[Q] Root/Warrant Question Australia - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

My SGS4 recently stopped working - basically what happened was that it doesn't seem to be drawing power from the battery. The phone will turn on when plugged in (but soon power off), and will show as charging when first plugged into charger (but not charge). However if I unplug it, it won't turn on.
The phone is rooted, and running a custom, Samsung based ROM.
I have tried using a different battery, and the stock battery fully charged with an external charger - and the phone still won't turn on. It's clearly a hardware related issue - drawing current from the battery. I've also tried turning the phone on in download mode, and recovery mode. Both of which do the same as a standard boot - ie. turn on for a while, then turn off.
The phone, being only about 6 months old, was still within warranty period, so I took the phone to Telstra. Not surprisingly, Telstra have said that as there is a Custom ROM on the phone, the warrant is voided. I stated that my understanding is that under Australian law, as it is a hardware fault, and not a fault caused by the ROM, the warranty still stands - however Telstra wouldn't budge and said I have 5 days to decide if I want to pay the $300+ for the repair.
What is my next course of action? Has anybody had a similar issue previously? Is the TIO the next port of call? Or should I be going to NSW Department of Fair Trading?
I'm sure I've read previously that phones are still covered under warranty after rooting etc, if it can be shown that it's a hardware fault, not a software fault. As the battery doesn't seem to be powering the phone, this clearly seems to be the case - esp. as it is the same in download mode and recovery mode.
Any help would be great. Please don't post pointing out that I rooted my phone so THAT's my own fault etc. These posts aren't helpful, I already have know that.

is it too late to throw the original Telstra ROM on it and take it back to another store? If you were careful you would still be on the old bootloader, so there shouldn't be any KNOX concerns.

Thanks for the response.
It may not be too late, however I cannot flash it, as the phone won't stay on for more than a second or two. Even in download mode.
I was on the old bootloader, yes. So knox is fine.

abbaskip said:
Thanks for the response.
It may not be too late, however I cannot flash it, as the phone won't stay on for more than a second or two. Even in download mode.
I was on the old bootloader, yes. So knox is fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good to hear that your still on oldbootloader but the problem still will remain if you cant do something about it. Can you pls pull the battery out for atleast 5 to 10 minutes to let it settle abit and put it back after. Thanks
Edit: Would you mind checking your battery Serial S/N if it starts with BD ? thank you.
Sent from Hell ?

I am not too sure about Australian law but under EU law you are fine. This does not however apply to the rest of the world.
Either way if you have rooted outisde EU you are pretty much done for (unless there is a law). its extremely hard to prove that your rooting / apps or whatever you have on it has not caused the Hardware fault.
I understand that it is battery not charging etc, is there anyway while phone is connected directly to mains to flash it from usb card? if you could do this and 'unroot' the phone it should be stock or give you enough to trick kies into allowing you to update?
Its a pity you cannot power it through your PC and enter download mode and flash.. (or can you?)

Repulsa said:
Thats good to hear that your still on oldbootloader but the problem still will remain if you cant do something about it. Can you pls pull the battery out for atleast 5 to 10 minutes to let it settle abit and put it back after. Thanks
Edit: Would you mind checking your battery Serial S/N if it starts with BD ? thank you.
Sent from Hell ��
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
It's definitely no fault of the battery. I've tried various batteries, left the phone without a battery for days etc. (See this thread for details of this issue: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2581229&page=2)
Battery serial starts AA.

A|ex said:
I am not too sure about Australian law but under EU law you are fine. This does not however apply to the rest of the world.
Either way if you have rooted outisde EU you are pretty much done for (unless there is a law). its extremely hard to prove that your rooting / apps or whatever you have on it has not caused the Hardware fault.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's the issue here. Basically a big company taking advantage of the small man. They have the upper hand, they know it, so they force you to pay.
It has to be a hardware fault, based on all of the behaviour (ie. phone booting in all modes - but dying in a handful of seconds), but it's easy for them to wash their hands of the warrant, by saying I modified the device - even if it is irrelevant to the problem.
I understand that it is battery not charging etc, is there anyway while phone is connected directly to mains to flash it from usb card? if you could do this and 'unroot' the phone it should be stock or give you enough to trick kies into allowing you to update?
Its a pity you cannot power it through your PC and enter download mode and flash.. (or can you?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately not. Even when the phone powers up, it shows 0% and shuts down very soon after. If I plug it into the PC, then turn it on, it powers up and again turns off not long after. This same behaviour carries across to download mode and recovery mode. ie. It boots, but then dies within a few seconds.

