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I am an AT&T customer that uses-- used a rooted G1 from eBay. I called HTC, and they told me the manufacturer warranties on the G1 ended last month.
How likely is it that I could convince someone at the local T-mobile store to help me with a replacement?
I'm assuming not at all likely, but I've read stranger things here on xda. I'm imagining they have the phone's IMEI tied to some grand customer database to show that I'm just some bum with a G1. I do have a friend with T-mobile (and a G1), but if it is tied to the IMEI, they wouldn't just take my phone from her if I paid her?
I'm really not looking forward to buying a whole new phone, but I have accepted that this is probably my only option, so please don't flame too thoroughly.
(I did several searches, but almost none were relevant to AT&T/eBay return combo. Unless I just suck at searching.)
You are right, you have 0 chance of T-Mobile swapping or doing anything at all.
how did it break?
TMobile won't support you unless you bought the phone from them.
I called HTC last week to check on my G1 warranty since TMobile wouldn't support me. I was told (by HTC) that warranty is 15 months. Mine expires next month. Did you give them your S/N to check your warranty?
Though, if it was rooted then your warranty is void. Unless you want to pay for them to fix it for you, don't send it in. I don't know how they know if you rooted or modified anything, but if they find out you will be charged a minimum (triage) fee even if you decide you don't want to pay for actual repairs.
I sent them one that was previously rooted and obviously had been torn apart- no moisture sticker even. Told them I got it that way on Craigslist. Didnt cost me a dime besides shipping (Priority Mail $5) and time. HTC direct rules IMO.
The Triage fee is for them to diagnose it, and is only charged if you are out of warranty, or if it is your fault. The fee also includes return shipping.
I spoke to a rep, and when I gave her the S/N she said it expired on 12.25.9. I'm not sure where she was getting the date considering I bought the phone in May, but it definitely wasn't 15 months. I can't imagine the phone was already 6 months old when I bought it unless it was just sitting in a warehouse somewhere.
I had another idea though. Possibly stupid, but possibly genius, too?
What if I went to T-mo, and bought a phone without a plan. Then switched the motherboards and got a replacement for the broken one. Then I could returned the new one? Is this mad?
Not only is it mad, it would be really obvious what you did since all those void stickers would be removed in the process, as well when found out there would be hell to pay on your end for trying to fraudulantly switch devices like that. As well, the mother board has the serial # on it both physically and electronically, and this can't be changed.
Ah. I guess the good old G1 is going into a drawer somewhere until one day (hopefully) it can be un-bricked.
Since I have to buy a new phone anyway now, would anyone care to throw in their two cents for the Cliq or the X1a as a replacement Android phone under 300 without contract?
You could also get a used G1 off eBay in great condition for about $200. I got mine in perfect like new condition for $200 back in Septemeber, when I was looking they were going typically for about $225-$250 in that condition, but I waited for the best deal(took about a week of watching to get the deal I did). I would assume with the Nexus One coming out and being post X-Mas season, prices are down a bit, but will likely go back up a little come February when tax season starts.
Keep an eye out for a cracked g1 or one with other problems, then re-use the board. I see them on CL for $40-60 regularly (although none right now).
I would talk to HTC and tell them where you bought it and when, it helps if you have the transaction recorded! You should be able to convince them to cover it if you have enough proof. Nothing wrong with using the truth to your advantage.
Depending on where you live, you can find a good number of people selling their G1 on craigslist. I got bored and just did a search now.
$70 w/o battery or cover (sounds sketchy).. $100 in good condition.. $200 unlocked. Seems like the average is $150 around here.
I got mine for 100 brand new shipped from tmobile! The person didn't want it as they got a new phone so you may get lucky and get a brand new one for a real cheap price
I bought a cracked G1 on ebay for ~90USD. I found 2 within 100mi on craigslist, but both were scooped up by someone else within the first hour of being on the list.
I followed the step-by-step guide here to swap the phones' guts and now I have a locked (but not bricked) phone, and a dud.
Maybe I can still fetch a few bucks for the bricked, cracked (screen) phone.
With the Nexus out now I bet quite a few early adopters like me are switching. I got a msg from my buddy today saying once his Nexus arrives the G1 is for sale. He wants $100 for it, pretty average price around here for a working, but not mint, G1
aceo07 said:
TMobile won't support you unless you bought the phone from them.
