Database Users

[Resolved] Rooted Nexus One Dust Replacement

It seems quite a few people have had questions about getting a replacement phone due to a dust issue on an original rooted phone. Here is my experience:
I called HTC and began the replacement process, but did not mention my phone was rooted. Three days later I received another Nexus One with no battery and no battery cover. My observations on the differences between the old phone and the new phone can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=655966
I removed the battery cover and battery from my original phone and shipped it to HTC in Texas with the packaging and shipping label they supplied.
Approximately 5 days later (today), I received an email from HTC saying "We have completed our diagnostic tests. To review the results and confirm this quotation please visit our service site." I went to the site and there was an option to pay a $196 service fee or to pay $28 for the return shipment of my original phone (without any servicing).
I called up HTC to find out more information. The service representative pulled up my file and immediately asked me if my phone had been rooted. I had little choice at this point so I said my phone had indeed been rooted. The representative told me my options are to:
a) Pay the $196 to replace the motherboard in the phone (does this mean Goolge/HTC also do not know how to relock the bootloader?), keep the replacement phone they sent, and not receive back my original phone. This is the worst case scenario where I pay $196 to get a brand new replacement N1 with no dust issue.
b) Pay the $28 shipping charge to return my old phone, and return the replacement phone. This would bring me back to square one, with having my original rooted phone with the same dust issue.
c) Pay the $28 shipping charge to return my old phone with the same dust issue. Now I would own two full priced N1s, one that is brand new, and a second that still has a dust issue.
Most importantly, and my only hope really for coming out on top, the representative mentioned that I should call back tomorrow before 5PM EST and speak to a supervisor that has the ability to declare that rooting the phone has no impact on the dust manufacturing issue, and I could keep the replacement phone at no charge. The representative said that there is a 50/50 chance the supervisor would do this.
If the supervisor will not honor the warranty and let me keep the replacement phone for no charge, I will just return the replacement phone, get my old phone back, disassemble the phone, clean the dust out and reseal the phone with RTV or something similar.
I will call them up again tomorrow and report back what happens.
It has been difficult to resist rooting the replacement phone.
UPDATE: Through the help of a google employee, I was pointed towards this form: http://google.com/support/android/bin/request.py?contact_type=refund
If you start a ticket with this form, the Google sales team will work to help resolve voided warranty issues from an unlocked bootloader when exchanging or servicing the N1 due to a manufacturing defect.
I called HTC today and they said I was no longer going to be charged $196 because of my unlocked bootloader, and my warranty would be honored. The representative on the phone seemed to have no idea why the ticket status had changed.
I am very pleased with the outcome, and give many thanks to the Google employees that go out of their way to support their loyal customers. It is nice to know that the passion we have for Android is acknowledged and supported by the Google team.
Time to root the new N1.

I wonder if they make a distinction between rooting and an unlocked bootloader?
Because it is possible to un-root. So for other people returning phones, they could un-root, and if they ask if it's rooted, they could say no.

Paul22000 said:
I wonder if they make a distinction between rooting and an unlocked bootloader?
Because it is possible to un-root. So for other people returning phones, they could un-root, and if they ask if it's rooted, they could say no.
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Valid point, but I think the issue is voiding the warranty by unlocking the bootloader.

How do you expect HTC to honor a warranty which you clearly and willingly voided?

JD914 said:
How do you expect HTC to honor a warranty which you clearly voided willingly?
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Welcome to XDA.
I don't necessarily expect HTC to honor my voided warranty, but I am optimistic that HTC will fix my $580 defective phone from a manufacturing defect that is in no way related to rooting.
Like the representative I spoke with said, there's about a 50/50 chance it will work out. No harm in trying.

Interesting.
I think it's kind of crappy that unlocking the bootloader voids your hardware warranty too. I mean, if your phone has an obvious physical defect like this, completely unrelated to the firmware, then they should honor the warranty.