Think I'll complain to the ombudsman.
Based on the Australian law, the ombudsman can assist as follows:
The TIO has jurisdiction to investigate complaints about faulty mobile handsets where the handset is supplied as part of a contractual relationship, between the TIO Member carrier or carriage service provider and the complainant, which involves the provision of a carriage service to be accessed via that handset.
The TIO does not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints where the customer supplies the handset (i.e. they have purchased it outright and separately from their purchase of network services), or where the initial contract has expired and the customer retains and continues to use the handset. Where appropriate, the TIO will refer out-of-jurisdiction complaints to the relevant Department of Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs.
This position statement does not relate to any manufacturer's warranty. The TIO will investigate complaints about faulty handsets provided as part of a bundled service, even where the initial handset warranty period may have expired.
Under the TIO's Operational Guidelines the TIO will only investigate complaints about faulty handsets where the fault is caused by an inherent defect or otherwise and is not caused by misuse by the customer. The TIO may also decline to investigate a complaint where a customer has not produced a handset for inspection/assessment after being asked to do so by their provider or the TIO.
As the defect was not caused by myself - as the rooting and custom software did not lead to the hardware defect, I believe it falls under the TIO jurisdiction.

As a long shot would a juice pack for a S4 work such as a morphie as you can charge and also sync? (not sure if the phone uses the pack or whether the pack is used to charge the battery, if the latter it will not work for you)
or maybe a mains powered dock and usb cable to PC?

Given TIO is able to look at something like this as the handset is bundled, go to them. Better them than CA/FT/whomever, as TIO is the specialist industry body.
Or....This sounds like it may be a simple USB board/port failure which is quick/easy/cheap (maybe 15 bucks) to replace yourself. You could always try that, and if that doesn't end up being the issue then go the TIO route.

MistahBungle said:
Given TIO is able to look at something like this as the handset is bundled, go to them. Better them than CA/FT/whomever, as TIO is the specialist industry body.
Or....This sounds like it may be a simple USB board/port failure which is quick/easy/cheap (maybe 15 bucks) to replace yourself. You could always try that, and if that doesn't end up being the issue then go the TIO route.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe it's a usb port failure, as fully charged batteries haven't worked. It's not the USB port that's issue, but that the phone isn't drawing current from the battery.
A|ex said:
As a long shot would a juice pack for a S4 work such as a morphie as you can charge and also sync? (not sure if the phone uses the pack or whether the pack is used to charge the battery, if the latter it will not work for you)
or maybe a mains powered dock and usb cable to PC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's a juice pack?
I have a dock, bit it has the same issue as charging direct - the phone turns off after about one second

So the latest news – I tried to phone the store again and this Telstra Shop NEVER answer their phone – I have their direct local line, given to me by the Telstra Call Centre, and even tried calling them as I walked through the door – as I'd tried calling throughout the day with no answer. The phone on the desks rang, and was ignored by staff who were standing around having a conversation. Sure explains why they weren't answering the phone throughout the day! So anyway, after not getting through to the store, I called the Telstra Call Centre again, explained the situation, and that I was quoted ~$350 for the quote. The operator looked into it, put me into someone who was escalating the case. After a short chat, the person said they'd call me back after speaking to the tech, getting all the details etc etc. Long story short, they call me back and gave me a waiver code. Said that I can request the store repair the phone, and give that waiver which will mean I'm not charged.
I went into the Telstra store this evening (which is after I kept trying to call them all day as above), and told them the situation. They didn't understand why I was telling them, and said I needed to tell the tech centre – who they can't provide contact number for (and who had told me when giving me the quote to respond to the store within 5 working days). Eventually a guy that knew what he was doing explained to my staff member that he just needed to email/message the tech responsible, provide the waiver and confirm to go ahead with repairs.
Now I've just got to wait for the call saying my phone is ready to be picked up Hopefully they don't stuff that up!!

