Database Users

What would you do? Should I go for Handset 5?

I'm on my 4th Hero now. This one has hot pixels. There's quite a number of them, probably more than my initial estimate of 15.
This gets convoluted now so bear with me. Of those pixels I would say that I see about 6 of them when watching tv in bed at night with my glasses off when the screen is displaying very dark colours. I'm pretty short sighted and put the phone really close to my face to watch stuff. In normal day to day use I don't see them. I might even have difficulty showing you anything but the two worst ones. Even those would require me to bring up a black screen to contrast with. And they're not in the middle of the screen.
Despite these pixels, of the 4 Hero's I've had this is the best one I've had. My last one had a bigger pixel problem, while there were fewer problem pixels they were more noticeable and right in the middle of the screen.
I contacted HTC about it by email and they said to contact them about a repair. I rang them just now to ask about it and the guy on the phone said they could not guarantee no hot pixels after repair and that he thought the best thing to do was get another replacement, he also said that he thought I'd probably get a refurbished phone as opposed to mine being fixed if HTC did it. He said that a new phone is always the best option.
If I could go to a store and swap it then that would be great. But I can't and Orange insist on couriering me a phone over. This means I can't check the phone before giving my old one back. I tried to do this last time and the courier flat out refused to give me the replacement before I had given him the old one. Apparently he had someone take the new phone and then slam the door in his face, meaning they had both phones!
Anyway, If I knew I'd get a better phone, I'd be happy to go for either replacement by Orange or repair by HTC. As it is I feel that the odds are stacked against me (this is my 4th, remember) and that I should maybe just be accepting of what I've got.
For anyone who'd bullishly just demand a replacement until they got a perfect phone I'd suggest that you consider that Orange aren't going to keep replacing the phone and that HTC's man said that they wouldn't guarantee a defect free phone. This could go on forever. Looking at this forum it seems that there are enough hardware problems for my problem to be relatively insignificant. Everything else is fine.
So yeah, what would you do? To sum up: Minor persistent annoyance vs potential for greater annoyance.

If it has that many dead pixels then its past what they (HTC) consider acceptable in their policy. In that case it is 'faulty'.
You should really be thinking of it like 'why on earth do you keep giving me faulty phones, get this sorted because i'm getting fed up with this' instead of 'err sorry could i please have another replacement'. Its their fault not yours!
The only down side to another replacement, like you say, is that it may have other problems they dont consider a fault. In any case since you got it online (right?), worst case you could just send the whole lot back and start again with another carrier.
Personally if i had issues like that with a phone, it would bug the hell out of me every time i noticed them, and i'd be kicking myself for not returning it.
15 dead pixels on such a low resolution screen is pretty rediculous. I'm begining to wonder if they are using cheap screens or something,

Can't find any pixel issues on mine. And would have it replaced if there were
, as I did with the Tocco a year ago.
Bought mine straight from HTC though.

kam187 said:
If it has that many dead pixels then its past what they (HTC) consider acceptable in their policy. In that case it is 'faulty'.
You should really be thinking of it like 'why on earth do you keep giving me faulty phones, get this sorted because i'm getting fed up with this' instead of 'err sorry could i please have another replacement'. Its their fault not yours!
The only down side to another replacement, like you say, is that it may have other problems they dont consider a fault. In any case since you got it online (right?), worst case you could just send the whole lot back and start again with another carrier.
Personally if i had issues like that with a phone, it would bug the hell out of me every time i noticed them, and i'd be kicking myself for not returning it.
15 dead pixels on such a low resolution screen is pretty rediculous. I'm begining to wonder if they are using cheap screens or something,
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I agree man, I think I've got a right to a phone that works properly. However the practicality of it all is that I might not be able to get one. I can't get out of the contract now (7 days is all the time you get) and for the reasons stated earlier it might not be the best decision to chance a worse phone. I'm really in two minds about this but I'm just not sure how many good ones there are out there and how many bad ones there are.

Well... Number five is due tomorrow. Pray for me guys.

Hero number 4 from Mobliefun is due this week and in the interim I have ordered another from Devicewire. I'll have 2 to choose from, so I'll end up sending back either, or both.
Shame I have to go to these lengths just to get a defect free device but to these lengths I shall go.

Dead pixels
Every brand as a dead pixels policy. What HTC's? Some other member posted it at: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=2909106
a) three dead pixels anywhere on the screen or
b) two continuous dead pixels
If that's the case, you just need to send the phone back and get a new one. If it takes the 6th phone...just ask for a refund and buy it elsewhere. This reminds me of my 1st HDD I bought...the store replaced it for 5 times only to find out that the entire box was filled with damaged HDD's.

