Database Users

Bell - Exchanging a washed Vogue?

Turns out I decided to call Bell and tell them about all of the legitimate problems I'd been having with the phone a while back, at which time they decided to exchange it. Unfortunately, I didn't take the exchange at that point in time as I wanted to try and get my data backed up first. That was dumb! Not too long afterwards I put my phone through the wash machine and the LCD flaked out a couple of days later when it appeared to have completely dried out (put it a few inches above an oil heat register for 2 days). In any event, the main white sticker is still white and didn't turn pink or blue.
Having said all of that, do you folks think I should pull out a heat gun and a razor to try and check the other stickers without damaging the VOID sticker, or do you think I should just go ahead with the exchange?
Not that I would try... but I've heard of people soaking the return packing labels and boxes in water to try and make it look like the (water) damage was caused by the shipping company. Sounds somewhat sleezy to me, but I really, really can't afford to eat a $400 replacement bill right now .
Regardless, any insight or help would be kindly appreciated!

No one? =-\
Does anyone at least know Bell's policy on charging the customer or contacting them if there is water damage? IE: What's the worst case scenario?

THe stickers Are brittle also. They will break if you try to remove them. IF your stickers are fine then they should do warrenty for your other issues.

I wouldn't bother opening it.
I don't know how much Bell charges for a swap unit but you are just better off taking the risk as long as you are prepared to be charged.
There are a bunch of other litmus stickers inside the phone which most likely have been contacted.
I worked at a cell phone dealership (telus) for a couple of years so this situation is quite common.

Little Community Help - Needs Pics of your surround without the back cover

Will keep this short.. Bought two Windows Phone 7 devices since launch.. One Focus and One Surround.. I use the Focus and my son (who is 16) has the Surround.. A few days after purchase of the Surround it would lockup on him every couple of days.. Today it will not boot completely.. Hard Reset does not clear the issue. Today is day 29 so I went to AT&T Store and was denied claiming the phone has water damage.. The water damage indicators are white but have the words void in red.. I was pretty sure this is how the phone shipped (with the words "void" present in red). The battery water damage indicator is "still" white and there is NO visible damage to screen or any other part of the phone..
For the record: I am pretty sure my son has NOT exposed this phone to water. He has had two iPhones (3G and 3GS) always keeps his Phones, XBOX 360 and Computer in great condition (cannot say the same for the rest of his room). Not to mention, before the Smartphone days he dropped his cheap phone in water and told me right away (cause he knows I will find out the truth).
I search the web and found several reviewer images that show the same white stickers with the words void in red.
If I am correct the white stickers will turn black when exposed to water or moisture.
Can a few of you post images of the back of your Surround with NO cover? I am gathering proof for my battle at the store tomorrow. :-D

species8472_rules said:
Will keep this short.. Bought two Windows Phone 7 devices since launch.. One Focus and One Surround.. I use the Focus and my son (who is 16) has the Surround.. A few days after purchase of the Surround it would lockup on him every couple of days.. Today it will not boot completely.. Hard Reset does not clear the issue. Today is day 29 so I went to AT&T Store and was denied claiming the phone has water damage.. The water damage indicators are white but have the words void in red.. I was pretty sure this is how the phone shipped (with the words "void" present in red). The battery water damage indicator is "still" white and there is NO visible damage to screen or any other part of the phone..
For the record: I am pretty sure my son has NOT exposed this phone to water. He has had two iPhones (3G and 3GS) always keeps his Phones, XBOX 360 and Computer in great condition (cannot say the same for the rest of his room). Not to mention, before the Smartphone days he dropped his cheap phone in water and told me right away (cause he knows I will find out the truth).
I search the web and found several reviewer images that show the same white stickers with the words void in red.
If I am correct the white stickers will turn black when exposed to water or moisture.
Can a few of you post images of the back of your Surround with NO cover? I am gathering proof for my battle at the store tomorrow. :-D
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I can't post images but I too have 2 screwholes covered by white stickers with the word void in red.

Those void stickers are only for the screws not water damage... The water damage indicator is down toward the bottom on the board. Hope this helps... Have them show you a comparison to a surround they have in stock.
Good Luck!

