Database Users

My EVO now has 2 hair line cracks

So my EVO now has 2 hair line cracks. One to the left of the power button and one under the volume buttons. I stopped at the Sprint store and the tech verified the cracks were not caused by abuse. He notated my account so when I call Sprint customer service they will ship me a new phone. Now I have 2 questions? Will the replacement be a refurb? And in the email they sent about my replacement it states: If im not enrolled in TEP (which im not) it will be $99-$119 depending on device model for wear and tear, physical damage and mechanical or electrical failures not covered by the manufacturer's warranty. Now since the sprint tech at the store verified it was not physical damage or abuse. The device manufacturer's warranty covers mechanical and electrical failures. What are these hair line cracks considered? They are definitly a manufacturer's defect, but like the warranty stated it covers mechanical and electrical failures. I sure hope they dont try to charge me for a defect. I have the Epson rev 002 rooted and I'm loving it. I just dont feel after 2 months I should have these damn cracks.

people have said for hardware they will send your a new one if you raise enough hell but id guess it's going to be a refurb

Sporkman said:
people have said for hardware they will send your a new one if you raise enough hell but id guess it's going to be a refurb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I was worried about. I hate the fact that I paid all that money and now have a defect but in return they give me a refurb. I guess in some cases a refurb that was examined by a human may be better than off the assembly line?

Refurb if you had TEP it would be new. I had a Touch Pro 2 that cracked and I felt the same way. The guy at the Sprint store told me too bad its cosmetic doesn't effect the performance of the phone.

splink7007 said:
That's what I was worried about. I hate the fact that I paid all that money and now have a defect but in return they give me a refurb. I guess in some cases a refurb that was examined by a human may be better than off the assembly line?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW thats exactly how I felt about the TP2. Lucky for me I had TEP on the Touch Pro as well. So Sprint paid the deductible for me, in that case. I called Sprint from the parking lot of the Sprint store and told them just about everything your posting now. I was very angry but they helped me as best they could.
Really the thing to do is get TEP its worth the money. I think you can add it when you get the refurb.

zone23 said:
Refurb if you had TEP it would be new. I had a Touch Pro 2 that cracked and I felt the same way. The guy at the Sprint store told me too bad its cosmetic doesn't effect the performance of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, now if your guy said its cosmetic. When they get my defected phone back to sprint will they charge me you think?

splink7007 said:
Great, now if your guy said its cosmetic. When they get my defected phone back to sprint will they charge me you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know its one of those things you just don't know. That email is probably just a cookie cutter email, copy and paste. If they do you can always call and give them hell maybe they will remove the charges problem is you wont see them until after you activate the phone. I try not to start off mad as hell I work my way too it.

Demand a new phone. I had wifi problems that were due to ****ty hardware construction and I told them I'm not taking a refurb because HTC sucks and the manager gave me a brand new Evo. Had to wait for it to arrive but was worth it. Don't take no for an answer. The Evo refurb I was supposed to get had dust and dirt and scratches on the camera lens. Sprint+HTC can suck it.

FYI on Evo refurb's, the outside case is new, only the guts have been repaired.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I just got off the phone with Sprints retention dept. I spoke to a sup there who said all the phones that are over 30 days gets replaced with a refurbished phone. I even threatened to cancel he didn't budge.

splink7007 said:
I just got off the phone with Sprints retention dept. I spoke to a sup there who said all the phones that are over 30 days gets replaced with a refurbished phone. I even threatened to cancel he didn't budge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried that too, thru the office of dan, all they did was to offer to waive my etf (I still have 1 year left), if I give them back the EVO.

Charging Port Repair Issue- Cheaper than Asurion

For anyone who has a bad charging port like me and dont feel like giving up their 003 Hardware Evo for the new pain in the ass root method. Here is an alternative and its only $60 fix and shipped back to you. I was told shipping to them is on you. I am thinking bout giving them a shot.. Fix Charge Port

i guess i'll ask them if they can fix. that drcellphone place screwed me over. is this them?

