Database Users

Bricking hero to get it replaced

My sprint store won't replace my Hero with dust under the screen >_<
So if I brick it, they will, correct?
Would brick by pulling battery during radio update or something.

Yeah...this is against your contract and such...if they can prove you bricked it they can say no...

This is incredibly unethical and results in higher costs for all of us. I understand you're upset that you have dust under your screen, but intentionally bricking your phone to get a replacement, that cost only gets passed on to everyone else.
I guess that you could argue that the product was defective and they ought to replace it anyway, but a little dust under the screen isn't the end of the world is it? I've got chipped paint on my back button and the case has a small crack where the mini-usb plugs in, should I brick my phone just to fix those minor issues?

ASULutzy said:
This is incredibly unethical and results in higher costs for all of us. I understand you're upset that you have dust under your screen, but intentionally bricking your phone to get a replacement, that cost only gets passed on to everyone else.
I guess that you could argue that the product was defective and they ought to replace it anyway, but a little dust under the screen isn't the end of the world is it? I've got chipped paint on my back button and the case has a small crack where the mini-usb plugs in, should I brick my phone just to fix those minor issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm completely OCD about these things. Once I notice an issue that I didn't cause, it bothers the complete hell out of me.

Just take it to a local repair shop and pay the cost to have it cleaned/screen replaced.

intx said:
I'm completely OCD about these things. Once I notice an issue that I didn't cause, it bothers the complete hell out of me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Asides from all of that, as already mentioned this is unethical, and also illegal, you would be committing fraud. This is something in the same vein as insurance fraud. I don't condone such things. There are guides on the internet on how to openup your phone and clean out the dust, probably guides on how to stop it from happening again, look them up and give that a shot if the dust bothers you so much.

rayborn said:
Just take it to a local repair shop and pay the cost to have it cleaned/screen replaced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I absolutely refuse to pay extra money to fix a defect in a phone I've only had for a few months.

So take it to a Sprint shop and they'll blow out the dust for free.

intx said:
I absolutely refuse to pay extra money to fix a defect in a phone I've only had for a few months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then open ur phone and clean it urself, seriously why do ppl think their entitled to sh*t nowadays? if you can flash ur phone then open the shell and clean it out.

entropism said:
So take it to a Sprint shop and they'll blow out the dust for free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He said he did that and they wouldnt.
How do u guys get dust under the screen? Om. Truck driver and see tje worst conditions ever, from scorching heat to freezing cold with everything in between n my phone still looks bew after a few months and many drops andi cary it in my pocket.

I would have to agree that the best option, (being money free) is to follow a guide to open up your phone and cleaning it yourself unless of course you would be voiding your warranty. However that seems to be not the case here.

to brick it, flash a gsm radio or rom. BUT "if" they catch it you will be charged for a new phone.

Nate14 said:
I would have to agree that the best option, (being money free) is to follow a guide to open up your phone and cleaning it yourself unless of course you would be voiding your warranty. However that seems to be not the case here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no need to clean it, just call sprint and they will send you another phone. i did and i got a new one a week ago. sprint knows about the dust defect.

Uhmmm. The answer to your question is yes. The bricked hero is going to go into a bucket of hero's at the HTC repair center and probably be recycled. There is no forensics team waiting to check every phone because of HOW it got screwed. I would keep it all stock though so if they do read it they wont see something that hasnt been released yet.
I would say the radio update trick may brick it but it would be best if the phone didnt even power on.
Also, don't feel bad. I am ocd about this stuff too and if I had dust under the screen in one hand, and a company like sprint trying back out of responsibility in the other, I would do the same thing. I could go on and on but its up to you to decide what the "right thing" to do is. And I personally feel that they should cover this stuff, so I have no moral or ethical problems with forcing a company to own up and care about their customers. Just be sure to take it to a sprint store you have never been to before.

FYI- I am a Sprint employee.. and I can tell you that as long as you're going to a COMPANY OWNED Sprint store, they will clean the dust out for you at no charge since you're still in warranty. If they do not, ask for a manager and let them know you don't want to have to email [email protected] (yes this actually works, and his executive escalation office really does read these emails.) If it is a repeated issue, they will eventually replace the phone for you, but it will likely be a reconditioned model (which are just as good as new.) The Hero comes apart very very easily and is very simple to clean. Good luck!

a99tandem said:
FYI- I am a Sprint employee.. and I can tell you that as long as you're going to a COMPANY OWNED Sprint store, they will clean the dust out for you at no charge since you're still in warranty. If they do not, ask for a manager and let them know you don't want to have to email [email protected] (yes this actually works, and his executive escalation office really does read these emails.) If it is a repeated issue, they will eventually replace the phone for you, but it will likely be a reconditioned model (which are just as good as new.) The Hero comes apart very very easily and is very simple to clean. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sprint tried to clean my dust but refused to take apart the hero in fear of breaking it or getting fingerprints on the lcd. the blew out what they could and hooked me up with a new phone, no questions asked.