What I want to know is what exactly is the problem with the manufacturing process on these handsets? If you get a good one, it's amazing but how few and far between are they?
Dead pixels, gaps etc... you shouldn't be getting that on a high end device.
The last time I had problems like this was dust under the screen on my SE P800!

tatwamasi said:
Yeah, I agree man, I think I've got a right to a phone that works properly. However the practicality of it all is that I might not be able to get one. I can't get out of the contract now (7 days is all the time you get) and for the reasons stated earlier it might not be the best decision to chance a worse phone. I'm really in two minds about this but I'm just not sure how many good ones there are out there and how many bad ones there are.
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The whole transaction is for the contract AND phone. Efectively you have not received a working phone yet. They have replaced it and replaced it. The 7 days deadline doesnt really apply here. The goods they supplied were faulty and you have full legal rights to ask for a replacement, use your waranty, or ask for a total refund for upto 2 years in fact in the EU.. and 6 years in the UK.
The crucial point is the goods were defective at the point of sale.

I'm fairly certain that the contract doesn't include the handset which is why the people who recently got out of their Orange contracts early didn't have to return their handsets. Thanks all the same though.

It definitely is. The people who got out of their contract took advantage of the terms and conditions/law regarding contracts, and the changing/breach of that contract.

Yeah it definatly includes the handset.
The reason they were allowed to keep their handset was because of the terms of the contract. It was set that way because after purchase the handset belongs to you regardless of the contract term. Its legally dificult for them to tie the contract month by month to the handset because then it would become a kind of lease/purchase asset. This is also the reason why you can request a FREE unlock code after the first x months. The fee is just an admin charge, they're not actually alowed to charge you for the unlock code itself.
Anyway I'm not saying you _should_ send it all back, but that you _can_ if you want to.

It must be a faulty batch. I have only ever had 1 dead pixel on an HTC phone before, the original I-Mate Jam, and Expansys sent me a replacement immediately I mentioned it.
I got my second Hero yesterday (dropped my first in a coffee, dont ask..) and thankfully both of them were defect free. White, unbranded, no screen gap, build quality or LED issues.
Of course, I got mine as an import here in Hong Kong, so the sourcing batch is likely to be very different from Expanys UK or any UK Telco.
Bottom line as other people have said is that the phone does not work as advertised, it is not defect free. You wouldnt accept a new car or CD Player with a big scratch down the side. This is just the same, except worse, as the screen is not just aesthetics, but an integral part of the experience.
Get it replaced until it is right.
Huge pain, I know, and so frustrating.. I really sympathise.

2 hot pixels, gap above the screen and new for phone number 5: backlight bleed at the edges of the screen.
Go HTC!

Send it back mate. Consider buying outright or switching provider at least, that batch is goosed for sure.
I'm awaiting my 4th, should be here in the next couple hours.

God it makes my issue of a gap in the top of the screen seem rather insignificant! Dude you are having some serious bad look with these handsets. Get on to HTC and kick off.
If any sub standard handsets are making it in to the hands of consumers any company worth its salt should be concerned and by the same token be prepared to do something about it.
It may be worth highlighting the fact that they are receiving some bad press on a very reputable forum within the smartphone community as nothing travels faster than word of mouth!

Just got my 4th. I have 1 hot pixel which actually may be a speck of dust, it's hard to tell., but it's practically invisible. Also have a screen gap- the tiny variety which isn't noticeable until you get a bright light reflecting off that copper component at the right angle.
Still not perfect but I'll wait and see what the other one I'm waiting for is like. I'll keep the best one. I'm starting to wonder if almost the whole UK batch is dodgy...
To those who have perfect (white sim-free) handsets please tell me where you got them?

crash_194 said:
God it makes my issue of a gap in the top of the screen seem rather insignificant! Dude you are having some serious bad look with these handsets. Get on to HTC and kick off.
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I'd love to, anyone know how to address them? There's no point contacting the phone numbers or support addresses on their website as the guys there have no power to do anything but say "why not try resetting your phone? If that doesn't work, return it to Orange or we can repair it for you"

Ha! Now that I examine Hero number 4 in the evening out of bright sunlight, the screen is splattered with dust or stuck pixels. There is also light bleeding out from the screen gap.
Hero number 5 soon...
I'm getting pretty pissed off. What's most annoying is that I'll send back 100 Heros before I settle for a different handset!

How come you guys are on your 4th and 5th handsets? It soley down to the dead pixels? I had 2 and neither had any dead pixels

gutted, scratched a faulty hd2 that i planned to send back,

Has anybody had experience removing a screen scratch from their hd2?
i've only had mine for 5 days and its got a massive scratch on the screen, don't even know how it happened, i always keep my phones in a glasses baggy, my iphone is still mint after 18 months but today i was watching some youtube clips on my break and the screen was perfect, then put it on charge at work and when i came back to it it was really badly scratched, not sure if someone decided to have a look at it and dropped it while i wasn't there but needless to say i'm gutted, i was thinking of sending it back to o2 coz it has a few problems, random letters on typing and stuck messages, not sure if they'll accept it back even as faulty with this big scratch, any advice as to what o2 do with faulty phones? do they check them, bin them or fix them? it was bought over the phone btw, will they just write it off and send a new one because of the problems?
please help

I think you will struggle to get it replaced under warranty with a fat scratch, even if it didn't work at all, let alone a few issues that are (apparently) solved by updates.
Do you have any cctv at work? I'd be spitting mad and hunting for the culprit!

there is cctv but not in my department, and lots of people come in and out,
worst case scenario if o2 won't accept it back as faulty they'll just send it back as it is,
and if i'm lucky i'll get a replacement?

just been giving the screen a rub with some t cut and it seems to be helping with most of the scratch, there is just a 5 mm part that is deeper than the rest, do you think that would affect an exchange?

