Do you really think that simple support employees could answer to this question? No sir, it’s a subject for the Fairphone managers… and even for the CEO team!
I just hope that people in Fairphone’s marketing or communications department come here from time to time… and will escalate this question to their hierarchy, at a meeting dedicated to FP3 sales 
!
PS - And don’t worry: I always stay “polite”… even if I actually do want answers to these questions and ask them with strength! 
Maybe it is, but neither of those people will read your post here. If you want an answer, contact the support team. If they can’t help you, you can ask them to ask people who can.
But you won’t get an answer here.
Of course, the other big brands (Apple, Samsung, Huawey, etc.) DO NOT publish their service-after-sales and/or reliability statistics for their devices.
But I don’t care! I’m a faithful Faiphoner (FP2 from the very beginning) and I consider this FP supporting makes them accountable to me for this information. More, I think that this transparency would ALSO be a way to “differentiate” with these other brands… only obsessed by their profitability (even to the detriment of child labour in the Congo or the earnings of Chinese workers). Don’t you think? THIS is “ethical”, too!
Well, you know, if I were so respectful of the chain of command and the “correct” rules, I would never have… bought a Fairphone. I would have “respected” the market… that gave me much better devices for lower price 
!
While I really understand your curiosity (and share it), I wonder how this can be a base for decision, if no other company publishes that kind of data. One can not compare or even just rate any kind of data.
Next point: You can not even gain any insight from the data for the FP2 regarding the FP3. As there have been quite relevant design improvements meant to enhance stability and durability, the after sales data for the FP3 can be expected to be significantly better.
I wrote something up about this a while back:
Of course you’re right, BertG. But I’m not seeking “a base for decision” (don’t worry about it, mine is already strong !). But I’m sure that, in the time of the project (of the FP2, for example), a certain rate of issues was predicted, in order to preview the support service… So it could be interesting to compare it to the actual data, don’t you think? Also, in the contracts between FP and their Chinese factories, there surely was items regarding this kind of rate… So did the facts prove that they were observed?
Your second point is right, too: we all suppose (and strongly wish!) that FP3 will benefit of FP2 experience and be better in its stability and durability! But it’s a reason more to get these informations: in order to know if “the after-sales data for the FP3 [can be expected to be…] will actually be significantly better”, we have to first know… the FP2’s ones!
You are quite right with regard to the value of the data.
And I am absolutely sure, that the relevant people at Fairphone are doing all those kinds of calculations, control and decision making. That’s most likely the base for changing suppliers or drafting contracts.
Making such kind of information available to the public on the other hand, will most likely lead to misinformation; because for assessing these date correctly, you do not only need some business-knowledge in general, but you would need more insider information, that would be considered business secrets.
I would hardly publish any data, that could be ministerpreted myself.
Happy you are… to be so “sure”! But if it was the case, the FP2 would surely have been more reliable and sustainable than it actually is!
Then for me, no, I’m not “sure” at all. And I think that a good “pressure-to-know” from citizens (to the politicians), like from customers (to the companies), are the best way make them take the good decisions and do the right things!
But - to my understanding - the reliability and sustainability problems were in general due to design flaws. And that is a decision, that was taken very early in the process of making the phone. How could that be changed later, when statistics are available? Well, by changing the design of the next phone obviously, as FP did when constructing the FP3.
We, both of us, will never know, how well informed the decisions of Fairphone might be. But so will almost nobody, as judging the decisions with hindsight can never be the benchmark.
When it comes to pressure, my belief is, that there are other parties applying enough of that aleady (such as banks, tax and revenue office etc.).
One final thought:
From my experience, there is almost all the time some disagreement about what is the good decision and the right thing to do, depending on the personal point of view, experiences etc. Therefore it is virtually impossible to judge up front which way will be the one and only.
Okay Okay! We will have understood that you’re a Fairphone great fan and are ready to forgive them ALL… even their worst choices. Moreover, you do not want to make them more transparent.