abbaskip said:
So the latest news – I tried to phone the store again and this Telstra Shop NEVER answer their phone – I have their direct local line, given to me by the Telstra Call Centre, and even tried calling them as I walked through the door – as I'd tried calling throughout the day with no answer. The phone on the desks rang, and was ignored by staff who were standing around having a conversation. Sure explains why they weren't answering the phone throughout the day! So anyway, after not getting through to the store, I called the Telstra Call Centre again, explained the situation, and that I was quoted ~$350 for the quote. The operator looked into it, put me into someone who was escalating the case. After a short chat, the person said they'd call me back after speaking to the tech, getting all the details etc etc. Long story short, they call me back and gave me a waiver code. Said that I can request the store repair the phone, and give that waiver which will mean I'm not charged.
I went into the Telstra store this evening (which is after I kept trying to call them all day as above), and told them the situation. They didn't understand why I was telling them, and said I needed to tell the tech centre – who they can't provide contact number for (and who had told me when giving me the quote to respond to the store within 5 working days). Eventually a guy that knew what he was doing explained to my staff member that he just needed to email/message the tech responsible, provide the waiver and confirm to go ahead with repairs.
Now I've just got to wait for the call saying my phone is ready to be picked up Hopefully they don't stuff that up!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats on the Win! but i bet they will slap you in the face with KNOX

You mean they'll put me on the new BL? Yes, I'm sure of it. Tech centres always do a factory reset and load the latest firmware. They give you a warranty on the repair, so they ensure all is stock.
If you mean they will refuse to repair because of knox, I'm confident they won't. I'm on the old BL, and even so I've been given the quote and waiver for the quote already.

My phone has been returned in working order. Of course, Telstra being Telstra, I was told that they couldn't add the waiver at the shop, so we would be billed, and then have to apply for a credit.

Oh, and they've updated to a Knox enabled ROM obviously but that was expected
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Related

HD2 Vodafone Customers beware!!

Ok, so the vibrate feature no longer works on my device. Whether it be the vibrate profile (phone stays silent but no vibrate), Haptic feedback is no longer working in keyboard and neither is the haptic feedback in HTC Sense and inc bootup.
I sent detailed info on my fault, phone was sent last friday. Vodafone sent me a txt saying they had received my device on Monday morning and then sent me another txt at 19:50 saying that the device is on it's way back to me fixed and would be with me tomorrow by Royal Mail and make sure someone would be in.
I then took the day off unpaid and the device never arrived until this morning. I was so excited to get it back but already annoyed due to losing pay yesterday. Opened box and there was my baby. I popped in my battery and no vibrate during boot?? No haptic feedback in keyboard (checked settings)??? Then tried vibrate profile and rang my phone, surprise "No Worky" phone silent and no vibrate. ??? Checked accompanying documents. One is a check list from engineer. As Follows:
"Reported fault Resolved Tick (No it's not)
Data Content Cleared Tick
Latest Version Software Same as sent
Established Live Call Tick
Incoming Audio (speaker) Test Tick
Display Test Tick
Keypad Test Tick
Imei: *********************
Date Test Completed 25/01/10"
Then letter says:
"hank you for sending your phone to us for repair, we are pleased to say that the fault has been fixed.
What we've done
One of our engineers has throughly tested your phone. The fault on your device has been corrected by upgrading the software to the latest manufacturer approved version. If you mentioned any other faults when you booked the repair, these will have also been fixed.
As part of the repair process, we have given your phone a full internal service including upgrading the software inside the phone, as this is how many faults are fixed. The software is responsible for many aspects of how the phone actually works and though you may not expect it, upgrading the software can increase battery life and memory capacity, and provide you with a more up to date phone.
If you need us again
You can pop into the shop or call customer services, blah blah blah."
Well what BULL. The software is the same as previous (before sending) Phone has not been fixed. I lost a days pays (although my choice I surpose for doing as they asked) And I'm now worse off.
I popped into vodafone store and they said they could do nothing as they dont sell that phone instore and were not even aware of the model. See said call 191 from phone. And all they would do is send it off again. I'm reluctant to do this as I'd be without a phone for further number of days. working virtually non-stop over next couple of weeks so being in to recieve the phone may be a prob. I just feel like taking they phone and both signed documents to a solicitor.. They clearly state it's been repaired but it's not. Exactly the same as was sent. Well as soon as contract is up with vodafone I'm going back with O2. First time with Vodafone and also my last!!
Sorry for the rant. Any Idea's? What would you do? Should I send it off for repair again or demand a replacement or just shut up and take it like a *****???? Thanks for listening... Anyone a Solicitor?? lol
Just for reference, the shops, the internet shop, and the phone shop are 3 different branches of the same company. They do not share deals, devices, staff, or even knowledge. This is quite common, and normal for most (if not all) of the major providers.
Anyway, I'd ring back and just explain to them what you've explained to us. Try and stay calm with them but be very persistent. Don't end the call till they've acknowledged what the fault is by telling you what they've recorded on your notes, and they've agreed to once again collect the phone.
If you do need a phone while it's away (do you? You already received text messages from them last time it was away), they may be able to arrange one of the shops to do you a loaner for a while, but it will be a piece of crap that will make you blush when you have to pull it out in public.
My best advice would be to not get angry on the phone with them. It's done, and the person at the other end of the phone isn't responsible for the problem. Too many people start these conversations aggresively, and that won't get you any further. If I was CS staff and someone rang up and started ranting at me immediately, I'd be disinclined to be as helpful as I could.
I know it's crap, but it is what it is, and the phone simply needs fixing or replacing.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on.
Thanks for your quick reply. The only reason I popped in store was because the letter said I could and I was going into town anyway so took my chance. I was very pleasant on the phone (couldn't have been anything else as I have a really sore throat and a blocked nose, lol) In fact i'd say that the Welsh guy from customer services is about the only thing Vodafone currently have going for them. He was great and very polite. Just waiting on his supervisor calling me for a chat but said it could take up to 48hrs.
Will keep you informed, Just cant believe they say that the problem is fixed. Well gonna keep smiling and looks like i'll have to use my mates pink flip up phone again for a while. uughhh, I'm not gonna hear the end of that I can tell you.