Maybe, you`ve got nothing to lose.....

Gotta be worth a try. Chances are they're only going to flash a new rom and ship it back anyway. Course, if you have insurance it COULD go missing....

insurance is what my work mate said, any recomendations for someone cheap but with full cover?

Just for the record, the random letters on typing and stuck messages thing probably won't be enough to get you a new device. These flaws are all over the place. HTC will tell you the 1.66 rom will solve those problems. And the 'not quite aligned screen' is also a thing that pops up here on a regular basis.
Hope you succeed.

Hello guys, sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a very similar problem except without the scratched screen. The details are over here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=627374
Basically, I sent it to HTC and it came back much worse than it was when I sent it to them. What can I do now? Send it back to HTC again or would O2 be better? Is there a way I can get a new phone?
Thx.

If you return it to O2, they'll courier out a new one and pick the "faulty" one up at the same time, so you would get a new phone straight away - they did this with my first HD2 which didn't recognise SIM cards.
What they do with the "faulty" one once it's couriered back is anyone's guess. You could be lucky and it just goes in a big faulty pile to be sent back to HTC. I would deny that it was scratched if they phone you up about it, but that's quite naughty.

Awesome, thanks elyl .
My phone isn't scratched in the first place. Hope it works out for the original poster too.

elyl said:
If you return it to O2, they'll courier out a new one and pick the "faulty" one up at the same time, so you would get a new phone straight away - they did this with my first HD2 which didn't recognise SIM cards.
What they do with the "faulty" one once it's couriered back is anyone's guess. You could be lucky and it just goes in a big faulty pile to be sent back to HTC. I would deny that it was scratched if they phone you up about it, but that's quite naughty.
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what department at o2 did you use to get a courier exchange , what did you ask for and what problem did your phone have so that they exchanged it, cheers

sometimes the couriers themselves check out the goods if you are returning faulty handsets that have supposedly have no physical damage. ive had this happen to me a few times with my business units.
i would send it back to O2 anyway... if you have only had the handset for five days, explain that the screen is not "perfect". Its all about how you word it on the return form. Put down your other issues also.
This way when the courier turns up with your new handset and checks the goods and the return form (IF he has one) he will have no choice but to oblige.

stemoneymonkey said:
Has anybody had experience removing a screen scratch from their hd2?
i've only had mine for 5 days and its got a massive scratch on the screen, don't even know how it happened, i always keep my phones in a glasses baggy, my iphone is still mint after 18 months but today i was watching some youtube clips on my break and the screen was perfect, then put it on charge at work and when i came back to it it was really badly scratched, not sure if someone decided to have a look at it and dropped it while i wasn't there but needless to say i'm gutted, i was thinking of sending it back to o2 coz it has a few problems, random letters on typing and stuck messages, not sure if they'll accept it back even as faulty with this big scratch, any advice as to what o2 do with faulty phones? do they check them, bin them or fix them? it was bought over the phone btw, will they just write it off and send a new one because of the problems?
please help
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Before I divulge this story I don't endorse this sort of thing.
My mate got the HD2 on an upgrade through O2, he sat on it within 24hrs and got a smudge on the screen, called them up and claimed there was a fault with the screen; which they then sent a brand new replacement. This promptly arrived and then by shear idiocy he managed to put it the through the washing machine the next day!
The device turns on but the back light has shorted, so you can see the GUI but only under strong light and it is basically unreadable. He will get insurance via O2 then claim next month saying he lost it. However the insurance does cost 10 pound a month; but still cheaper than 500...

azahoth said:
Before I divulge this story I don't endorse this sort of thing.
My mate got the HD2 on an upgrade through O2, he sat on it within 24hrs and got a smudge on the screen, called them up and claimed there was a fault with the screen; which they then sent a brand new replacement. This promptly arrived and then by shear idiocy he managed to put it the through the washing machine the next day!
The device turns on but the back light has shorted, so you can see the GUI but only under strong light and it is basically unreadable. He will get insurance via O2 then claim next month saying he lost it. However the insurance does cost 10 pound a month; but still cheaper than 500...
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hmmmmm....
shady
but lol

Am I the only one who finds the people who break their phones and then try to weasel their way into a new, free handset annoying as hell?
My local HTC center used to offer courier exhanges for all HTC products, but not anymore. I called 'em up the other day to get my phone exchanged and they told me they no longer do it because people were abusing the service.