Laserbeak43 said:
i guess i'll ask them if they can fix. that drcellphone place screwed me over. is this them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a know and covered warranty issue. Sprint customer care or your local Service & Repair center will replace your device free of charge and usually within 24 hrs. You will most likely be shipped a hardware versior 004 device with a 2.3 locked bootloader. It doesn't matter if you have TEP or not.

walkingsaltine said:
This is a know and covered warranty issue. Sprint customer care or your local Service & Repair center will replace your device free of charge and usually within 24 hrs. You will most likely be shipped a hardware versior 004 device with a 2.3 locked bootloader. It doesn't matter if you have TEP or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, it depends on the type of damage.
If the solder joints are cleanly broken and the copper pad is intact underneath, it's a known issue and Sprint will replace it.
If the solder joints are mangled and the copped pad is pulled up along with it, then it's customer abuse and is referred to Asurion.

Sunsparc said:
Actually, it depends on the type of damage.
If the solder joints are cleanly broken and the copper pad is intact underneath, it's a known issue and Sprint will replace it.
If the solder joints are mangled and the copped pad is pulled up along with it, then it's customer abuse and is referred to Asurion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the above issue where the charger is broken off cleanly. However, when I took it to a repair shop they stated that because thecharger had broken off the motherboard, they were not allowed to fix it. When I called Sprint, they told me repeatedly that broken charger ports are user damage. I told them that I read online that people were saying this is a known issue and they told me it was not.
Is this really a known issue, and how could I get them to acknowledge this?
Thanks!

I took mine in to the local repair shop. they charged me $35 and got me a refurb in less than a week.

Sorry to revive an old thread
But has anyone tried to get a Sprint replacement without insurance after the one year warranty period?

Yes...I've had 2 get replaced the same way...first, call sprint ,don't go to a store, don't even bring up the insurance...get to tech support...second, and most important, don't say broke off...all you have to say is the phone is no longer charging...say you've tried other batteries and chargers...lastly, say you've got no transportation to a repair center and demand they send a replacement in mail, they won't want to, but you can keep saying that's the way you want it...my girlfriend just had hers replaced this way couple weeks ago...good luck, no 2 sprint operators will be the same...any problems and just call back and get someone else...

Mine appears to have broken now after a year I don't want a locked boot loader though! I wonder if I yell at them and say this is my second evo with the same issues if they would replace it with a 3d evo....
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

My charge port broke a month ago and I have had my Evo over a year. I first called Sprint to tell them that my phone no longer charged and that I had read online that the phone was known to have charge port issues. Rep told me to go to a local Sprint repair shop and they would replace. Went to one shop and they opened it up and said the port came off the mobo (duh) but that they would not replace it (I don't have phone insurance). They never even looked up my account to see that the phone Rep put in my account that it would be replaced. I went to a second Sprint store and they opened it up, saw the port off the mobo, and ordered me a refurb instantly. Cost me $35 (I believe it would have been free if I had insurance).
Not sure if it matters, but the first store I went to was an official Sprint corporate store (they are the ones that bounced me). The second store was a "preferred retailer" and they took care of me quick. First refurb I got had some screen issues. Got a second refurb and it has some light bleed at the far bottom of the screen but I can't even see it with my case on.
Also, the refurb I have now is a 0004 and I had it rooted in less than 10 minutes and put Mik's rom on it.

playya said:
For anyone who has a bad charging port like me and dont feel like giving up their 003 Hardware Evo for the new pain in the ass root method. Here is an alternative and its only $60 fix and shipped back to you. I was told shipping to them is on you. I am thinking bout giving them a shot.. Fix Charge Port
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had mine fixed using Dr.Phonez well half of it it charges now but i can't connect to my laptop to sync my stuff. This sucks.

new front bezel?

i noticed the other day my bezel is cracked near the power,volume, and hdmi areas. Sprint said 100 to fix because they would only offer me a refurb. is there anywhere i can get the bezel and replace it myself?

Somehow I don't think you brought it to a corporate repair store, or you did so before October 23rd.
Sent from my HTC EVO

I just did last friday, has sprint officially addressed this? If so I will call tomorrow to complain.

It's been my experience with Sprint that it's touch and go depending on who you're working with. I've had one rep tell me one thing only to call back in a week later and be told the total opposite. I would continue to pursue the issue until forced to pay the $100.

Any suggestions on how to get this fixed? I would even be willing to buy the part since it should be less than 100
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I had dropped my phone and cracked the screen a couple of weeks ago.i took my phone to sprint and they replaced the entire half of the phone(which includes the screen,bezel,volume and power buttons and the speaker grill)in under 30 min for $35.I didn't have insurance.
phone looks brand new,and my new screen is even better than my old one,colors are alot sharper!

i would be ok with paying 35 for it to be fixed. suggestions? there is only 1 corporate repair store in my area i believe.