flexgrip said:
Uhmmm. The answer to your question is yes. The bricked hero is going to go into a bucket of hero's at the HTC repair center and probably be recycled. There is no forensics team waiting to check every phone because of HOW it got screwed. I would keep it all stock though so if they do read it they wont see something that hasnt been released yet.
I would say the radio update trick may brick it but it would be best if the phone didnt even power on.
Also, don't feel bad. I am ocd about this stuff too and if I had dust under the screen in one hand, and a company like sprint trying back out of responsibility in the other, I would do the same thing. I could go on and on but its up to you to decide what the "right thing" to do is. And I personally feel that they should cover this stuff, so I have no moral or ethical problems with forcing a company to own up and care about their customers. Just be sure to take it to a sprint store you have never been to before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In other words, your telling him its ok to commit fraud, which is a felony. Its because of people like you, that a cell phone costs $500, pc's cost $1000's, insurance rates are high, health care is so expensive, etc.......Fraud accounts for probably a good majority of the cost of products and services. Imagine what it would be like if everybody actually took responsibility for their actions...Ah well..that'll never happen in this society that thinks it's entitled to everything for free.......

intx said:
My sprint store won't replace my Hero with dust under the screen >_<
So if I brick it, they will, correct?
Would brick by pulling battery during radio update or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use the OPEN enrollment on sprint to get TEP. (they have special now till the end of the month).. then take it in have them 'diagnose' it, and the worse case you pay 50 deductible to get it replaced, keep TEP until your satisfied.
I can usually get out of the TEP deductible by just going to a repair center and waiting for them to fix it.
Maybe that will work.. I had gone through 8 sprint moguls on TEP and never once had to pay the deductible by doing things this way.

TEP on smartphones is $100 not $50 deductible.

OK, first off... The OP never said he tried to fix it, he said he tried to REPLACE it. For all we know, he didn't go to a corporate repair store, just a sales location.
Second, for Fixxxer: if you went to a repair store and they felt uncomfortable opening up your hero? Change stores IMMEDIATELY. They're trained and paid to open up phones, if they can't do that, they're worthless.
Finally, Kkruse: The deductible is $100, hasn't been $50 for smartphones in over a year. Besides, a deductible should only be used for the following: Water damage, physical damage (I'd rather pay $120 on the spot to get it fixed), theft/loss, fire damage, complete devastation (aka motherboard shattered into more than 2 pieces). If you use the deductible for dust, send me the $100 instead, it'll get more use. Half of your insurance goes to free in store repairs. Guess what dust is covered under?

the hero is defective, i have proof!

i know how the dust in getting in our phones, there is a defective seal between the body & the lcd. how do i have proof? i went to install a screen protector today and the solution leaked underneath the lcd and leaves staining and a fog. i had to put my hero in a bag of dry rice to preserve & dry it. no other phone i have had, had this issue when installing a screen protector, im only using a small amount of water spray too, not a ton.

nebenezer said:
I hope you got pictures, and then called your lawyer!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
come on man, im serious here, this is an issue that htc should of fixed. they wouldn't sell those screen protectors to damage your phone. i only used a very small amount of the spray they provide, you have to use the credit card to squeeze the bubbles out.

fixxxer2008 said:
come on man, im serious here, this is an issue that htc should of fixed. they wouldn't sell those screen protectors to damage your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually agree, for some reason I am just unable to pass up an opportunity to give you $h1t
Fortunately I have been one of the lucky few who have no dust under my screen and my call/end button paint shows no wear at all. My hero looks as new today as it did on 3/12/2009 when I got it.
I was serious though about getting photographic documentation, not sure what you would do with it but if you ad an opportunity to tell someone who could do something about it you would be glad you took the pics (ie, emailing someone at htc or sprint, or even proving the defect to customer service in order to get a replacement)
*edit- You bought the screen protector from HTC? I put a full zagg shield on mine a couple months ago and was very paranoid about the solution getting down in the crack between the bottom of the screen and the button plate but I was lucky, no problems.

nebenezer said:
I actually agree, for some reason I am just unable to pass up an opportunity to give you $h1t
Fortunately I have been one of the lucky few who have no dust under my screen and my call/end button paint shows no wear at all. My hero looks as new today as it did on 3/12/2009 when I got it.
I was serious though about getting photographic documentation, not sure what you would do with it but if you ad an opportunity to tell someone who could do something about it you would be glad you took the pics (ie, emailing someone at htc or sprint, or even proving the defect to customer service in order to get a replacement)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i may give sprint a call tonight, just upsets me is all. i love the phone but damn i didn't need this today. come to think of it, i may give htc a ring, im sure they must be aware of this, maybe i can get a new phone from them?

fixxxer2008 said:
i may give sprint a call tonight, just upsets me is all. i love the phone but damn i didn't need this today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dude, I think you need some perspective. You have insurance, right? Forget the deductible, if you go in and use the correct words in the correct order you can easily walk out with a brand new phone... just saying.

nebenezer said:
dude, I think you need some perspective. You have insurance, right? Forget the deductible, if you go in and use the correct words in the correct order you can easily walk out with a brand new phone... just saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
probably, yes.... i just checked the phone and the fog is gone but there is a highly noticeable water stain under the lcd at the top left corner of the phone. im trying to dry it out as we speak. too late to go to sprint today but i may call them and htc to see what they are willing to do. i assume the invisible shields do not void your warranty at all since some sprint stores & best buy carry them?

fixxxer2008 said:
probably, yes.... i just checked the phone and the fog is gone but there is a highly noticeable water stain under the lcd at the top left corner of the phone. im trying to dry it out as we speak. too late to go to sprint today but i may call them and htc to see what they are willing to do. i assume the invisible shields do not void your warranty at all since some sprint stores & best buy carry them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The experience you had today will in no way void your warranty unless you let it. You are the customer, be a customer who's business they want to keep and they will bend over backwards to help you, I have proven this theory many times

ebaDamagePlan said:
should have*
or
should've*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, it should of been fixed the minute they knew about the dust getting under there. i think i have proof of a defective seal, when a small amount of spray causes staining & fog underneath. i just called htc and their warranty department is closed, figures!