novaci said:
Am I the only one who finds the people who break their phones and then try to weasel their way into a new, free handset annoying as hell?
My local HTC center used to offer courier exhanges for all HTC products, but not anymore. I called 'em up the other day to get my phone exchanged and they told me they no longer do it because people were abusing the service.
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no... you are not the only one who finds unscrupulous antics extremely irritating.
however,... some of the stories i hear are so ridiculous that all you can do is laugh.

the irony of it is, that when i ordered the phone it went through ok and the money came off my card, then i got a text a few hours after the order, saying they were out of stock, i rang a few days later to see when they expected fresh stock and the girl i spoke to re ordered it for me, 2 days later 2 phones arrived at my house delivered as one shipment, i could have sold one phone but being honest i rang o2 and explained they'd made a mistake, i sent one phone back the next morning,
my phone also has the landscape/portrait problems in internet explorer and calender apps, where if i open in portrait and switch to landscape the screen flicks back and forth fast until i pull the battery, i planned to send it for an exchange anyway as my mate who has one at work has none of my phones problems, its just my luck it got scratched

Stuck buttons

Hi
My imagio Start and back keys are stuck!!!
anyone else with the same problem!!!

Stuck Buttons
This is an issue with the Imagio. The only real fix is to have VZ send a replacement.
There has been a discusion on it here at PPC
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=99190
And, if you look on the VZ forums there are more people talking about this.

mally2 said:
Hi
My imagio Start and back keys are stuck!!!
anyone else with the same problem!!!
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yeah- like the guy said- a whole thread dedicated to the subject. and then you find out that even though you pay for insurance instead of getting a new phone they send you someone else's old phone that was broke and they fixed for you. nice. when my end button got stuck down i ended up ripping it off and fooling with it until it unstuck. had to use a little adhesive (totally lame) to make the cover stay on the actual button. definitely does not work as good. after that i started looking into all the ways i could to avoid using those buttons.
xda shutdown.
volume app's.
etc.

Mine stuck within the first 30 days so I made them give me another brand new one. They tried the certified like new thing with me but I wouldn't accept that. It did take a fair amount of *****ing on my part before they gave in.
Why would I pay for something new that doesn't last a month and accept a refurb?
So my point is, if your phone breaks soon after you bought it, don't accept anything less.
Also, I'm on my 3rd one. Verizon's policy after the 3rd one within a year is to get you into something different that's new and of "equal value" if you want. However, they will not openly tell you that unless you insist on it.

I'm on #2 and I am tossed between using the buttons as little as possible or as much as possible.

Added to Wiki
Hi guys, have just referenced this issue and thread in the Wiki. Hopefully some more travellers will find the info and offer some assistance.

freakin buttons
My wife and I both have Imagios. I have had mine replaced once already the buttons on the replacemnet are stuck and a new one is on the way. The buttons on my wife's are now stuck and she has a replacement on the way.
Verizon is telling me that they no longer let you get a different phone after 3 replacements. I would yell and complain, but what phone do they have thats better?

Add me to the list. Windows button decided to get stuck last night. I will say that it was particularly cold (36F) and I had been outside for some time, thus making the device fairly cold. When I depressed the button, I noticed that it was hesitant to move, then made an quiet yet audible *click* and that was that. I have a feeling that the defect lies in the membrane beneath the button and when exposed to cold, it becomes inflexible and cracks. I'm debating whether to actually go to the VZW store or call the customer service. If I actually go to the store, will they likely give me a new device (if stocked) or do they have refurbs in the store? So long as the refurb is in brand-new condition, it doesn't matter to me as I have a feeling this will just happen again. While I love this phone, I'm hoping warmer days will make this a non-issue. In any case, it's a bit of a bummer when virtually every day I have impromptu debates with a droid owner about who's phone is better. Last night, I lost.

gilbenl said:
Add me to the list. Windows button decided to get stuck last night. I will say that it was particularly cold (36F) and I had been outside for some time, thus making the device fairly cold. When I depressed the button, I noticed that it was hesitant to move, then made an quiet yet audible *click* and that was that. I have a feeling that the defect lies in the membrane beneath the button and when exposed to cold, it becomes inflexible and cracks. I'm debating whether to actually go to the VZW store or call the customer service. If I actually go to the store, will they likely give me a new device (if stocked) or do they have refurbs in the store? So long as the refurb is in brand-new condition, it doesn't matter to me as I have a feeling this will just happen again. While I love this phone, I'm hoping warmer days will make this a non-issue. In any case, it's a bit of a bummer when virtually every day I have impromptu debates with a droid owner about who's phone is better. Last night, I lost.
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I am with you on the debate. I want to yell at Verizon to make them let me get out of this phone, but I wouldn't know what to get. I actually like this phone a lot. I like that I can goof around with it and possibly get android on it in the future.