Official sprint policy is to repair any damage outside of fire, liquid or "total destruction" (the board is in more than 2 pieces) for free under TEP or $35 if you don't have TEP. Loss, theft, fire, liquid and destroyed phones go through assurion for $100/$50. This took effect on October 23rd.
Sent from my HTC EVO

Thanks, I have tep so I will go back
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

If I understand the newTEP stuff, this should actually cost me nothing?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

yup i had the same issue with the phone showing a crack right by the power button. i also had bright white spots on my screen. took it to a sprint corporate store and they replaced the screen and bezel at no charge. took them about an hr they were busy

Burksdb said:
yup i had the same issue with the phone showing a crack right by the power button. i also had bright white spots on my screen. took it to a sprint corporate store and they replaced the screen and bezel at no charge. took them about an hr they were busy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i live in south florida but dont know where to go. my mic stopped working all of a sudden. i try to buy it off ebay and the guy told me dont waste your money on buying the back bezel because the mic is in the motherboard meaning i would have to replace the whole phone. what are my options here?

just take it to a sprint corporate store and let them take a look at it.

i called sprint, and then took it back to the same store. the store told me if i wanted it fixed to smash my phone and then call insurance.
so, i guess back to the original question. where can i buy the bezel to replace it myself since the store doesn't want to help and the next closest corp. store w/ repair is 250miles away.

Wait wait wait.....the store rep told you to 'smash the phone'?! Get that in writing! Lol
Sent from my Evo

Call Customer Service and tell them what's going on and what the rep at the store advised you to do. According to the new TEP policy physical damage is covered in store with no deductible as long as its not damaged beyond repair. That means you don't pay anything to get it fixed. Call customer service and they *should* be able to help you out with this. I would not pay $100 for new screen/bezel when you have TEP. That's a rip.

tangstang said:
Call Customer Service and tell them what's going on and what the rep at the store advised you to do. According to the new TEP policy physical damage is covered in store with no deductible as long as its not damaged beyond repair. That means you don't pay anything to get it fixed. Call customer service and they *should* be able to help you out with this. I would not pay $100 for new screen/bezel when you have TEP. That's a rip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what he said.i had the screen/bezel replaced for $35 and i didn't even have insurance.paying a $100 for new screen/bezel when you have TEP is a rip.

Do they have to replace the screen too? Maybe that its why they are giving me such a hard time; it is not broke, although I found out last night my multi touch is not working other then basic 2, not sure if 5 is supposed to work or not

flyboy1100 said:
Do they have to replace the screen too? Maybe that its why they are giving me such a hard time; it is not broke, although I found out last night my multi touch is not working other then basic 2, not sure if 5 is supposed to work or not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well the screen they have comes attached to the bezel,so yeah they will replace the entire half of the phone(screen/bezel).
since they're giving you the run-around,maybe you are better off with a crack on your screen so there is a strong enough reason for them to replace it....(if you catch my drift).

FYI from all I know, if the repair cannot be made in the store they can order you a refurb. You have to pay $35 for an advanced exchange though. Or wait for the repair parts I guess. This is with insurance and depends if they deem it damaged beyond repair.

T-Mobile Vibrant replacement cost lowered

I found out some info from TMO customer care yesterday that is interesting and worth knowing.
TMO cut the cost to replace a rooted vibrant down to $115 on April 1st, but the insurance still costs $130. So if anyone finds themselves in my situation (totally and utterly bricked in every sense of the word and still rooted) or a similar situation, it would actually be cheaper to just send it in without insurance, even if the damage indicator is red.
However, if they don't get the phone back within 7 days, then the price is still $455 to replace the phone.
This info is for T-Mobile USA. I have no idea if international branches of T-Mobile have adopted the same policy, and I have no idea if this applies to other phones as well (I am just restating what the customer care rep told me.)

So I can crack my screen completely and it will only cost 115 still? Or is that just for rooted devices? Because if you hard-brick the device, TMobile has no way of knowing that it was rooting considering they can't even turn it on.

