Topic: DS problem....should I send it in for repair?

Okay, so I recently bought a Nintendo DSi about 5-6 months ago. I always thought the D-pad was a little....off....but I couldn't figure it out. The only thing I could think of was that it's a little strange to push left. It works fine, but it almost feels like there's something underneath the button which prevents me from pressing it down as far as it should go. I brushed it off, but it's still always bugged me.

Then the other day I played someone else's DSi, and I came to the conclusion that there is indeed something "off" with my D-pad. It seems like the D-pad can hardly be pressed in comparison, especially the left direction. Of course, this makes me want to get it fixed. Should I try sending it into Nintendo? Will they fix it or will this be something they won't even care about since it technically still works, it just doesn't feel as good.

I'm also concerned about the fact that my DSi's hinge seems to be a little loose. It has a 1-2 degree wiggle room when opened (it's not stiff like I think it should be), while my DS Lite does not.

What do you think, guys? By the way, this is my first Nintendo Life post!

I think you should send it in. Nintendo has great customer service; I sent my DSi in because of the shoulder buttons and they fixed it up and sent it back right away, along with giving me progress reports along the way. Just convey these problems to Nintendo and I'm sure they'll do something about it.

Try contacting Nintendo's customer service and see what they can do for you. :3

I sent mine at a console specialist site...should be getting it back tomorrow.

@Starlight: the OP's console would still be under warranty, though, since they only bought it maybe half a year ago. if it's still under warranty, Nintendo'll take care of it free of charge if they deem a repair order necessary, shipping and all.

I haven't contacted Nintendo because I am afraid of rejection and that it won't be deemed worthy of repair. It's a small issue but one that's driving me crazy. Maybe I could put a slant on it saying that it is really difficult to go diagonal with the D-pad (which it is....it was definitely easier on other DSi I played.

I just get nervous calling customer support and such

They can't "reject" you. If you say there's a problem with it, they'll ask you to send it in so they can have a look at it. Simple.

They usually ask for details which shouldn't be a problem.

they weren't able to duplicate the issue i was having with my DSi when i sent it in (figures it wouldn't act up on cue for them, lol, just for me...), so they just replaced it for me free of charge because mine was still under warranty. just go for it, what do you have to lose? :3

I just mailed it out today! I was using my sister's DSi again and came to the conclusion that there is definitely something wrong with my own. Going diagonally was a huge pain on my DSi, but so easy on hers. I emphasized that to the lady on the phone, because it sorta inhibits gameplay.

I really hope they don't send me a brand new one because I wasn't able to save anything from my DSi sound channel, but I backed up all my Flipnotes and pictures and stuff. I also transfered all DSiWare games to an SD card because I don't want to lose save data, but if I do end up with a brand new DSi, I probably won't be able to take them from the SD card and put them back onto the new DSi even though it will have the same shop ID......I'm assuming, though. I always assume the worst

But really, I hope a new D-pad remedies the problem

They won't send you a new one. They know you have pictures, DSiWare games, etc. on your DSi.

They will most probably remove your DSi's D-Pad, brush out whatever was under it, and replace it with either a new one, or your old one if nothing was wrong with it and the problem was solely because of debris under it.

Yeah, it should be a really simple job to open it up and repair the D-pad, so you'll probably get your same DSi back. I repaired a D-pad on my DS Lite myself once when the conductive pad wore out after the warranty expired.

@Tj92: unfortunately, that's not true — if they can't replicate or repair the problem, there's a chance they'll just send out a new one linked to Pyrokai's DSi Shop information. that's what happened to me, anyway. I remember specifically being told over the phone while setting up the repair order that I would need to back up all my games, pictures, etc. onto an SD card. the only thing that really sucks is that you can't transfer any DSi Sound stuff to SD.

edit: actually, i totally just checked on a hunch, and sure enough all the crap i'd recorded back when i first got my DSi is still there! haha, Nintendo was apparently able to copy that over for me. awesome! i'm not saying they'll definitely be able to do it for you too, but there's precedent now

@Pyrokai: if they do replace your DSi, don't panic! Just go into the DSi Shop, redownload all your games, and once they've been redownloaded to your system you'll be able to copy your backed up save information and stuff from your SD card again no problem. :3