Agreeing again - 2 screws are covered by white "tamper" stickers with a red "VOID" printed on them.
The actual Liquid Damage stickers are right by the batter contacts (all white) and on the battery itself (all white).

Thanks Guys.. :-D
I "knew" the stickers were not water damage indicators but this acting manager did not.. She refused to pull one from stock, so being unprepared I left to gather evidence..
I found several images on the web and combined with your comments she "backed down" the next day but failed to give an apology. She thought all damage indicators were similar to iPhone (what a joke).. :-O
I have filing a complaint with Distict Management as this horrible excuse for a manager nearly screwed me out of 250.00.. :-\

Galaxy S screen cracked by itself!!!!

Hi everyone looking for some advice.
Yesterday I noticed my Galaxy S screen wouldn't come on after taking it out of my work trouser pocket. Did the usual took the battery off and re-installed it. The screen is now black and not showing anything apart from the very top of the screen which shows some colour and fuzziness. I noticed this morning a half inch crack to the screen middle left of the phone which is internal. The crack is underneath the screen. Now I am 100% this has not been caused by me. The phone has been in a flip case since new and I have never dropped the phone or extreme pressure applied to the screen. The phone is in mint condition with no scratches what so ever. Took the phone to T-Mobile this morning as it is covered under warranty for 24 months and the phone is a year old. The first person I spoke to looked at the phone and saw the crack. They said to me that there would be no point sending it off for repair as it would be deemed as accidental damage. I did point out that there was know way I caused the crack. The person stated even having it in your pocket can cause the screen to crack if pressure is applied to it by other items e.g keys or if I pressed against it. The phone was the only thing that was in my pocket and it was a side pocket of my trousers where no pressure is ever applied. I have kept it in the same pocket of my work trousers for a year and never had any problems. The person then referred me to another collegue who was more helpful. She looked at the phone and confirmed that it was in mint condition with no scratches to the phone. She advised that she would send it off for repair but did explain that they could refuse to repair it or replace if it was deemed accidental damage.
I just have this bad feeling that it is going to come back with them saying it was my fault even though I know it wasn't. Does anyone have any views or opinions on what to do if this happens. I have searched the net and found other people around the world who have had the same problem with their Galaxy S. Looking at prices I will be looking at a few hundred pounds to repair it which I don't think is worth it.

I know you say adamantly that you did not cause the crack, But in some way or other you must have..
I know you are extra extra careful with your phone, Im the same as mine, But there is no way the screen could just crack on its own.
It doesnt have a mind of its own, It didnt crack due to stress, it wasnt poorly. You must of accidently cracked it without realising.
The best you can do is hope it gets fixed under warranty, Otherwise scout around for a phone shop that could replace it for you.

azzledazzle said:
It doesnt have a mind of its own, It didnt crack due to stress, it wasnt poorly. You must of accidently cracked it without realising.
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Yeah .. sure!
Let me give you an example of ... my car.
The story:
Windshield broken due to a small rock on the highway (the usual stuff). Went to repair shop, new windshield installed. Everything was perfect until this summer (2 years later). The windshield was still in great condition, no cracks, no pinches, no nothing ... as new. One day, during the lunch break from work I've started the engine, and in one minute after the air conditioner started, the windshield cracked. It was a very sunny day and my car was parked in the full sun.
Who's fault it is? Mine for miss usage? Manufacturer of the windshield? God? poor assembly at the repair shop? pick one.
I would say that the amoled will be replaced because its obvious no mechanical stress was applied ... it was just a faulty unit, nothing more. I have a friend who replaced the amoled screen, under warranty, due to 3 dead pixels ... twice.

ro_explorer said:
one minute after the air conditioner started, the windshield cracked. It was a very sunny day and my car was parked in the full sun.
I have a friend who replaced the amoled screen, under warranty, due to 3 dead pixels ... twice.
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wouldnt the heat from the sun, Then the sudden cold cause such thing to crack ? glass DOES break due to rapid temperature changes, Try this at your house. Put the hair dryer to the window on a really cold day and leave it till it breaks .
And your friend got his screen replaced because of dead pixels.... That is a fault, that was not his fault.
Its a strange case, but its hard to think the screen just broke of its own accord.

