Database Users

[Experience] Dust under screen, unlocked bootloader and repaired without issue.

Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to share my experience with sending my nexus one with an unlocked bootloader to HTC for cleaning.
Like a lot of nexus one owners, I started seeing dust under my screen after a few months (I always kept the phone in it's case while not in use). I called HTC and they sent me an email with a fedex delivery label. I sent the phone in on a Monday, and by the next day they had received it and posted a status that my phone was being diagnosed. A few hours later, the status changed to indicate it was being repaired. By Wednesday, they finished the repair and I received my cleaned phone on Thursday.
The best part: I had unlocked my bootloader and when I received the phone back the bootloader was relocked! This time, I gained root without unlocking the bootloader.
One issue however: My phone's IMEI is different that what it was when I sent it in. Not a huge problem, however some games I had no longer recognized my phone after I did a nandroid restore.
I hope this helps anyone who has a problem with dust under their screen and is reluctant to send it in for cleaning.
-a9

Interesting to hear that they cleaned it and returned the same phone. When I called them in may they said it will take two weeks and they will send me a refurb phone.

What was the process like? The Nexus I just bought form a dude from CL was kinda dinged up, which was okay, and the phone was perfect other than those few dings, I find out later(which he probably didn't care about but I do) was the back button isn't as sensitive as the other capacitive buttons and there's one spec of dust under the screen.
How do I start the process?

I had the same results a few months back, but I opted for a refurb instead of a repair. Told them I had dust under the screen, and the rep said, "OK, we have two options...repair or refurb." Not a single question asked.

staulkor said:
I had the same results a few months back, but I opted for a refurb instead of a repair. Told them I had dust under the screen, and the rep said, "OK, we have two options...repair or refurb." Not a single question asked.
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Click to collapse
Any deposit or hold on the account?
EDIT: Just checked the phone, It has definite dust under the screen near the top and bottom. I am a shoe-in for a refurb now.

Same exact story for me. I also had a few dings in the bottom shell of the phone, they replaced that as well. Which is awesome. I just know it's my phone because the IMEI is the same, as well as a small little scratch on the screen is still there.
Also shipped a Cliq in to Motorola to get the keyboard repaired. I shipped them both on a Tuesday, got the Nexus back on that Friday. Didn't get the Cliq back until the Friday after. That's ridiculous.

My serial number and wireless MAC are the same but the IMEI is different.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

Grrr, I will have to wait almost a week and a half to do this, since that's when I will have the funds available for the process. . .I don't want to wait a week! Lol, I want to have this done by the end of the week.

@Tito You don't need "funds" to do the repair, just send them your phone and use another for awhile. I lucked out and upgraded to the Vibrant, and then got my Nexus One back the day I was returning the Vibrant. Since it sucks and all.. Haha.

Wisefire said:
@Tito You don't need "funds" to do the repair, just send them your phone and use another for awhile. I lucked out and upgraded to the Vibrant, and then got my Nexus One back the day I was returning the Vibrant. Since it sucks and all.. Haha.
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I am wanting a refurb. Do they repair cosmetic stuff like dings or scratches on the housing aswell? If so I will just do that.

~~Tito~~ said:
I am wanting a refurb. Do they repair cosmetic stuff like dings or scratches on the housing aswell? If so I will just do that.
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Click to collapse
Yes, they replaced my entire casing which had a few small scratches and one large ding on the bottom where I dropped it on the sidewalk. It's pretty wonderful.

Wisefire said:
Yes, they replaced my entire casing which had a few small scratches and one large ding on the bottom where I dropped it on the sidewalk. It's pretty wonderful.
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Click to collapse
I will wait for the refutb lol, cs rep convinced me since everything is guarenteed to work and they make sure it has a new mobo and everything so its like new. I am down for that lol. But this wait time is gonna kill me, since I dont have all the money to do it.

staulkor said:
I had the same results a few months back, but I opted for a refurb instead of a repair. Told them I had dust under the screen, and the rep said, "OK, we have two options...repair or refurb." Not a single question asked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What was your situation? Unlocked bootloader and all? Did you mention it, did you get any charges, can you tell the whole story lol. I will have 500+$ on the line.

