Database Users

Faulty phone and problems with Samsung Customer Service - Help Needed!

Hi Guys,
My story is quite long, but I wanted to include many of the details so you could imagine the situation I am in. I don’t have the intention of rooting the phone. I paid £440 of my hard earned money and expected good quality product and prompt, helpful customer care and service in case of any problems. I would appreciate any help which will enable me to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
I'm in the UK. I purchased the Samsung Galaxy S (I9000) from an online shop on 4th June and received it on 19th. After a while I noticed there is a problem with the accelerometer. It manifested itself especially in Layar app and other applications using accelerometer to relate the phone to the ground, plus Asphalt 5, Krazy Kart Racing and other games using Accelerometer. When I hold the phone level in the horizontal position it was clearly pulling to the left side. To achieve the perfect level I had to rotate the phone slightly clockwise.
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Unfortunately the 28 day return period expired as I was on holiday for over 3 weeks before I noticed the fault. I decided to contact Samsung directly and not go through the online shop as it would be much longer way. I was advised to go to one of the service locations near me and show them the fault.
I did exactly that on 14th Aug. Went to ECT, they said they cannot repair it and will send the phone on 16th Aug to Samsung Repair Centre and it will take up to 10 working days to get the phone back.
14th Sep – ECT rang me they received the phone but it is still faulty (after 1 month!). I rang Samsung Customer Services (SCS) and raised a complaint, which was given high priority. I was told someone from Complaints Dept will get back to me on this within 24-48 hrs; I get no response.
16th Sep – Contacted SCS, spoke with Person1 who arranged new repair with SBE Service Centre and promised it will be treated as top priority and will be repaired the same day SBE received the phone.
17th Sep - ECT sent the phone to SBE as agreed day before.
18th Sep – Person2 from SCS wrote to ensure my case has been escalated and is treated as top priority.
23rd Sep – Spoke with Person3 to get the update on the phone, they promised to get back to me.
24th Sep – Email from Person3 confirming SBE received the phone on 22nd.
25th Sep – Person2 wrote saying it is treated as a usual repair and will be processed as any other case (denying her words from 18th)
29th Sep – Received email from SCS who raised a complaint for me, and again I should hear back within 24-48hrs; I get no response.
1st Oct – Collected phone from ECT – fault still not fixed (after 7 weeks!)
2nd Oct - Call from Person4. Asked me to send the phone for the third (last) repair attempt in compliance with Samsung Policy.
4th Oct – Sent the phone to Regenersis.
Contacted Regenersis, they confirmed they received the phone and will repair within 5-7 working days.
22nd Oct – After a delay, I received the phone. Original fault fixed, but the phone arrived in worst state then I left it, which was pristine condition, as I really care about all my electronic devices.
- Frame wasn’t fit properly and creaks on both sides of the screen
- Slightly damaged under the cover – sign of unskilful stripping attempt.
3rd Nov – Spoke with SCS – advised to send the phone again or go to the Service Centre to try to fix the creaking frame.
4th Nov – Tried to upgrade the Firmware to Froyo with Kies; upgrade failed; unable to access recovery mode as per Kies instructions. Phone unusuable. 3-button access to Download or Recovery Mode not working on device.
5th Nov – Went to ECT – Engineer told me he won’t be able to do anything with the device as he is unable to access Download or Recovery mode. Gave me details of another Service Centre.
Later that day I managed to restore the firmware on my own using ADB tool to reboot into download mode. 3-button access still not working.
6th Nov – Went to Samsung Service in London. They couldn’t find the reason for the creaking frame. Engineer confirmed there is a clear fault as the phone is unable to access Download/Recovery mode using 3 button combo, although all buttons work fine. They were unable to repair the phone on the premises and would need to take it and send elsewhere to fix the fault. For me this is out of question as I have no guarantee the phone will be fixed quickly, if at all. I simply don’t trust their Repair Centres and I can’t afford another 10 weeks without the phone.
10th Nov – Spoke with person in Escalation Dept. who didn't really pay much attention to my story and said the only thing they can do is to authorise another repair, and was repeating this is their policy and can't authorise exchange unless they fail to repair the single fault three times.
To summarise, the phone was being repaired 3 timed for 10 weeks. Original fault was eventually repaired but it came back in worst state then when I handed it over. Now frame creaks badly and the phone is slightly damaged due to unskilful opening attempt. During the latest official Froyo upgrade it turned out it’s impossible to access Download or Recovery mode, which was confirmed by Samsung engineer. I can’t see the point of further repair attempts as the total costs will be much higher than a cost of a new device, which I was trying to explain to Escalation Dept today. Plus, I cannot afford more time without the phone, which is essential tool in my everyday life.
It is expensive, Samsung’s flagship phone, so one would expect superb quality, but mine appears to be very unreliable and faulty. I also had problems with battery and alarm clock.
I love this phone to bits, but my handset is simply disappointing and on top of all this, the creaking sound makes the phone feel cheap and unreliable. I bought the phone and I even can’t use it as it is being repaired all the time.
I simply expecting from Samsung to step up and admit there is something wrong with my handset and to replace it or at give the refund. I just want the phone which is in pristine condition, just as I handed it over, as the one I had at the moment feels and looks like it is 5 years old.
I am really desperate at the moment and would appreciate any help and advice as to what would be the best and quickest way to resolve this matter and get a brand new replacement from Samsung.
Thank you guys for reading!

I can only advice to get in touch with some legal representation. As far as i know most countries have laws to protect customers. I once bought a stereo that kept breaking down. Although they repaired it 4times it still wouldn't work properly. One letter from a free councillor made them give my money back.
It's never fun to fight the machine but sometimes man has to. Good luck and don't give up.

Speak with your local trading standards office and see what they suggest.
You have consumer rights, and they should be able to help you to get a quick solution.
UPDATE:
A quick look for "trading standards" on the web suggests that you should first try:
http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/
Or you could find your local trading standards office and find out if they support consumers, (most only support businesses it seems), by putting your postcode in here:
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/index.cfm
Let us know how you get on.
Mike

Bummer you didn't need to send it in in the first place. You can put the phone on a flat surface and run a program to calibrate the sensor/ accelerometer.
Sent from my GT-I9000M using Tapatalk

This page about Mobiles should help you too:
http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_you_buy/know-your-rights/mobiles/
The main sticking point there is that your purchase is with the seller and so it should be them providing a refund. But it is Samsung who have messed it up and taken an unreasonable length of time etc. Not sure whether you can hold the original shop responsible for Samsung's mess up. I think you could definitely argue for at least a brand new phone, or a refund, but it is who to go after.
You might also be able to get your credit card company involved too, since they might share liability for the mess up if you paid on a credit card.
Basically it is probably worth speaking to an advisor on the consumer direct phone line, and asking them to help you clarify your best approach from here on...
Good Luck
Mike

lgkahn said:
Bummer you didn't need to send it in in the first place. You can put the phone on a flat surface and run a program to calibrate the sensor/ accelerometer.
Sent from my GT-I9000M using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct... your phone isn't faulty. you just have to recalibrate the sensor.

Thank you all guys for your help and suggestions. I will use them and will try to fight the machine
Will let you know about the progress. if any!
Cheers

I've finally managed to get a replacement phone from Samsung. They authorised the exchange on 15th Nov. They asked me for the three repair reports and when I emailed them they agreed to replace the phone. But it wasn't as easy to finalize as one would hope. They again were delaying everything and it took several phone calls to get it done. But on the Christmas Eve I finally received my brand new phone, my best present this Christmas
But overall the whole Samsung experience was a nightmare.
Thank you all for help and advice.