I was trying to underline the obvious .. sometimes things break doe to some other reasons than "you". It is obvious that a glass will be under great stress if you put it uncer big temperatures changes but still ... that glass was supposed to resist to such stress.
Same thing with the screen in question: the amoled is a thin film placed on top of some strong substrate. The whole structure is supposed to resist to certain stress and there is no way you can break it by miss usage unless you will break the outer glass also (gorilla glass + capacitive digitizer). So, no matter we are talking about dead pixels on a 2 months old screen or of a cracked amoled structure under the intact gorilla glass, the "cause" is the same : faulty unit (maybe is the amoled itself which has a flaw, maybe is the way it was mounted in the phone ... doesn't really matter).

Maybe your right, But the whole thing is still very strange.
Anyway lets just hope the outcome is better, and it gets fixed under warranty.
But you know what these service centre folk are like, They will try anything to avoid repairs.

Thanks guys for your replies. As I said the crack is internal underneath the outer screen so surely if I had damaged it the outer screen would be damaged. I'm not very hopeful that T-Mobile will repair it but I'll just keep my fingers crossed.
I will let you know the outcome.
Thanks

sandeept said:
Thanks guys for your replies. As I said the crack is internal underneath the outer screen so surely if I had damaged it the outer screen would be damaged. I'm not very hopeful that T-Mobile will repair it but I'll just keep my fingers crossed.
I will let you know the outcome.
Thanks
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Does your contract have an insurance policy ? if so that should cover accidental damage (i know its not accidental, But they may say it is)
And if not, are T mobile fixing it, Or are they going to send it to samsung ?

Gotta admit its a cracking screen eh? [Nt]
:d :d :d :d :d :d :d

Unfortunately I didn't take out insurance. The phone has been sent away by t-mobile for their repairers to assess but they did advise that it probably will come back not repaired due to the crack being my fault even though I said that I believe I didn't cause it.

sandeept said:
Unfortunately I didn't take out insurance. The phone has been sent away by t-mobile for their repairers to assess but they did advise that it probably will come back not repaired due to the crack being my fault even though I said that I believe I didn't cause it.
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Well if tmobile send it back UN fixed, Send it back to samsung, Is it still under the 12 month warranty ?

I believe the warranty expires this week or next so probably wont be able to, thanks for the suggestion.

If you get it back from T-Mobile unfixed, sent it directly to Samsung.
Maybe they'll still fix it. If they dont they'll probably will call you to tell you how much fixing it will cost. Start telling your whole story again and again, make them tired of hearing
If they dont listen, tell them you want to put in a complaint. Ask for an email adres or something were you can send your complaint email to. Dont let them send the phone back.
Send a large mail explaining everything, maybe put in some laws that apply to your case, like that it has to be faulthy when manufactured etc.
Also that you havent had any scratches on it and that the crack is UNDER the glass.
If they reply again with "we dont fix it" again send a mail with telling them that the phone is in mint condition and that the crack UNDER the screen came out of nowhere and that by law they have to fix it. Make them believe you'll sue them in court if they dont fix it.
Even call them if necessary.
Do everything to be a pain in the ass and meanwhile make sure they dont send the phone back during all this.
Maybe it will work, maybe it wont. But its better then giving up. Gives you a bigger chance of success.
manufacturers like dont like problems that take a long time. And if you proof yourself to be an annoying customer, one that shows he wont give up and do everything that they can to give the manufacturer a bad name, they'll probably think its better to win that particular customer over then to fight him. They dont like bad press.
Maybe they'll fix it, maybe they dont, maybe even they'll give you a discount at fixing it. At least you didnt make it easy for them.

Thanks for the reply. I am definetly not going to just be pushed aside and give up. If the phone comes back un-repaired I am going to complain to T-mobile and keep complaining to them. I will also take your advice and send it to Samsung and complain to them. I know lots of other people who have iphones without cases who do not look after them, scratched, dropped and are still working fine. Then the opposite end there is my phone which has been in a leather flip case from new protecting the screen. I have never dropped it and it doesn't have a scratch on it. Really annoying!