mikebbass said:
I am with you on the debate. I want to yell at Verizon to make them let me get out of this phone, but I wouldn't know what to get. I actually like this phone a lot. I like that I can goof around with it and possibly get android on it in the future.
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would be like able to get replacement buttons on ebay.... so i can fix them myself... LOL i cant send it back to verizon i live in india!!! sis gave me this phone as a gift

mally2 said:
would be like able to get replacement buttons on ebay.... so i can fix them myself... LOL i cant send it back to verizon i live in india!!! sis gave me this phone as a gift
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any info
can i get replacemnt on ebay

mally2 said:
any info
can i get replacemnt on ebay
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**** my send key is now stuck,..... though it works on pressure!!! damn!!!!! can i get replacement keys anywhre

If you have proof of purchase (IE original packaging,maybe a receipt), it may be worthwhile to contact HTC directly. I would assume that the phone was purchased w/o a plan and/or you're not a current VZW customer anyway. I would assume then that any defect/warranty issues would default to the manufacturer. I believe HTC has a 90-day warranty.

Hi
i tried conatcting local HTC india ,.,.,. they cant help.... can i get replacement on ebay or anywhere ... plssss its urgent

stuck buttons avoidance
I have a solution that seems to have ensured I don't have this problem. I placed a screen protector from my mp3 player across the buttons (since most screen protectors for the imagio only cover just the screen itself), and then using an xacto knife i carefully cut the excess mp3-screen protector around the outside edge of the send and end button and along the bottom of all the buttons such that the remaining film secures all the buttons together.
This seems to have some effect in stabilizing the buttons and making sure nothing snags on them or prys on them and it seems to keep my phone from having the problem reported here. I've had mine on for at least 3 months and not a single button problem.

yatman60 said:
I have a solution that seems to have ensured I don't have this problem. I placed a screen protector from my mp3 player across the buttons (since most screen protectors for the imagio only cover just the screen itself), and then using an xacto knife i carefully cut the excess mp3-screen protector around the outside edge of the send and end button and along the bottom of all the buttons such that the remaining film secures all the buttons together.
This seems to have some effect in stabilizing the buttons and making sure nothing snags on them or prys on them and it seems to keep my phone from having the problem reported here. I've had mine on for at least 3 months and not a single button problem.
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Hi
well thats great!!! not sure what i can do now unless i get replacement buttons on ebay or any online stores

What exactly did HTC say?...They warranty these phones for one year, and they were released in october, so its not out of their hardware warranty period.
Is the ESN on this phone valid? Something isn't adding up here.

gilbenl said:
What exactly did HTC say?...They warranty these phones for one year, and they were released in october, so its not out of their hardware warranty period.
Is the ESN on this phone valid? Something isn't adding up here.
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Hi
The problem is i got the phone from my sister who lives in US.... i live in INDIA!!! bangalore to be precise!!! So HTC say they wont help.... my sis will be back after 6 months... LOL
Ps whats ESN... is tht the IMEI!!!! well its GSM unlocked thats as far as i know

Here's an idea: Call HTC USA and pretend you're wherever your sister lives in the US. Explain the issue (leaving out the bought as gift, sent to india part) and then when they say they'll fix it (which, if the phone isn't stolen or otherwise they will) send it to your sis in the US and have her send it to HTC from a US address. I'm sure with the large number of questionable phones floating around india/asia they're hesitant to replace it. When in doubt, lie. You purchased a product and you deserve coverage. Don't let their resistance stop you; you're certainly not doing anything illegal, simply circumventing their "security" measures.

Spam taken care of, not linking to topic to help him spread his 'cause'.

Replace or repair?

Hey guys! I just need a little help here.... I had issues with my camera with pictures being bad quality in the dark .... called Google and HTC .... finally HTC decided to replace or repair the device! Though Google agent stated I would be entitled for a new device, HTC at the end of the conversation mentioned it would be "like new" but not new phone. My phone is only a week old! I have no experience with repair/replacement with HTC and I would appreciate if you can share your experience with similar situation in the past!
Also, please vote your opinion at the top in next 3 days so I can decide quick!
TIA!

Their replacement units are basically the same as a new phone, no signs of wear or anything

How bad do your pictures look? You can't expect much from any phones with an LED flash in regards to night pictures. The only phones that take somewhat respectable pictures in the dark are the ones with xenon flash.

ctbear said:
Their replacement units are basically the same as a new phone, no signs of wear or anything
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Click to collapse
I've had the opposite experience. The replacements that I received had new problems and one unit even had some light scratches on the screen. The most common aesthetic problem that I saw on the replacements was that the black piece sitting underneath the screen was not flush with the screen. Another one came with a weak vibrate and one of the other ones I remember had a problem with the camera, where the photos would turn up saturated (looking at the back of the camera, it looks like the camera had been tampered with or underwent repair).
I haven't had any experience with repairing the phone, however, if you're thinking about getting a replacement, I would only choose that as the last resort.