Nexus One Dev handset
I have the exact same issue with dust under the screen but on the lower left of the screen. I have two things working against me ;
a) I'm not sure if the handset is in warranty as it was given to me by a Google Staff member as it's a Dev phone.
b) there are superficial scratch marks from my keys on the casing which an engineer my assume are impact marks from a drop which is not the case.
what are my chances of it being repaired for free?

I would expect it to be out of warranty buy now if it came from a Googler.

I sent mine back due to my screen was impossible to use, sent it back, they replaced just about all inside parts, mother board and much more, I had the phone back in 3 days working great. HTC has done everything to make my phone perfect. I would not hesitate to purchase any HTC product, they are the best IMO.
Thank You HTC

I called HTC UK my phone is still in warranty period until December 2011. She also said the screen would be replaced free of charge as it is manufacturers fault if I wanted any additional repairs i.e. casing etc that I would have to pay for that, however I can still avail of the UPS pick up service. Price Quotation of £30 for new casing.

£30? That's bloody good!

I've my N1 off with HTC UK at present getting repaired, it for some reason stopped letting any SIM card connected to any network.
Sent it off last Thursday (24th Feb) and still not got it back yet. HTC repair tracking is telling me the repair is done but no sign of the phone as yet.

[Q] Trackball failure - get replacement or deal with it?

The past day or so, I've noticed my trackball is on it's way out. Up/Down barely work anymore, and it takes 3 tries or so to get it to detect a push to wake the phone up using trackball wake.
Do you think it's worth it to risk trying to get a warranty replacement phone? I've read that a bunch of you guys have been RMAing the phone for the power button issue and getting back refurbished phones with bigger issues than the original problem you sent it in for. I'd rather not get stuck in that situation.
I've also read that the only phones HTC has left are the T-mobile ones, is this true? I've got an ATT N1 so that wouldn't do me any good.
Is there any chance of HTC actually repairing my specific phone? Or will they just send a refurb.
Thanks for any information and advice.

well, u can call and they will replace ur phone based off ur IMEI #. As for whether or not they have ATT ones you will have to call. I was rooted unlocked bootloader and did the refurbished route . Recieved a burnt screen, returned that and then finally got a good one on my second try. They were not assholes about it. HTC made it easy actually. They will repair your phone under warranty but you will be N1less for about 2 weeks . So if you can deal with that then do it. I couldnt, i even gave up my precious engraving due to the dust under the screen. They will need a credit card of some sort to put a $530 hold on it just in case u never return the refurbished one.

Try this first, turn off your phone/lock it then using a piece of cloth push the trackball in while rolling it in all directions. Sometimes dust etc will build up on the ball and cause it to become unresponsive.
If this doesn't work you may be able to change the small squarish part which holds the trackball. It's a little fiddly to disassemble your N1 to change this part but from memory it isn't held in place by wires or connectors but rather simply sits in place and should therefore be relatively easy to change.

Get it fixed under the warranty. It's free and requires absolutely no effort on your part. Don't wait, and don't try to fix it yourself.
Whether or not HTC still makes the ATT version of the phone is irrelevant, because all they have to do is replace the trackball assembly, not the radio. The only "risk" you're taking by having HTC repair it is that you'll be without a N1 for a little while. It doesn't matter if there's a chance that they'll send you back a device with more problems, because they are still responsible for getting your device back to 100% working status, and you can hold them to that until they make good on the agreement. If you don't hold them to it, then you're just encouraging bad customer service, which is what leads to those terrible situations you've been hearing about.

