Customer Service : Ceiva Photo Frame

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Digital photo frames have been around for a while. We love them because they are an easy way to both enjoy and share digital images. The photo frames we have around the office have been in constant operation for a few years. Recently, we noticed that the images on one of them looked a little “funny.”

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that there was something wrong with the display. The images appeared to be heavily quantized (color, B&W, skin tone). The problem was especially prominent in sections where there should have been a smooth gradient of tones or color. The issue was clearly hardware related, as the original images retreived from the Ceiva server appeared clean. A support call to Ceiva did not resolve the problem (restarting/resetting the frame, reloading the photos, etc). However, as part of the annual Ceiva subscription, any defect with the frame is covered. Ceiva support said they would send out a replacement. All we had to do was to return the defective one after we have received the new one. Shipping charges (to/from) would be covered. Nice!

A little while later, a package with a brand new frame showed up at the office. The CeivaPro replacement was pretty much the same as the original, except the WiFi dongle was a little bit different. When we connected the frame to the office network, the frame “called home” and retrieved all of our images. No fuss, no muss. This was because Ceiva had already updated our online account with the serial number of the replacement frame. Now that is customer service!

With the two frames side by side, it is easy to see which one has the problem. The images on the new frame (left) now have the smooth gradations we expect from a 24-bit display.

NOTE: The image size difference seen on the new vs old frames is due to a difference in user-adjustable settings. The old frame was set to “zoom” to eliminate any black sections at the top/bottom of the display (not zoomed , zoomed). Changing the setting had no affect on the display issue.

Shortly after the CeivaPro went on the fritz, one our Kodak Pulse frames also bit the dust. While the Kodak Pulse was also under warranty, unlike with the Ceiva unit, we had to send the frame back on our dime ($12 via USPS). We’ll let you know how the Kodak’s customer service experience compares once we get the repaired unit back in house.