Also just got mail that the insurance is increasing by $2 to $7.99 but you get free Mobile Security from Asurion included in that....Samsung Vibrant is only included in PLAN D of the insurance which is $130 deductible and a claim limit amount of $1000.

Confused. So hypothetically if I destroy my phone to the point it doesn't even power on, I can call them and send it in to get a refurb one for $115?
Does it apply only if its bricked? If it's broken physically...like screen or something internal, can I still do that?

Mine says LOSS THEFT DAMAGE or MALFUNCTION...Drop in water COVERED..Keypad stop working COVERED..etc etc..

Okay, I can see how my 1st post could have been a little confusing. Here's what you should do if you need to send in your vibrant.
First and foremost, if you CAN flash back to stock, DO IT. That is still the only sure-fire way of not having to pay anything and still get a new/refurbished Vibrant out of it.
Second, T-Mobile will charge you the $115 if they find that the phone has hardware damage (red damage indicator, damaged screen, exc.), but can still be repaired. So, if your phone has a cracked screen, for example, it's a better idea to send it in without insurance because insurance costs $130 plus an additional $8 per month. (NOTE: The FFC mod is an irreversible mod. You have cracked open the phone and therefore T-Mobile considers that "physical damage." You cannot swap out the camera for the stock one and re-paint the camera hole and lens.)
Third, T-Mobile will charge you the $115 if they find that the phone has been rooted or modded in any way in terms of software.
However, the chances of T-Mobile finding anything out about software modification is unlikely. At the T-Mobile processing center, they have some magic way of taking out the internal SD card without triggering the damage indicator. After they have done that, what they are SUPPOSED to do is attempt to find any data on the internal SD card that would reveal whether the phone was rooted or not (working superuser app, exc.). However, this process is long, tedious and boring as hell so what a lot of employees do is just skip the part where they examine the internal SD card and just format the thing without looking at it. To prove it, when I sent in that hard-bricked vibrant, it had a GT-I9000 bootloader on it plus CM7 and numerous ROM.zip files on it. I was not charged anything for that Vibrant.
Moral of the story: Don't buy the insurance for the Samsung Vibrant under any circumstances. Unless it goes down in price (which I seriously doubt it will), it is a complete waste of money. You will save money by going uninsured. Also, don't freak out if your Vibrant has software on it that you can't get rid of for some reason. In all likelihood, T-Mobile won't find anything.
Second moral of the story: DO NOT think that you will only get charged $115 if you choose NOT to send the broken Vibrant back to T-Mobile. They will charge you the ridiculous amount of approximately $455.18.
P.S. If anyone finds out the way that T-Mobile is able to open up the phone without tripping the damage indicator, PLEASE TELL US! If that info gets out, then I will do that FFC mod so fast you won't know what hit you!

I just walked in my tmobil store and told them my phone was messing up. And they sent me a new one. No cost at all to me except for that 8.00. So in my opinion insurance is good. For us if we have the old insurance is fantastic.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

Do you get a brand new phone as a replacement if you have insurance?

Refurbished, most likely previous phones that were sent in from people like yourself and fixed up.

yah mine was refurbished, but brand spanking new! in my opinion the insurance is the best deal tmobile has!

I actually prefer the refurbished units since they are actually tested and everything should work on it (including GPS, mine locks 8 birds within 3 seconds).