fixxxer2008 said:
probably, yes.... i just checked the phone and the fog is gone but there is a highly noticeable water stain under the lcd at the top left corner of the phone. im trying to dry it out as we speak. too late to go to sprint today but i may call them and htc to see what they are willing to do. i assume the invisible shields do not void your warranty at all since some sprint stores & best buy carry them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh...good luck. You've got water underneath your screen via a third party screen protective solution.
The liquid wouldnt have entered your screen had you not administered it. Water can creep through even the smallest of openings.
I highly doubt things are going to work in your favor if you enter a Sprint store. I'm not aware of any corporate Sprint location that advocates a screen solution that requires even the smallest amount of liquid since liquid damage is something that must be handled by the insurance company, Asurion, that many wireless providers work through.
Its worth a shot. Just dont be completely disappointed if the Sprint store doesnt respond in your favor.

Quis89 said:
Eh...good luck. You've got water underneath your screen via a third party screen protective solution.
The liquid wouldnt have entered your screen had you not administered it. Water can creep through even the smallest of openings.
I highly doubt things are going to work in your favor if you enter a Sprint store. I'm not aware of any corporate Sprint location that advocates a screen solution that requires even the smallest amount of liquid since liquid damage is something that must be handled by the insurance company, Asurion, that many wireless providers work through.
Its worth a shot. Just dont be completely disappointed if the Sprint store doesnt respond in your favor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint stores as well as Best Buy both install screen protectors, so I doubt that would be an issue.

Umm...not to be rude here, but that's been a known issue for a while. It's not new. Anyone who's had the dust issue (myself included) has known about the seal under the screen leaking.
Yes it's defective. If you put up enough of a fuss they'll replace it with a refurb which will likely have the same problem.
I'm one of the lucky ones. I bought mine at best buy, got it replaced, and haven't had the problem since. It appears HTC had a bad batch (well a lot of them, really) for about 6-8 months. They fixed the problem after that, but the good ones are mixed in with the old ones. It's a crapshoot as to whether you'll get one without a dust problem.

I always get screen protectors that have built in sticky solution. never had the dust problem either.
Sent from my HERO200 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

wcgbmd said:
I'll just put it like this, its not that I don't believe people are having these issues its just that they are exaggerating it completely out of proportion.
I have a Htc Hero(With Google) made in 2009, came with the 1.56 RUU Installed. I have 1 (READ 1) dead pixel on my entire screen, the case has no paint chips, no dust under the screen, buttons show no wear(its not paint...), my speakers work and sound great, I get a full signal in 90% of places, Calls never drop, hardware is fast if you know what your doing and tweak it, you can run 2.1 perfectly if you know what your doing, no battery issues whatsoever.
So yeah... a dead pixel... I'm completely returning my hero to Sprint for that. (not)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have a dead pixel. And I'm not returning it for that reason, either.
But I feel I need to set you straight on a few issues.
#1. The dust issue is real. While I personally didn't wait until I had half my screen covered with it to replace it, I've seen pics (here I believe) where the phone is virtually unusable due to the dust. I had a small amount of dust. But why shouldn't I return it? Why should I spend a bunch of money on a defective piece of hardware? If it's not properly functioning when brand new I'm returning it. Which is what I did, and lucked out.
#2. Button wear. I've never had this problem (only had the phone a couple of months) but my wife has. Whether it's paint, or dye, or what have you, those things can and do flake. There are also images of it on these forums if you search for them.
#3. Never had a speaker problem.
#4. You seem to be extremely fortunate about where you live/drive/work then. Because signal issues happen if you do any travelling.
#5. I don't get people with battery problems either. I have the stock battery and can go all day (12-14 hours) and use 50% or less of the battery.
Anyhow, I doubt the people that are having the issues you mention are exaggerating, and at least in the case of the flaking buttons and dust I know from experience they're as bad as people make it out to be.

chfields said:
Sprint stores as well as Best Buy both install screen protectors, so I doubt that would be an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly, plus they sell them as well. it wouldn't void my warranty under water damage because the water indicator sticker is intact and there are no signs of water damage. i doubt a small amount of solution would seep under the screen unless it was defective. im about to call sprint and demand a brand new hero or a samsung moment as im on my 3rd phone now. besides the fact the 3rd phone they sent me was suppose to be new and it's a refurb with over 700 calls made from it. im really about to not buy htc or sprint anymore and maybe move to another carrier.

chfields said:
Sprint stores as well as Best Buy both install screen protectors, so I doubt that would be an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not aware of any corporate Sprint Store that would install a screen protector that uses any form of a liquid. The screen protectors that Sprint stores sell are a stick film. Nothing that requires liquid to apply.
Best Buy stores do sell and install these...but you're not going to Best Buy for a replacement unit generally. I'm sure they'll turn you away.

well forget sprint, they said the most that will happen is to give me another refurbish, they need to all be on the same page. some say you get new phones and some say they give you used ones. after 3 phones im entitled to a new one or another comparable model. so i guess my last hope is to call htc on monday, after that im dropping my contract and going to t-mobile or verizon. maybe the issue is they give people used phones and not new ones, they need to start backing up their warranties because it seems to me they are just cheap as hell.