Comon, HTC, be reasonable! There is dust under the screen and nothing else is bad! That is obviously not related to rooting in any way. $196 to replace the motherboard? Yeah right! More like press a button on the computer and relock it.

i don't know if he is still around here anymore, but swetland works for google, and when the n1 came out, he was going to be an advocate for us, and if you were having obvious manufacturing defects (such as dust under the screen), he could pull strings to get it fixed for you.
i say pm him, and see if you get a response.

GldRush98 said:
Interesting.
I think it's kind of crappy that unlocking the bootloader voids your hardware warranty too. I mean, if your phone has an obvious physical defect like this, completely unrelated to the firmware, then they should honor the warranty.
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They should but in the real world they don't have to and more than likely wont. Most people don't, but if you read the literature that comes with electronic devices you'll see why they do what they do as far as warranties go.

And this is why I keep saying repeatedly, stop sending your device back people. A few specs of dust isn't worth the hassle. Just sent it back at 364 days. THEN it's worth it.

Paul22000 said:
And this is why I keep saying repeatedly, stop sending your device back people. A few specs of dust isn't worth the hassle. Just sent it back at 364 days. THEN it's worth it.
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Click to collapse
I had excessive dust, more than 30 specs.

irishrally said:
I had excessive dust, more than 30 specs.
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30 specs?
The only way it'd be worth it to send it back is when you have so much dust you can't even COUNT the specs.

Paul22000 said:
30 specs?
The only way it'd be worth it to send it back is when you have so much dust you can't even COUNT the specs.
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No, dust is really annoying and is frustrating to have considering the price we paid for this thing. The more HTC has to refurbish, the more they learn their lesson and make sure that no dust gets in.

OP, get back to us and let us know what happens

Good news - this issue has been resolved and will be charged nothing for my rooted phone with dust defect exchange. See OP for details.
Many thanks to the dedicated Google team that supports their loyal customers.

irishrally said:
Good news - this issue has been resolved and will be charged nothing for my rooted phone with dust defect exchange. See OP for details.
Many thanks to the dedicated Google team that supports their loyal customers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats!
Any chance you can update the link in the OP?
It's linked as "google.com/support/android/bi...ct_type=refund" with the dots, which leads to a dead page of course

Paul22000 said:
Congrats!
Any chance you can update the link in the OP?
It's linked as "google.com/support/android/bi...ct_type=refund" with the dots, which leads to a dead page of course
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Click to collapse
Thanks. OP updated.

JD914 said:
How do you expect HTC to honor a warranty which you clearly and willingly voided?
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Click to collapse
Here in the US, a warranty termination because of a any fine print violation will not stand up in court unless the warranty violation had a direct impact on a defect in question. Automakers have tried that kind of bologna with aftermarket parts, and they've failed. They can't refuse to honor a warranty just because a car was serviced by others, and they can't refuse to warranty an alternator because someone put on an aftermarket exhaust system, unless they can prove that those actions had a direct impact on the defect.
This does not mean HTC is obligated to bail someone out who has bricked their phone, but hardware issues like dust under the digitizer or faulty microphones or the like clearly can't be tied to unlocking the bootloader. I expect HTC or any other company to honor the laws wherever their products are marketed, and it seems that's exactly what they are doing.
I hope this ends your confusion, and really wish more slack was allowed by some for people who unlock the boot loader and then end up with hardware issues requiring service.

attn1 said:
I hope this ends your confusion, and really wish more slack was allowed by some for people who unlock the boot loader and then end up with hardware issues requiring service.
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I hope someone figures out how to re-lock the bootloader.

I'm really suspicious about the rooting voiding your warranty. I mean you paid damn near 577 for the device..well i know I Did... Why can't you root your own ****..its known as a google dev phone if I'm wrong correct me..But isn't android open source? why can't we try and help it be a better Operating system? They want us to sit on 2.1 until google puts something out? Why not dev with our phones and help google help itself? I mean damn... I could see if you were under a contract with tmobile..but I bought my phone brand new unlocked for the full price give me some damn use of my phone..

What are my rights?