Make me dread now sending my phone in. I have an issue where the phone doesnt charge as if the port is faulty. If you Wiggle the charger about it sometimes starts charging fine. Its only about 3 months old. I was wondering if it became bent a bit not sure.
Any change someone can take a pretty hi res phone of the micro usb port on the phone so that I can compare to mine see if there is any apparent hardware issue.
Also I don't like the fast how u mentioned the phone came back in worse condition. I too look after my stuff and hate how sometimes u end up with crappy refurbed units that have been used by ppl with no care in the world. I am very particular of keeping my screen scratch free and would hate to receive a nasty poorly looked after screen as a replacement.

Emexrulsier said:
Also I don't like the fast how u mentioned the phone came back in worse condition. I too look after my stuff and hate how sometimes u end up with crappy refurbed units that have been used by ppl with no care in the world. I am very particular of keeping my screen scratch free and would hate to receive a nasty poorly looked after screen as a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Years ago when I had the screen replaced in my Palm Vx, I complained to them that I'd sent them a pristine unit for replacement screen, and they'd returned a scruffy refurb in a much lower condition. They agreed that it was lower condition than my original unit, and swapped it again without issue.
However, it could be worth taking a few detailed macro photos (if you can take one) of things like the screen and bodywork just before sending it in, so that you can prove they sent you a duffer if you get a worse unit back. I'm sure this would give you evidence required to argue your case if needed.
Mike

Emexrulsier said:
Make me dread now sending my phone in. I have an issue where the phone doesnt charge as if the port is faulty. If you Wiggle the charger about it sometimes starts charging fine. Its only about 3 months old. I was wondering if it became bent a bit not sure.
Any change someone can take a pretty hi res phone of the micro usb port on the phone so that I can compare to mine see if there is any apparent hardware issue.
Also I don't like the fast how u mentioned the phone came back in worse condition. I too look after my stuff and hate how sometimes u end up with crappy refurbed units that have been used by ppl with no care in the world. I am very particular of keeping my screen scratch free and would hate to receive a nasty poorly looked after screen as a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the same problem when connecting USB to the computer?
I wish you won't have the same problems with Samsung like I had. I also noticed they dont use any gloves when handling your phone as mine had finger prints all over.
Like xpcomputers advised take some photos. Although they like to stick to their 3-repair attempts policy so if after first repair your phone is damaged they will ask to send it again to fix the damages or replace the damaged part!!! They really ridicules and you need to have a lot of patience and be persistent with them.
I advise you though to send it for repair as your fault can get worse with time, to the point when you wont be able to charge at all. And fingers crossed you won't have any other issues.

Seeking for customers who had good experience in samsung fixing the sds problem!
I am a journalist of China Central Television 2. I am seeking for customers who's note2 or S3 has the sds or problem with eMMC and got their phone fix with excellent customer service from Samsung. Because things are not the same in China. Those Customers who are facing the same problem in China got refused by Samsung after service. So, in order to exposure the unfair and bad customer service in China, China Central Television 2 are going to produce a special programme, which compares the different service attitude between British and that in China. We need customers for help, to fight against the unfairness and protect customers rights. We would like to interview you, if don't mind.(We have a bureau in London) And what you need to do, is just tell us your pleasant experience. Or if you don't want to be interviewed face to face, we can do a telephone interview as well. But please reply as soon as you see my message or you can give me a call or text me. It's really urgent!
This is my contact detail:
Miss Wang
07466 547624
Thank you so much for your time and help! I am looking forward to hear from you all.

Indian sgs2 owners..need help.

I need help and suggestions of all the indian sgs2 owners..
Its been 1 month since I bought sgs2 from shop in gujarat..
I am now having display issues..
A perky line appears on the left side of display..it appears randomly..
And now the screen has started flickering like tubelight..lol
I went to samsung service station with my bill and picks of the problem..and strictly asked for replacement and he bluntly refused..
He said replacement is only done within 4 days of buying..not after that
He said only thing he could do is part replacement i.e screen replacement..it would be done when the part is available..it would take roughly a month..
What am I supposed to do..
I cant keep my phone there for a month just like tat..
I need advice about phone replacement in India..has anybofy done it..or what you guys have done if you had some problems..
Awaiting for reply and help and suggestions..
Thanks in.advance for any support..
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According to me,,,either ur fw has become unstable,,,or there is some kinda voltage problem,,,i dont think it has anything to do with the screen,,cuz its not permanent,,,
since ur phone is still under warranty,,u dont have much to worry about,,,
And there is no such thing as part availability,,,they alwayz send the phone to some main service centre or manufacturing centre,,,,so if he is saying that parts are not available then he is tokin Sh*t...try some other service centre,,,thats the best i can say,,or sell it on ebay.. lol

guitarmafia said:
According to me,,,either ur fw has become unstable,,,or there is some kinda voltage problem,,,i dont think it has anything to do with the screen,,cuz its not permanent,,,
since ur phone is still under warranty,,u dont have much to worry about,,,
And there is no such thing as part availability,,,they alwayz send the phone to some main service centre or manufacturing centre,,,,so if he is saying that parts are not available then he is tokin Sh*t...try some other service centre,,,thats the best i can say,,or sell it on ebay.. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok thnks bro..but I wanted to know is there a company policy that the phone can be replaced only if it is given whithin 4 days of buying..and no replacement given after that..
and he said that it will take a month if I submit the phone for repairs..
I dont know where he will send it or what he will do with it for a month..and what if it takes more than a month?
I just wanted advice if sum1 is familiar with samsung policies for replacement and repair..
thanks again for supporting..
and also some guys told me it was also a problem in sgs1..and i should replace d phone..
EarlZ said:
RMA it, this is also a common issue with SGS1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

sumeshd said:
ok thnks bro..but I wanted to know is there a company policy that the phone can be replaced only if it is given whithin 4 days of buying..and no replacement given after that..
and he said that it will take a month if I submit the phone for repairs..
I dont know where he will send it or what he will do with it for a month..and what if it takes more than a month?
I just wanted advice if sum1 is familiar with samsung policies for replacement and repair..
thanks again for supporting..
and also some guys told me it was also a problem in sgs1..and i should replace d phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i dont think u ll get a replacement,,,like my seller told me that if i found any problems with the phone i cn replace it within 1-2 weeks,,,i think thats the limit...i am not sure cuz i did it onlyonce with my Samsung Jet,,it had a little air gap under the screen,,i found it the second day and got it replaced,,it took just 1 day...but in ur case its been a month,,i think u r out of the grace period,,,so the only option is to claim the warranty,,,it may take some time,,but u ll get ur problem fixed......and like i said before,,try some other service centre also,,,if possible then in some major city..

@OP- Holy sh!t mate. IMO you should contact Service Center or the Retailer from where you have purchased immediately. How on earth a retailer says that replacement is done only within 4 days. The Phone has One year warranty, so ask them to not kidding. That is a definite problem and clearly visible, so you SHOULD get a replacement.
Regards.