fixxxer2008 said:
yeah but it's a legit complaint, im not just ranting. the dust & seal issue are known issues on the net. to me sprint just doesn't care about their customers. every one of their workers give you different answers, no one is on the same page.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had the phone since day -2 and have yet to have one speck of dust under the screen yet. And mines the without google branding. You probably just need to stop whining or stop messing up YOUR phone =P

fixxxer2008 said:
exactly, plus they sell them as well. it wouldn't void my warranty under water damage because the water indicator sticker is intact and there are no signs of water damage. i doubt a small amount of solution would seep under the screen unless it was defective. im about to call sprint and demand a brand new hero or a samsung moment as im on my 3rd phone now. besides the fact the 3rd phone they sent me was suppose to be new and it's a refurb with over 700 calls made from it. im really about to not buy htc or sprint anymore and maybe move to another carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who said you were entitled to a "New" Hero? Did you get it through insurance? If not, then you're not entitled to a "New" Hero.

VinceOB said:
Who said you were entitled to a "New" Hero? Did you get it through insurance? If not, then you're not entitled to a "New" Hero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all replacements were done through sprint and my 2nd one was a brand new phone. the tech told me last week that if my 3rd one acts up im entitled to a another compatible phone model such as the moment. now they are telling me something different. to me the $7 insurance i pay for every month is apparently worthless.

fixxxer2008 said:
all replacements were done through sprint and my 2nd one was a brand new phone. the tech told me last week that if my 3rd one acts up im entitled to a another compatible phone model such as the moment. now they are telling me something different. to me the $7 insurance i pay for every month is apparently worthless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep the 3 phones for virtually nothing compared to how much you would of had to pay.
Why do we even bother with the $7?

(Help) Taking phone in for repairs

I'm taking my phone in for some repairs on some buttons soon and I wanted to know what I should change before I go so they won't get pissy about it being rooted

I just sent mine into Samsung today, i just odin'd back to complete stock a week ago cause official froyo is soon and i didnt want to start fresh with froyo, and i knew i was going to be sending my phone in so i'd recommend odin back to stock so they dont claim that you've voided your warranty.
-D3luSi0n4L

Being a technician, I personally wouldn't care, but some guys/girls are by the books, so it's up to you. If it was me, just make it look stock. If you're only going in for replacement buttons they more than likely won't look at the software information. I know I don't

Odin back to DI18,better safe than sorry...Once they void your warranty,that is it,in your file.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

flawlessbmxr said:
Being a technician, I personally wouldn't care, but some guys/girls are by the books, so it's up to you. If it was me, just make it look stock. If you're only going in for replacement buttons they more than likely won't look at the software information. I know I don't
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being a tech, if you had a customer come in w a purple line across bittom of screen, maybe 2 pixels tall, would you try to write it off as 'cosmetic' and offer a tep customer a fix for 35 bux... even though tep is free or insurance... nothing between...? Just got a new phone frm the manager after a tech said that... kind of a **** move, don't you think?
On topic, odin to di18... like our fine tech here said, most don't care. My sales girl said the techs rooted everyoe in the stores phones... idunno, do you guys even look for that unless the phoneis bricked? Seems a waste of your time...

Where can I get the .tar to odin back to 2.1? I cant find it anywhere

Seanc13 said:
Where can I get the .tar to odin back to 2.1? I cant find it anywhere
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you're looking for this thread.

Thanks
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

I dropped my Epic last week, and got a very small crack in the glass digitizer through the Sprint logo at the top of the screen. Wasn't even touching the SuperAmoled screen, just the glass. The phone worked perfectly, including the touchscreen, and you couldn't even see the screen crack unless looking in direct light.
Took it into my local Sprint store to get the screen replaced for free under the new TEP Policy. A hour later, when i returned, they said they couldn't fix it, because "there was things wrong with the phone that couldn't be fixed".
I stated that the only damage was to the glass digitizer, and thought they could just pop it out, and replace it really quick. Well, my 'knowledgeable' Sprint technician, said he didn't even know what a "digitizer" was, and that "there was hardware inside the phone that wasn't functioning".
So they gave me a BRAND NEW refurbished phone, WITH a 90 DAY SAMSUNG WARRANTY. Lol wtf? He said he had never even seen a refurbished phone that came with a warranty before. But my new Epic, is much better than my old epic. The screen has absolutely no wobble, and the keys don't crackle and crunch when typing!
I didn't even bother to restore my phone to stock. It was running DK28 along with all the other things I flashed onto the phone. I'm thinking they tried to plug the phone into their computer to diagnose for system problems, and since my phone was running a custom leaked build, their computer probably gave a error making them think it had a software issue.
I'm pretty sure about 99% of the sprint technicians in the store had absolutely no idea what rooting even was. After I got my new Epic, the technician asked if I wanted my contacts transfered from my old phone to my new phone. He was surprised when I said that my new phone would automatically get my contacts from my google account. LOL