30000 said:
Okay, I can see how my 1st post could have been a little confusing. Here's what you should do if you need to send in your vibrant.
First and foremost, if you CAN flash back to stock, DO IT. That is still the only sure-fire way of not having to pay anything and still get a new/refurbished Vibrant out of it.
Second, T-Mobile will charge you the $115 if they find that the phone has hardware damage (red damage indicator, damaged screen, exc.), but can still be repaired. So, if your phone has a cracked screen, for example, it's a better idea to send it in without insurance because insurance costs $130 plus an additional $8 per month. (NOTE: The FFC mod is an irreversible mod. You have cracked open the phone and therefore T-Mobile considers that "physical damage." You cannot swap out the camera for the stock one and re-paint the camera hole and lens.)
Third, T-Mobile will charge you the $115 if they find that the phone has been rooted or modded in any way in terms of software.
However, the chances of T-Mobile finding anything out about software modification is unlikely. At the T-Mobile processing center, they have some magic way of taking out the internal SD card without triggering the damage indicator. After they have done that, what they are SUPPOSED to do is attempt to find any data on the internal SD card that would reveal whether the phone was rooted or not (working superuser app, exc.). However, this process is long, tedious and boring as hell so what a lot of employees do is just skip the part where they examine the internal SD card and just format the thing without looking at it. To prove it, when I sent in that hard-bricked vibrant, it had a GT-I9000 bootloader on it plus CM7 and numerous ROM.zip files on it. I was not charged anything for that Vibrant.
Moral of the story: Don't buy the insurance for the Samsung Vibrant under any circumstances. Unless it goes down in price (which I seriously doubt it will), it is a complete waste of money. You will save money by going uninsured. Also, don't freak out if your Vibrant has software on it that you can't get rid of for some reason. In all likelihood, T-Mobile won't find anything.
Second moral of the story: DO NOT think that you will only get charged $115 if you choose NOT to send the broken Vibrant back to T-Mobile. They will charge you the ridiculous amount of approximately $455.18.
P.S. If anyone finds out the way that T-Mobile is able to open up the phone without tripping the damage indicator, PLEASE TELL US! If that info gets out, then I will do that FFC mod so fast you won't know what hit you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I didn't get insurance to replace my phone in case of damage via rooting. I got insurance to repalce my phone if I lose it, drop it in water, or if it gets stolen.
Also, what damage indicator are you talking about?

anthonys2r said:
Refurbished, most likely previous phones that were sent in from people like yourself and fixed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I have the insurance but haven't used yet. If you get a refurbished phone after paying deductible then its not with it for me, might just cancel mine
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

SamsungVibrant said:
Also, what damage indicator are you talking about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's the liquid damage indicator. it's the white square underneath the battery right by the battery connection. it turns red if it gets wet.

VICosPhi said:
Thanks, I have the insurance but haven't used yet. If you get a refurbished phone after paying deductible then its not with it for me, might just cancel mine
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you pay deductible, you get a new phone not refurb. Only time you might get refurb is when you do a warranty exchange. Warranty exchanges are at no cost. Insurance is 7.99 a month but like any insurance, its there in case you need it. You loose, break, get it wet or it gets stolen then you are covered. Just like car insurance, you could pay insurance for years and never use it, but then again if you are in a wreck or it gets stolen, then you are happy u did. Without insurance, you are screwed. Remember warranty is only for a year w/o extended warranty. Insurance extends your warranty for life of phone
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

+1 on what he said!

funeralthirst said:
it's the liquid damage indicator. it's the white square underneath the battery right by the battery connection. it turns red if it gets wet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know about the liquid indicator, but that's not what 30000 was talking about. 30000 was talking about a different damage indicator.
30000 said:
30000 said:
At the T-Mobile processing center, they have some magic way of taking out the internal SD card without triggering the damage indicator.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What damage indicator?

Marvlet said:
If you pay deductible, you get a new phone not refurb. Only time you might get refurb is when you do a warranty exchange. Warranty exchanges are at no cost. Insurance is 7.99 a month but like any insurance, its there in case you need it. You loose, break, get it wet or it gets stolen then you are covered. Just like car insurance, you could pay insurance for years and never use it, but then again if you are in a wreck or it gets stolen, then you are happy u did. Without insurance, you are screwed. Remember warranty is only for a year w/o extended warranty. Insurance extends your warranty for life of phone
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not true, there is a 95% chance that you will get a refurb. All T-mobile reps will tell you that you will either get a refurbished or new device. They will also tell you right after that, that you will most likely get a refurb. I've talked to them for hours and fought with supervisors and such just trying NOT to get a refurb. I know most people think that the refurbished phones are inspected, this is also a load of bs. They are not inspected, they fix the problem that was there and make sure that and ONLY that is fixed. They do not check any other part of the phone.