Obviously replace it!
If you have your warranty still, then just get your phone back to it's original recovery and firmware, and wait for your Nexus to get shipped to your door, then just ship it back in the box your new phone came in.
I unlocked my phone using the bootloader before any work arounds came about. Now I have a rooted Nexus with a warranty that will remain intact because the bootloader hasn't been unlocked
My experiences with HTC have always been good.
I received a new battery and headset with my replacement because the woman asked if I had any trouble with the accessories or battery. Just for my troubles they also sent me a new back cover. Just bring up "compensation" haha.
But yes, replace it. It's worth it, and the chances of getting an essentially new phone are a lot higher than you getting a piece of **** (which you can replace anyways with a single phone call, so why does it matter?).
Also, on replacing/repairing your phone. You choose which you want. If you want to wait a few weeks for YOUR phone to be fixed, then by all means wait it out. But if you're like me, and can't live without your phone for that long, order a replacement, as they send one to your door without you having to send yours in first.
Edit -
Buck Shot said:
As for whether or not they have ATT ones you will have to call.
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You definitely will get an AT&T one. I did. They are obligated to!

Replace it! I would be lost without it!!

Get the unit repaired so you can keep your custom engraving. (if any) HTC turnaround time is quick and your cell phone provider (I know T-Mobile did) should provide you with a loaner phone if you ask them.

dust under the screen?

I have only been using this phone for about a week. has anyone has this problem and send it to htc to repair? does this cover under warranty??

This was a huge issue with my MT3G Slide. If I remember correctly, it is a warranty issue. You can send it to HTC or (not sure) I think T-Mobile will replace it. The problem is with the glue that holds the digitizer to the screen, it's crap.
Also, when you get your new phone go into a dark room and check for light leaks. Probably under the top shell so open the keyboard and look on the back side of the screen.

i have had my desire z for nearly 2 months now, no dust yet

I was in your spot a few weeks ago. Dust just magically accumulated under the screen one night. A few days later it bugged me so much I called T-mobile, explained that there is dust underneath the screen and that there is no physical damage on the phone. They sent out a replacement that night and I got it 3 days later. No issues no cost to me free shipping both ways.
They did this for me on a used phone I brought in too, so I'm sure there would be no issue getting yours replaced if its new especially.

chrisyeung88 said:
I have only been using this phone for about a week. has anyone has this problem and send it to htc to repair? does this cover under warranty??
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I had the same issue caused by the screen not being aligned properly with the casing which left a 1mm gap between the the screen and casing allowing dust and fluff to seep through. It's a manufacturing fault so just send it back to htc. If you're rooted, best to unroot first, you don't want to give them any ammunition;, )

Stea1thmode said:
I had the same issue caused by the screen not being aligned properly with the casing which left a 1mm gap between the the screen and casing allowing dust and fluff to seep through. It's a manufacturing fault so just send it back to htc. If you're rooted, best to unroot first, you don't want to give them any ammunition;, )
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did htc charge you? what is the procedure to take it back? and price for the courier?

chrisyeung88 said:
did htc charge you? what is the procedure to take it back? and price for the courier?
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Click to collapse
It's covered on warranty, you don't have to pay for anything, best to contact htc via email to keep a paper trail on things. They will send out a courier to pick up your phone, it's only a simple procedure so it shouldn't take long.

Stea1thmode said:
It's covered on warranty, you don't have to pay for anything, best to contact htc via email to keep a paper trail on things. They will send out a courier to pick up your phone, it's only a simple procedure so it shouldn't take long.
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when i contact htc.... they said "At that stage the choice is given to either go ahead with the repair or have the phone returned. To have the phone returned a fee of approximately £20 for courier costs and the evaluation is applicable." which makes me slightly confused
you still have dust problem after the fix?