I called HTC last week to check on my G1 warranty since TMobile wouldn't support me. I was told (by HTC) that warranty is 15 months. Mine expires next month. Did you give them your S/N to check your warranty?
Though, if it was rooted then your warranty is void. Unless you want to pay for them to fix it for you, don't send it in. I don't know how they know if you rooted or modified anything, but if they find out you will be charged a minimum (triage) fee even if you decide you don't want to pay for actual repairs.
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Correction, TMobile will not support you, even if you bought a phone from them.
had to replace my phone cause my microusb port was all jacked up, was really loose and would only charge if i had my cord wrapped up a certain way.. had many other cords lying around which conformed "yes" it was the port and not a bad cable.. so the phone came in today and i have a big smile on my face cause its only had the 2.1 update and its a rev0002 so im all smiles cause i wanted to be able to reroot it the day it came it... #justsayin
also i know there is that possibility that i could have a refurb which i really could care less.. the phone looks new without a scratch on it so that works for me.. im not one of those that cries because i paid for a new phone when there is that possibility that it isnt.. incase someone those in the whole you have a "reburbished phone dumbass" response
It should say refurbished somewhere on the phone or so I've heard if it is a refurb.
Well, the phone you sent back was used, too.
How did you manage to get sprint to mail you your replacement? I tried and the rep had the nerve to suggest I say I lost my Evo and pay the $100 deductible and then I could get a $50 credit over a hardware defect
##786# and check if it is a refurb.
got my replacement for microusb issue as well
u will know if its a refurb if u just get the phone and back case ... of hit ##766# i think it is and there is a refurb status.
Mine is, but its hardware 003 which i think has the fixed port so im happy
Good stuff... I have usb issues as well but I'm still waiting for my replacement.I could care less if it is a refurb as long as its not beat up and doesn't have the latest OTA *Crosses fingers*
063_XOBX said:
How did you manage to get sprint to mail you your replacement? I tried and the rep had the nerve to suggest I say I lost my Evo and pay the $100 deductible and then I could get a $50 credit over a hardware defect
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i was transferred to that insurance company whoever the hell they are and they told me that i would have to be paying the 100 bucks and i basically just said why do i have to pay 100 out of my pocket if its a defect with the phone and he said i would need to talk to a sprint rep about that so i said just transfer me back cause i dont wanna pay a deductible.. so when i went back to the sprint rep luckily it was a girl so you just gotta play the koolguy role and be all nice calling them by their names and all the good stuff.. just be all flattery which as cheesy as it sounds it usually works.. so we pretty much just started talking about "sadly sprint" and the prices and how they are cheaper compared to most other carriers, ive been with them since 98 and it was kool cause she was actually the one that brought that up so the was sort of the conversation starter, i was asking who she used and she said she used to be with att but switch to sprint after she started working for them and realized how much cheaper their plans were and we just sorta went from there.. anyways when it came down to the phone i was telling her that the insurance ppl were saying that i had to pay the hundred bucks and i was like why would they charge me if i didnt damage it, and she was telling me that that its because they just assume that damage to that port is cause by abuse, so i was telling her that i had just googled "loose microusb" and the first things that come up are topics regarding the evo so i was telling her that it has to be a defect in the phone (but you say it all kool, not **** like.. just sorta keeping the conversation going) so i then was asking her if there was anyway that i could get a new phone without having to pay the deductible because i swear i treat my phones like little kittens (cheese joke) so she said that she could sent me the phone without me paying the deductible but just to know that if it was damaged from abuse they will bill my acct, and i was like "thats a deal" so she basically said okay she will send it in the mail.. its all about finding the right person and just being fractious with them.. dude, ill even be a flirt with a dude if he is feminine enough..
cloud858rk said:
##786# and check if it is a refurb.
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yep its a refurb, but my phone had over a 1000 more minutes use then this phone so screw it... still happy, thanks for the tip btw
oh yeah, and i used simpleroot for the first time.. i rooted using toasts method when the phone first came out so there was no purpose for me to try simpleroot before.. WOW, that was easy.. there is absolutely no reason for anyone to say that dont know how to root a phone..
and to unroot my old phone i just ran simpleroot to change the hboot then ran the stock ruu...
