Blog!ARU: Archive

Towards the end of last year I found an album on Nokia Music that I really wanted but couldn't find anywhere else. I duly registered for Nokia Music, paid for the album and tried to downloaded the tracks. The tracks wouldn't download to my PC, something to do with a certificate error.

It was then that I found out that I had paid for DRM-riddled Windows Media Audio files at a low-quality bit-rate that could only be played if you have an Internet connection to download the license and a player capable of handling the DRM. I hadn't managed to download or play the music so I wrote to Nokia Music support and asked for a refund under the 7-day Distance Selling Regulations.

Nokia Music wrote back and asked for my inside leg measurement and a bucket load of details about my phone (none of which were relevant to my request). I duly replied and reiterated my request for a refund as they were obliged to offer by law.

They asked for more information about my PC and my phone. I answered some of it and reiterated my request for a refund. They asked a fourth time for even more information, but I ignored the request and just replied with the refund request.

That was the last I heard from Nokia Music.

I planned to take them to the small claims court, but in the end couldn't muster the enthusiasm to go through the hassle just for £8. So, avoid Nokia Music like the plague. They don't warn you before you buy that you are buying DRM-crippled WMA files at 192kbits/s, then when things don't work and you request a refund within 7 days as you're entitled to by rights protected under UK law, they procrastinate and then ignore you. I want to download music at up to 320kbits/s in plain MP3 format so I can play it when and where I want with no restrictions. DRM, Nokia Music and Nokia Music Customer Services suck.