Had my g2 for like 4 month no dust. That's good am with T-mobile. They will replace your phone even if you have the the smallest problem.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

chrisyeung88 said:
when i contact htc.... they said "At that stage the choice is given to either go ahead with the repair or have the phone returned. To have the phone returned a fee of approximately £20 for courier costs and the evaluation is applicable." which makes me slightly confused
you still have dust problem after the fix?
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Click to collapse
I'm slightly confused myself, the way I interpret your text is that after evaluation should you decide not to have your phone repaired then they will charge you for courier costs to have your phone returned to you. Like I said previously it should be covered by warranty so you won't have to pay a penny.
After repair, the dust problem is soughted.

Depending on how bad the dust is...take your phone and repeatedly, but lightly tap it on a table...the dust particle will eventually, make it to the edge of the screen and get "stuck there" and you won't be able to see it anymore. At least, most of the time, it will.
verkion

Dust problem does get worse..... only time I am free enough to let htc collect my phone is easter....
Mm... I will try the tap method.......
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

What a bummer, that's a long wait. Just so that you're aware it doesn't have to be your home address, you can use friends, family, work etc. address. The courier can just pick up/drop off even when you're not there.

Stea1thmode said:
What a bummer, that's a long wait. Just so that you're aware it doesn't have to be your home address, you can use friends, family, work etc. address. The courier can just pick up/drop off even when you're not there.
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Click to collapse
oo how?? as currently im living on student accommodation. don't really know how can i let them pick up. and prefer not to drop off bk at the accommodation office too

Have had my G2 since release and no dust yet

tried the tap method... but nothing happen..... dust is getting closer to centre now... as more dust gets in

I don't know if this thread is still alive, i hope it is.
Well, I got my G2 just about a couple of weeks ago. Got it off kijiji, cuz the gentleman who sold it to me told me that it has warranty till september 2011, i decided to buy it. It still does have warranty. It has got 2 problems, 1 with battery, the phone is s-off, rooted, and modded with CM Nightly RC1, and the battery just runs out very quickly, i have to charge the phone atleast twice a day. and 2nd is with he screen, it has got dust underneath, on right hand top corner, so i decided to call htc directly and find out if i can send the phone off for repair, and if i could get a replacement battery.
The girl on the other side was nice enough that she is sending me a new battery, so one problem will be solved, then I asked her if i can send the phone back to them to get it fixed.
I am actually worried about 2 things. One is how do I put the stock rom back on the phone? I am not a great modder and don't really know(i think little bit research will help, as i found this thread after search) and two is i am really afraid of htc charging me for something i might not have done. such as liquid damage. physically the phone looks great. no scratches or any sort of physical dent marks. but liquid damage is something really scares me out.
what should I do?
I need some advise from my fellow xda folks... Please help me out...

As far as i know, if you grab the official firmware from bell, (i assume bell because you said kijiji and that is normally canadian), load that up and make sure your recovery is stock, htc will not even know if you had a custom rom in it.
As for the water damage, there is usually a small white sticker where the battery usually sits. This sticker changes colour if it is exposed to excessive moisture. If this sticker is still white, then you are fine.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Athrun88 said:
As far as i know, if you grab the official firmware from bell, (i assume bell because you said kijiji and that is normally canadian), load that up and make sure your recovery is stock, htc will not even know if you had a custom rom in it.
As for the water damage, there is usually a small white sticker where the battery usually sits. This sticker changes colour if it is exposed to excessive moisture. If this sticker is still white, then you are fine.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
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Not actually, i got the G2 off kijiji, the tmobile version which i use for my wind mobile sim card.
I called htc directly and the girl on the other side said the phone is fixable being in canada but i m just curious and concern about the charges they might apply to fix this... i asked her specifically that if i m in canada are you sure there will be no charge for me to pay? she said, we will require your credit card which has at least a dollar value on it, just for security(which i thought is weird as i have N1 i had to sent out for repair and they didn't ask for my credit card info... i asked her and she said N1 and G2 are two different cases handled by two different operational teams, they don't require info for N1 as its a Google phone, while G2 is sold by tmobile, my cc info they will use in case if there is any liquid or physical damage and i will have to pay for at least shipment back which is $35)
regarding the sticker, i can see a small white rounded sticker underneath the battery which is fairly white so far... i assume that's the one and doesn't look like it has changed color significantly, but I am still afraid - i think i might color blind... lol... i had a problem before with rogers bb bold, where i sent the phone in for repair and they said it has got liquid damage as the sticker has turned blue and i had to pay $250 for it...
That's the reason I need suggesions from ya'll people... how can I make sure my phone is damage free and can get the dust problem fixed?
i am really scared and totally confused...

