So I got the 'smeared screen' failure a week ago (is this the WSOD?) when rebooting while flashing the latest image.

I called Nokia, got a repair authorization, and shipped it it.

Today I discover that it's "awaiting quote approval." I called Nokia, and got a very annoying, annoyed and unhelpful person at the repair escalation center ("What's your cell phone number." "It's not a cell phone." "What cell phone number did you put on the form." "I didn't, it's not a cell phone, it has a serial number." "I need a cell phone number, sir...") who tells me that the repair center says that the screen was damaged (duh!) by me (what!). "The warranty specifically does not cover physical or liquid damage, sir." "It wasn't damaged when I sent it in. This is a well-documented and not uncommon problem and Nokia has honored the warranty for other customers with it." "Well that's what the repair center says." "Can we talk to someone at the repair center?" "I'm sorry, the repair center doesn't take calls."

Since it appears that the repair center doesn't have any phones of their own, I'm stuck leaving voicemails for people and hoping they call me back.

Here's the kicker: The 770 is *exactly* the device I've always wanted and needed. Now I don't have it, I don't feel like I should pay for it to be fixed, I certainly don't want to go get a new one, and there's nothing else on the market that comes close to meeting my requirements.

I don't know what's going on with you, for me my Nokia center worked very well (well... one months of waiting) but everything went fine and they changed my 770 screen without whining anything. I hadn't a WSOD but another defect, in any case no charges to change it. Many guys on this forum had the WSOD, indeed.
I forgot, here's Italy!

You need to step back, take the old nig deep breath and await the next resposnse from your EMAILS. You should have been able to escalate this to a supervisor while you were on the phone. I am also in the middklle of a dissapointing reapir event with NOKIA on a GSM Phone. In the same breath, I have aklso had a 770 repaired and it was relatively smooth.
One of the issues with the 770 is that , as you know, most reps cannot grasp that your dealing with a NOKIA that is not a phone. Just blows their minds. Second, their appears to be a HUGE issue in the fact that while NOKIAs Online Warranty Preperation Service will tell you to send it to Melbourne FLA (or Texas in siome cases) NOKIA is starting to handle everything ion Alabama. So when you send it in, it goes to where your told to send it, and then you fiond out that it wqs supposed to go elsewhere. Took them 2 hours to find mine the other day. Biggest issue is that in their stupidity, NOKIA tracks, predominantly, by the devices Cell Phone Number, NOT the IMEI, ESN or Serial of the Device. Rediculous.

Now, how much help have I been? Not much. Stick to your guns. Be firm, ask for supervisers. Id you really start hitting a wall, I cannot stress, that the BBB, or States Attorney Generals Office can and does get you help.
But I doubt you need to get that far, they have phone numbers and supervisers to escalate your case and get answers and resolutions. Be nice, but firm.

FWIW: The next time you call in to customer service listen carefully to the automatic prompts and select 'pc connectivity'. This should connect you to a 'level 2' service person. If you get someone that wants a phone number, give them your phone number in case they need to call back and suggest they enter the 770's MAC in the esn field on their computer. This should then at least give them the information on your unit. Be polite but firm. Ask to escalate the issue to the next level if you feel that's appropriate. Never mind if you're told they will tell you the same thing, the next level can tell you that themselves. Online information on your unit can be had at <http://www.nokiausa.com/support/repair/checkRepairStatus/1,1935,,00.html>. I sent mine in last week for WSOD to Alabama. Turnaround is supposed to be 7 to 10 days. I'm hopeful.

Peter

Serial number tracking software tends to be very specific. Database fields are designed with rules that prohibit entry of numbers not matching the expected types. I have it on good authority that Nokia's software (and service personnel obviously) has not caught up with these new devices that use a MAC/WLAN number instead of ESN/IMEI/MEID number. So, unfortunately, it's not always a simple matter of a service rep entering the MAC/WLAN id-- sometimes the number isn't accepted, which causes confusion for untrained personnel... and they are legion.