Sorry mods, I didnt know where else to put this. Feel free to move it if this isn't a good place.
Ok, So I sent my phone in for repair (a backlight problem) and they sent it back after 2 weeks, and its still exactly the same.
So Ive sent it back again.
But in all honesty, Im not happy paying my monthly bill for a phone Ive not been using.
So do I have the right to demand a refund/not paying next month?
Also, Can I demand a brand new phone if it comes back broken again this time?
thanks guys

Boinngggggggg

Your signature says that you're running a custom ROM. If that's true then I wouldn't expect that you have any rights because you will have voided the warranty. What did they tell you when the phone was returned last time?

jakem said:
Your signature says that you're running a custom ROM. If that's true then I wouldn't expect that you have any rights because you will have voided the warranty. What did they tell you when the phone was returned last time?
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I flashed everything back to stock so there is no sign Ive had a custom rom.
They said they couldn't find a problem at all with the phone. They re-flashed the software for me So i guess its a hardwear problem with the acctual phone....

lonelykatana said:
I flashed everything back to stock so there is no sign Ive had a custom rom.
They said they couldn't find a problem at all with the phone. They re-flashed the software for me So i guess its a hardwear problem with the acctual phone....
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Click to collapse
OK. I think the first step will be for you to get HTC to agree that there's a problem with the phone. Until that happens you don't really have a leg to stand on because the phone company will simply argue that you're not owed a refund because there's no problem with the phone (and I think they'd be right to say that).
Once you've proven that the phone is faulty you may be able to contact the phone company and ask for a refund. Unfortunately I don't know exactly what your rights are in this case but it seems reasonable that you shouldn't have to pay for the time when you were unable to use your contract phone. Maybe someone with a bit more expertise can jump in and help here.
The main point though is that you need to prove that you have a problem before you can ask for your money back and I don't think you've managed to do that just yet.

but your still using the SIM right?

Can you take it to their high street shop and demo them the fault? Does the backlight come on at all?

quasi_mojo said:
but your still using the SIM right?
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No because I dont have a backup phone...
Can you take it to their high street shop and demo them the fault? Does the backlight come on at all?
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Click to collapse
No its the oppersit, It doesn't go off....
But thats not what Im asking.

lonelykatana said:
No because I dont have a backup phone....
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Click to collapse
then i'd argue with them till im blue in the face! i dont think you should be paying for a service you cannot use. at the very least they should knock it off your next bill or credit you what you've paid already...

id politely argue the point that you cant use your sim without a working handset and since the one they provided is faulty they either have to provide a backup handset whilst yours is being repaired or credit your account.
not sure how it would all work out but its worth a go.
as for the other stuff... if they keep sending it back saying there isnt a problem then you need to be able to prove that there is.

My experience...
My HD2 is off for repair, and as I haven't got insurance which would have entitled me to a loan hand set, VF UK have credited me with a month’s worth of my line rental. Used that to buy a crappy PAYG Nokia and popped my contract SIM in to it. It has £10 of calls on the PAYG SIM I can keep 'in case of emergency, which means I am actually only £10 down.

in the uk if you return something 3 times for the same fault and on the third occassion it still has the same fault you have the law on your side which i believe states they have not made reasonable effort to resolve the problem and they have to replace the device with the same model or another of equal value.
i had a similar thing with vodafone and they ended up giving me a 3gs for my broken hd2 as they had no hd2's or desires in stock.
vodafone didn't charge me for the 2 months it took to send it in and out for repair as i was being inconvenienced through no fault of my own.
on your repair notes it should state the fault you sent it in for each time. phone trading standards or at least threaten to if they don't sort it out

Johnston411 said:
in the uk if you return something 3 times for the same fault and on the third occassion it still has the same fault you have the law on your side which i believe states they have not made reasonable effort to resolve the problem and they have to replace the device with the same model or another of equal value.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what they've told me on '3 strikes and you're out', but also that have some HD2's in reserve for situations like this...