creativedevil said:
Not actually, i got the G2 off kijiji, the tmobile version which i use for my wind mobile sim card.
I called htc directly and the girl on the other side said the phone is fixable being in canada but i m just curious and concern about the charges they might apply to fix this... i asked her specifically that if i m in canada are you sure there will be no charge for me to pay? she said, we will require your credit card which has at least a dollar value on it, just for security(which i thought is weird as i have N1 i had to sent out for repair and they didn't ask for my credit card info... i asked her and she said N1 and G2 are two different cases handled by two different operational teams, they don't require info for N1 as its a Google phone, while G2 is sold by tmobile, my cc info they will use in case if there is any liquid or physical damage and i will have to pay for at least shipment back which is $35)
regarding the sticker, i can see a small white rounded sticker underneath the battery which is fairly white so far... i assume that's the one and doesn't look like it has changed color significantly, but I am still afraid - i think i might color blind... lol... i had a problem before with rogers bb bold, where i sent the phone in for repair and they said it has got liquid damage as the sticker has turned blue and i had to pay $250 for it...
That's the reason I need suggesions from ya'll people... how can I make sure my phone is damage free and can get the dust problem fixed?
i am really scared and totally confused...
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Click to collapse
Ahh, just wanted to clarify since I didn't see any of the T-Mobile versions on Kijiji when I did my shopping.. If that's the case and you have the G2, then you should be able to pop by the T-Mobile site and grab the stock ROM off them. I also saw a list of stock roms somewhere on this site for the DZ/G2.
If the water sticker is whitish, then it's still good. As long as it's not red/pink or blue, those would be a sure sign of water damage.
The only reason why they would need a credit card, in my opinion, is for any unexpected charges that they would apply to it in the case of a necessary repair that is not covered under warranty. But other than that, I wouldn't know why else.
I hope you get it sorted out.
Regards.

I have to bring my phone to Sprint for...

...a broken front glass. I've had my Evo since launch, naked, and finally dropped it on something hard enough to break it - the parking lot. Needless to say, the glass is cracked, so I'll need to bring it to Sprint (I have TEP), but first, a few questions:
1) I need to unroot (the phone is still very usable), but if I get an exchange, is the newest version of Android rootable for the Evo4G?
2) If it's NOT rootable, I know a guy who replaces glass on iPods, iPhones, and other smartphones, (including the 4G) and he'll charge me for the glass and that's it (<$50). Problem is, now it has a few nicks in the side, and that will bug the **** out of me.
Any ideas/tips from anyone that's gone through this with Sprint or suggestions otherwise?
Thanks

You'll get referred to Asurion unless the tech is feeling exceptionally nice that day.
They've been cracking down on courtesy repairs recently, mainly because the front assemblies are around $100 a pop.

If you get an exchange you will be able to root using Revolutionary (do a search). I've done several.

Go to amazon, the digitizer is anywhere between $11-$20... Not a real tough fix...

I'd go the amazon route as well. My friend fixed his wife's evo pretty quickly and for $15 I think.

Wow, thanks everyone! I do have TEP for the phone, but replacing it myself doesn't look to difficult and I'm pretty handy. I already have the torx and pry tools, so I may just go that route. Thanks for the feedback!