El oh el you got refurbished phone!!! :sarcasm:
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
echoside said:
El oh el you got refurbished phone!!! :sarcasm:
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the joke would have worked better if you finished it off with the word dumbass
You dont need to play the cool guy lol. Sprint always tells me I have to get transfered to the insurance co but then I tell them wait dont transfer me I am not paying for something that isnt damaged physicly or anything like that. This phone isnt damaged this phone has a hardware defect. The insurance co handles damaged phones and sprint handles swaps on defective phones. Sprint is always trying to pass me to the insurance co lol. They try to pull a fast one all the time. They are shady *****es. Also I dont care about refurbes they always look new to me so what the heck.
i did the exact same thing due to a damaged usb port about 1.5 months ago... got a refurbed nova 002 as a replacement and its been working fine ever since
after working at a service and repair store for sprint for 2 years I'll tell you that I've seen more defective phones from the manufacturer than I have from the Refurb warehouse lol.
BUT!!! I have had to exchange up to 5 phones in a row for someone because all the Refurbs I kept exchanging were defective and then we ran out and I had to order one haha
Alanmw86 said:
after working at a service and repair store for sprint for 2 years I'll tell you that I've seen more defective phones from the manufacturer than I have from the Refurb warehouse lol.
BUT!!! I have had to exchange up to 5 phones in a row for someone because all the Refurbs I kept exchanging were defective and then we ran out and I had to order one haha
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I believe this! I went through 5 TP2's
1st new
2nd refurb
3rd refurb
4th refurb
5th New, used for 5 days then sold it on craigslist to get my EVO.
All had issues with freezing when on the charger.
I just got my replacement today also not a referb but brand new. Mine bricked when I tried to do the OTA update. It went to reboot and powered off but would not power back on no matter what. Took to a Sprint Repair Center they could not get it to boot. So it took 7 days to get my replacement but I got it. Brand new very nice. Confirmed not a referb via the ##786#.
I simple rooted it then put the Damage Control on it. Very happy!
My question is, since I found this site
https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/07/26
I guess its cool to have my phone rooted an send it back cause my cameras messed up, it just has a pink screen an doesn't show no pic at all. An I know I'm probably gunna have to send it back.
hardcor4e said:
https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/07/26
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they can still void warranties because you rooted your phone, they just cant get the law involved.. if i send in a rooted phone they can make me pay the deductible just because, its sucks but its business! i understand where they are coming from though, there are a lot of noobs that try things like unlocking and rooting and it would be ****ty for sprint to have to take the hit for someone elses screwup
im on my 3rd evo just got it yesterday
1st one - dust under the screen - bottom left corner, it started small but then it got worse within a week.
2nd one - screen seperation and light leakage on the bottom corners.
3rd one - seems ok, so far... about dam time!
So then I would have to unroot just to a replacement. How are the replacements? An I seen something on here about the 002 an 003,I mean can u ask for the 003? What's the difference
So my EVO's charging port is messed up and loose and i have to put pressure on the charging cable for it to recognize it and charge.
My question is this...since this is a hardware problem, should I worry about trying to unroot it and such, or just let it be? Obviously, it being rooted is not the reason for the hardware failure. I have the best buy "no questions asked" warranty, not the Sprint. Just wanted to see if anybody had been in a similar situation to me. Thanks
Also, is there something I should look for if I do get a replacement as to better screens and or builds?
Sent from my Baked Snack using XDA App
I would put it back to stock and take it to a Sprint Store. (Don't tell them you have the Best Buy insurance) If they decide it's a warranty issue, you will likely get a new phone on the spot if they have any in stock. If they don't have any, they can order you a new one. If they say it's "damage" and not covered under warranty, then take it to Best Buy. Just be aware that you will probably be without your phone for about a month if you take it to Best Buy.
...it's white. Does that change anything with sprint? Why does it take a month from best buy? Stock issues?
Sent from my Baked Snack EVO using XDA App
well with best buy rather than fixing it right then and there they ship it off to get reapired and you have to wait for it to come back
Oh I see, so do you all feel it's unnecessary to have the best buy warranty. It's $10 opposed to sprints like $7 I believe.