There must be a way for you to put your plan on hold so you don't pay the plan since you are not using it... all the matter of coordination and loosing time

Johnston411 said:
in the uk if you return something 3 times for the same fault and on the third occassion it still has the same fault you have the law on your side which i believe states they have not made reasonable effort to resolve the problem and they have to replace the device with the same model or another of equal value.
i had a similar thing with vodafone and they ended up giving me a 3gs for my broken hd2 as they had no hd2's or desires in stock.
vodafone didn't charge me for the 2 months it took to send it in and out for repair as i was being inconvenienced through no fault of my own.
on your repair notes it should state the fault you sent it in for each time. phone trading standards or at least threaten to if they don't sort it out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh thats made me happy
Im glad to know Ive not been left with no cover.
Thanks guys

Don't stress about warranty...

Thought I would share my experiences with you guys to hopefully settle some stomachs.
I got my first incredible the day they were released. About a month after i got it, it started randomly rebooting and shutting off. It would run great for days, then have a fit of reboots. I used it like that for quite a while until root was released. I rooted it, then shortly after installed some of the leaked roms. I hoped that updating everything would help with the reboots.. nope.
Anyway, long story short. I called VZW and they sent me a replacement device. I sent back the first phone with S-off, rooted, radio updated, and running a cryogen mod.
As soon as I got the replacement phone, I re-flashed it with all the goodies. Last week I ended up bricking it because my kid ran by and pulled it off the USB cable during a flash of sky raider. It would boot into Hboot, but i nothing i did made it work right again. Anyway, I called that day and said "my phone doesnt turn on anymore" they sent me another replacement. I sent that phone back with s-off and radio 2.15 and not booting past the silver HTC screen.
I was wondering wtf, i thought for sure i would get a call or a letter or SOMETHING. i have a buddy that works at the VZW warehouse so I asked him. He said all they do is open the box, verify that the numbers on the phone match the numbers on the return order and move on. They get 1,000s of phones a day from warranty exchange. Nobody "checks them". Hes just a lowly worker but I think hes right.
I have had VZW for just over 10 years now, and have utilized their "exchange 3 times per year" service on almost every phone I have had. I have sent in phones that I broke the screens on, by saying "my phone doesn't work anymore". I have sent in phones i dropped in the water by saying "my phone doesn't work anymore".
The people in the warehouse who check the phones numbers have NO IDEA why you sent it in, or what the tech told you, or why they told you to take it back.
bottom line.. don't stress about it. and take advantage of VZW's service of letting you exchange your phone 3 times per year.
EDIT
Just wanted to add... They give you 10 days to send the phone back, that first incredible i sent back, i kept for over a month. They even posted an equipment charge to my account for not sending it back, but that took them a month. I just called 611 and said "oh gee wow.. i forgot to send that back" lady told me no problem and sent me out a new box and i mailed it back. 3 days later they credited my account the $500+ equipment charge. That was the phone with s-off, radio update, and running cryogen. Hardly stock lol. and honestly.. it was a intermittent reboot problem. what would they do anyway? turn it on and use it for a week to see when it shutdown? lol

That 3x a year deal, is that with one of their insurance plans? I elected to for-go that when I bought my Incredible so I don't know what the deal will be if any one of my phones boink... just glad I don't have a kid to fudge things up anyway... although I do have a girlfriend that likes to seemingly randomly unplug my electronics because "our power bill is sooo high!". Yes, I know honey, it's called summer + A/C usage x.x

DeeBG said:
That 3x a year deal, is that with one of their insurance plans? I elected to for-go that when I bought my Incredible so I don't know what the deal will be if any one of my phones boink... just glad I don't have a kid to fudge things up anyway... although I do have a girlfriend that likes to seemingly randomly unplug my electronics because "our power bill is sooo high!". Yes, I know honey, it's called summer + A/C usage x.x
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Click to collapse
no, that is just the manufacture warranty. they will exchange it 3 times during the 1 year manufacturer warranty. on the 4th time, they will either send you a brand new phone in the box, or upgrade you to another phone. your choice

msticlaru said:
no, that is just the manufacture warranty. they will exchange it 3 times during the 1 year manufacturer warranty. on the 4th time, they will either send you a brand new phone in the box, or upgrade you to another phone. your choice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's how I got my Incredible. Upgraded for free from D Eris. I got a big scratch on my screen somehow. Need a refurb soon. Haha.