I think I'm just gonna take it in the way it is, I took my hero in a while back before I got my epic and it was rooted and customized to hell and back, the tech walks out and goes, custom rom? I said yea he goes ok, flash it back to stock, update this and that, and flash back to this and the problem will be solved, didn't even blink an eye at the thought of it being rooted. I had another rep ask me how I rooted my stuff and I sent him here becuase my phone was so much faster and smoother than his stock

ungovernable1977 said:
Being a tech, if you had a customer come in w a purple line across bittom of screen, maybe 2 pixels tall, would you try to write it off as 'cosmetic' and offer a tep customer a fix for 35 bux... even though tep is free or insurance... nothing between...? Just got a new phone frm the manager after a tech said that... kind of a **** move, don't you think?
On topic, odin to di18... like our fine tech here said, most don't care. My sales girl said the techs rooted everyoe in the stores phones... idunno, do you guys even look for that unless the phoneis bricked? Seems a waste of your time...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would have done it as manufacturing defect. As long as the glass part of the screen wasn't damaged. Basically ordering you a new one. And the $35 is for ppl with no insurance. So if you had no insurance with this situation, sprint policy states I have to charge you 35 for the new phone which I see it covering shipping if anything to and from the warehouse.
And to everyone busting on sprint techs im one of the few that actually know rooting, digitizers, etc. The training the techs go thru is for 5 year olds. Its stupid as hell. I take no offense to what's being said but yea, other techs are sstuuppiiddd
Sent from my MysteriousGingerbread

ungovernable1977 said:
Being a tech, if you had a customer come in w a purple line across bittom of screen, maybe 2 pixels tall, would you try to write it off as 'cosmetic' and offer a tep customer a fix for 35 bux... even though tep is free or insurance... nothing between...? Just got a new phone frm the manager after a tech said that... kind of a **** move, don't you think?
On topic, odin to di18... like our fine tech here said, most don't care. My sales girl said the techs rooted everyoe in the stores phones... idunno, do you guys even look for that unless the phoneis bricked? Seems a waste of your time...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should have been fixed. We get phones in all the time that have issues like that; and I'm sorry, some techs will look at it like a cosmetic issue, but at the same time, I look at it as, "Would I want it fixed if it were my phone?" And yes, I would. So I would have replaced the screen.

flawlessbmxr said:
And to everyone busting on sprint techs im one of the few that actually know rooting, digitizers, etc. The training the techs go thru is for 5 year olds. Its stupid as hell. I take no offense to what's being said but yea, other techs are sstuuppiiddd
Sent from my MysteriousGingerbread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm by no means hating on all technicians, I'm just saying that majority of ones I've encountered have little to no experience with anything "technical" about the phones they are selling. I don't expect that every Sprint technician will KNOW each and every phone inside and out, but when a technician is gonna ACT like they know everything.....
Back on topic though, I think its generally a good idea to flash back to stock or AT LEAST back up your phone, and wipe it before going to sprint for a repair. They asked that I unlock and remove the pattern password on my phone before I left it, and since my phone wasn't wiped, all of my accounts and stuff were open still.

Sprint store lulz today...

I'm having the "screen separation" issue where it starts to come up and move around at the bottom of the front of the phone, light leaking out shows up in the dark, etc.
Anyway... it's slowly getting worse so I unrooted my EVO and flashed back to stock (regretting it, a little) for giggles to take it to a Sprint corporate store near where I live to have them look at it.
The rep at the store, who wasn't even really interested in looking at my phone, told me:
1. He never heard of the problem.
2. He never saw a phone with the problem.
3. HTC never told Sprint anything official about it.
Long story short, he told me that it'd be considered a "cosmetic issue" and I'd have to file an insurance claim to get a replacement, or I could contact HTC and deal with them.
Lame! I just bought this phone a little more than 2 months ago. This is really something they should take care of at the store. They're the ones that sold me the damn thing!
</rant>
Anyone else had to deal with this problem? What did you wind up doing?
I'm sitting here rolling unrooted/stock right now, debating keeping it that way until there's a bug-free leak of the official EVO update. Ugh. I wish "ii treated ii" would tell me when the Nexus S was really going to be released so I can sell this phone and get one...

Ryjabo said:
I'm having the "screen separation" issue where it starts to come up and move around at the bottom of the front of the phone, light leaking out shows up in the dark, etc.
Anyway... it's slowly getting worse so I unrooted my EVO and flashed back to stock (regretting it, a little) for giggles to take it to a Sprint corporate store near where I live to have them look at it.
The rep at the store, who wasn't even really interested in looking at my phone, told me:
1. He never heard of the problem.
2. He never saw a phone with the problem.
3. HTC never told Sprint anything official about it.
Long story short, he told me that it'd be considered a "cosmetic issue" and I'd have to file an insurance claim to get a replacement, or I could contact HTC and deal with them.
Lame! I just bought this phone a little more than 2 months ago. This is really something they should take care of at the store. They're the ones that sold me the damn thing!
Anyone else had to deal with this problem? What did you wind up doing?
I'm sitting here rolling unrooted/stock right now, debating keeping it that way until there's a bug-free leak of the official EVO update. Ugh. I wish "ii treated ii" would tell me when the Nexus S was really going to be released so I can sell this phone and get one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*2 anytime you have a disagreement with the store on a tep issue.
ii treated ii would likely help if you gave more "thanks"

They tried telling me the same thing months ago, then a month ago I dropped it and shattered the screen. But $100 and I have a 004 hardware brand new not refurbished. And an extra charger, 8gbcard. I am satisfied now.

mattykinsx said:
*2 anytime you have a disagreement with the store on a tep issue.
ii treated ii would likely help if you gave more "thanks"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did this for the same issue. The tech on *2 agreed I should've had the phone replaced and said I should go back an talk to the manager. Well, I did that and the manager denied my replacement request as well. Eventually had to take it to [email protected] and they were able to reset my upgrade for this summer (it was suppose to be taken away). I ended up fixing the light leakage by buying a black paint marker at walmart, applied a thin strip between the glass and the casing and good as new!