sumeshd said:
I need help and suggestions of all the indian sgs2 owners..
Its been 1 month since I bought sgs2 from shop in gujarat..
I am now having display issues..
A perky line appears on the left side of display..it appears randomly..
And now the screen has started flickering like tubelight..lol
I went to samsung service station with my bill and picks of the problem..and strictly asked for replacement and he bluntly refused..
He said replacement is only done within 4 days of buying..not after that
He said only thing he could do is part replacement i.e screen replacement..it would be done when the part is available..it would take roughly a month..
What am I supposed to do..
I cant keep my phone there for a month just like tat..
I need advice about phone replacement in India..has anybofy done it..or what you guys have done if you had some problems..
Awaiting for reply and help and suggestions..
Thanks in.advance for any support..
View attachment 651460
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u can get a replacement without doubt,it all depends on how u handle this issue............everything that service guy told was a complete lie.............u better contact samsung india directly or by twitter

sumeshd said:
I need help and suggestions of all the indian sgs2 owners..
Its been 1 month since I bought sgs2 from shop in gujarat..
I am now having display issues..
A perky line appears on the left side of display..it appears randomly..
And now the screen has started flickering like tubelight..lol
I went to samsung service station with my bill and picks of the problem..and strictly asked for replacement and he bluntly refused..
He said replacement is only done within 4 days of buying..not after that
He said only thing he could do is part replacement i.e screen replacement..it would be done when the part is available..it would take roughly a month..
What am I supposed to do..
I cant keep my phone there for a month just like tat..
I need advice about phone replacement in India..has anybofy done it..or what you guys have done if you had some problems..
Awaiting for reply and help and suggestions..
Thanks in.advance for any support..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He was lucky.If it was me I would have smacked him across the face and got my replacement.
You have nothing to worry .Take it back to the shop you bought and get a replacement.

no company's policy cannot be against law...there is no four day limitation under the consumer protection act....so go ahead and sue him in the district forum...its quick and effective and gets the big guns rattled you dont even need a lawyer. All you need is a paper and a pen...all the best

ummm guyz,,,look grace period and warranty period are 2 different things,,,grace period is like for a week,,,u get a replacement only in the grace period when the company accepts that u got a defected model,,,while in warranty period u wont be charged for anything(if the warranty covers that particular damage,,fortunately in this case it does)and u ll get ur cell fixed,,,but it wont be "REPLACED"....
I am telling u this cuz i have been through this phase,,,there was a time when i got my cell replaced and the other time i got it fixed under warranty.
so there is no point in complaining against anybody,,,u ll just waste more time..

thank you guys so much for your suppoet and suggestions..
In the meanwhile today,the whole day the screen is flickering like hell..(like a fu**ing tubelight)..am so much pissed..
gonna talk with samsung India customer care and then will go to the service center..
I will be trying for phone replacement as priority cause I just cant figure out what the problem is..the line in the screen has not appeared a single time since past 4 days but the flickering screen is more serious and happening from past 2 days..
I am on stock indian kf3..
it could be screen prob or some internal voltage prob..i cant figure out..
so if I get screen replaced and the prob isnt solved then it would be really sad..
so trying for phone replacement initially..
thanks again guys for your support..

Ask them to replace the phone, not only the screen.

i think u shud try reflashing before that,,,,cuz i still think it may b due to a unstable firmware,,,

guitarmafia said:
i think u shud try reflashing before that,,,,cuz i still think it may b due to a unstable firmware,,,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya I reflashed stock indian kf3..and reseted with jig..
guys the problems got much worse overnight..
the line which used to appear on left side has reappeared on right side and the most worst problem that has happened now is the screen backlight has totally turned off..I set it to full brightness and then also it looks as if on lowest brightness..
I am to give it to service center today anyhow..
thanks for all your support..
it seems I have got a major faulty piece in India..

sumeshd said:
ya I reflashed stock indian kf3..and reseted with jig..
guys the problems got much worse overnight..
the line which used to appear on left side has reappeared on right side and the most worst problem that has happened now is the screen backlight has totally turned off..I set it to full brightness and then also it looks as if on lowest brightness..
I am to give it to service center today anyhow..
thanks for all your support..
it seems I have got a major faulty piece in India..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tried earlier fws,,,like KE8 which comes as the stock??...if u gave it to the service centre then well and good,,if not try that......

replacement of ur phone
Hi
believe me .. this country doesnt have a law which protects buyer's money
all this goverment and country's laws can do is protect big multinational companies like samsung's interests.
These peope have a rule about 4 days replacement.
I bought a SGS2 which had a scratch on the body. I used it for about 15 days and did the following to get mine replaced
Ill give u a suggestion :-
1) goto the shop whom u bought it from. Explain to him that your money is at stake. what he can do is issue you a current dated bill for the same IMEI number handset. The shopkeeper can do this (he can issue you a bill and immidiately cancel it in his records). My dealer does this! trust me. You have to convince your dealer.
2) go to samsung customer care ( a different one if possible but even if its the same one they cant do ****) actually dont go personally .. send someone else
3) tell them you bought the handset yesterday or day before (according to the bill) and tell them they BETTER replace it or ull complain to samsung korea since your handset is BRAND NEW according to the bill
4) They will HAVE to change it for u.
try it buddy
believe me ... if u cant BEAT em... JOIN em
good luck

trishul said:
Hi
believe me .. this country doesnt have a law which protects buyer's money
all this goverment and country's laws can do is protect big multinational companies like samsung's interests.
These peope have a rule about 4 days replacement.
I bought a SGS2 which had a scratch on the body. I used it for about 15 days and did the following to get mine replaced
Ill give u a suggestion :-
1) goto the shop whom u bought it from. Explain to him that your money is at stake. what he can do is issue you a current dated bill for the same IMEI number handset. The shopkeeper can do this (he can issue you a bill and immidiately cancel it in his records). My dealer does this! trust me. You have to convince your dealer.
2) go to samsung customer care ( a different one if possible but even if its the same one they cant do ****) actually dont go personally .. send someone else
3) tell them you bought the handset yesterday or day before (according to the bill) and tell them they BETTER replace it or ull complain to samsung korea since your handset is BRAND NEW according to the bill
4) They will HAVE to change it for u.
try it buddy
believe me ... if u cant BEAT em... JOIN em
good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW ... man u got MIND .!!
+1 foy ya

Must tell everyone who has been telling about samsung serv. Tat it is crap and all are wrong..or samsung has totally great feedback towards sgs2..my handset went for screen change..the day I applied and the 2nd day serv center got mail frm noida saying to send the handset..it went on Wednesday and on Saturday the call was closed and screen changed and cell dispatched from noida and I got it in my hands on Monday..
The best service from any company.
Previously my xperia x10 died and se guys took 1.5 months to change its ic..the crappiest..
Well done samsung..keep it up..
::happy::
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

sumeshd said:
Must tell everyone who has been telling about samsung serv. Tat it is crap and all are wrong..or samsung has totally great feedback towards sgs2..my handset went for screen change..the day I applied and the 2nd day serv center got mail frm noida saying to send the handset..it went on Wednesday and on Saturday the call was closed and screen changed and cell dispatched from noida and I got it in my hands on Monday..
The best service from any company.
Previously my xperia x10 died and se guys took 1.5 months to change its ic..the crappiest..
Well done samsung..keep it up..
::happy::
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice...Congrats man ...you got new one or they just fixed and sent it?

Raviteja_HYD said:
Nice...Congrats man ...you got new one or they just fixed and sent it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They replaced screen and sent it..but done all that in just 4 days..
The best service and I am merely impressed by them..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

trishul said:
Hi
believe me .. this country doesnt have a law which protects buyer's money
all this goverment and country's laws can do is protect big multinational companies like samsung's interests.
These peope have a rule about 4 days replacement.
I bought a SGS2 which had a scratch on the body. I used it for about 15 days and did the following to get mine replaced
Ill give u a suggestion :-
1) goto the shop whom u bought it from. Explain to him that your money is at stake. what he can do is issue you a current dated bill for the same IMEI number handset. The shopkeeper can do this (he can issue you a bill and immidiately cancel it in his records). My dealer does this! trust me. You have to convince your dealer.
2) go to samsung customer care ( a different one if possible but even if its the same one they cant do ****) actually dont go personally .. send someone else
3) tell them you bought the handset yesterday or day before (according to the bill) and tell them they BETTER replace it or ull complain to samsung korea since your handset is BRAND NEW according to the bill
4) They will HAVE to change it for u.
try it buddy
believe me ... if u cant BEAT em... JOIN em
good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your bold comment mate. That is indeed the actual truth, sadly.