mugenfiji0327 said:
This is not true, there is a 95% chance that you will get a refurb. All T-mobile reps will tell you that you will either get a refurbished or new device. They will also tell you right after that, that you will most likely get a refurb. I've talked to them for hours and fought with supervisors and such just trying NOT to get a refurb. I know most people think that the refurbished phones are inspected, this is also a load of bs. They are not inspected, they fix the problem that was there and make sure that and ONLY that is fixed. They do not check any other part of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Insurance and warranty exchange are 2 different things. With warranty exchange its new or refurb, cant guarantee one or the other. Most times its refurb. With insurance which is NOT thru T-mobile but thru Assurion, when you file a claim and pay the deductible, you get a new phone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Marvlet said:
Insurance and warranty exchange are 2 different things. With warranty exchange its new or refurb, cant guarantee one or the other. Most times its refurb. With insurance which is NOT thru T-mobile but thru Assurion, when you file a claim and pay the deductible, you get a new phone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope failed again. I will call Asurion right now and go through the process of having my phone replaced and record it just to prove it to you if you would like me to. They do not send out new products man, I know this for a fact. Think about it man, if they sent out new devices everytime someone called in for a problem, none of the companies involved would make any money on that phone which is what they want, MONEY. That includes T-mobile, Asurion and Samsung. Every electronics store I have ever bought from uses them as their insurance program. Best Buy,Verizon,T-Mobile etc. Every time I've had something replaced through any of those companys it has and ALWAYS WILL BE a refurb. I work for Verizon and guess what, everytime someone comes in for us to call Asurion for them or even if they call themselves they still get a REFURB. I used to work for Best Buy and on top of that I worked in the Geek Squad for Best Buy and did most of the insurance claims when people came through. Guess what, all of my customers got REFURBS. I'm done arguing with you and I think I have made my point.

[FAQ] Sprint Insurance and Warranty

I see a lot of misinformation being thrown around, so I'll just compile this little FAQ on how everything actually works. Feel free to point out anything I've left or any mistakes you think I may have made.
Q: What exactly is "Sprint insurance"?
A: Sprint TEP insurance is a combination of two things, ESRP and ERP. ESRP stands for Equipment Service and Repair Plan. ERP stands for Equipment Replacement Plan.
Q: So what's the difference?
A: ESRP is anything in a Sprint repair location. Including but not limited to part replacement, software updates, and advanced exchanges. Anything software related (such as updates, resets, etc) are always free. If you do not have ESRP or the full TEP, you may be charged $35 to replace a part or exchange the device.
ERP is everything else outside of that, which is handled by Asurion. This includes lost/stolen, liquid damaged, and physically damaged beyond repair. Depending on the type of device, there would be a $50 or $100 deductible to replace it. Usually, the replacement device is overnighted to you.
Q: So about the Evo and it's charging port, what is that covered under?
A: It depends. The technician would have to take it apart and look at it. If the charge port is broken cleanly free from the board, it's a known issue and can be replaced free of charge, even without TEP/ESRP. If the solder joints appear damaged and circuit board is peeled, it is not covered in-store and you would be referred to Asurion for ERP.
Q: Cracked screen?
A: No longer covered under ESRP, as per policy. Referred to Asurion. Sometimes a one-time courtesy screen replacement can be done, but the ESRP/TEP rules also apply in terms of a $35 charge.
Q: But what about warranty?
A: Warranty only applies to one thing in terms of Sprint: Batteries. 1 year after the initial activation of the device, a defective battery may be exchanged. After that one year, the system will not populate a replacement battery. As far as anything else with the actual device, the manufacturer warranty is not honored. If you think your problem would be covered under the warranty, you would have to contact the manufacturer, not Sprint.
Q: I'm paying $7 (soon $8) a month for insurance, why should I have to pay a deductible to get a replacement?
A: It works the same way as car insurance. If you damage your car, they don't just fix it or total it without a deductible. You're getting a "like new" device, for at least half (in terms of the Evo) of the original price. It doesn't matter what price you initially paid for it, you're not paying for a new one. Some times new ones do come, consider yourself lucky if so.
Q: Why does one store tell you one thing, then another store tell you another?
A: Every store is different. Each is bound by policy, called Methods & Procedues. However, there is some flexibility underneath that. Depending on the situation, it also may depend on who exactly you speak to in the store. From my experience, it happens most often with customer care/tech support and corporate retail locations. 3rd party dealers (preferred/co-branded/etc) have a lot stricter guidelines and therefore cannot operate with as much flexibility.
The one thing customers hate the most is the "run around" feeling. I cannot count the numerous times that a customer has called into Care to be told one thing, only to be told no in my store because we simply cannot do that. One good example is "Sure, just go into that store and they'll give you a brand new Evo out of the box". 1. Our store simply cannot do that, at all, period. 2. Care cannot see that the phone is clearly wet, but the expectation has been set that the customer is getting a brand new phone, so we get a bad score.
Again, this is just a FAQ to clear up any misconceptions. This is not pointed at anyone in general, I just hate when people spout off about things they don't understand.