Really there is only one reason a screen/windowzsheet of glass whatever will crack and that is due to force. Force of some sorts was applied to the screen and honestly, as much as you don't want to hear it, it was almost certainly because you leaned on in it. In the pocket and your next a desk, or a chair, and you wouldn't even know its happened 9/10 until you take the phone out to use it. Often the phone will still be "functional " except for the dark screen so you can still feel it vibrate with may's so it could be some hours later before you realise. Another possibility is it was a previous drop or bump that wasn't enough to do it there and then and has simply hit breaking point on this unfortunate day. :'( other causes are to much pressure when a replacement is fitted, as happens with car screens more often than you would think, all it takes is the smallest little bit of awkward pressure and sure enough. Extremely rare for this to happen on a phone as the screens are mounted and held in place in a fundamentally different way.
I've worked in phone shops and car dealerships to qualify my above statements and honestly for all the hassle you are going to face, from people like me mostly, that it simply doesn't break on its own and you being aware of the force is a mute point. The fact is the force was applied and the screen broke. You knowing it happened or even being responsible is not the point, the point is was it a manufacturing error that caused it. They gonna say no and its going to really piss you off and when all is said and done you'll wish you just got a new screen off eBay and fitted it yourself or found someone local who does it.
Just saying is all...
Hope you find a solution mate and I'm sorry if it seems cold but dem de facts....
Sent from my GT-P1000

Hello guys i am new so i have a quick question.I see there and there someone complaing for broken screen on samsung galaxy from itself is this some general case like some HTC or just 1 in 1 000 000?I buying samsung galaxy s or google nexus s (s lcd) depending on your answear?
Sory mate for posting in your thread but this is prety much connected with your problem.

Any news on your issue ?

@OP, Any update??

Update
T-Mobile repair centre emailed me last week stating that the repair was out of warranty as it is physical damage and they quoted £138 to fix. I refused the quote and asked for the phone to be returned to the shop. In the meantime I wrote a letter of complaint to T-Mobile. I picked up my phone a couple of days ago from the shop. Yesterday morning received a phone call from a really nice lady at T-Mobile complaints investigation team. I explained to her the whole situation and she immediately said without disputing it that they would replace the phone free of charge for a new one. Hopefully it is arriving tomorrow - RESULT!

sandeept said:
Update
T-Mobile repair centre emailed me last week stating that the repair was out of warranty as it is physical damage and they quoted £138 to fix. I refused the quote and asked for the phone to be returned to the shop. In the meantime I wrote a letter of complaint to T-Mobile. I picked up my phone a couple of days ago from the shop. Yesterday morning received a phone call from a really nice lady at T-Mobile complaints investigation team. I explained to her the whole situation and she immediately said without disputing it that they would replace the phone free of charge for a new one. Hopefully it is arriving tomorrow - RESULT!
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WOW !!! that truly is a result ... Great news man ! I Highly highly doubted you would get any help considering the extremity of the circumstances.... its like a 1/10000 chance of that happening lol.
Buts its great that you are getting a new phone and havent been left with a HUGE bill.
a little moaning and complaining can go a very loooooooong way

[Q] Water stickers set off by sweat/condensation in an Otterbox Defender...?

So I've lately had one issue with my GS4, it shows signs of the "Loss of Service" bug that the GS2 was having for a while. It randomly drops calls and service completely, sometimes will bounce back to service but sometimes it locks into No Service mode and drains the battery; only fix is to enable and then disable airplane mode. So anyway, I've tried everything to fix it and Sprint wont give me a new phone, and I didn't want to take a refurb since I've had it for only 2 months. The guy at the store usually does everything he can for me, but I understand his hands are tied and can't issue a new phone on the spot, even though it has consistent issues.
Soooo getting to the punch line here, sorry for the backstory. In troubleshooting the phone, we had the battery out and the tech had the phone apart, noticing that the water stickers have been activated. Now I would be honest if I had submerged the phone or gotten it wet in any way, but I truly have not. The only thing I can think of is that my phone is ALWAYS encased in it's Otterbox Defender case, and 80% of the time it's in my pocket. I do tree work, and I kid you not I am drenched in sweat all day every day. Is it possible that the water stickers activated from the sweat and condensation trapped in the case and phone? I usually have to take my case apart to wipe the moisture from in between the cases screen protector and phone. Samsung probably wont issue me a new phone under their warranty now (which was my only option for a NEW phone at this point)...Any input on the possibilities and way to prove it? Also, there is 0 corrosion on the phone, we inspected it very thoroughly. Any help is appreciated, cheers!