This is an (almost philosophical) difference between us: I preach and advocate that fairphone’s customers are considered as an actual “community”, that means truly associated with decisions (at least informed about the reasons of the different choices!). You… prefer to keep the business structure as it traditionally is: the owners of capital do what they want, they have not to expose and explain their choices and results… and only “God Market” will finally judge and decide. Right?
I have to sadly admit that you’re probably right about the present organization. And that was the reason of this topic 
: just trying to make things “a little different”… just like I thought that Fairphone was, compared to other brands.
Hi Remi, this forum can of course be used to debate how to run a company.
I think you are making a good point; companies, especially social enterprises, can be run in a different way. If you used a little less capitals, we could have a respectful discussion about it. You could argue why you do not believe in the market here instead of insinuating that someone’s opinion about politics is wrong.
I think you are basing your comment on this sentence:
Bert is very respectful here and just says that he thinks it is unnecessary to intervene, not that it is wrong to do so.
(Also, the fact that he includes tax already implies that not only the market but also the government can play a role here.)
Nope, that is not even close to true.
I just happen to have some experience when it comes to crunching numbers and the risks of publishing data or their interpretation. While some say “Wow” other will cry “What a shame_”.
And I disagree, that Fairphone is a company like any other. If you want information on their decision making, try the blog and try to find another company being as transparent on their decisions. So, I really see some differences, even if there might always be improvement.
And I always happen to wonder about all the expectations FP has to meet according to all kinds of customers.
Some want a special OS to chose, some want more/special data, some want a smaller phone, some want a tablet and so on and so on.
And everyone states, that the wish should be met by Fairphone, because they claim to be different.
My wish would be for everyone to take a step backwards and then take a look at the story of Fairphone; their target, their tasks, their achievements and their actions. And maybe - just maybe - one gets a new perspective on wishes to be fulfilled.
For the design flaws of the FP2 and the comments on them by Bas van Abel take a look at this techcrunch article:
In that article he also explains some of the business decisions or considerations.
Finally: I hardly believe in some “God Market”, though Fairphone of course has to survive in the “Market”, they are trying to change at the same time. And judging strategic business decisions takes much more knowledge of the phone market etc. than at least I have.
Hi,
I like @Stefan’s post and I think that it could be a fairer way to deal with the question, because it wouldn’t expose only Fairphone, but put it on a scale with other phone manufacturers.
Some more recent examples:
Hi “Father” AlbertJP,
Thank you for your skilful lesson (first, the compliment “you are making a good point”… just before the reproaches: I use “too much capitals”, I’m not “respectful”, etc.), but I don’t really share the religion of soft debate and hypocritical smile.
As I said, I now understand that, if Bert and I (and you!) share the same good feeling about Fairphone, we don’t exactly share the same ideology about economics, politics, market, industrial managing, etc. For example, he seems to consider that a government and its taxes add pressure on, or are “against” business; I don’t agree at all: it’s more often when states don’t do their duty and don’t make enough pressure on certain business, that economy is in danger… as everybody can see in Australia with coal business, for example! (But I’m French, so a damn socialist, lol !)
For the rest, I think that: 1/ discussions “CAN” be respectful even when using capitals. It is a bad habit kept of some social media where bold and italics are not available, just a way to underscore a word… which doesn’t mean at all that I’m shouting, or that I’m angry, or anything else. But, as you see, I am VERY sorry to have done it, and please ask your Jesus (and God-the-market) to forgive me …
2/ Don’t you think that Bert is old enough to understand what I wrote and wanted to argue, and to defend his ideas himself (that he does, and does well)?
But thank you anyway for your interest… and for your payers !
Thank you BertG, I’ve read this (loooong) paper and it was actually interesting and informative, about (you’re right) Fairphone story, as well as its philosophy, if one can use this word for a business.