And even if you don't want to do it yourself, there is no need to actually take it to a sprint store. They will just tell you to call Asurion.

sitlet said:
And even if you don't want to do it yourself, there is no need to actually take it to a sprint store. They will just tell you to call Asurion.
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So this third party company basically just handles the claims?

sitlet said:
And even if you don't want to do it yourself, there is no need to actually take it to a sprint store. They will just tell you to call Asurion.
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Click to collapse
Not necessarily. I'm on my 4th screen replaced at no charge from my local store. I have TEP, the sheet shows $35 for screen repair without it. 3 times I walked in and was out in 30-40min. Once they had no screens and gave me a loaner while a new shipment came in.
Perhaps corporate stores are just referring to Asurion now, but all the stores in my area still repair in shop.

I just had to turn in a phone because the USB data lines were not working. They refused to do any diagnosing while it was rooted. You might be able to try a stock-looking ROM perhaps. But I unrooted following guides here, took it in, got the new phone a while later, rooted it, and I'm back.
Nine days later, I drop the phone on concrete face-down. So now I'm sitting with this new phone and a cracked screen. Ebay has a number of complete housings with LCD for $40-60. With that, swap in your motherboard and it should be all good. I will be going this route over the next few days.
Ifixit.com has a guide to take it apart. You have to do the first few steps to see what model LCD your phone uses. Some have a wide ribbon cable and some have a narrower one. I just looked this afternoon and mine is a wide type cable. Maybe older phones are narrow.

Go with number 2 because it should be easy to fix to do. And just deal with the side nicks and scratches. After all it was your own fault for not having it protected somehow.

{ParanoiA} said:
Go with number 2 because it should be easy to fix to do. And just deal with the side nicks and scratches. After all it was your own fault for not having it protected somehow.
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Click to collapse
Nowhere did I say it WASN'T my fault. It's not like I'm out to **** over Sprint. I think having the phone since launch and never dropping it naked is pretty ****ing good in its own right, thank you very much.

I had the Otterbox Commuter (which is an amazing case, imo) from day one (Dec 2010), but have since gone naked. The phone is too sexy to cover it up with anything. I gladly take the risk of dropping it.

Bottom 20% of my digitizer went bad. Sprint said they'd fix it for $35 till they found out it was rooted. They said if I brought it back with stock software they'd still do it. I brought it back with a stock ROM but they claimed water damage and wouldn't fix it. Dirty ****ers.
For $20 and an hours worth of time I fixed it myself with a part from Amazon. You'll need to pick up a safe pry tool kit ($2). I ordered one setup for an iPod and it worked fine. They also say you'll need a T4 driver but you'll need a T5. Lowes has a Torx multitool that works great for $10.
There is a youtube video that shows step by step how to replace the EVO digitizer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdSIVMQ-G08

I guess it depends on the store.. I don't have insurance and they also charged 35$ but they never said anything about root. I was running cm7 and didn't even change they boot animation to stock..
There also was no root method at the time..
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

mobius999 said:
Not necessarily. I'm on my 4th screen replaced at no charge from my local store. I have TEP, the sheet shows $35 for screen repair without it. 3 times I walked in and was out in 30-40min. Once they had no screens and gave me a loaner while a new shipment came in.
Perhaps corporate stores are just referring to Asurion now, but all the stores in my area still repair in shop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I brought mine in asking for screen replacement and they told me to call asurion. Yes I have tep
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

AHrubik said:
Bottom 20% of my digitizer went bad. Sprint said they'd fix it for $35 till they found out it was rooted. They said if I brought it back with stock software they'd still do it. I brought it back with a stock ROM but they claimed water damage and wouldn't fix it. Dirty ****ers.
For $20 and an hours worth of time I fixed it myself with a part from Amazon. You'll need to pick up a safe pry tool kit ($2). I ordered one setup for an iPod and it worked fine. They also say you'll need a T4 driver but you'll need a T5. Lowes has a Torx multitool that works great for $10.
There is a youtube video that shows step by step how to replace the EVO digitizer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdSIVMQ-G08
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the day after i got my evo i had to go to the sprint store to do something with it (i forgot) but the tech came out and tried to pull the "water damage" BS they always pull. I told the prick that i just got it YESTERDAY and why the hell you people always try to pull the water damage bs? he had nothing to say. I was being a bit loud in front of everyone in the store and you should have seen teh look on his retarded face. these doosh bag techs at sprint suck!! they would rather find a way out of fixing it than actually fixing it.

