"The Department of Fair Trading is aware of some disquiet among consumers as a result of suggestions that Nokia LCD display panels may be faulty," said Wayne Watson speaking on behalf Chris Hanlon, Fair Trading's departmental director of compliance and standards.
"We have been looking into it to identify what the problems are and we'll be meeting with representatives of Nokia early next week."
As reported exclusively by ZDNet Australia, Nokia has long been battling allegations that the LCD display panel incorporated into its phones carries inherent design faults, causing the screen to fail prematurely.
In one report, a former employee of Nokia Australia seemingly backed the allegations which were first put forward by disgruntled Nokia 8210 owners and supported by employees of independent handset service centres and carriage service providers.
Comments from Melbourne-based IT Manager, Martin Curlis, are typical of those received by ZDNet Australia since the first report was published detailing the allegations.
"I bought 18 Nokia 8210s in December last year and not long after I had to return five because the wires connecting the hands free socket to the base of the phone were never connected properly. Subsequently I have sent 7 phones back to have their LCD screens fixed," he said. "If this is 'no more than usual' I will be certain never to buy a Nokia again."
In the most recent report, a former employee of a large carriage service provider said that the LCD display's problems had become a source of humour among members of the mobile industry, the joke heard regularly at events held by Nokia.
Throughout ZDNet Australia's investigation, Nokia has consistently claimed that it is unaware of the alleged problem, and explains the seemingly high incidence of failure among the phones as a natural consequence of having a large market share.
"Based on our volumes the problem is not widespread," said Nokia corporate affairs manager, Anthony Wilson in an earlier interview. The company's claim contradicts a statement made by the former Nokia employee who said that the company has been aware of the alleged defect and that it effects a wide range of the handsets manufactured since the company retired the Nokia 2110 about six years ago.
When ZDNet Australia contacted Nokia for a statement regarding the upcoming meeting with the NSW consumer watchdog, the company said that the meeting was not unusual.
"Obviously a company of Nokia's size has many meetings with government departments," said Wilson.
The company declined to provide details on how regularly the company conducts meetings with government departments that perform functions comparable to that of Fair Trading.
The mobile phone manufacturer has also consistently refused to reveal the number of its handsets that have been returned to service centres due to LCD or other apparent engineering problems.
The Department of Fair Trading could not provide further details regarding the meeting but said it would make further public disclosures after it had taken place.
Speaking to a friend of mine who works in a repair shop, Nokia is still trying to cover up and has instructed all their dealers and repairers not to speak to the press. Interestingly enough, he also mentioned that Nokia has since changed the design of the screens that have been faulty for years. Although Nokia will tell you otherwise, the screen you get in a new 8210 today is different to the screen the originals came out with.