So my phone has now been repaired (allegedly). From the tracking number, it looks like it will arrive at my US-resident friends' place either today or tomorrow.

This means that if you're based in the US, break your N900 screen and use the RMA procedure to get it repaired, you're looking at US$103 ($95 flat rate repair fee, $8 shipping fee) and a 3 week turnaround time if like me you are willing and able to follow up at every stage of the process with [several] phone calls (armed with notes from previous calls). Nokia won't drive this process, and the Nokia US online repair status page doesn't provide any status update at all once they have determined that your phone is out of warranty. I'm paying for the repair, so I don't understand why this should be.

You must be prepared to call regularly to find out what needs to happen next:

• I only knew to call to pay for the repair over the phone because I asked what the next step was when I called to check that my phone had been accepted for repair.
• My phone was only accepted for repair at Palco because I called them previously (otherwise it would have been in stuck in limbo because they were unable to read the return address on the UPS-printed label).
• I only knew to call Palco in the first place because the Nokia rep asked me if I had done so (err, no? I'm not psychic)
• The only reason that call took place is because I called Nokia US (several times) to ask why I had heard nothing and whether there was anything else I needed to do etc. etc.

Of course, if you're based in Canada, add another 2-4 weeks and $50-100 (depending how much you want to spend on international postage) for a total of roughly 6 weeks and almost $200. I still don't see how any of this is an experience worthy of a flagship device from a thought/market leader in the mobile field.

Of course, I'm still waiting to see if Canadian Customs take a chunk out of me on the way in, and whether Palco have actually repaired my phone properly...

Time will tell.