I had a discussion with a htc rep about the "like new" phones. I was told that they are actually better than new ones since they replace the motherboard, casing, and screen. Then they each go through the testing process. She said that the brand new phones don't all get tested, only around 1 in 5 or so.
I am not sure if this is true or not, just what was told to me on the phone.

r0adki111 said:
I had a discussion with a htc rep about the "like new" phones. I was told that they are actually better than new ones since they replace the motherboard, casing, and screen. Then they each go through the testing process. She said that the brand new phones don't all get tested, only around 1 in 5 or so.
I am not sure if this is true or not, just what was told to me on the phone.
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Get a new replacement phone. If you send it back to repair, you might end up 2 or 3 weeks without the phone according to HTC's track record.

hbkmog said:
Get a new replacement phone. If you send it back to repair, you might end up 2 or 3 weeks without the phone according to HTC's track record.
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Yep it took me around 4 weeks for my last repair job. (had to get dust under screen fixed twice).
Next time I'm getting a replacement.

r0adki111 said:
Yep it took me around 4 weeks for my last repair job. (had to get dust under screen fixed twice).
Next time I'm getting a replacement.
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I've actually had very good experiences with HTC.
It takes about 3 days to ship to the HTC factory, they fixed my screen in under a day and had it back out with 2day shipping. So about 7 days, BUT the first time they fixed my phone, they didnt connect the camera or motherboard so my earpiece, camera, and flash would NOT work.
They fixed it again for free, and I did indeed get MY phone back. Not a refurb. I dropped my phone the first week and it had a scuff near the top which is indeed still there.
I think you should use a cheap replacement phone for a 1-2 weeks it will take for HTC to fix it rather then getting a refurb where you have no idea if it has DIFFERENT problems.

Thank you do much for all your response guys! They also gave me another option to authorize my credit card for full value of the phone, they send you a replacement phone then you play with it and then send the defective back in 10 days if not you pretty much buy both the phones. This option seems to be more attractive since I get to compare and decide, so I'm leaning more towards this but still waiting for some more experience / opinions
Thanks again
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

HTC One Pink Camera Tint - My experience

Hey everyone! just wanted to share my experience so far.
I got an HTC One m7 last year, and I love almost everything about it, except it began to develop the pink camera tint. For those who don't know, many m7's have a manufacturing/design defect that causes the camera to slowly degrade, and as a result, all low light pics come out with a pink or purple haze across the image.
I took my phone over to the bell store, where I signed a couple documents, and the rep sent the phone over to the repair center. The phone was in "Like-New" condition, and still in warranty.
I waited about a week, and today I got an email telling me that the repair facility was refusing to repair the phone citing physical damage (there was none, maybe a micro scratch!), and to get it back they would charge a $35 diagnostic fee. I don't even really care about the fee (although there shouldn't be one) I just want my phone fixed.
I called Bell and they escalated the issue and told me someone from the repair center would call me in 24-72 hours. They wouldn't give me a number to call, so now I have no choice but to play the waiting game...

bbmaster123 said:
Hey everyone! just wanted to share my experience so far.
I got an HTC One m7 last year, and I love almost everything about it, except it began to develop the pink camera tint. For those who don't know, many m7's have a manufacturing/design defect that causes the camera to slowly degrade, and as a result, all low light pics come out with a pink or purple haze across the image.
I took my phone over to the bell store, where I signed a couple documents, and the rep sent the phone over to the repair center. The phone was in "Like-New" condition, and still in warranty.
I waited about a week, and today I got an email telling me that the repair facility was refusing to repair the phone citing physical damage (there was none, maybe a micro scratch!), and to get it back they would charge a $35 diagnostic fee. I don't even really care about the fee (although there shouldn't be one) I just want my phone fixed.
I called Bell and they escalated the issue and told me someone from the repair center would call me in 24-72 hours. They wouldn't give me a number to call, so now I have no choice but to play the waiting game...
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Click to collapse
Well u are not in USA. I had couple of devices with this deffect fixed under warranty even when warranty was expired. Call the consumer support number in your country and talk to them and tell them u have done your homework and this is a well known deffect and it should be taken care by them. Or wait maybe they will call.I never deal with carriers in this situation s call directly the manufacturer. Good luck.