Thanks for the info. This answered a few questions I had been wondering about.

totally, thank you very much

Sunsparc said:
A: It works the same way as car insurance. If you damage your car, they don't just fix it or total it without a deductible. You're getting a "like new" device, for at least half (in terms of the Evo) of the original price. It doesn't matter what price you initially paid for it, you're not paying for a new one. Some times new ones do come, consider yourself lucky if so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have personally only received a new device from Asurion.

mattykinsx said:
I have personally only received a new device from Asurion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are very lucky then as me and almost everybody I know or have read about got refurbs. Some appeared to have been taken in and then reissued without any repairs having been made. Let's hope your luck holds out.

I hope they ship an unopened, in box, hardware 004 model to me. I cracked the screen 10 ways to Sunday the day before yesterday, and I filed an Asurion claim. Funny thing is, I called and my early upgrade was successful, but after paying $100, I am asking myself, do I really want the EVO 3D? Maybe if I get $150 from the buyback program.......neh......who knows.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

Thanks for the info... Makes me really wonder if it is worth it as you can get a used phone for $200 or so. So if on average you dont use this every year, just better to save the 7-8 a month and the 100 deductible and get a used one as seems you can just get a referb anyway.

ALWAYS treated good with the stores..
faithful customer for 13 years..
wi11ie

My Sprint store opened my phone and the charging port was clearly off the board. They told me I'd have to go through Asurion for a replacement.

Had to pay for screen repair 4 months in (sunspots) $35
My 3G borked 3 weeks ago and ordered a replacement $35.
The replacement came in (refurb) with the same sunspot in the same place (appx). Ordered another replacement, checked two days later, no order made....tech in store made another order, came in two days later with the same defect. Rep gave me a NIB 004 on the spot.
After paying $70 for repairs, I ended up ahead by $14 and a brand new phone for the trouble. Now if I had done something out of the normal 'repair' options, a different story all together on cost.

nyne7lac said:
My Sprint store opened my phone and the charging port was clearly off the board. They told me I'd have to go through Asurion for a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cleanly off or were the solder joints broken and circuit board peeled like I mentioned?

Received my replacement from Asurion today. It is brand new, in the box, with all the accessories. And it still has 2.2 Froyo!!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

Sunsparc said:
Cleanly off or were the solder joints broken and circuit board peeled like I mentioned?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure. The guy opened the phone and the port fell out. He didn't examine it, he just put the phone back together and said I'd have to go through my insurance. The guy didn't seem very helpful and was borderline rude, not the usual friendly sprint rep/tech. He didn't even look up my account info or anything. he just assumed I had insurance (which I do)
That was back in Alabama. I'm in Iowa now...do you think I should try the store here?

nyne7lac said:
Not sure. The guy opened the phone and the port fell out. He didn't examine it, he just put the phone back together and said I'd have to go through my insurance. The guy didn't seem very helpful and was borderline rude, not the usual friendly sprint rep/tech. He didn't even look up my account info or anything. he just assumed I had insurance (which I do)
That was back in Alabama. I'm in Iowa now...do you think I should try the store here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I would definitely try. Worst case scenario, you have to do what's already been said. No harm in trying again.

You are mistaken. When under warranty they will replace it. If they don't it will be 1 phone call away to corporate!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

novanosis85 said:
You are mistaken. When under warranty they will replace it. If they don't it will be 1 phone call away to corporate!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When under warranty what?

Sunsparc said:
When under warranty what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If no actual cosmetic damages then it will be covered and sprint will exchange the phone.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

novanosis85 said:
If no actual cosmetic damages then it will be covered and sprint will exchange the phone.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said, warranty has nothing to do with it. Sure, Sprint will exchange the phone, but the $35 applies if you don't have insurance. Lost/stolen, liquid and physical damage aside.

Sunsparc said:
Like I said, warranty has nothing to do with it. Sure, Sprint will exchange the phone, but the $35 applies if you don't have insurance. Lost/stolen, liquid and physical damage aside.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah.... so why was I not charged?
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

novanosis85 said:
Oh yeah.... so why was I not charged?
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on the issue, as stated in the bit about the charging port.