But it does not prevent me from still demanding on the transparency of certain data. Today, no one knows whether FP2 is a technical disaster (very expensive for after-sales service and only useful… to prepare the arrival of a better FP3), or an average correct smartphone.
However, I have largely contributed to finance this project by my order in pre-sale (as well as by a VERY wide publicity around me and on social media in France), and I feel entitled to get this answer… Especially after having paid TWO FP2, both totally dead now –after many screen and modules changes, especially bottom one, the mother-boards felt out of service… obviously just a few weeks after expiry of the warranty!
But you know what? I’m fool enough to perhaps order a FP3… but not before a good thinking. Good… and long enough to see, around me, how much FP3 devices will hold tight and how much will fail… My “own data”, as you see, if I cannot get official Fairphone’s ones !
Anyway, thanks a lot for this rich discussion,
Best regards (and good “Fairphone” wishes to you, for 2020!)
Secret or not, is it relevant? Even Fairphone has to make some form of profit to pay their workers and fund their own research and development. So they would probably do anything to make their product as good as possible. They do have to comply to the market as well as all the other brands. There is not such a thing as a different economy for fair trade products. Comparing it to brands as Samsung, Iphone or other billion dollar enterprises doesn’t work. Those have no ethics and can rely on partsuppliers in countries with low wages and source costs. And off course, they sell in such huge numbers and with such high profits, that they can easily repair or exchange faulty products without really noticing it in the balance. They just calculate a fair percentage of malware in their bookkeeping. So to me this whole issue isn’t really relevant…
Hallo “grant master of bad communication” @Remi_D
at first:
CAPITAL LETTERS ARE USED TO SHOUT IN A FORUM!
If you want to highlight something just use the forum implemented tools, that, I am sure, are also available from France.
As you likely are an atheist, like me, it is not needed to make fun of poeple who believe in any kind of religion. THIS IS NOT WELCOME IN THIS COMMUNITY!
That does also count for your passive aggressive behavior against community members.
You are welcome to continue the discussion in a friendly manner.
Ok, ok, ok… I already said about my “very great faulty” use of capitals. Is it so important to repeat it? And have we to always stay serious and never joke, never laugh? Don’t you think that a little more sense of humour, distance, lightness (and even kind mockery) could only do good in this world… and in this so sad and so terrific beginning of year?
Never forget one thing, dear Angel of “correct” communication: by supporting Fairphone, everyone here also supports a company whose ideas dared “to be different” from others, a company who dared not to speak the same “economically correct language” as other brands, who dared “to take a step aside”, and who took the risk of being singled out for that. The creative spirit and invention cannot live with a conformist style, and this why I appreciate and support Fairphone (and this is also why I hope, and ask here, that they communicate about some subjects in a different way than other companies …)
PS: about the religious subject, I’m not the one who talked first about it: why the hell does someone come to this forum and present himself as “XX-I love Jesus”?! What does this have to do… with Fairphone?! So, yes, I claim the right to kindly laugh about it, since this Fairphoner just threw his belief in front of me! Anyone can believe in the the gods he wants, and pray to Buddha, Yahveh, Apple, God, “the Holy Market”, Allah or any else supposed higher and magic power. But, please, keep it for you, it’s your intimate faith… and I don’t have to know about it! (Excepted, of course, on a topic which would treat of religions, believes and philosophies… but I don’t think that it’s the case here, is it ?)
Awesome, you found the tools to highlight some words in bold. Wasn’t too difficult, hm?
Not everyone is equipped with the senses of how far can I go with the kind humour one have. So I set my post to let you know you overplayed it. It is on you if you take it as a lesson or not.
Your P. S. let me guess you need some more time to get used to it. I could claim my right and add to my status “I fucked Remi_D”. Who cares? Someone could kindly laugh about it and write the hint that it couldn’t be a mayor experience.
We all can have fun together, with respect for other beeings, but not on the back of another.
This is why the start of this year was not a lucky one.