Well, its been a while now, and it looks like I may have to send the phone to HTC since Bell are a bunch of ********. I eventually got a call, but it wasn't from the repair center, it was from USA's tech support, and the gentleman told me he had no idea what was going on, and that he couldn't help me at all, nor could he offer any type of recourse, or contact information for someone that may be able to help. I am very displeased as you can probably see. Anyway, I wrote HTC a letter complaining about their service. Here's what I wrote to them for your amusment:
Hello,
I recently sent my phone in to repair it's camera that wasn't working correctly. I was denied the repair, citing physical damage (I have documentation from the Bell store stating otherwise) and the device has now been marked down to be shipped back without the repair, when I did not give my consent, nor talk to anyone who had any bit of control over the repair process. I am very displeased at the service that has been given to me, as well I do not appreciate being lied to, or cheated out of the repair I am entitled to.(the phone's camera issue is a widely documented factory defect, just search Google or call HTC about the m7 pink camera issue). As well, I am appalled at how Bell has tried its hardest to evade my asking for help, instead pointing fingers at other divisions of the company and telling me to go talk to them. And finally, I would have liked to call the repair center, or visit the facility directly as I understand it is fairly close to me, but the information I have been seeking was kept secret from me. If you listen to the recording of the support call I made last week, you will hear the agent telling me that the company actively tries to withold this information.
I WANT MY PHONE REPAIRED. Not returned defective. If my phone is returned defective, you can be sure I will not renew my contract with Bell, ever.
Brandon Benyacar
I can only hope they read this letter sooner than later. Anyway, that's my repair experience so far. Lesson learned: Don't by a phone right away, let a few months go by and see if any major problems turn up. also, note to self: Buy extended warranty.
I may post one more time if anything else worth sharing happens. Have a good day everyone!

I'll also post my experience with the purple tint problem. Got my phone in may/june 2013 and got the purple tint somewhere around september 2013. Over time, it got worse in dark settings, but as the phone was still ok during daylight, never bothered too much. This year I finally took the effort to get it fixed. I contacted HTC europe (as I live in the Netherlands) about the problem and they said to just make an appointment; if I had caused the problem, I had to pay 35 euros research costs and if I agreed, an additional fee for the repairs.
As I rooted the phone like a month after I got it (unlocked through HTC dev website), I was kinda 'scared' they would say that would be the cause, but I followed all wonderful steps here to get it S-OFF and in locked/untampered state again and send it off. Made the appointment (UPS came to pick it up) and after a few days I got the email it was ready and repaired. Today (after about 10 days) they delivered the phone back. No charge at all.
So my experience with HTC customer support is fairly positive at the moment. Purple tint is indeed gone. Sadly, my original phone was just fixed and not swapped for an M8, but still no complaints about their service.

PandorasNL said:
I'll also post my experience with the purple tint problem. Got my phone in may/june 2013 and got the purple tint somewhere around september 2013. Over time, it got worse in dark settings, but as the phone was still ok during daylight, never bothered too much. This year I finally took the effort to get it fixed. I contacted HTC europe (as I live in the Netherlands) about the problem and they said to just make an appointment; if I had caused the problem, I had to pay 35 euros research costs and if I agreed, an additional fee for the repairs.
As I rooted the phone like a month after I got it (unlocked through HTC dev website), I was kinda 'scared' they would say that would be the cause, but I followed all wonderful steps here to get it S-OFF and in locked/untampered state again and send it off. Made the appointment (UPS came to pick it up) and after a few days I got the email it was ready and repaired. Today (after about 10 days) they delivered the phone back. No charge at all.
So my experience with HTC customer support is fairly positive at the moment. Purple tint is indeed gone. Sadly, my original phone was just fixed and not swapped for an M8, but still no complaints about their service.
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Click to collapse
Glad to hear everything worked out for you. I contacted HTC a few days back and explained what happened and they said they would be happy to repair my phone at no cost, and agreed with me about Bell's repair process being all sleazy. I just need to wait until my phone gets shipped back from Bell's repair center first.
I think I read somewhere that sometimes HTC will put in a higher quality camera module. do you notice the picture being better than the original? (before the purple tint started)
I really don't want my phone to be swapped for an m8, I like the m7 better. slightly smaller, capacitive buttons, and a more symmetrical speaker grille. Not to mention its super easy to s-off. though I might not mind if they give me an M9! HAHA

well, its been about a month, and after much trouble, I finally got my phone fixed. See, When I got my phone back from Bell, HTC told me to ship my phone to a company called Futuretel, located about 15 minutes from where I live. I shipped it, and a few days later, received an email claiming that the repair would not be covered under warranty, and would cost me $226. they also have a policy that requires them to replace both the camera, and the motherboard at the same time, hence the price.
Their first claim was that my H-Boot date on the bootloader screen tells them that my phone had been tampered with. I did install custom firmware, but I flashed it back to stock, with the date showing January 29 2014, before I even bought the phone(not that they would know that) so I called them out on their claim. Then, they disregarded that claim, and now stated that since was that since my phone was S-Off, I was not entitled to a repair. Everything else on the phone was stock, bootloader locked, tampered flag removed and status showing locked.
talking directly to Futuretel was futile, so I called HTC and explained how refusing a defective hardware warranty because of S-Off is like ford refusing to replace your faulty transmission because you changed your headlights. The two are completely unrelated (unless your mechanic REALLY sucks I supposed). They agreed, but still wouldn't fix my phone.
My father, who isn't really a lawyer, but knows quite a lot for an average guy, wrote up a legal document for me to sue HTC. This isn't his first lawsuit, so he knew exactly how to write it up properly and file it into small claims court. I sent a copy over to HTC, and the next day, they offered to pay for the repair. It probably just wasn't worth it for them to fight it, so they gave in.
I also let HTC know of all the horrible reviews and complaints of this repair facility, with many of the stories online ending in either ridiculous repair costs, refusal of repairs for stupid reasons, or devices being returned with additional damage. HTC said they would do an investigation on this facility. that being said, Futurtel repaired my phone in 2 days time, and returned it in the same condition it left (actually, slightly better condition, my power button was losing its black paint, and they replaced it. small, but good attention to detail).
I powered up the phone to 5.0.2, and firmware version 7.17.666.7 which I believe is the newest version (a google search produced no results). They also replaced my mainboard, so everything was stock, and I had a new IMEI. tested out the camera, and its a night and day difference. Now my pics look the way they were meant to look. Once again, I am a happy customer.
I hope my experience inspires others to fight back, know your rights, and don't take no for an answer. I would love to hear other people's success and failure stories, especially ones pertaining to this pink camera issue.
Now onto installing insertcoin's sense 5.5 ROM. I just like it better than sense 6!

