Getting ghosted by support

Hardware Librem 5
153

Hello everybody, I’ve been using the L5 as my main and only mobile device for approximately two years. I had an hardware problem (sd card not working) which got fixed with an RMA, and it stopped working again after a few days. I did not want to delete all my data again and wait for another fix, so I kept it broken. Everything else went well hardware-side (except bad gps reception and slightly faulty usb-c connection which makes the use of external displays really difficult, as a slight move of the device caused video problems and charging problems in general, but I kept using it every day). However, the 18th of March the modem stopped working. I’m not sure it’s a faulty modem as I suspected a faulty hardware kill switch, so I asked the support. When I turn off the HKS (or turn the modem ON) the dmesg shows error like:

[30953.093983] usb 1-1-port2: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?
[30953.969893] usb 1-1-port2: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?
[30953.976731] usb 1-1-port2: attempt power cycle

So before ordering a 50€ modem + shipment + taxes I thought it was better to ask support for a repair center in Europe. I’d better pay for a checkup of my phone than just blindly try to replace the modem.
Joao replied that

I’m afraid we have no support in the EU at the moment

He asked for the kernel log and to remove usbguard, which did not hel, the 27th of March.

I did not have any reply from him since, despite a couple of more mail sent by me (the last one on the 6th of July). My doubt of the modem being the (only) culprit increased as one day the modem started working out of nowhere, with the HKS in a mid-position (neither fully ON nor fully OFF), but I could not replicate it since.

Do any of you knows how to proceed? I’ve not been using my L5 in the last months as not being able to use the modem it’s quite useless (I use it with an hotspot sometimes for messaging on telegram), and I’d really like to restart using it. In the meantime I also broke the glass (so I’d need to replace it), but before investing and giving other money to purism I’d like support to support me on this.

Thanks!

Edit:
I’d also add that, looking at the schematics, I guess that there are other two components which if broken could explain the modem not working

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My guess is either one of the two AP2281-1FMG, causing not enough current to be delivered to the modem, or the RB751G-40 Schottky, which if I’m not mistaken, if is broken (always closed) can cause mid-level voltages on the AP2281-1FMG enable pin.

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154

@JCS

Contact Purism support via email again.

155

In June a German company repaired successful my L5 (display swap). The details and contact information are here: Contact to a German L5 repair point.
You could contact them with the technical details. Maybe they’re willing to help you, ofc on your own risk.

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156

Thanks, I wrote them again linking this post. If this does not goes well I’ll contact the german company @guru linked below, thanks!

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157

I received my L5 later than you, in late spring of 2023, and I bought a Liberty Phone in fall 2023 for more RAM.

On both my devices I have used SD cards and never had a problem. But I read on the forums that there’s something loose in the L5 that damages SIMs and SD cards as they enter and exit the device unless the device is completely powered off when you remove and insert the SD/SIM tray.

Out of curiosity is it possible you were doing something similar with your tray, thus having some user error cause your problem?

I also have had support not reply sometimes and reply others, but once someone pinged JCS and got JCS on the case, they replied back again. I’m not sure exactly how that works.

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158

Mentions within the Getting ghosted by support thread are generally escalated. Outside of that thread, mentions are unreliable.

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159

I never moved the tray with the device on, as the manual (don’t remember if it was printed or online) clearly stated that you should never move the tray when the phone is on, and so I never did. Don’t know if after powering it off I should have waited more than what I did (e.g., to let capacitors discharge), but I accepted that my uSD card would not work and I was ok with it. But I really need the modem.

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160

Joao no longer works for Purism and his incoming emails are being redirected to the support@ alias, which then triggers creation of a support ticket if the message is not in response to an existing ticket.

I think I’ve noticed your question in the ticket queue, but there is a significant (1-2 week) support ticket backlog that Purism is actively addressing while onboarding new support staff, composing new documentation to answer FAQs, and dedicating existing staff to manage during this transition. No one is being ignored - we’re just trying to catch up.

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161

Ok thanks, I’ll wait another couple of weeks then, thanks!

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162

This message makes me sad. He was my contact in support@ since I owned my L5s (‘s’ means plural) and always very responsive.

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163

Yes, I agree. I was sad to hear he left as well. He posted this news on Mastodon last month, I believe.

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164

If someone has a valid email addr of João, please contact me with PM. Thanks

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165

You could try PMing him here in the forum or at Mastodon, too.

(Actually, his Mastodon/LibremOne account doesn’t accept private messages, but you should be able to contact him there if the account is still active.)

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166

Just a FYI
Outgoing João Azevedo passed my Ticket off to João Fonseca but Adam is looking after it :face_with_spiral_eyes:

Communication with the Joãos’ has been great, and though Adams’ prognosis is not very promising, there’s still hope. Text with Pic is all I ask now.

Not ghosted.

~s

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167

I never used Mastodon before. I created an account @gurucubano@mas.to but following him does not work.

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168

It’s happening to me right now. Apparently they had a backlog…

My beautiful air-gapped Librem 5 battery needs replacement. When I finally got a response, they told me that they don’t have any support whatsoever. No battery specs were provided. No dealer network. No address to send the laptop in for battery replacement. Nada.

This is a $1,700 piece of equipment. I have pointed that out to them nicely and asked for any of the above info and now they are gone again. I’m very close to doing the legwork to report them to their state Atty General for lack of product support. How can they sell insanely expensive laptops and not provide basic product support? Hard lesson this one.

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170

If the issue is just needing a new battery and if you live in the US: https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5-evergreen-battery/

ps: just to work around a silly rule of the forum software

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171

Wow. I really appreciate that info. I wonder why Purism Support didn’t just send me that link? Instead, their support person told me that they no longer made a battery for the Librem 5 and no alternatives, specs, nothing. It was so rude. So, that battery will fit inside my laptop?

Purism’s product listings don’t have specs or dims, so for a layperson, who’s never seen or replaced an internal laptop battery - that photo looks like an external hard drive. I went right by it.

Then the next challenge is finding a company to replace the battery once I get it.

Does anybody know why Purism doesn’t provide real product support or even a dealer network? These are very high end products. It just seems really weird.

When I started this process, all I was looking for was an address to send the Librem 5 laptop for battery replacement. It would have been so simple. I could have been done with this issue twice for the time I’ve wasted with this company. I promise, I will NEVER come back here EVER again and I will blog the crap out of Purism for dropping me on my head like this. Meow.

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172

Since Librem 5 is a mobile phone, its battery will probably fit inside a laptop, but would be rather useless sitting there.

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173

The Librem 5 is a phone, not a laptop. Before any additional questions or statements can be addressed, clarify the device(s) you are looking to receive technical support.

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