[Q] Bought an S5 on eBay? How to tell if it is a refurb? Does this sound fishy?

I have 2 questions about an S5 that I bought on eBay.
How can I tell if it is a refurbished/reconditioned/used model?
Does what the seller told me sound fishy?
#1. Refurb?
There used to be an RTN menu on other Samsung devices -- you could get to it by dialing ##786# or *#*#786#*#* but that doesn't work on my G900H S5. You also used to be able to get to it by adding com.android.hiddenmenu to some custom launcher but that doesn't work on my S5.
There are many working hidden configuration/diagnostic dialer options that work for me like the service menu - *#0*# But that's not telling me what I want to know.
Any advice to definitely confirm that my device is a reconditioned, refurbished or used phone? Can I tell if it was ever registered on Google Play?
#2. Fishy eBay seller?
Cutting to the chase...
I bought an SM-G900H (Galaxy S5 Octacore) from an eBay seller with 20 to 1 positive reviews and thousands of sales so I was feeling good that everything would be OK. Unfortunately, the phone was clearly used and the seller told me that it was not but that this is normal for the box to be opened so that the phone can be checked for counterfit and/or carrier lock.
Have you ever heard of this? Does this make sense?
I'm not posting the sellers name because I don't want to disparage their reputation in case it is just me being paranoid.
The phone arrived and I noticed that the one sticker looked a little funny and it was already cut so I proceeded with extreme caution.
The first thing that I noticed was that the protective cover on the front had an air pocket. (This is my 4th S5 so I'm an expert at unboxing by this point.)
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Next, I turned it over and notice that the protective cover on the back had been off for sure -- in fact it was even torn!
But I went ahead and put in the battery without touching the protective covers. The phone powered up 63% battery and went straight to the home screen -- no prompts to set language, nothing. IT WAS ALREADY SET UP!
Finally, I looked closer and noticed that the "do not accept if this seal is broken" seal had actually been cut and someone carefully put another larger sticker on top to cover that up.
So, I requested a return from eBay and Jenny called to explain that my phone was 100% new and that it is normal for foreign phones to be opened by customs (later changed to "Samsung distribution center") in order to "make sure they are not counterfeit." I asked her about all the items and she answered the questions by talking and talking. She told me that phones need to be checked to make sure they are not carrier locked. I countered each with more questions and she told me more stuff.
I asked about the sticker and how customs would have similar Samsung stickers to use when they opened the boxes. She changed to the "Samsung distribution center" and said it was normal. I said that it was a foreign phone so Samsung USA doesn't have anything to do with it, right? She changed the subject to ask if I knew about Beats headphones and told me that there is a huge counterfeit market for these and that all of them are opened.
I asked why it was already set up -- she said they needed to start it completely in order to check the carrier lock.
I asked why the protective cover would need to be removed to turn on the phone and check it as I didn't need to do this to turn it on.
Our conversation went on like this for 17 minutes.
In the end, I said nothing but did actually feel a little better about keeping the phone then I went to bed and now it's a new day.
DOES THIS SOUND FISHY TO YOU?
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SUCH A THING?
WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE ME TO DO?

How much did you pay?
Have you checked that everything works properly? Knox flag status in download mode?
Download the app Phone INFO and check the counters there (headset connect and charger connect), also check the manufacturing date or anything else that could be fishy.

Paid $630 -- they are now selling them for $549!!!
drakester09 said:
How much did you pay?
Have you checked that everything works properly? Knox flag status in download mode?
Download the app Phone INFO and check the counters there (headset connect and charger connect), also check the manufacturing date or anything else that could be fishy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: I paid $629.99 (the rest was for fast shipping). No, the KNOX was not tripped.
THANKS for the tip on Phone INFO...
Based on this I am outing the seller -- it was <<<name removed>>> who has 16788 reviews.
Just looked -- they are now selling them for $549 (only a week later)!!!!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Gal...57555?pt=Cell_Phones&var=&hash=item338d717eb3

Ouch, yes, the bad thing is that they told you that no one had used it before.
I'd been more at ease if they told me that they test the devices before shipping to avoid bad feedback and duds...
Can you show them this evidence? Maybe there's a misunderstanding and you can get some compensation or can file a claim with PayPal as item not received as advertised (since you bought it as brand new condition and paid such price).

drakester09 said:
Ouch, yes, the bad thing is that they told you that no one had used it before.
I'd been more at ease if they told me that they test the devices before shipping to avoid bad feedback and duds...
Can you show them this evidence? Maybe there's a misunderstanding and you can get some compensation or can file a claim with PayPal as item not received as advertised (since you bought it as brand new condition and paid such price).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did send pictures of my evidence when opening my return case with eBay. Then I got the call. I too would have felt better if the answers were more like, 'we open to make sure there are no duds' and not the 15 minutes of empty talk. Also, there is no reason to rip the protector if you're just opening to check for duds. Someone that does this all day could open so nicely that no one could ever tell.
For the future it is best to do it with PayPal instead of eBay because the money gets locked and the sellers deal with you MUCH quicker.
I assume that I should have ZERO problems getting my money back because eBay will make it right. I also have a good feeling because Jenny from <<<name removed>>> also sounds like a nice and honest person.
Maybe this was just a fluke?
The thing I didn't mention is that this is my second phone from them -- the first one had a bad card reader so it's quite a string of bad luck.
Regarding the "compensation" idea -- the phone is basically without warranty because it is a foreign model so Samsung USA won't even answer calls on it and there is no way to get it fixed if I find another problem.
I think that I'm just done.

I meant compensation from the seller, it might be a misunderstanding or bad shipment. Could happen.
Maybe they can send you something to make up for it? That's customer service 101.

drakester09 said:
I meant compensation from the seller, it might be a misunderstanding or bad shipment. Could happen.
Maybe they can send you something to make up for it? That's customer service 101.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I understood exactly what you meant by "compensation" -- I just jumped to a different train of thought.
That train of thought is that I don't want a used phone which might have been returned for any reason, especially if it's not serviceable in the country that I live in. For example, maybe I might not test/use bluetooth for 6 months and the reason the phone was returned was because of a bad bluetooth radio. Do I need to Q/A every feature?
Thanks again for all the help and advice!
Anyone else have different advice?

I remember a while back looking at the official thread for that app PHONE INFO on xda, that users who had brand new Samsung phones also had 2/3 uses of the headphones and charger.
So I guess the phone ports are tested before being boxed from factory, but don't hold me to that.
The ripped protective plastic is a bit worrying though. As the woman said it went through customs, who knows how they treated your phone.
About them setting up the phone and checking if it's counterfeit, sounds understandable too, I've read lot about fake samsung s5's and I'd rather that company never-msrp, check before sending it you, rather then for you to find out its a fake.
Also to ensure peace of mind, the PHONE INFO app, has a refurbishment check in the menu.

I just got a new Samsung S5 and after reading this thread, decided to download the Phone INFO app from the play store. My headset connect count shows 4 (I have not yet connected a headset), and my charger connect count shows 6. I know my phone is definitely brand new. It was purchased from a larger electronics retail store in my country and the phone was definitely sealed. My screen protector was similar to the OP's, where the top left hand corner has a slightly bubble.
Having said all of this, if you feel the phone is not 'new', and that is what you have paid for, I would be returning the device.