I'm not sure if the masses should know any of this.

This is exactly how I got the Incredible from the Moto Droid. 3 times returned (the 3rd time not even for an unfixable problem *oopsie* ) and then they said they would send me an Incredible. I love VZW tech support

Hmmm, that Droid incredible hd sounds pretty cool lol when's it coming out again? Jk jk lol
Edit: this is good to know if something really does go bad with my phone. But I would never take advantage of it.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

MODS- please delete this thread to prevent little kids from being stupid and causing VZW to crack down on this. Thanks!

anothen said:
MODS- please delete this thread to prevent little kids from being stupid and causing VZW to crack down on this. Thanks!
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agree...
/10char

Yeah, I'm sure this all-important xda thread would be the first inkling VZW has ever had that some people game their replacement policy (sshhh!)
better shut it down RIGHT AWAY before the sky falls on us.

I guess there always has to be someone to make a wise guy remark. You are correct about 'not being the first'. However, XDA may be the first that hundreds of thousands of people look at.

If it's so easy to return a phone 3x a year why bother with insurance? I'm paying $8 a month to Asurion.

Why would this thread need to be deleted. If Verizon does crack down good. People with legit problems with then hopefully be helped even better.

marcmarshall said:
If it's so easy to return a phone 3x a year why bother with insurance? I'm paying $8 a month to Asurion.
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Click to collapse
1 in 4 people with 2 year contracts could make a full replacement purchase price claim and they'd still have a nice profit, assuming they had to pay full price MSRP for replacements. Wonder how much they'd make by using refurbs as replacements, rejecting claims, etc.
I may be in the wrong business.
Also, delete the thread. That is the best way to restrict information flow.

marcmarshall said:
If it's so easy to return a phone 3x a year why bother with insurance? I'm paying $8 a month to Asurion.
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Click to collapse
Because warranty doesn't cover getting it wet, replacement of lost/stolen, cracked screen, break due to drop or abuse, etc.

Hey, my comment from yesterday got deleted! No fair, it doesn't count for my replies posted either...

Zerotwistknife7 said:
agree...
/10char
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Agreed Its not about VZW finding out its about people abusing it.

actually its not 3x a year its 3x in a period of thirty or sixty days.
that's how i got my dare from a Venus. The Venus always had something wrong and the tech himself told me well if they replace 3 in a month then you can get another phone.

anothen said:
I guess there always has to be someone to make a wise guy remark. You are correct about 'not being the first'. However, XDA may be the first that hundreds of thousands of people look at.
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Click to collapse
Just like there always has to be a Chicken Little or three, I guess. Would you rather I put a broomstick up my ass and found some piously earnest way to express my sincere contempt for those who run around asking for this thread deleted, that information suppressed, mods help us! etc, just to save us from ourselves? OK, then:
Attempting to mold community behavior by restricting the flow of information is a really dumb idea, especially on a hacker forum. And preserving a loophole that lets a knowledgeable few commit warranty fraud by concealing the means & opportunity from the other "hundreds of thousands of people" who read XDA is elitist, self-serving, and morally reprehensible all at once.
Fortunately for the scruple-challenged, my sense is that VZW is well aware of the potential, but just doesn't care--or at least is unwilling to invest in the kind of training and verification overhead that would allow them to examine each claim for legitimacy. So by all means: keep returning those bricked phones for an upgrade, but do stop hiding the Machiavellian ingenuity of your methods under a bushel--let it shine forth unto the ends of the earth! Free replacement phones for all!
marcmarshall said:
If it's so easy to return a phone 3x a year why bother with insurance? I'm paying $8 a month to Asurion.
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Click to collapse
Well, I suppose it's terribly old-fashioned to suggest that your conscience might trouble you if you went that route... But ethics aside, if you lost the phone outright, or smashed it to tiny bits, you could still need that insurance. The VZW workers might be inattentive and uncaring, but I'm guessing even they might notice an empty box, or a phone that arrives in a sandwich bag with no one fragment larger than 30 mesh!

