Database Users

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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.

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!
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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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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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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.

If this is not covered under 1 year warranty, what is?

Hey guys,
Im on my second Vibrant right now. The volume button stopped working on my first one. When I got this replacement, the usb port was a little loose, now a few months later its even more loose. So I called tmobile and they said that the loose usb port is not covered under warranty because its something that I could have damaged. Also, I was assuming that the phone they sent me was a refurb, but the Tmobile rep said the replacement (that I have now) was actually a new unit and has another full year warranty on it.
So my question is, besides the volume button not working (like my original), what is covered under warranty. I am not talking about insurance, but the 1 year warranty that comes with a new phone. If a loose USB port is not covered, but the volume button not working like my original is covered, what is or is not covered under the original 1 year warranty?

kboater said:
Hey guys,
Im on my second Vibrant right now. The volume button stopped working on my first one. When I got this replacement, the usb port was a little loose, now a few months later its even more loose. So I called tmobile and they said that the loose usb port is not covered under warranty because its something that I could have damaged. Also, I was assuming that the phone they sent me was a refurb, but the Tmobile rep said the replacement (that I have now) was actually a new unit and has another full year warranty on it.
So my question is, besides the volume button not working (like my original), what is covered under warranty. I am not talking about insurance, but the 1 year warranty that comes with a new phone. If a loose USB port is not covered, but the volume button not working like my original is covered, what is or is not covered under the original 1 year warranty?
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Not sure the answer to your question but have you called them back and talked to cust service? Have you tried to call samsung?

yeah, i'd call and talk to a different rep. they were probably not wanting to do it because if it is determined to be physical damage, you'd get charged and out of warranty fee. tell them you are positive it isn't due to physical damage and be insistent and let them know you are aware that you run the risk of the oow and they should do it for you, i did when i worked there. worst case, you pay the $130 or whatever oow (assuming the oow fee hasn't skyrocketed in the last 6 months or so), which is about what you'd pay for an insurance deductible anyway.

Try a different usb cable first, seems like that was the only thing you haven't changed.

its not the USB cable, and it still does charge and work, but the port has gotten quite a bit looser then when i received the phone (which it was a little loose to start with)
so with it still working, and the fact that I have been with them for about 5 years with 2 lines and I am not under any contract, I think I have the upper hand in the bargaining power. Due to this and the fact that this particular phone still has about 9 months of warranty left on it, I am not in a rush.
I was just a little surprised when the rep told me that the loose port is not covered under the 1 year warranty. They wanted to send me a free Galaxy S 4G, but wanted to to commit to 2 years. I told them no way. I told her that I was not comfortable signing a 2 year agreement with the Att deal in the works. I told her since I am not under contract I could just easily go to another carrier. She told me to call back and see if they could do anything else before it came to that.
So i am curious as I know many people on this forum have done warranty replacements, any idea or experience what is covered under the 1 year warranty?

manufacturer defects are covered under warranty. physical and water damage are not. that's about as specific as it gets...
how long you've been with them and whatever doesn't matter for a warranty exchange, but that's why they would have offered you an upgrade, but you aren't going to get anything other than a warranty exchange (which may end up with you being charged an oow fee for physical damage) without a contract.

The Samsung USB cable is garbage. If you are still using it, it WILL make it seem like the port is loose but it's not. It's the cheap ass cable. I've used Motorola and Nokia MicroUSB cables with no problems for months now. My Samsung cord is actually shorting out now, and is still very loose.

funeralthirst said:
manufacturer defects are covered under warranty. physical and water damage are not. that's about as specific as it gets...
how long you've been with them and whatever doesn't matter for a warranty exchange, but that's why they would have offered you an upgrade, but you aren't going to get anything other than a warranty exchange (which may end up with you being charged an oow fee for physical damage) without a contract.
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Hello last summer I got 2 vibrants. Tmobile had a special buy one and get second free. I gave my gf the second one. And now her usb port connector on the phone itself is loose. That's part of manufacture defect? Right.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

thats definitely covered under warranty, thats what happened to my last vibrant and soon after it stopped connecting to the PC and then sometimes didnt charge.

I usually recommend going into a B/M store to show them IN PERSON. They are much more caring in the flesh than on a phone. Besides, you can prove to them in person it is a manufacturer defect...not but babble over the cell network.

USB port malfunctions are usually due to user error, but if yours was by default loose, then yes, it should be covered. If the reps continually refuse, just makes up a BS issue such as random reboots and you will receive a replacement. Trust me, T-Mobile does not bother to check the devices for the given issues. Then again, it really isn't fraud since the device's usb is faulty.

Should I force through for a replacement or repair is the most logical option?

I have a HD2 and I am extremely happy with the device. Problem is I bought it on 20th October 2010 after the death of my last HD2 due to water . And since then the phone has had it's screen replaced once and PCB replaced once. Now, the PCB is going to have to be replaced again. Which is why I was wondering should I push through for a replacement given that I have just one more month left in warranty or would it not be worth the hassle?.. Any opinion would be honestly appreciated.

Since it is under warranty, you should replace the PCB. And sorry for your water damaged HD2.Did you try and revive it?

I did.. Try many methods I think it was my fault I tried to turn it on too soon =(.. I did send an email to HTC support here stating that my phone has had 3 major hardware failures and I don't trust this device because had the phone been out of warranty I would've have had to pay much more than the price of the device :O.. So, let's see what they say lol

Broken Screen

Well I officially broke my precious Galaxy S3.
Dropped from my pocket to a hard floor.
The LCD began to leak down the screen, eventually filling the screen with black.
The irony? Not one single mark or scratch on the phone, even after this drop.
I hadn't yet swapped over my phone insurance yet from my old phone, and it happened 35 days after I got the phone from Phones4U.
They have sent it in for repair (under manufacture warranty). This takes TWO WEEKS. And I may get a phone call stating that due to the damage being from "shock" by being dropped, they cannot replace the screen digitizer.
If this happens, I have an option to pay £60 for them to repair it, or I can get the phone back and claim off insurance (because I only started my insurance on the day it broke, so I have to wait a week for insurance to be valid).
Thoughts?
I looked at this:
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Genuine-Digitizer-Assembly-Samsung/dp/B008AT974I
But too much £££

Its most definitely not a warranty claim.
£60 versus self repair with no warranty on your repair .
A number of i broke i replaced my screen posts on XDA worth a look to get an idea of costs difficulty etc .
jje

danieljamie said:
I looked at this:
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Genuine-Digitizer-Assembly-Samsung/dp/B008AT974I
But too much £££
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i dont know why it says LCD not AMOLED on that auction..

Yeah they asked me in Phones4U if I dropped it.
To which I responded, "nope never", and there are NO MARKS on the phone at all.
He phoned the Samsung tech support and they said that the digitizer must have cracked due to a "shock or fall" and that I may get a phone call from the repair team arguing it.
Not sure what to do if I do?
I just want to claim ignorance and say it has never been dropped and get a new screen in it.
Anyone had experience with Phones4U repair center?

Service centers are not morons. If the screen is broken it a result of usegs and not manufacturing issue. I do not see why they should fix this under warranty. So say yes i drpped it and have it fixed for 60£
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