OOOPS!
stalli0nUK said:
I remember a while back looking at the official thread for that app PHONE INFO on xda, that users who had brand new Samsung phones also had 2/3 uses of the headphones and charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
o0xx0o said:
I just got a new Samsung S5 and after reading this thread, decided to download the Phone INFO app from the play store. My headset connect count shows 4 (I have not yet connected a headset), and my charger connect count shows 6. I know my phone is definitely brand new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the updates.
OOOPS!
Now I feel bad about naming the seller -- she was super nice on the phone and the phone was shipped very quickly. That being said it wasn't in new condidition, someone tried to cover that up (on the outside) and I find it odd that customs would have Samsung "DO NOT ACCEPT IF SEAL IS BROKEN" stamps. I wonder who really put the new seal on top of the old seal.
But I still feel bad if I in any way slandered them (which I obviously clearly have). Especially if was incorrect in my reason for doing so.
Still interested to hear more comments about your counts and/or methods for checking a phone and/or what you would do in my case.

alex_tytn said:
Thanks for the updates.
OOOPS!
Now I feel bad about naming the seller -- she was super nice on the phone and the phone was shipped very quickly. That being said it wasn't in new condidition, someone tried to cover that up (on the outside) and I find it odd that customs would have Samsung "DO NOT ACCEPT IF SEAL IS BROKEN" stamps. I wonder who really put the new seal on top of the old seal.
But I still feel bad if I in any way slandered them (which I obviously clearly have). Especially if was incorrect in my reason for doing so.
Still interested to hear more comments about your counts and/or methods for checking a phone and/or what you would do in my case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you can do is edit your previous posts - add a note or remove the names...

alex_tytn said:
Thanks for the updates.
OOOPS!
Now I feel bad about naming the seller -- she was super nice on the phone and the phone was shipped very quickly. That being said it wasn't in new condidition, someone tried to cover that up (on the outside) and I find it odd that customs would have Samsung "DO NOT ACCEPT IF SEAL IS BROKEN" stamps. I wonder who really put the new seal on top of the old seal.
But I still feel bad if I in any way slandered them (which I obviously clearly have). Especially if was incorrect in my reason for doing so.
Still interested to hear more comments about your counts and/or methods for checking a phone and/or what you would do in my case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looking at my s5 box, which i purchased from my mobile carrier EE (one of the biggest service providers in the UK)
you can see in the picture I've taken I have a second broken seal sticker. nothing to worry about bro, test all the phones features to make sure they work and check for scratches etc.. if all is ok, you have yourself a good 8 core s5, now stop being so paranoid lol enjoy your phone!:victory:
IMAGE OF MY BOX

drakester09 said:
What you can do is edit your previous posts - add a note or remove the names...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good: DONE in the post and picture.
stalli0nUK said:
looking at my s5 box, which i purchased from my mobile carrier EE (one of the biggest service providers in the UK)
you can see in the picture I've taken I have a second broken seal sticker. nothing to worry about bro, test all the phones features to make sure they work and check for scratches etc.. if all is ok, you have yourself a good 8 core s5, now stop being so paranoid lol enjoy your phone!:victory:
IMAGE OF MY BOX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. THANK YOU!
I guess that I need to stop reading so much conspiracy stuff. Actually I just Google'd "conspiracy theories" and have a lot of studying to do -- there are millions of them!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories

My new out the box s5 had a headphone count of 4
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Guys, there are no refurb S5's on the market unless it has been repaired by some seller himself and resold. Refurbed units have not yet had time to go through the refurbishing cycle which takes close to 2 months. If any of you had their phone broken by something covered under warranty, you'd all get a new unit provided by your carrier and not a refurbed unit.
All of you that bought on ebay simply bough a used unit sold as new.

polish_pat said:
Guys, there are no refurb S5's on the market unless it has been repaired by some seller himself and resold. Refurbed units have not yet had time to go through the refurbishing cycle which takes close to 2 months. If any of you had their phone broken by something covered under warranty, you'd all get a new unit provided by your carrier and not a refurbed unit.
All of you that bought on ebay simply bough a used unit sold as new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good points.
One bad thing about having an octacore in the US is that Samsung won't support it. As soon as you tell them the IMEI (required to open a case) they tell you to call someone else.

alex_tytn said:
Good points.
One bad thing about having an octacore in the US is that Samsung won't support it. As soon as you tell them the IMEI (required to open a case) they tell you to call someone else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it makes sense. But thats not Samsung's fault. The carriers push samsung to act that way. In canada, you never have to deal with Samsung, you simply call your carrier, tell them your phone is not working, and if after their basic troubleshooting steps the phone still doesn't work, they send you a new or refurbished unit with a return box to send back your defective unit. It's much better that way as you have no down time. Also, it means no matter if your phone is rooted and you fried your cpu because you dont know how to overclock, samsung never has to approve of the return. I know that because i fried my s3 by overvolting and overclocking my phone and i still got a unit provided by my carrier.
Sent from my Galaxy S5

appinfo shows 3 headphone uses on my phone as well and I have never had any inserted
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Thanks for the advice about this program.
I got a replacement just today from T-Mobile and wanted to see if it was refurbished or not and my counts are 80 on headset and 260 on charger.
So that answers my question.
So much for the expectation of a new one they told me.
If it don't fix the wifi calling issue that line had it will be going back.

Phone Info app was helpful
I'm thankful to see this thread today. I just got a Galaxy Tab 12.2. When i turned it on it didn't go through the normal setup. Then I found the device name was "Ballsac Bob Cannon."
Before thinking too much about that I changed the device name. I was connected to my work network and felt the device name might be considered inappropriate.
When i got home, i fianlly started trying to use the device. It was so slow! I found ,myself waiting on everything . For a high end device like this, thats a problem.
So this morning I took to xda to find out if there is a way to tell if it was used. I used the Phone Info app. The charger has been connected over 40 times!!! And the refurb check shows its refurb or not genuine....
FWIW, the headset counter also said two. A previous poster commented this might be normal.
Also, i got to looking at the list of wifi networks. Its been connected to "amzn-guest."
Looks like I'm calling Amazon today!

Horrendous experience with Sony Repair Centre

Just wanted to share my experience so far with my Z3, a phone that I actually love. I have owned mostly Sony Mobile products for the last 5 years but after this experience, this will undoubtedly be my last. Any constructive opinions or advice would be appreciated as im sure other have had similar experiences.
So in essence, my phone has been sent in 3 times for warranty work to the Canadian Repair Centre in Ontario. Each time the phone has been returned with damage or defects.
I purchased a Sony Xperia Z3 in November 2014 direct from Sony for $721.05 (Phone #1).
In August 2015 I sent this phone in as the phone stopped working completely (RMA #1). The repair center tested and replaced this phone with a new one (Phone #2). In September 2015 the replaced phone arrived back with a white pixel issue on the screen (this wasn't even an OCD issue, there was clearly a white spot on the screen that almost looked like a hole, but was probably a pressure point).
This phone was sent back to the repair center in October 2015 (RMA #2). The phone was still new when sent back for repair and had the protective plastic wrapping on it (I didnt even bother to set up the phone as I knew when I turned it on that I would be sending it back). When it was received back from repair (still IMEI #2) the glass back plate was detached and the phone had heavy scratching on the back panel as it was shipped loosely without any protection in a large cardboard box. The glass back was not properly attached because they of course had to remove it to replace the screen ( I could literally slide a credit card between the panel and the frame). This time, I had to contact the repair center over 15 times to get another RMA number. I had my issue escalated to 3 different supervisors, each who never returned phone calls when they said they would and refused to look into my issue despite photos being sent outlining the issue. I demanded the phone be replaced as I had no confidence that the phone would ever be repaired properly to original specs (this is advertised as a waterproof phone and the back plate was not even attached properly from the repair center). In addition, the phone was shipped across the country improperly in a loose box with no bubble wrap which heavily scratched the back panel and potentially hurt the longevity of the device. I kid you not, the phone was literally thrown into a cardboard box with nothing around it and shipped. Angry about the lack of service for such an expensive device and the clear incompetence of the repair centre, I demanded a replacement and they agreed to look into the issue and agreed to provide me compensation for the time I was without the device (as it took several weeks for them to agree to issue the RMA).
Finally, after over a month in Dec 2015 I received another RMA number (#3). I sent the phone back for the third time and it was returned to me on Dec 14, 2015 with the same issue (still IMEI #2). The back panel is still heavily scuffed (this phone was new when originally sent in) and the back panel is not attached properly. The panel has a gap at the bottom as before and makes a noise when held as if the panel is coming detached from the device. As previously mentioned, this device was advertised as IP65 and IP 68 dust and waterproof and this repair is not acceptable. The repair facility is clearly incapable of repairing the phone to an acceptable condition. The customer service experienced is absolutely horrific and I have been treated very poorly. I spent over $700 on this phone and have been without a working device for almost 6 months because this repair facility is unable to provide timely service of any acceptable quality. I have wasted hours and hours on the phone describing this issue to people who do are not interested in solving a legitimate warranty problem. I cannot waste any more time sending this phone back to a repair center that cannot repair phones properly. I can't waste any more time on the phone with service representatives who do not take this issue seriously and refuse to provide a solution. It is now December 29th and I have received no response from Sony despite being promised a response within 48 hours on December 16th. I highly doubt they will contact me so the next step is to seek legal advice.
In my opinion its just not worth it to buy one of these phones anymore. The service quality and attention is so dismal that there is just too much risk if you ever find yourself needing warranty service.
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Sorry to read about your experience, that back is terrible... I think you got a lemon, I have the same D6603 since day 1 and never had a single issue with it, this phone still runs like it's new out of the box. I've never been so impressed with a a phone since owning this one.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