Asurion will <not> cover nexus one purchased through developer program

I am posting a new thread because the other related threads were misleading at best and I searched high and low for this info and finally took a chance to confirm it.
When I lost my nexus at the beginning of the month, Asurion told me they would not replace it, my only choice was a vibrant.
I tried the MT4G for this month (CA has 30 day remorse) and prefer the N1.
Called again and told them the last info I could find from August was that N1 was available from google through the developer program. I could not find any answer to the question "Is the Nexus One really still available?"
I spent the $25 to join the developer program and the answer is "YES"
I can order up to 10 at full retail.
Of course, if this were uninsured, I would just buy one off the street and I will drop the insurance because it has been a royal waste of time, but as soon as I scrape up an extra $600 (because it will likely take a while for Asurion to reimburse me), I will get it.
I went all the way through the purchase process up to the place order button, so it looks like there is no backorder or anything.
It appears the only requirement to join the developer program is a google account (can be an apps account but only certain kinds) and $25.
Edit - Fockers backed out on my "deal" only offering POS vibrant. certainly not same capability or features as N1.

Fail to see how this indicates that Asurion will cover your new N1... How about we wait and see what happens in the end.

daijizai said:
Fail to see how this indicates that Asurion will cover your new N1... How about we wait and see what happens in the end.
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They will reimburse you up to the retail value of the phone, minus deductible, if you don't wish to use one of the options they provide you. If you want to spend the $ to join as a developer, the OP is right - they will cover you.

so are you saying they will only offer the vibrant and not the mytouch 4g?

The OP is saying that he will pony up $600 out of his pocket for a new Nexus One, which will then be reimbursed by Asurion, minus $140 deductible.

hhmm.
1. At what point can the insurance be added?
I bought my Nexus when it came out earlier this year.
I am not a developer, just a damned happy user.
2. At what point can I pay the $25 developer fee?
T-Mobile told me that they would NOT insure my Nexus cause, because I didn't have insurance on my previous phone (G1), and also because I didn't but it through them.
I really dont NEED the insurance. Jeez, I've never even dropped my Nexus. It's still pristine
But I'd rather have it and not need it ... than to need it and not have it.

When I bought my phone from Google, I called T-mobile when I recieved it and put insurance on it.

OrganizedFellow said:
hhmm.
1. At what point can the insurance be added?
I bought my Nexus when it came out earlier this year.
I am not a developer, just a damned happy user.
2. At what point can I pay the $25 developer fee?
T-Mobile told me that they would NOT insure my Nexus cause, because I didn't have insurance on my previous phone (G1), and also because I didn't but it through them.
I really dont NEED the insurance. Jeez, I've never even dropped my Nexus. It's still pristine
But I'd rather have it and not need it ... than to need it and not have it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. If I remember correctly policy says within 30 days, but I would call them anyways as they still might. When I got mine they wanted to physically see the phone first, just to make sure they weren't insuring air or an already broken phone. Made sense since I didn't buy it from T-Mo they couldn't just look it up. Bought mine on launch day, and had ins. by the end of the week. $140 deduct is way cheaper than $579 again. It did take a week to get everyone on the same page (Asurian and T-Mo) since the phone was so fresh it wasn't in any of their published list of phones yet.
2. Anytime. It's just to register as a developer. If you never buy a phone or make an app im sure Google is happy to keep your $25. Just buy the phone whenever you're ready.
I got the insurance because warranties are for *ussies. I like to void them (XBMC, DD-Wrt, cars, etc) and planned to with my Nexus as well. Since warranties are intended to only ever cover manufacturer defects, not user error, if I bricked it or fried it it's insured. Look into it, and if you can get it do it. It's only like $4.95 a month. And you're right: If you don't have it, you'll need it. And if you have it, you wont need it.
And don't fear dropping it, I have. Too many times. Almost shed a tear the first time. Til I realized this thing is so damn-well built, I have but only 3 scratches. And it has taken a couple of ugly falls.