No offense by why are people so anal about this? Heath there's little white lines on both sides of my screen.. doesn't bother me
A drop of Chuck Norris's semen was placed on Android OS. We now have CyanogenMod.

I have a similar story, OP. I went in this weekend to show them my blown earpiece speaker and the large white spots on the screen. The spots are definitely an issue that can be looked up on the forums here. As a matter of fact, Sprint had already sent me a replacement for the white spot thing before, but my new one has the same issue now. Any way, they charged me $40 to replace the earpiece, which is clearly a manufacturing defect. When I asked why it wasn't covered under warranty, I was told that I could choose to ship it to HTC and be without a phone for weeks. Then I was told that even if I had insurance on the phone, I still would have to pay for the ear piece replacement. About the white spots, I got the "it's cosmetic" reply. This is some BS.
After I left the Sprint Store, I went to T-Mobile and At&t to ask about how they deal with warranty issues. Both stores told me that if there's a problem that's clearly a manufacturing defect, they replace it for free if it's under warranty.
I've been happy with Sprint up until this point for the most part, but I'm now considering how much I really want to keep giving them my money.

Crossrocker said:
No offense by why are people so anal about this? Heath there's little white lines on both sides of my screen.. doesn't bother me
A drop of Chuck Norris's semen was placed on Android OS. We now have CyanogenMod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this happened to me on a 2 month old phone, I'd be beyond pissed.

I went to the Sprint store near my office today too. While putting on a screen protector, some water got inside and caused dark spots. Most of it went away, but 2 small spots were clearly noticeable when the screen was white(otherwise, not that big of an issue).
I told the rep about the spots and he asked if I had insurance on it. I told him I did not. He was pretty cool and said he could file some repair order and I'd just have to ante up $35. I asked him if they're going to repair the screen, he told me I'd get a new phone in about 3 days. WINNING!!
BTW, I didn't even bother unrooting. He looked confused as he was trying to find the dialpad since the launcher on Myn 2.2 looks different...lol

iitreatedii said:
are you still trying to be a fagget like for real, get a life...
anyway OP, call sprint and have them call that specific store, they will do that if you ask them to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fact you spelled "******" wrong is hilarious, its his signature, you get a life. Going off on people like that is just ignorant, seriously.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Crossrocker said:
No offense by why are people so anal about this? Heath there's little white lines on both sides of my screen.. doesn't bother me
A drop of Chuck Norris's semen was placed on Android OS. We now have CyanogenMod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A 2 month old phone that you're gonna be tied into a contract and likely have to use for over a year (closer to 2 with the new upgrade policy I believe).. I'd be more than anal about it.

if they choose to be an ass... then so you owe them nothing...
say you lost the phone... file for $100 deductible replacement.. and now you have a spare to fix things yourself... and use as you see it.

all the official sprint store that i went they where professional and they help me but, don't go to those private authorizes dealer for sprint they are the real asshole. i made a mistake signing up at one and maan they gave me hard time exchanging my defect Samsung epic and i already reported to sprint and they are under investigation.

Some users have this idealistic view of Sprint in-store service, but that's sadly not the case for many of us. For what it's worth, I should note that I'm a civil, friendly, slightly shy person. I don't have any attitude and I don't try to antagonize the employees or get riled up.
That said, it took me several stores and several tries to get my issues dealt with, along with about $60 total of gas. One store was outstandingly rude, arrogant and unhelpful. The other stores were like robots worked there, depending on what robot you got, you'd walk away happy, or very frustrated.
The problems I had with my old Evo were all WIDELY known defects that Sprint has even acknowledged, yet the employees played 100% dumb, insisting that "all Evo's have the bright spot, that's a flaw in all of them, and a swap won't help" and "random reboots are just a fact of life with a smartphone this sophisticated." Wtf? Anyway.
Someone needs to do a hidden camera report and send it to Dan Hesse.

most the store level reps eat paint chips lol real genius's. most of the time they give me trouble ill pull out my phone and dial *2 in front of them and that normally changes how im treated

thats bs
unknown_soldier said:
I have a similar story, OP. I went in this weekend to show them my blown earpiece speaker and the large white spots on the screen. The spots are definitely an issue that can be looked up on the forums here. As a matter of fact, Sprint had already sent me a replacement for the white spot thing before, but my new one has the same issue now. Any way, they charged me $40 to replace the earpiece, which is clearly a manufacturing defect. When I asked why it wasn't covered under warranty, I was told that I could choose to ship it to HTC and be without a phone for weeks. Then I was told that even if I had insurance on the phone, I still would have to pay for the ear piece replacement. About the white spots, I got the "it's cosmetic" reply. This is some BS.
After I left the Sprint Store, I went to T-Mobile and At&t to ask about how they deal with warranty issues. Both stores told me that if there's a problem that's clearly a manufacturing defect, they replace it for free if it's under warranty.
I've been happy with Sprint up until this point for the most part, but I'm now considering how much I really want to keep giving them my money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had sent my phone repaired a while back for a crackedscreen, when theyfixed the screen, 2 days later my ear speaker broke.. I went in.. told them that they had fixed my screen, but they now broke my ear piece.. they replaced it in 20 mins free of charge

Rippley05 said:
A 2 month old phone that you're gonna be tied into a contract and likely have to use for over a year (closer to 2 with the new upgrade policy I believe).. I'd be more than anal about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotcha. Ive had the lines since.. last year? But i always have a case on so i don't see em. Anyway I'm going to the evo 3d soon
A drop of Chuck Norris's semen was placed on Android OS. We now have CyanogenMod.