I love the phone too but the service level if you need warranty work is atrocious. It's a helpless feeling.

The infamous 3rd party logistics repair company that sony contracted in mississauga. Heard too many complains about them.
I had to deal with them one time because my z3 had quite a few stuck pixels. Sony gave me the rma and I shipped the phone in along with my receipt for a warranty repair (yes i realized you were suppose to send a copy of receipt). One week later, they sent me a quote for out of warranty to fix the screen and the parts because they threw out the box i shipped with and the receipt in there. I escalated with sony at least 3x before the 3rd party centre decided to give me 'courtesy' repair for no warranty. Here's the thing when they say they will reply to you about the escalation. They won't even bother to call back so I always call them on the same day demanding to speak to supervisor about the case.
A week later they shipped my phone back repaired and in decent box to cushion. The phone to my surprise was in a new frame and looked like new along with the back panel glued properly. in the box, there was also paperwork saying it passed waterproof test and i confirmed it with my own pressure sensor test.
Now back to your topic. Did you try to run diagnostic on your phone with the pressure sensor to see if its waterproof? Did they send paperwork saying the phone is waterproof?

darkknight200 said:
The infamous 3rd party logistics repair company that sony contracted in mississauga. Heard too many complains about them.
I had to deal with them one time because my z3 had quite a few stuck pixels. Sony gave me the rma and I shipped the phone in along with my receipt for a warranty repair (yes i realized you were suppose to send a copy of receipt). One week later, they sent me a quote for out of warranty to fix the screen and the parts because they threw out the box i shipped with and the receipt in there. I escalated with sony at least 3x before the 3rd party centre decided to give me 'courtesy' repair for no warranty. Here's the thing when they say they will reply to you about the escalation. They won't even bother to call back so I always call them on the same day demanding to speak to supervisor about the case.
A week later they shipped my phone back repaired and in decent box to cushion. The phone to my surprise was in a new frame and looked like new along with the back panel glued properly. in the box, there was also paperwork saying it passed waterproof test and i confirmed it with my own pressure sensor test.
Now back to your topic. Did you try to run diagnostic on your phone with the pressure sensor to see if its waterproof? Did they send paperwork saying the phone is waterproof?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at the photos. I dont think that is a waterproof phone. Its not even assembled properly. I took one look at it and didnt even bother to turn it on. Its been sitting in the box because I dont want to touch it. This is the second time its come back from the service center with back panel issues.

forzanerazzurri said:
Look at the photos. I dont think that is a waterproof phone. Its not even assembled properly. I took one look at it and didnt even bother to turn it on. Its been sitting in the box because I dont want to touch it. This is the second time its come back from the service center with back panel issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been asked now to send the device in for the fourth time and was told I would be getting info and a shipping label on Dec 23rd. I still havent recieved that and I cant get anyone to return calls or emails. This is infuriating. Their mobile division is pretty much dead and I seriously advise people to stay away from their devices. The support is nonexistant post sale.

forzanerazzurri said:
I have been asked now to send the device in for the fourth time and was told I would be getting info and a shipping label on Dec 23rd. I still havent recieved that and I cant get anyone to return calls or emails. This is infuriating. Their mobile division is pretty much dead and I seriously advise people to stay away from their devices. The support is nonexistant post sale.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just gotta keep following up and pursuing their supervisor. Ya i know its frustrating and probably everyone went on holiday during that time.

darkknight200 said:
just gotta keep following up and pursuing their supervisor. Ya i know its frustrating and probably everyone went on holiday during that time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man. Its just I have been without a resolution or a fully functioning device since August 2015. Does Corporate Sony not want to know about this stuff? It makes them look awful.

forzanerazzurri said:
Thanks man. Its just I have been without a resolution or a fully functioning device since August 2015. Does Corporate Sony not want to know about this stuff? It makes them look awful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hm you can try posting your problem on sony canada fb page. I remember few months ago, someone that was as frustrated as you posted and managed to get the upper people to contact the person.
to clarify the fb page since theres too many that can cause confusion, it would be sony mobile CA.
https://www.facebook.com/sonymobileca/

darkknight200 said:
hm you can try posting your problem on sony canada fb page. I remember few months ago, someone that was as frustrated as you posted and managed to get the upper people to contact the person.
to clarify the fb page since theres too many that can cause confusion, it would be sony mobile CA.
https://www.facebook.com/sonymobileca/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help. I am just going to sue them. Seems far easier than dealing with them.

What a pity..
I am quite shocked by your experience, however I can't agree with conclusion that it is not worth it to buy these phones.. And I can illustrate it by my very own service experience here in Germany.
My Z3 was purchased on contract with carrier, for the phone + unlimited flat + 2GB LTE + 1GB LTE in roaming I pay 35€ on 24 month contract. I have had been good to my phone, carrying it in Sony wireless charging case, which has a quite hard back and the phone survived many hard ground landings, sometimes scratching the metal edges. I also flashed different firmwares (maybe 60-70 times).
After 9 months, I spotted yellowish spots on display, close to where on/off button is. After making sure that it is not anyway firmware related, I sent the phone to repair center, claiming warranty repair.
The phone got checked, malfunctioning backlight was diagnosed, phone was repaired and sent back, whole thing took just 1 week and phone arrived by DHL on 24th December, costing zero to me. I expected that the backlight/display would have been replaced, but when I got the repair statement later on by e-mail, I was quite surprised, as the parts exchanged for new was display/touchpad assembly, sound speakers, cover glass, and metal casing (goodbye scratches)... The phone looks again like total new. Plus the repair center sent with it free screen+back protectors.
So, maybe you just had a back luck, but I am definitely satisfied with service here..