marquez1369 said:
so are you saying they will only offer the vibrant and not the mytouch 4g?
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Yes, thats what they did to me.
player911 said:
The OP is saying that he will pony up $600 out of his pocket for a new Nexus One, which will then be reimbursed by Asurion, minus $140 deductible.
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Click to collapse
They didn't let me take this path and I called 3 times talked to different people. In the final call, I said I'd prefer a G2 since it is very similar amd this very nice/polite guy went to the supervisor (so he said) and 10 mins he came back and said they woudlnt do it bcause the G2 has a keyboard and the N1 doesn't. The G2 covers the G1 he said.
So, I have now a vibrant which I am starting to like except for the GPS which is worth &^#$. However the Vibrant experience made me decide to get a Nexus S when it comes out (GPS fixed-hopefully, camera flash, 2.3, SAMOLED, etc etc).
Messing with the vibrant firmware is a tricky road though.
Funny thing, I bought a G2 and disliked it to death (except the HSDPA+), returned it in five days, tried an HD7 and settled on the Vibrant at the end.

marquez1369 said:
so are you saying they will only offer the vibrant and not the mytouch 4g?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is correct at this time. I found someone to lend me the extra $500 and called asurion to make sure I had the process right and fockers said "we show reimbursement is denied for this phone because we can't go to the google site and buy it"
It's completely f'd up. The damn phone is available at retail for the same purpose it was originally sold (developer phone) and they are saying "nope".
My claim can stay open through late april, so I am going to hold on until I can find a way to force them to get me an N1 or get something better than a POS samsung vibrant.

negroplasty said:
They will reimburse you up to the retail value of the phone, minus deductible, if you don't wish to use one of the options they provide you. If you want to spend the $ to join as a developer, the OP is right - they will cover you.
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Click to collapse
Looks like they are not going to let me do it without a fight. I have a decent loaner phone so I am not in a huge hurry.
Has anyone had success getting asurion to cover an N1 purchased from anywhere besides google's website?
This seems like typical insurance ripoff crap. I think I will have to consider squaretrade or one of the other "write a check" type providers for my next phone. I sure won't do assurion anymore unless it is just until I get another policy in place.

wonder if they'll offer the nexus s as a replacement instead of the vibrant/G2

resinous said:
wonder if they'll offer the nexus s as a replacement instead of the vibrant/G2
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Click to collapse
Almost certainly not. They don't even offer the G2, only the POS vibrant.
About two weeks before my claim, they changed the way they work with T-Mobile.
They only authorize phones that T-Mobile sells and T-Mobile ships out the replacement handsets from their own warehouse.
This doesn't make sense for a phone that is unlocked and is just using T-Mobile service, but asurion seems to be saying they only provide replacement phones that are sold by carriers no matter what you think you are insuring with them.

resinous said:
wonder if they'll offer the nexus s as a replacement instead of the vibrant/G2
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Click to collapse
LOL. Heck, Tmobile USA won't even be insuring the Nexus S!

675 Trip said:
Almost certainly not. They don't even offer the G2, only the POS vibrant.
They only authorize phones that T-Mobile sells and T-Mobile ships out the replacement handsets from their own warehouse.
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Click to collapse
Yep. Happened to me, the first vibrant had a greenish screen so I cried foul but came with a *T-Mobile* 1yr warranty in the box, so they bounced me to TMO who shipped me a replacement one, refurb as well. Came from the same address and in the same box as the original.
They were nice during the whole very long process (seems I was lucky, I saw tons of people on the web claiming they were quite rude).
I'm not hating the Vibrant so far -although I tried to reject it in every possible way-. Has a nice screen and doesn't have the 3G issue I had until the last day and my GF's still has. Miss Froyo and an easy way to install roms. Has a freakin' awesome camera....

galaxys said:
LOL. Heck, Tmobile USA won't even be insuring the Nexus S!
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shame. wow not even allowing people to replace with a G2

