An increasing number of EU users are facing warranty issues with OnePlus and are gathering on Reddit to tell their stories. Some are even escalating and filing a case with the European Consumer Center (ECC) for deceptive trade practices and breach of warranty terms.
One Reddit post tells a story about a pair of OnePlus Buds 2 that were received as a gift when purchasing the OnePlus 13 almost two years ago. Before the warranty expired, the buds malfunctioned and were sent for repairs at OnePlus.
However, OnePlus said the Buds 2 are a near-end-of-life product, so they can’t repair or replace them. Instead, the company offered the customer a €199-worth voucher that can be used at OnePlus’ online store. And here’s where it gets interesting.
OnePlus’ websites in most European markets seem to be almost completely empty. They offer smartphones and tablets, but most other products that cost around €199 are either out of stock or “on sale,” and the system doesn’t allow customers to use vouchers on discounted items, thus rendering the voucher useless.
Interestingly enough, this isn’t a niche case either. There are a number of other EU customers complaining about the same warranty service issues. OnePlus is offering vouchers and not real cash refunds. Some are even calling it OnePlus’ “Europe exit scam.”
OnePlus’ awful warranty service, however, might be a symptom of something bigger – the company is winding down its operations in Europe and is probably preparing to exit the market altogether. The worsening warranty service, many out-of-stock items in the store and products less than two years old pronounced EOL, are all signs of a company looking to exit very soon.
When you add in the OxygenOS/Realme UI merger with ColorOS, OnePlus pushing Oppo devices and the Indian CEO stepping down soon after rumors of the company closing shop in India, it all starts to make sense. It might not be just a hunch.
It’s sad to see OnePlus going away because they started off great in Europe. In fact, we had a great experience with after-sales services on much older OnePlus devices in the past, so the current state of the company’s warranty services is alarming, to say the least.