ondrejvaroscak said:
I am quite shocked by your experience, however I can't agree with conclusion that it is not worth it to buy these phones.. And I can illustrate it by my very own service experience here in Germany.
My Z3 was purchased on contract with carrier, for the phone + unlimited flat + 2GB LTE + 1GB LTE in roaming I pay 35€ on 24 month contract. I have had been good to my phone, carrying it in Sony wireless charging case, which has a quite hard back and the phone survived many hard ground landings, sometimes scratching the metal edges. I also flashed different firmwares (maybe 60-70 times).
After 9 months, I spotted yellowish spots on display, close to where on/off button is. After making sure that it is not anyway firmware related, I sent the phone to repair center, claiming warranty repair.
The phone got checked, malfunctioning backlight was diagnosed, phone was repaired and sent back, whole thing took just 1 week and phone arrived by DHL on 24th December, costing zero to me. I expected that the backlight/display would have been replaced, but when I got the repair statement later on by e-mail, I was quite surprised, as the parts exchanged for new was display/touchpad assembly, sound speakers, cover glass, and metal casing (goodbye scratches)... The phone looks again like total new. Plus the repair center sent with it free screen+back protectors.
So, maybe you just had a back luck, but I am definitely satisfied with service here..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing is in Canada, sony contracted a 3rd party logistics company to deal with repairs for Canadians. Their reputation is not that positive and will seldomly have some good effortless repairs.

darkknight200 said:
Thing is in Canada, sony contracted a 3rd party logistics company to deal with repairs for Canadians. Their reputation is not that positive and will seldomly have some good effortless repairs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same in Germany, repairs are done by 3rd party contractor..

sad to see such bad service. I'm located in malaysia, and they are using 3rd party service centre for repairs as well. the one i send my phone in just happened to service Mi phones as well.. and got me worried on the level of service.
i sent my phone in due to inresponsive touchscreen at the centre. (ok, this is actually my fault as i was replying text before i doze off at night. woke up with the phone under my bum)
the service centre told me usually this is not covered under warranty (phone is 9 months old) but they will repair it under warranty anyway and advised me to be more careful in the future.
The phone was repaired in 3 weeks (it was christmas weekend)
this... has a HUGE contrast with direct service centres experiance i had with Samsung Malaysia (SME) when i was on my previous phone, the Samsung Note 2. The experiance is downright horrible.

I don't think you can blame Sony. I have had my Sony repaired three times, all my own fault. The first time, I dropped it and broke my screen. Sent via Vodafone to Dynafix. Got it back with a week(!) and cost me nothing.
The second time, dropped it again and the next day, I woke up bu tmy phone didn't. Sent via Vodafone to Dynafix. Got it back with a week(!) and cost me nothing.!
The third time, dropped it again, slide out of my pants when I went to the toilet. Again, broke my screen. Sent via Vodafone to Dynafix. Got it back with a week(!) and this time it costs me 219 euro! :silly: A shame, but my own fault. Now using a bumper case again, which I think is a waste since the phone doesn't look nice at all with it.

In my experience it depends on the service center head not the company. When i had a similar issue with the service center people, i raised to the sony care and they sorted out my issue.

I have just the opposite experience. Phone hit the ground 9 months ago and one bump of the corners war broken. Rest ok. After 9 months, the screen started to flicker and sometimes a pixel-salad of all colours appeared instead of the usual screen interface. Also, screen broken. I expected Xperia Care to tell me that the screen was broken as my phone fell off but instead of this, they repaired the screen, the bump, one scratch on the back panel, provided me two additional screen protectors... and everything under guarantee and for free!!
I loved Sony products in the past... but now even more. With the around 200$ I expected to pay for the repair I will buy now a Smartwatch 3

It varies from one country to another, here in Spain, if you send in your Xperia phone for repair, they'll even change the covers if they've scratches, it happened to me twice but you gonna be without a phone for 3 weeks

I'll share my story as well - I was a long-term iPhone and Windows Phone user - since the first iPhone I switched to Windows Phone when it launched, and then to Android because I fell in love with Xperia Z. My experienced, however, quickly began to deteriorate.
First, I experienced problems with the screen on my Z - which somehow disappeared later. But after a few months, the phone developed a really big issue with the battery which couldn't hold half a day of being locked and in my pocket. Foolishly, I went to Sony Centre hoping they would help me - there I was told that Sony Centre has nothing to do with Sony Mobile - even though they do see Xperia phones there...go figure... and was told to contact Sony Mobile directly. So I did - the less then polite customer service representative told me I have to ship the phone to their warehouse/repair centre in London - and pay for it. Since the phone was still under warranty, I did - and after 23 days I got it back with a note "no fault detected". Needless to say, the battery was not replaced and ironically completely discharged when it arrived back. Charged it, turned the phone on, went to work... at 12am, 18% left. At this point I should mention I tried many things to fix it - software, roms, reboots etc. nothing helped. I contacted them and sent it back again - this time, I got the battery replaced, but the phone arrived completely destroyed... you remember those anti-shatterproof films Sony used to apply on their phones ? It was scratched all over, front and back.
Well, that's life - but after a while I got Xperia Z3. Man, what a beauty - I was in love with Sony again. BUT! A little over 12 months after I got the phone - the microphone started to misbehave. Whenever you plugged in a headset, microphone would not work. Then, it stopped working when using loudspeaker. Then the camera stopped working, displaying errors all the time. In the meantime it broke 3 microSD cards ( sandisk ). So I contacted Sony again... this time it went even worse. Got told that phone is no longer under warranty and If I want - I can send it to the same, dreadful location in London, at my own cost - and pay 75 quid for "diagnosis" after which, if there are any faults, I can decide to have it fixed and pay for the repairs. After explaining what's wrong, the technician said they would probably have to replace the microphone, wiring and the camera for an approximate price of 250 quid... plus diagnosis and shipping - both ways. I was speechless... told him it would be cheaper to get a new Z3 off Amazon to which he basically laughed at me...
The moral, or conclusion of this story is - ladies and gentleman, however we might love Sony or Sony devices - they do not give a flying fk about their customer.

Sorry to hear your experience.
My experience has been very good with sony. After a year of Z3 (under contract with EE) had a crack in the corner front screen, i had switched to Moto X. Thought let me give a try by sending it to the repair centre and get a quote. I sent on a thursday. And next tuesday, I get a mail saying, My phone is on the way back. But did not give any indication on the repair status. Two days later, i received the phone and to my surprise screen was fixed. No charge..everything under warranty!!! High Street repair guys asked for 110GBP!
Next I sent my wife Z3 compact (again contract but with Vodafone), which has the front screen glue coming off and proximity sensor not working. This time go the phone back in two days.. but old phone exchanged with new phone. (But unfortunate that it is still locked to vodafone)
But atleast the both phones fixed free of cost. Was really impressed. When compared to other manufacturers, Sony is still much better. My Samsung tab S screen cracked and cost of fix is 140GBP and samsung centre quoting 220 GBP (Cost of a New tablet!!!)
Looks like sony repairs are hit or miss.

Does OnePlus have quality issues?