How much are Vibrants going for on Ebay? Perhaps get the Vibrant and sell it. Cash money toward a Nexus
OR
Just call can keep complaining. Say you were instructed to buy the phone and get reimbursed. Tell them you "now" have the phone and are awaiting reimbursement.
ELSE
Tell them you want all of the money you paid to them refunded since they are running a fraudulent scam of a business.
I just went through something like this (not exactly) with Asurion. You pay $5 a month. I had a Motorola Cliq and it was junk. Regardless I smashed it. The deductible was $120. wtf. I could buy a new one for less as my line was eligible for an upgrade.
Needless to say I purchased a MyTouch 3G Slide, in which case my GF left 4 days later. Moral of the story: Don't buy chicks phones and don't pay for Asurion crap. I broke the motorola on accident btw.

bought a brand new N1 the day google announced the NS and right away i called Asurion and added the the insurance.

GHOST99K said:
bought a brand new N1 the day google announced the NS and right away i called Asurion and added the the insurance.
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Click to collapse
Exactly and if you try to make a claim, they will offer you a Samsung Vibrant AND THAT'S IT!
I need to find my actual contract to see if there is any fine print I can take advantage of. Online I read something in one policy that they would replace it with a device with the same capabilities. I am not sure that is in mine.
You're better off buying a squaretrade policy, it looks like, and just holding the assurion policy for the 30 day grace period before squaretrade takes effect. If you buy squaretrade same day as purchase, no waiting period.
If squaretrade can't fix or replace, they write you a check.

LG's Manufacturer Warranty Clarification

I posted the below in response to another thread but thought I might as well create a thread to get a more definitive answer on the issue of whether or not LG/Verizon/CarrierX will honor its manufactures warranty if you bought your phone 2nd-hand through Ebay/Craigslist/ect.
Here's my OP, did I just get lucky or is this really how the warranty program really works?
If I'm correct, I hope to dispel the misunderstanding many XDA'ers may have about their warranty and have the fully functional phone they deserve. But please correct me if I'm wrong.
topurdue said:
I didn't have a choice about taking it back to Verizon. I bought it off of CL and it was probably one the original owner had replaced. So, returning it isn't an option for everybody. I tried many things that didn't work also, but this app did and it's why I shared.
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incubus2 said:
I bought my Verizon g2 on swappa so I am in the same boat. I don't know what this magic app does but works for me. Thanks for sharing.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
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I used to think the same thing but this is actually FALSE.
I bought my used G2 off of Ebay and was having problems with the speaker port. So I just brought the phone into Verizon, they confirmed the speaker port wasnt working, looked up my account (im sure they can see whether or not I bought it directly from them) and they had a new phone mailed out to me, no questions asked.
I believe its because the phone is still less than a year old which is covered under LG's manufacturers warranty program not Verizons. Therefore its LG's money, not Verizon's. Why wouldnt Verizon go through the trouble of keeping their customers happy when it doesnt even cost them anything.
Now it might be different once the G2 hits the one year mark. And maybe I just got lucky as I didn't volunteer any info about the Ebay purchase, cuz I was already getting what I wanted anyway. Either way, you have nothing to lose and a brand new G2 to gain if you at least try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

My imported g2 d802, they wouldn't honour the warranty in the uk and couldn't tell me who to contact. Bought off eBay from someone who purchased it and didn't like it.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

I have no experience outside of Sprint, but with the way my replacement program works, I pay $11/month on my Sprint bill and no matter WHERE my phone came from, defects are fixed(or the phone is replaced) for free. 1-year manufacturer coverage doesn't matter.
If I didn't pay for Sprint insurance, I'd have to mail the phone to LG's warranty department, and I'd have to be within one year. I was told the exception to this is a "known issue", kind of like a manufacturer recall, where so many people have the same defect that Sprint will perform swaps on behalf of the manufacturer even if you don't have insurance. These are rare, I guess because the mfr has to put out a bulletin or something like that admitting the flaw.
Of course, the insurance also helps if I drop or lose the phone. Which is not manufacturer/warranty-related.
It sounds like you might be enrolled in VZ's insurance?
Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

When you buy phone that have suffix from your country you can make "purchase agreement" and it will be taken into account if you have everything.