Samsung will not change my back cover!

I have a GS3 for att and a few hours after i bought the phone i noticed the back door cover is not snapping in on the bottom left side. After thinking i might be able to return the phone to the best buy i got it from and exchange it i decided to wait two days. Turns out my only option is returning not exchanging due to the high demand of the phone. I tried to call samsung to see if could possibly send me a back cover since all the hooplah about the back cover recall during production i figured it would not be a problem. I first tried to get this fixed through their live chat system. In the end they told me its not cover because its physical damage. I proceeded to call their support and see if they could give me the same answer. They in turn said I would have to send the phone to them but since I have no oter phone now I could not do that so I politely asked to speak to a manager but there were "on the phones" and "busy" so they took my number and told me they would call me back. Well.... I guess you can figure out what happened with that promise. I called a second time and after a 40 minute call it got me nowhere. They then told me on my second call that the back cover was not covered in the warranty because it was a "detachable part of the phone" and that it was an "accessory". I told them this does not make sense because isnt the battery considered detachable and an accessory? This time i asked for a manager again and I guess the managers were being lazy because not one of them wanted to speak with me because they were on "call" ironically. Can anyone help me with this situation any suggestions anything I can tell them to actually do something about this? I also already told them that all over the internet there were news about defective back covers during manufacturing and how it was pulled to be fixed and how people are posting pics of back cover issues also including on this forum! Im so aggravated with their customer support that i have a headache.

Look up on ebay to find a replacement. I know a lot of sites sell battery back covers and they aren't expensive
sent from my GALAXY SIII

Because of the crazy demand of the phone, you may have to wait it out if you can't be without phone and hope BBY gets some stock in within your 30 day (?) exchange window.
If you absolutely can't wait, you may wanna try ebay for a replacement back, since it's been reported the the international doors work just as well. But that would require you to shell out some dough for something that isn't your fault

Stock back cover is crap, really poor decision from Samsung. Finger print magnet and slippery. Anyways there are tons of 3rd party replacement back covers anywhere from 2$ to 10$, with better decals or nice tactile texture some even metal or leather.
Check amazon or just Google.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Buy the official flip cover - replaces the back. Use that until you find a replacement back. Can we even get those yet by the way?...

I've read that some of the back covers block NFC. Be careful with what you get.

Ansextra said:
I've read that some of the back covers block NFC. Be careful with what you get.
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Yeah the metal ones..
Try putting the bottom left in first then bottom right then go up. Mine was like this until I did this.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

you can but on ebay, offical samsung back battery covers in white and blue. They are around $30.00 . I got mine a couple of days ago as I wanted an extra cover.

Wow, this is really poor customer service from Samsung. I had a loose battery door on my Motorola DX. I did online chat with rep, after 2 minutes of taking my info then she sent me a brand new battery door. Received in mail 2 days later.