Yes humidity or condensation can definitely trigger the water damage sticker. As for what you should do, don't you have insurance, file a claim.
This message brought to you in part by Sprint and the letters GS and the number 4

GiantJay said:
Yes humidity or condensation can definitely trigger the water damage sticker. As for what you should do, don't you have insurance, file a claim.
This message brought to you in part by Sprint and the letters GS and the number 4
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Insurance is $200 when it's water damage I believe...

vadyr56 said:
Insurance is $200 when it's water damage I believe...
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Idk what insurance you have. But it's better than $500-$650. Put it in a bag of rice for a day or two. With the cover off and the battery out. It will get the moisture out.
This message brought to you in part by Sprint and the letters GS and the number 4

Apple recently lost a lawsuit for refusing to repair phones that had the faulty sensors which would/could change color due to humidity alone.
[h**p://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57586562-37/apple-settles-iphone-water-damage-lawsuit-for-$53m/]

Insurance claim is $150.
It is known by the industry the the liquid indicators may at times be too sensitive and are sometimes put it poor locations.
Even with knowing this, it is an easy excuse to not replace your unit. All providers do it.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

You could, depending on where you live, claim high humidity as the culprit. In the southern states, where it's usually 70%+ humidity all the time, overly sensitive stickers could be triggered. Where I live, it's usually 80 plus every day. I just checked weather bug now, and at 3am where I live, it's 95% humidity and no rain nearby.

Very good point about the humidity also. I live in rural PA and it does tend to get incredibly humid in the spring and summer. Between the humidity, and having my phone in the pocket of my sweaty carhartt pants encased in an otterbox, I can imagine the moisture would really collect in there. The true test will be getting a new battery and checking it periodically to see if that sticker activates eventually. I will also check the phone sticker in a few weeks, seeing as I went the refurb route to get a new phone. Since getting a brand new one wasn't happening for me, I just did the service exchange and the water damage may have slipped the tech's mind. Now if my phone breaks 5 more times, Sprint will give me a new device, so we'll see what happens. I appreciate all the input, hopefully other people don't have this issue!

