a gaming night.
A day or so before they came over I did the usual and checked for updates on games etc and noticed the base stations needed a firmware update. Foolishly, I did it.

After a reboot one of them refused to work properly, flashing red light on the front.

I submitted a ticket on the support page and then noticed the live chat option so opened that up.

In the live chat I was told - even though it was firmware that caused the error - I had to RMA it. This surprised me and I've had it for a while so was worried about cost. I was assured there should be no cost so I printed out the label and mailed it off. That was the end of my VR night but at least they were solving it.

The next morning I got an email explaining how to fix the error using a manual patch, complicated but as a chap who used to code in machine language on 8bits in the 80s, not beyond me.... annoyingly though I'd just mailed it off to Romania.

Almost 2 weeks later I get an email telling me: " the repair cannot be completed in warranty due to the following reason:  Warranty period" and that it would cost 72 euros to repair but - and here's the kicker - if I wanted it back to try the manual patch I had to pay 35 euros.
I tried explaining that I was told otherwise and was told to contact HTC Support... is that not who mailed me? No. Apparently it was not and they would not copy them into the email or give me anything other than the link back to Vive's website.

So I start a *new* live chat and basically they now say that it is NOT in support and I should not have been told that it was but that they do not intend to do anything else and they are going to keep my base station and I can't raise a complaint about it. I have all of this in chat transcript.

Where do I go from here?

Is there really no way to escalate? Have I been scammed?

I can't express how frustrated / angry I am right now!

 

 

[Synthesis]

Please send me a PM with your serial number, ticket number and the tracking to the repair center.
Also, when did you buy your Vive? If you have proof of purchase, we might need that too.

Thanks,

-John C

[Imaginax]

No replies from anyone and I'm being chased for money by HTC and by this forum to mark the above "PM Me" as a solution.

 

Look I don't want to be unreasonable here but : 

"Send me your thing, I will fix it for free"

followed by:

"Now I have your thing, give me money or you'll never see it again"

...and admitting that is precisely what you've done is unbelievably unethical - I feel like I've been literally robbed.

[Synthesis]

 

Hi Imaginax,

I forwarded your information over to the Euro support team since you're located in the UK. I'll check with them again.

Thank you,

-John C

[Imaginax]

Thanks Synthesis. They've rung me now and are sending it back.

Harder than it should have been but appreciate your help, thanks again!