Thread cleaned of irrelevant nonsense and trolling

Sprint sucks...worst customer service

smuglife101 said:
Sprint sucks...worst customer service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never given me a problem, it's mostly dumb employee's who are either being dicks or are retarded.

smuglife101 said:
Sprint sucks...worst customer service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being as they hold the award for best customer service in the industry....

Sprint Repair store (Very Troubling)

I just want to get a bead on what is going on here.
I was window Shopping in the Sprint store this morning & a guy had an OG EVO with a faulty charge port.
Before I go on, note the following:
1.I'm not sure of what insurance plan he had (it could be either TEP+Asu, or just Asurion) so this is where I need your help in clarification. But he definitely has insurance.
2. This particular Sprint Store has the Repair Center.
3. I didn't see a repair tech chime in on the conversation. (Odd as usually the repair techs themselves tell you what can or can't be done. Duties & Policies change so you never know here.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He explained this issue to the floor reps & the floor rep told him that they would have to refer him to Asurion ($100+) & get the phone repaired or possibly replaced that way as he claimed it was physical damage.
This customer was no newb (assuming, sounded like he had a clue & a goal anyway) to how this works & explained that he knew this was a common issue as at least two people he knew of, had that same issue with the charge port failing. He did not mention their experience on getting this issue resolved. He called it a defect & it wasn't from him abusing or dropping the phone, which he happily showed in great condition. (I agreed, silently).
They talked back & forth- in small circles getting to this:
The Floor Rep (who sounded very sure of this) said there was nothing this Sprint store could do, they couldn't fix or get him a new/refurb phone because it was technically still considered physical damage.
This went back & forth for about 10 more minutes & the customer was pissed. (Didn't curse or get childish) but he was disgusted that we would have to pay $100 for a manufacturer defect & that the Sprint "repair" center couldn't help him.
He rode on this wave of anger & promptly asked to cancel his service with Sprint. The floor rep easily complied to start the process. (Me thinking: WTF Idiot rep, get the manager!) I face-palmed after that & I left while they were going over the termination.
Now my question/s:
Was the rep right about what they couldn't do for that time of damage/defect? Was this the result because the customer lacking the TEP portion of his insurance?
Are some repair centers more capable than others for this type of damage?
Has some portions of coverage been removed recently aside from the "rarely charged for" $35 screen repairs?
Question for Sprint employees/ former employees: What options can you use to deter a customer from leaving in a situation like that? I feel the rep could've at least put up an inch of a fight to assist in a situation like that or request aid from a manager.
Excuse any spelling or editing errors.

I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that the sprint rep just wanted to show him who the boss was. I've never had any problems with the tech stores here repairing anything from broken screens to broken power buttons. Unless you bring your phone in two pieces or has been physically damaged they should warranty it out.

IMHO
The rep, IMHO, was incorrect for arguing with the customer over what was physical or man. defect. Being a Sprint TC, we are usually asked to go out and inspect the device, open it up and see whether the soldering points are intact or not. you can spot the difference rather quickly when it comes to defect or physical. The rep should have either gotten a TC involved or better yet a manager involved immediately. Most customers, and i mean that with all due respect to both parties, would much rather hear the reasoning from someone who is supposed to know what they are talking about. for some reason customers that i talk to seem to leave in a happier mood after speaking with me over the issue. I have had to step in during a heated discussion between a rep and a customer over issues like this, and I'm not even a lead, just a simple TC. Personally, I think it tends to sound a little more official from the person hired to actually WORK on the devices rather than hear from someone who simply sells it. We spend more time on our job opening them open and inspecting them, just like the reps spend their time selling customers on the device. just my opinion, I'm not looking to start a feud by any means

your response sounds more like a regular store experience for me..

Hypeo said:
I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that the sprint rep just wanted to show him who the boss was. I've never had any problems with the tech stores here repairing anything from broken screens to broken power buttons. Unless you bring your phone in two pieces or has been physically damaged they should warranty it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah same here, I never had an experience like that. But it's been since the HTC Hero (2 years ago) that I've flexed my TEP. At this very store.
And then the sight of this floor rep allowing a current subscriber to leave without any counter-action. (IMHO: is worse than some random would be customer leaving). You don't have to be in retentions to save a subscriber.
I always have the golden rule of try trice (with different reps/stores) before deeming a crap policy as fact. But this guy was understandably baffled at how useless his experience was that led up to him cancelling.
dgomez720 said:
The rep should have either gotten a TC involved or better yet a manager involved immediately. Most customers, and i mean that with all due respect to both parties, would much rather hear the reasoning from someone who is supposed to know what they are talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. When he 1st came in explaining his visit, I thought he would log & direct him a TC.