Case: Warranty denied > Self repair

Thought id post here about my Xperia Z3 and how things went from great to worse. Bought the phone last November here in Finland and was a happy little peasant with a brand new phone. Loved the phone but quite early on I think i managed to break the back glass myself (?). I didn't drop it, it just cracked... The phone was denied warranty back then due to mechanical preassure (saying it's my own fault it cracked). Well that was no biggie as it was just the back cover and it didn't make hte usability of the phone any worse than it was. And it may as well be that I've broken it myself, not being carefull enough. Picture #1, #2, #3. Sorry for the poor quality, but as you can see there's no damage on the sides indicating it being dropped, but still it could be my own fault.
Fast forward half a year and I noticed that my phone had a yellow tint on it's display right next to the micro-usb port. I took the phone for warranty and waited a few weeks. The local service company denied warranty due to improper use of the device quoting the phone being bent, cracked rear cover and the LCD screen glue being broken. I was really surprised and I hadn't noticed the bending or the glueing being an issue. Received the pictures and it indeed was bent and the lcd screen glue was torn. Still, the phone wasn't mishandled in any way, well it did drop a few times but nothing major.
Pictures from the service: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5
Well there's no denying those pictures. To be honest, I would have expected the phone to not bend (keep it in my front pocket) and havn't taken the phone with me to sports or anything like that. So my phone was denied warranty as all damage to the phone was not due to poor build quality but to improper usage of the device. Took the phone to my local reseller where I bought the phone for consumer complaint as I couldn't have in any way be held accountable for the LCD screen defect or the poor glue. Bending ok, mayby... but still think this is a little bit far fetched and the rear cover i can definately be held accountable for. But the screen? Really? The service center said that the phone would need to be replaced completely. Sony official response was that it's not due to build quality issues but to damage caused by improper use of the device. They stood behind the service center and device is officially out of warranty now.
Well I did order spare parts and replace the LCD screen glue myself, and the back cover was held tight but the LCD screen wasn't. I managed to almost pull out the complete screen without heating it up first. As a result the glue came off in a wierd way as seen in the picture here. I really doubt the way the screen was glued could be my fault and has to be an manufacturing error.
Anyway, this is my story with my Xperia Z3 phone. Now i'm stuck with a faulty LCD screen that has burnt yellow tint close to the micro-usb port and it's a really ****ty way to keep the phone for another 12 months or so untill it's paid off (24months payment). Here's the gallery with all the pictures link.
TL: DR: Phone denied warranty (yellow tint on LCD, LCD gluing broken, bent phone and cracked rear glass. Last two might be my fault, but the first two couldn't be. Warranty service and Sony claim i've caused all damange to phone. Can't say i agree

they are right... NO ONE would approve warranty when there is physical damage....

They always have to prove that the defect you want them to repair was caused by you. So physical damage is not always enough for them to reject a warranty repair.
In this case, however, I can easily imagine both defects being caused by you bending the phone, so I'm not that surprised they denied your claim...

Whatever. I spent ~$160 fixing my phone. Both sides glass broken and phone unusable. Under std warranty (bought through expansys-usa.com) sent to sony/texas, waited about 3 weeks (forever) and rcvd a brand new phone back. Back is once again cracked. I will say this. Unless a proper case comes out, I won't be buying any more sonys. The best hard case now is the lovemei ($35) imo. Carrying case? Maxpedition TC-2. With a lovemei case get a TC-3.

I have the Z3 since it came out, bought it right at release. Only use a soft case, always have it in my front pocket. It's with me when I ride my bike and I took pictures of the kids in the water. So far no issues, except two bright spots in the lower part of the screen. So far I've been too lazy to get it repaired/exchanged.

Same for me too. 5 months old and its the 3rd time I sent it to Sony because of warranty.
Screen cracked for no reason.
The reasons before were Bluetooth not working and battery dieing.
Definitely my last Sony.

Cozmos23 said:
Same for me too. 5 months old and its the 3rd time I sent it to Sony because of warranty.
Screen cracked for no reason.
The reasons before were Bluetooth not working and battery dieing.
Definitely my last Sony.
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Screen cracked for no reason, strange...maybe it is not cracked at all...maybe you have some sort of hallucination when you look at it, and it happens only to you and only when you look at it...
EDIT: OP - first two faults are caused by your abuse...so I don't see any point of this thread...

No front or back cracks or damage for me yet. I got mine back in March and installed tempered glass on the front which I broke the other day. The only issue I have is yellowing around the soft keys caused by me I think. Front pocket and I basically do parkour at work as a residential window cleaner I jump a lot of gates and fences everyday. To be perfectly honest I'm surprised the phone is still in 100% condition on the outside. [emoji12]

EDIT: OP - first two faults are caused by your abuse...so I don't see any point of this thread...
The point was that they pinned all of the damage on me and claimed I was responsible for the poor glue used with the LCD screen and the screen errors as well while I could in no way have done that damage by using the device. And I really doubt a cracked back cover and the slight bending could cause either of the problems with the screen. The idea was to share how it went down and perhaps to be of use to someone. Seems though it won’t be so let this post be buried.
Sure I’m a little bit surprised a device could even bend and thought it was just something that would happen if deliberately done. Never had that with any previous phone from any manufacturer. I will buy smaller phones next time or sturdier ones so I can keep them with me. Not saying it’s a common problem as it surely isn’t, just going to make different desisions in the future.