I'm currently in a dispute via PayPal with OP, and as pissed off as I am about what I'm dealing with... I actually liked the phone {when it worked}. Once this phone went to crap on me, I bought a Galaxy s9+ on Amazon and returned it the day after I received it (in one day it was noticeably slower and had more battery drain that the 6T.
So I'm thinking about buying another 6t from OP once I get this dispute resolved and hoping that it was a one off situation.
Am I just setting myself up for more failure? Should I just stay away? I don't want the t mobile version even though it might be a safer bet support wise.
For issues in detail, read the following:
I bought the Unlocked 6T on launch date, received it 11\6 and the charger that didn't work, OnePlus sent a new one but I never received it. They blamed the carrier and said they would investigate and still haven't followed up with me.
Also had software bugs with voicemail, and issues with LTE on T Mobile network which OnePlus and T Mobile tried to help me resolve.
Then, on 11\22 the front camera on the phone went out without any warning. I called again after troubleshooting myself, went through standard TS again with them. They asked me to send logs and told me I may have to send in phone for repairs... Which is not what I wanted to do for a 2 week old phone that hadn't been dropped or otherwise damaged.
I got frustrated and told them I wanted to return for a refund because there had been too many issues in the weeks that I had the phone. They rejected my request stating their return window was 15 days and I was on day 16.
After arguing and asking to speak to a supervisor (which never happened), the rep claimed she spoke to her supervisor who allowed the return and I didn't have to pay for return shipping. Told me to submit RMA, email her... Then I'd get the label and m their techs will look at my phone logs and see if it was a software related issue they could remotely fix.
Created RMA, got return instructions..but no label. Rep reached out asking had I gotten the label, then said give it another 2 days. Time passed, still no label but she claims it was sent on 11.23. I didn't hear from her anymore after that. So I called back just for all other reps to tell me I have to pay the shipping costs or talk to the rep that originally promised a return label.
Ive filed a pay pal dispute, they said they would handle it.
Yesterday I got an email from a rep saying they would 'see what they can do' to help me but can't guarantee anything or move forward until I drop the pay pal dispute... I feel like that's a set up... If I drop the dispute without any kind of commitment from them and they go quiet again, I can't reopen it.
I also heard from the original rep today via email. She and her "supervisor" said they cover return costs, but now her email says they don't do that as it's not a part of the purchase agreement.
I hope PayPal resolves in my favor... But if they do, am I crazy for still wanting a 6T?
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I had to RMA my OP3.
I bought my 6T from Amazon so I don't need to go through that process again

This is my first OP device I've ever owned. I ordered mine from OP the very MINUTE they went on sale online, and have had zero issues with mine, and I never get off of it lol I'm going to just bet that you got a defective model and it's a rare occurrence. Like I said though, this is my first OP device.

I had a front facing camera issue as well after 3 days after receiving the device. I think OP needs to be a bit more reactive in terms to the return policy. My gripe is the fact that I had to pay for shipping and the time it takes for me to get a replacement device. I may do a dispute as well considering that I have been out of a phone for over a month.

davemuir said:
I had to RMA my OP3.
I bought my 6T from Amazon so I don't need to go through that process again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about that. Are u in the US?
I saw a couple of listings but the price was either inflated or the reviews were sketchy.
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H4X0R46 said:
This is my first OP device I've ever owned. I ordered mine from OP the very MINUTE they went on sale online, and have had zero issues with mine, and I never get off of it lol I'm going to just bet that you got a defective model and it's a rare occurrence. Like I said though, this is my first OP device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's my 1st one as well, so I'm not sure what's "normal" or if I'm just having bad luck
They went on sale 11\1 at 6am PST... I placed my order by 6:07am lol
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cronojay said:
I had a front facing camera issue as well after 3 days after receiving the device. I think OP needs to be a bit more reactive in terms to the return policy. My gripe is the fact that I had to pay for shipping and the time it takes for me to get a replacement device. I may do a dispute as well considering that I have been out of a phone for over a month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3 days? Wow... It's ridiculous that they wouldn't just replace the device outright at that point.
One of the reps I talked to slipped and told me they have gotten a few reports of this issue and we're investigating.
What we're your symptoms? How much did you pay for return shipping? Have they told you what the problem was?
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j2gifted said:
I thought about that. Are u in the US?
I saw a couple of listings but the price was either inflated or the reviews were sketchy.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UK

davemuir said:
UK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard returns and exchanges are much easier in the UK. There are laws that protect you right?
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I would say there are some quality issues. Not too sure about other models. 6T is my third OP device. My One and 3T have no issues. But my previous unit of 6T had wavily curved screen on the sides. After arguing with the distributor, they agreed to exchange a unit with me, which came in perfect shape. After using it for a few days, I noticed that the screen is irregularly curved in two corners. I'm tired of arguing with the distributor and I don't think I have the face to do it again. Mind you, I never applied any sort of stress on the screen, apart from putting it in my pocket that might apply some bending stress, which is still unacceptable since my 3T stayed in my pocket for one year and the screen is still perfectly shaped

zhenliang1102 said:
I would say there are some quality issues. Not too sure about other models. 6T is my third OP device. My One and 3T have no issues. But my previous unit of 6T had wavily curved screen on the sides. After arguing with the distributor, they agreed to exchange a unit with me, which came in perfect shape. After using it for a few days, I noticed that the screen is irregularly curved in two corners. I'm tired of arguing with the distributor and I don't think I have the face to do it again. Mind you, I never applied any sort of stress on the screen, apart from putting it in my pocket that might apply some bending stress, which is still unacceptable since my 3T stayed in my pocket for one year and the screen is still perfectly shaped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you order your 6T directly from OnePlus or from another seller?
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j2gifted said:
Did you order your 6T directly from OnePlus or from another seller?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ordered it from OnePlus Malaysia Official Distributor. It's a bit of a mess in Malaysia. OnePlus is not officially in Malaysia but they are appointing an official distributor to sell the devices

I've seen in the news that 6T has issues with "static" running through the screen. I'm definitely staying away from it, still happy with my 3T.
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2018/11/some-oneplus-6t-owners-are-having-issues-with-display-static/

j2gifted said:
3 days? Wow... It's ridiculous that they wouldn't just replace the device outright at that point.
One of the reps I talked to slipped and told me they have gotten a few reports of this issue and we're investigating.
What we're your symptoms? How much did you pay for return shipping? Have they told you what the problem was?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just tried to do a face unlock and said that another system app was using the process. After that I could not use any front camera at all. I paid $21 for ups shipping and I am still waiting for ACER center to let me know what was the real issue.
I wish they would have just sent me a new one no questions asked. They asked for a logcat and sent a bunch of emails out.

Had mine since release on the 6th in UK not one QC issue so far. on my OP3 I got the camera focus issue few months after launch hope don't run into issues like that again

I'm getting a bit of a wiggle from the USB port when I connect either the charger cord or the dongle. Sometimes the headphones through my dongle seem to disconnect and interrupt the audio I'm playing.
Unfortunately I can't remember if there was any wiggling in the contact when I got the phone. Can anyone tell me if they experience any looseness or wigglyness in their USB ports? I'm afraid I maybe need to RMA this, which I'm not looking forward to.

3 million sales, a handful of "issues" posted here, hardly a quality "issue"..

cronojay said:
I just tried to do a face unlock and said that another system app was using the process. After that I could not use any front camera at all. I paid $21 for ups shipping and I am still waiting for ACER center to let me know what was the real issue.
I wish they would have just sent me a new one no questions asked. They asked for a logcat and sent a bunch of emails out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't even get an error... I got a duo call from my wife and front camera didn't enable. Thought it was the app until the problem persisted after uninstalls restarts and factory reset.
I didn't a camera test in the system settings and it failed, sent logs, etc. They eventually stopped replying to me.
Also, portrait mode was missing after the front camera stopped working.
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wase4711 said:
3 million sales, a handful of "issues" posted here, hardly a quality "issue"..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm talking about quality issues in general, not just with the 6T.
In searching, I'm finding a lot of people across the world have had issues that have gone unresolved and where support has been sketchy.
There are also some that report great support and speedy service.
My question is "What's normal?"
Kind of hard to tell.
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well, I spent many years in the consumer electronics world, and the "standard" in our category was 3% or less defectives were the goal; so, if its true they have sold 3 million of these so far, than 3% would be 90,000 "defects"...If the "norm" in the cell phone world is 1%, then 30,000 defects would be "acceptable"
Add modifying the software/unlocking the bootloader/flashing stuff not designed for your specific phone, and so forth, and its easy to see why there are quite a few "alleged" defects; some are users fault, some are things that slipped through QC..
It may be a different percentage in the cell phone world, but that gives you a rough idea of how many defects are "expected", in terms of a percentage of sales of new product..