Also, if I just do the OTA .29 will it unroot me and I be GTG? Thanks
Sent from my Baked Snack EVO using XDA App
i know with the sprint insurance it covers Damage beyond repair/water damage and lost/stolen still worth having and it extends the manufacturers warranty.
don't know about unroot.
Sprint might call it physical damage. We have certain criteria to label it as that but from what you're describing its very possible the local sprint store will call that physical damage. Definitely return phone to stock though... good luck hope you get new one
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
here is how it works
As far as the whole root thing, it depends on the geek squad agent that you are dealing with. Some can say no you are rooted please GTFO or some can just help you as they understand
They will type your warranty information into the computer and it will tell them whether to ship it or to replace immediately. With the evo it is currently shipping to this cell repair service center and it takes about a month for it to get fixed. You do NOT get a loaner. Well you can, but you have to pay 100 dollars and you give the phone back and get your money back.
I'd look at your bestbuy receipt and see if there are any serial numbers on there related to your EVO phone. If not, then take it to sprint as they may do an on the spot exchange. Make sure you get the same type of phone (IE white/black)
BestBuy warranty is good mostly for accidental damage as you don't have to pay 100 dollars but the 1 month long wait is sucks.
One cool thing though, is say a year and a half from now you do something to your phone and it is not fixable (Non economical), guess what happens?
You get to get a new phone that is "same technology switch".
i know someone who has an HD2 and it broke, and they get to get the phone's value. They paid 200 dollars but that is contract price, instead they got 499 credit to any new phone which they got the TMOBILE VIBRANT
That is why bestbuy's warranty is good.
Man just take that **** back to best buy I took mine back with a different ROM they dont check!
amirborna said:
here is how it works
One cool thing though, is say a year and a half from now you do something to your phone and it is not fixable (Non economical), guess what happens?
You get to get a new phone that is "same technology switch".
i know someone who has an HD2 and it broke, and they get to get the phone's value. They paid 200 dollars but that is contract price, instead they got 499 credit to any new phone which they got the TMOBILE VIBRANT
That is why bestbuy's warranty is good.
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This is not accurate information. while part of it is that if your phone is uneconomical or unrepairable you will get a new one that is a switch for like technology.... It does not mean you get the price you paid for it credit to do what you will. while this sometimes happens i wouldn't expect it.
What you get for your warranty if they cant repair it is a phone that has similar features to an evo. So if in 1.5 years from now they dont have the evo and they have a phone with comparable features to the evo for 100$ you will get the 100$ phone. you wont get the 500$ non contract price the evo cost now to pick out a phone as you choose.
this goes for all best buy warranties it guarantees if they cant fix it you will get a product with COMPARABLE FEATURES it doesn't guarantee price. many many many people have gotten angry over this in stores when i ran a geek squad when they bought something (say a laptop) for 1700$ and 2.5 years later get a laptop that cost 600$ that while still better then the one they had ... isnt the 1700$ laptop they want.
So i wouldn't go in expecting 500$ if you have a warranty like the above poster tries to imply. i would expect a phone comparable to the evo (if it costs 500$ then great but in a few years it is doubtful).
Ok, confused on what to do. Mine is white and I know when i got it that it was a best buy exclusive color, but wondering if any sprint stores have them now. I don't want to walk in a sprint store and feel like a fool when they say 'bro, this is obviously a best buy phone..take it there'
I would love to not have to wait a month for a new phone, but I will do whatever I have to I guess
Sent from my Baked Snack EVO using XDA App
i was told this when i got my best buy insurance.
even if i had scratches on my phone they would give me a brand new one no questions asked. its insurance not a warranty
the only time you would have to wait is if the screen is cracked then they ship it out
just tell them the charging port is broken and if they have it in stock they should give you one right then and there
patcat2 said:
i was told this when i got my best buy insurance.
even if i had scratches on my phone they would give me a brand new one no questions asked. its insurance not a warranty
the only time you would have to wait is if the screen is cracked then they ship it out
just tell them the charging port is broken and if they have it in stock they should give you one right then and there
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they say a lot of things but did you read the brochure they gave you for your insurance? It specifically says int he brochure that they have the right to try and repair any defects. The reason most people get screwed on "insurance" from stores etc is because they listen to a sales person and dont read the information packet. i suggest you take a look at it sometime it is eye opening for what it covers and what they are required to do and many times is vastly different then what you are told when you buy it sadly.