I would say file a better business Bureau complaint. Everytime I have filed a complaint someone from the executive offices called me back. I filed one against LG and got them to replace my phone after sending it in for repair 3 times and all 3 times didn't fix it. I also had an issue with dell and filed a complaint and the escalation office called me and bent over backwards to make me happy. So I would suggest doing that and you will get a call back within a week guaranteed
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

Envy718 said:
I have a GS3 for att and a few hours after i bought the phone i noticed the back door cover is not snapping in on the bottom left side. After thinking i might be able to return the phone to the best buy i got it from and exchange it i decided to wait two days. Turns out my only option is returning not exchanging due to the high demand of the phone. I tried to call samsung to see if could possibly send me a back cover since all the hooplah about the back cover recall during production i figured it would not be a problem. I first tried to get this fixed through their live chat system. In the end they told me its not cover because its physical damage. I proceeded to call their support and see if they could give me the same answer. They in turn said I would have to send the phone to them but since I have no oter phone now I could not do that so I politely asked to speak to a manager but there were "on the phones" and "busy" so they took my number and told me they would call me back. Well.... I guess you can figure out what happened with that promise. I called a second time and after a 40 minute call it got me nowhere. They then told me on my second call that the back cover was not covered in the warranty because it was a "detachable part of the phone" and that it was an "accessory". I told them this does not make sense because isnt the battery considered detachable and an accessory? This time i asked for a manager again and I guess the managers were being lazy because not one of them wanted to speak with me because they were on "call" ironically. Can anyone help me with this situation any suggestions anything I can tell them to actually do something about this? I also already told them that all over the internet there were news about defective back covers during manufacturing and how it was pulled to be fixed and how people are posting pics of back cover issues also including on this forum! Im so aggravated with their customer support that i have a headache.
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This is why I left AT&T. Their customer service is the worst out of all the top 4 carriers in the US.
Sent from Droid RAZR MAXX

Envy718 said:
I have a GS3 for att and a few hours after i bought the phone i noticed the back door cover is not snapping in on the bottom left side. After thinking i might be able to return the phone to the best buy i got it from and exchange it i decided to wait two days. ... They then told me on my second call that the back cover was not covered in the warranty because it was a "detachable part of the phone" and that it was an "accessory"
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First, the manufacturing issue had everything to do with the surface quality, not the fit issue.
Second, you need to learn to insert the cover properly. If you insert from the bottom and just press hard around the edge all the way around, it will fit in snuggly.
Third, if you still can't get the cover to assemble or break the cover in the process of forcing it in, just buy a replacement cover. It is not expensive and certainly not worth your time and effort to argue with Samsung over it, imho.
Just trying to be helpful...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

ArborRes said:
First, the manufacturing issue had everything to do with the surface quality, not the fit issue.
Second, you need to learn to insert the cover properly. If you insert from the bottom and just press hard around the edge all the way around, it will fit in snuggly.
Third, if you still can't get the cover to assemble or break the cover in the process of forcing it in, just buy a replacement cover. It is not expensive and certainly not worth your time and effort to argue with Samsung over it, imho.
Just trying to be helpful...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
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Im not retarded I know how to put the back cover on I have already done this and it is not staying. Im one of the few people that read the manuals. I have never broke the cover because it came like that out of the box. I would not be calling samsung or posting on this forum had any of this been my fault at all.

ArborRes said:
First, the manufacturing issue had everything to do with the surface quality, not the fit issue.
Second, you need to learn to insert the cover properly. If you insert from the bottom and just press hard around the edge all the way around, it will fit in snuggly.
Third, if you still can't get the cover to assemble or break the cover in the process of forcing it in, just buy a replacement cover. It is not expensive and certainly not worth your time and effort to argue with Samsung over it, imho.
Just trying to be helpful...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
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Nice avatar1 What's the good word?

All that time on the phone and posting on forums, you might as well have bought one off ebay. Unless your time isn't worth anything.

themightycat said:
All that time on the phone and posting on forums, you might as well have bought one off ebay. Unless your time isn't worth anything.
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My thing is why should I have to spend money on something that was a defect. Thats not right as a company to make a customer do that for a less than a week old phone.

Just return the phone and get a new one.

First world problems suck. Thanks for sharing.
...

Put a case on it, and you'll never notice it again.

Call wherever you bought it, see if someone returned a defective one and have them swap the cover for you.