My related experience recently, I acquired almost new imported HTC One from local dealer, and there was Pink Tint, I took it to HTC Service Center in my locality, I had already did OTA updates and the phone is in Lollipop, the support person said, it will take 5500 INR (88 USD) which I agreed, then they said it is imported phone, the camera module might not be compatible they don't have software to calibrate the camera since the phone is in Lollipop (?!), and it is the risk they are not willing to take! they don't even try to repair and say it did not work. Their excuse was once they attempt to install new camera, and it doesn't work the Camera will be completely shut off even day light photos will not be possible. Looks like I had to live with purpley photos!

santhoshr said:
My related experience recently, I acquired almost new imported HTC One from local dealer, and there was Pink Tint, I took it to HTC Service Center in my locality, I had already did OTA updates and the phone is in Lollipop, the support person said, it will take 5500 INR (88 USD) which I agreed, then they said it is imported phone, the camera module might not be compatible they don't have software to calibrate the camera since the phone is in Lollipop (?!), and it is the risk they are not willing to take! they don't even try to repair and say it did not work. Their excuse was once they attempt to install new camera, and it doesn't work the Camera will be completely shut off even day light photos will not be possible. Looks like I had to live with purpley photos!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry, you can always use flash to avoid pinkish photos in the night. I didn't even bother to get mine repaired for free.

Semseddin said:
Don't worry, you can always use flash to avoid pinkish photos in the night. I didn't even bother to get mine repaired for free.
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Click to collapse
the flash helps(thank god its even there), but still, video in low light is practically unusable.
It's not acceptable that HTC can get get away with this(though I found it had more to do with the repair facilities), and you should fight it if you've got the time, especially now that they have introduced that "oops protection" this for the M9. If they can replace an M9 at no charge for dropping your phone onto concrete, then they should at least be able to fix their own factory defect. Even if its out-of-warranty. Its what I believe is fair.
by the way, after they fix, not only are the pictures not pink, but they're less grainy now, and they're not washed out.

I too had this problem since last 1.5 years.. somewhere read online that you can get rid of it by placing your cellphone in freezer for sometime and it will get rid of the pink/purple issue of camera. So I did it.
WHat to do-
1.) I placed my cellphone HTC One(M7) in my freezer nicely wrapped in a small towel
2.) changed my refrigerator setting to the coolest...
3.) kept it in there for almost 20 minutes
4.) Took it out.... and no more Pinkish pics.......
Not sure if its permanent solution as I have tried it today only.... but as of now I am happy to see my camera work as good as new.... NO FAULTS WHATSOEVER.
It worked for me.. hopefully it can work for someone else as well.. please try at your own risk and make sure to cover your cellphone properly before trying this option.

anilkapoor9 said:
I too had this problem since last 1.5 years.. somewhere read online that you can get rid of it by placing your cellphone in freezer for sometime and it will get rid of the pink/purple issue of camera. So I did it.
WHat to do-
1.) I placed my cellphone HTC One(M7) in my freezer nicely wrapped in a small towel
2.) changed my refrigerator setting to the coolest...
3.) kept it in there for almost 20 minutes
4.) Took it out.... and no more Pinkish pics.......
Not sure if its permanent solution as I have tried it today only.... but as of now I am happy to see my camera work as good as new.... NO FAULTS WHATSOEVER.
It worked for me.. hopefully it can work for someone else as well.. please try at your own risk and make sure to cover your cellphone properly before trying this option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you really think our phones are designed to withstand below zero temperatures? This is a terrible idea which is most likely only a temporary fix (if your phone survives it).

While not a true "fix" I just edit the effected pictures and add an effect to them. 2 of the effects work well to remove the purple haze in pictures (depending on the picture each effect works better than the other). Not perfect, I understand, but they come out looking quite good.