I wont go as far as to say they are all crap but i will say they arent normally as great as many sales people will have you believe and you should read and decide if you are ok with the actual coverage and not what thy told you because when it comes time to use it .. they are going to go by what is written and NOT what was told to you
just saying
im actually friends with the kid and he takes advantage of his insurance as well hes returned 13 iphones from best buy. 2 of the times he bricked his device.
IF for some reason they dont take your device back throw it against a wall and wait the 2 weeks for one to be shipped to you but i highly recommend telling them about the charger port i can guarantee you will get a new one
you are paying for the insurance you should take advantage for it
and yes i did read the brochure. i dont sign contracts and not read them.
Coverage: This Plan covers parts and labor costs to repair your product in the event your product fails to properly operate due to:
a) a defect in materials and workmanship;
b) normal wear and tear;
c) dust, internal overheating, internal humidity/condensation;
d) a power surge/fluctuation.
e) defective pixels for those products that have a pixel-based display. Pixel repair will be based upon three (3) defective pixels located in a group less than
one half (1/2) square inch or five (5) defective pixels throughout the entire display area.
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your charging port problem falls into categories A and/or B maybe even D.. it is non-repairable so they will give you a new device right there
awesome..i am going to take it by there tonight as it is ROOTED/ROM'd and see if they can replace it on the spot for the problem i have. It is a legit problem as well, i do not remember hitting it or pressure applied to it for it to be broken. Obviously there was some pressure at some point to break it, but i just know i looked at it one day when i took it off the charger and it wasn't charged and that got me looking to see what was wrong.
Thanks everyone for the input. I will update everyone after I stop in BB
Best Buy is garbage.
I like best buy.
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How can you say it is non repairable? talked to friends that currently still work for geeksquad (i used to run the geeksquad near me before i moved off to better pastures in the it world) and they say the evo is not a devo item (if you dont know what that means a devo item will never be repaired they ship it back to the manufacturer) and that currently the procedure is to ship them out to the repair center and then if the repair center deems it not fixable they will replace it.
even in the portion you copied and pasted in it says they will try to fix it. I am not sure where you are getting your information that it is not repairable or what makes you think that they wont try to repair it.
you kinda proved my point with the copy and paste about repair so i will leave it at that. your assumptions after that they will automatically replace it like i said may happen however there is a very good chance it wont and they are not required to by their "insurance" which is in fact a warranty no matter what they or you want to call it. you should stick to advising based off what the document says and not what you have heard from a sales person or a friend because each store is different and heck each employee/manager is different and the only thing that will hold true is what is written in the brochure as that is all they are currently required to do to fulfill their end
So one has to think, this Best Buy insurance is a bunch of ****. Pay Sprint the 7 bucks and tell BB to f' themselves.
well for service i think you will get quicker service from sprint insurance.
the con is 7 dollars a month for 2-3 years is a lot more then you pay for best buy service and yous till have to pay 100$ for the replacement though it does cover being lost and stolen as best buys does not.
so it depends on what is important to you. There are times you COULD get an instant replacement of your phone through best buy it just inst the norm and not required so even if you do once doesnt mean you will again and also doesnt mean just because one phone is flagged for auto replacement that all phones are. which is what i was trying to point out.
i personally go with sprints over bst buys but mainly because it covers the phone if it is lost/stolen. if i didnt care about that it is a toss up. At least some best buys let you "rent" a loaner phone while its shipped out. if you phone is completely dead though sprints you get nothing till you get the new phone.
My Evo was stolen while at a restaurant so I filed a claim with Asurion, paid my deductible and they sent me a refurb. When I got the refurb I noticed and indention in the screen kinda like someone took a safety pin and pressed really hard on the screen. The screen also has lines running through it. I also noticed the speaker for the earpiece looked like sh*t and the charging port didn't work very good. I called asurion and the tech went through his tests and told me to do a few things. One of them was to take the battery out and press the power button for 15 seconds. He said this will reset some settings on the motherboard and could fix the USB port problem. I thought he was full of it, but it actually worked. Obviously the rest of the stuff is cosmetic and he couldn't fix it, so he offered me a brand new one free of charge. Of course I feel like if you are paying for insurance this is what you should get in the first place, but I understand why they refurbish them and send those first. I can't wait to get my brand new one. I can tell everyone who reads this that the TEP price is well worth it to me. Asurion is definitely living up to their end of the agreement and that is all I can ask for. To me it is well worth the $7 a month on my bill to get the great service I got after having something as devastating as having my EVO stolen from me.
