Fairphone has bad customer support.

It’s not an issue with the individual customer support agents, I know how difficult their job is1, and I’m sure that they’re trying their best, but it’s a more systematic issue in the organization itself. It’s become so bad that Fairphone issued an open letter to the Fairphone community forum acknowledging the issue and steps they’re taking to fix it. Until then, I only have my experience to go by.

I’ve contacted Fairphone customer support twice, once with a question about Fairphone 5 security updates not arriving in a timely manner, and another time with a request to refund the Fairphone Fairbuds XL as part of the 14-day policy. In both cases, I received an initial reply over 1 month later. It’s not that catastrophic for a non-critical query, but in situations where you have a technical issue with a product, this can become a huge inconvenience for the customer.

I recently gave the Fairbuds XL a try because the reviews for it online were decent and I want to support the Fairphone project, but I found the sound profile very underwhelming and the noise cancelling did not work adequately.2 I decided to use the 14-day return policy that Fairphone advertise, which led to the worst customer care experience I’ve had so far.3

Here’s a complete timeline of the process on how to return a set of headphones to the manufacturer for a refund.

2025-02-10: initial purchase of the headphones

2025-02-14: I receive the headphones and test them out, with disappointing results

2025-02-16: I file a support ticket with Fairphone indicating that I wish to return the headphones according to their 14-day return policy

2025-02-25: I ask again about the refund after not hearing back from Faiprhone

2025-03-07: I receive an automated message that apologized for the delay and asked me to not make any additional tickets on the matter, which I had not been doing

2025-04-01: I start the chargeback process for the payment through my bank due to Fairphone support not replying over a month later

2025-04-29: Fairphone support finally responds with instructions on how to send back the device to receive a refund

2025-05-07: after acquiring packaging material and printing out three separate documents (UPS package card, invoice, Cordon Electronics sales voucher), I hand the headphones over to UPS

2025-05-15: I ask Fairphone about when the refund will be issued

2025-05-19 16:20 EEST: I receive a notice from Cordon Electronics confirming they have received the headphones

2025-05-19 17:50 EEST: I receive a notice from Cordon Electronics letting me know that they have started the process, whatever that means

2025-05-19 20:05 EEST: I receive a notice from Cordon Electronics saying that the repairs are done and they are now shipping the device back to me (!)

2025-05-19 20:14 EEST: I contact Fairphone support about this notice that I received, asking for a clarification

2025-05-19 20:24 EEST: I also send an e-mail to Cordon Electronics clarifying the situation and asking them to not send the device back to me, but instead return it to Fairphone for a refund

2025-05-20 14:42 EEST: Cordon Electronics informs me that they have already shipped the device and cannot reverse the decision

2025-05-21: Fairphone support responds, saying that it is being sent back due to a processing error, and that I should try to “refuse the order”

2025-05-22: I inform Fairphone support about the communication with Cordon Electronics

2025-05-27: Fairphone is aware of the chargeback that I initiated and they believe the refund is issued, however I have not yet received it

2025-05-27: I receive the headphones for the second time.

2025-05-28: I inform Fairphone support about the current status of the headphones and refund (still not received)

2025-05-28: Fairphone support recommends that I ask the bank about the status of the refund, I do so but don’t receive any useful information from them

2025-06-03: Fairphone support asks if I’ve received the refund yet

2025-06-04: I receive the refund through the dispute I raised through the bank. This is almost 4 months after the initial purchase took place.

2025-06-06: Fairphone sends me instructions on how to send back the headphones for the second time.

2025-06-12: I inform Fairphone that I have prepared the package and will post it next week due to limited access to a printer and the shipping company office

2025-06-16: I ship the device back to Fairphone again.

There’s an element of human error in the whole experience, but the initial lack of communication amplified my frustrations and also contributed to my annoyances with my Fairphone 5 boiling over.

And just like that, I’ve given up on Fairphone as a brand, and will be skeptical about buying any new products from them. I was what one would call a “brand evangelist” to them, sharing my good initial experiences with the phone to my friends, family, colleagues and the world at large, but bad experiences with customer care and the devices themselves have completely turned me off.

If you have interacted with Fairphone support after this post is live, then please share your experiences in the Fairphone community forum, or reach out to me directly (with proof). I would love to update this post after getting confirmation that Fairphone has fixed the issues with their customer care and addressed the major shortcomings in their products.

I don’t want to crap on Fairphone, I want them to do better. Repairability, sustainability and longevity still matter.

  1. I haven’t worked as a customer care agent, but I have worked in retail, so I roughly know what level of communication the agents are treated with, often unfairly. ↩︎

  2. that experience reminded me of how big of a role music plays in my life. I’ve grown accustomed to using good sounding headphones and I immediately noticed all the little details being missing in my favourite music. ↩︎

  3. until this point, the worst experience I had was with Elisa Eesti AS, a major ISP in Estonia. I wanted to use my own router-modem box that was identical to the rented one from the ISP, and that only got resolved 1.5 months later after I expressed intent to switch providers. Competition matters! ↩︎