dgomez720 said:
The rep, IMHO, was incorrect for arguing with the customer over what was physical or man. defect. Being a Sprint TC, we are usually asked to go out and inspect the device, open it up and see whether the soldering points are intact or not. you can spot the difference rather quickly when it comes to defect or physical. The rep should have either gotten a TC involved or better yet a manager involved immediately. Most customers, and i mean that with all due respect to both parties, would much rather hear the reasoning from someone who is supposed to know what they are talking about. for some reason customers that i talk to seem to leave in a happier mood after speaking with me over the issue. I have had to step in during a heated discussion between a rep and a customer over issues like this, and I'm not even a lead, just a simple TC. Personally, I think it tends to sound a little more official from the person hired to actually WORK on the devices rather than hear from someone who simply sells it. We spend more time on our job opening them open and inspecting them, just like the reps spend their time selling customers on the device. just my opinion, I'm not looking to start a feud by any means
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you, as a customer it does sound more official to hear the response from the person who is paid to actually work on the devices. A lot of people view salespeople as just that, salespeople. Someone to sell you something that you probably don't want or need, not someone to fix something that you have already bought and need repaired.
However, from a customer's point of view, he also may be arguing over the fact that it is for things like this in which he bought the insurance to begin with. If I'm spending $8 per month for God knows how long, the last thing I want to hear is "No, we won't repair your phone." In that case, Sprint could really do a better job of educating its customers as to what the insurance really covers. Most people view it as the equivalent of the add-on service plan that you can get at Best Buy or everywhere else, which basically will get your device fixed or replaced (or some money back) if your device fails after the manufacturer's warranty runs out. Apparently that isn't the case with TEP, however that's not how the salespeople sell it. I was in a Sprint store last month with my Dad upgrading his phone, and the sales rep offered it to us by saying "If anything goes wrong with your phone, bring it in and we'll repair it."
He had to backpedal when I started asking him questions about fixing water damage and extreme gross physical neglect...
BigJohn

Same exact thing happened to me. I called Sprint and still no luck. I eventually had a screen problem and the store replaced the phone for me.
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

I think that is a prime example of ignorance and lack of care for customers. I have been to many crappy sprint stores who have done similar things. Fortunately I have found a sprint store in my neighborhood who treats their customers with respect and are mostly knowledgeable. Tbh that customer should have escalated it to talk to the manager or just go to another sprint store.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

The repair stores are filled with 1 good person to fix phones and 5 idiots. They all depend on 1 tech to actually fix things, and when they can't, the only solution to their problem is.. uh.. Ill have to have u call Asurion. Idiotttts.

This is exactly why the reps in my store immediately hand off any problem phones to a tech. They ask qualifying questions but never argue with the customer. It's up to the tech to determine what's wrong with the phone, and if necessary, "argue" with the customer.
I always explain TEP with a car analogy. You pay an insurance premium on your car in order to carry coverage. If you wreck your car, you pay a deductible and have it fixed.
Evo charging port is a very sensitive issue. I've had some that are obvious physical damage yet the customer still argues and calls me a liar.

So what does TEP actually cover?

cmsjr123 said:
So what does TEP actually cover?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ability to get upgrades every 1 year instead of every 2 years. That's about it.
Sent from my EVO

I find that going to an authorized retailer with a repair center works better, I went to a sprint store and they wanted me too buy this or that, battery, etc... Went to a reseller and they replaced my uninsured phone for $35, under faulty USB charger. Also try to go on days they aren't slammed with customers so they can give you the proper attention..

mbaseball3 said:
Ability to get upgrades every 1 year instead of every 2 years. That's about it.
Sent from my EVO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

DirtyShroomz said:
Seriously?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, yeah! I envy everyone else here with their success stories. Sprint stores do chit here for their customers! I'm on a 6 line business plan and they say sorry can't help you any time I walk in to a repair center. We been with sprint since a little before Nextel merger; how ever many years ago that was. I have yet to get a phone properly taken care of even with our insurance. I feel that when they see that there is an issue in device and that they should fix, they just point me to asurion. They never help. Feed us excuse after excuse. Anyone in the orange county area of California have good repair center experiences? Won't be surprised if all responses are No!
Sent from my EVO

mbaseball3 said:
Ability to get upgrades every 1 year instead of every 2 years. That's about it.
Sent from my EVO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm, absolutely not.

Hmmm
I've had my share of issues with the Sprint store where I live. Almost from the time I got the phone I was having issues with it and all they were willing to was a factory reset. They actually let me sit in the store for over an hour (with my two year old son) the last time I went. After we were both tired of sitting I got up and asked the tech about it. He told me "Oh yeah, well the screen is locked and I couldn't get into it" I was floored and pissed off. Someone could have asked me considering I told them I would wait. After that I decided it was time for me to figure it all out on my own.

mskeys2xx3 said:
I've had my share of issues with the Sprint store where I live. Almost from the time I got the phone I was having issues with it and all they were willing to was a factory reset. They actually let me sit in the store for over an hour (with my two year old son) the last time I went. After we were both tired of sitting I got up and asked the tech about it. He told me "Oh yeah, well the screen is locked and I couldn't get into it" I was floored and pissed off. Someone could have asked me considering I told them I would wait. After that I decided it was time for me to figure it all out on my own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

mskeys2xx3 said:
I've had my share of issues with the Sprint store where I live. Almost from the time I got the phone I was having issues with it and all they were willing to was a factory reset. They actually let me sit in the store for over an hour (with my two year old son) the last time I went. After we were both tired of sitting I got up and asked the tech about it. He told me "Oh yeah, well the screen is locked and I couldn't get into it" I was floored and pissed off. Someone could have asked me considering I told them I would wait. After that I decided it was time for me to figure it all out on my own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have data preservation sheets for that, which all customers are required to sign. It includes a place to draw your pattern lock or write down any other codes.

Well it would have been nice if someone had asked/told me that when they took my phone. I like just stop talking and give me my phone back before I am unable to control this urge to punch you in the face.