imho you got lucky with a new evo 99.99999% of the time they will only send out refurbs over and over and over .. still grats on the new evo . i see your in springfield,oh what restaurant was you at so i know not to set mine down lol
I jacked up my USB port plugging my evo into a computer I built and stupid me hooked up the external USB ports on the motherboard wrong. Needless to say it fried the USB port. The phone thought it was charging whenever the battery was at 90 or more. Below that it drained extremely fast. Battery would not charge in phone at all. Even if it said it did. I claimed insurance on it (sprint here saw I had rooted by the s-off which I was too lazy to turn on thinking its just hardware so they wouldnt look) Placed the order for the replacement, it said phone was back ordered. 3 days go by and I see a tracking number. Phone gets here and its brand new. With new SD Card Charger Booklet Battery all in the unopened brand new evo box. On top of it kept the old sd card, battery, and charger. Basically for $100 deductible I would say Asurion is worth it. I got all that PLUS a brand new evo.
I haven't had to use the insurance yet, but I'm glad I have it, especially after reading about the good things you guys just posted. I've read threads on here where people say 'but I don't have the insurance' and I say to myself 'wtf? Why wouldn't you pay $7 for some piece of mind?'
We're comin from a pure power source.
Yeah service is great. Just got my brand spanking new Evo replacement just this week as well hardware version 004 retail package. Man this 004 built is noticeably better than my launch day 003.
CheesyNutz said:
imho you got lucky with a new evo 99.99999% of the time they will only send out refurbs over and over and over .. still grats on the new evo . i see your in springfield,oh what restaurant was you at so i know not to set mine down lol
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I was at O'Charley's. Bad part is I left it at one of the round tables up in the bar area while I went to the bathroom. I had my brother and a friend with me and they never saw it leave the table. I don't know how. I came back from the bathroom and it was gone. It is MY fault for leaving it sit on the table, but I thought well it's only a couple minutes and no one will steal it with these guys sitting here. They have some shady looking waiters and I would almost bet $ one of them walked by and just snagged it up without anyone noticing. Oh well that one had the 4G keys borked in it cause I used Clockwork recovery to do my first nandroid and restored to it which messed up my RSA keys. At least now I have Wimax when I travel to Columbus.
Dropped my phone in water, got a refurbed from Asurion. The replacement was defective, so I called back and requested a brand new device. The rep told me they didn't give new phones. I wan bummed out, but went ahead with another refurbed. (They were 5-7 days back ordered at the time) A week later my phone arrived and it was a brand-spankin' new EVO in the box and everything! If you ask nicely and aren't a douche, you get help.
I've had to get three new EVOs from Asurion (long story) ... all three were brand new in box. All three were also backordered, but only once did it take the full 7 days they estimated.
My brother dropped his phone in water as well, called sprint about getting it replaced, got a brand new evo in the mail the next day.
Sent from MIUI IS BETTER THAN YOURS
Asurion
My evo has gone thru 3 repairs from sprint and still the phone is not working. Defective after the performed repairs on a defective screen. I have only had my evo for about 1 1/2 months. Called asurion and they told me that they would send me a replacement, but they cant guarantee a new device. But they did mention that the evos are in back order. So the supervisor said there is a possibility that i receive a new one. I hope i get a new one because my phone is in mint condition. If i don't i'm going to call them and give them hell. Trust.
Just got my new evo build number 0004. Way better than my old evo. I had to fight with them to get my way
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My wife and I both lost our Evos boating. I filled for both at the same time. Mine said backordered and arrived brand new. Hers was a white model, in stock, and arrived a refirb. Never had an issue with Asurion and will always keep insurance!
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I also lost mine while boating this past weekend. Called and was told it was on backorder and could be 7-10 days. Got an email next day that it was shipped and received it the following day. Not positive if it is brand new but it definitely looks like it. Other than having to pay for a new one after my old one took a swim, no complaints here.
I got a new one from Asurion a few weeks ago off the bat without having to ask for one. Lucky me, I guess.
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!
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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.
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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?
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.