[Q] Camera icon gone, camera not startable

I turned on my phone last night, pressed the camera icon in the list of programs and it disappeared and hasn't come back since?????
Then went to the picture and movie tab and pressed the camera tab (both for taking picture and movie) and nothing happens, no camera launches.
I've had the phone sitting in the cupboard for days and it's cold where I live so I wonder if it's possible that the camera hardware has frozen and the icon disappears because the system cannot detect working hardware?
I don't know but my phone is out of warranty and I am worried.
Would flashing a new ROM help do you think?
normally your phone should not be out of warranty yet, since htc offers a 24 months warranty.
and if the camera worked with your rom before, changing the rom should not be necessary, but maybe a radio/rilphone upgrade would help or a hard reset.
Thanks for the reply
I've emailed the local distributor of my phone (bad reputation for replies) who paralell import it from singapore so I might be out of luck.
Done several hard resets and also warmed the phone up to see if the camera hardware was maybe stuck from the cold but no luck.
Tried to burn a new rom (The EnergyRom looked good) and the software keeps complaining that it lost communication with the phone so I can't even do that. Tried 10 times already.
So, I guess I have to wait for the supplier but they said the warranty is only one year.
afaik htc generally offers a 2 year warranty, so they are probably the ones, you'd want to contact about that issue, but before actually sending it to them, make sure to flash back the stock rom, radio and spl.
As I said above, I tried burning a new rom but the software keeps complaining that it loses communication with the phone so I've given up.
Thanks for the suggestions though.
I absolutely agree with Chef_Tony.
You've tried enough to exclude everything. It must be a hardware issue.
I think you can check the production date via the sn below the batt. I would just go ahead with HTC and call them, and NOT your local dealer.
You can also open a ticket online but from my experience that is a waste of time since they will start asking stuff to do and email them again.
HTC provides 24 months of warranty in most areas and the sn will be enough for them to decide if it is warranty or not.
Also do not mention the custom roms as that will void your warranty, even if the issue was there on the stock rom!
So go back to everything stock, everything that you need is in the sticky on the rom page, and give HTC a call.
The ROM is a stock one. I mentioned in my above post that when I tried to burn a new one that the phone lost comms so I never could get a new rom on to test if the camera would come back so I am still stock.
HTC mentioned all the same things you guys did.
Spoke to my supplier, looks like I have to send this back. Damnation!!!!!
Okay, made a few mistakes about trying a new rom but under severe pressure since my father died so I can't comprehend much at the moment.
Will try all the steps later when I am less distressed.
Sellers have gone, phone is worse.
Just to update people, this post can be locked now.
Blue Fly Mobile are gone, nobody can find them. They told me to send the phone back for repairs and when I was just about to, they turned up missing.
Web site is gone, no contact anywhere and I read in many forums about their bad rep.
Camera still gone. Battery may last a day if that. Phone randomly cuts of calls when I make them or when people make them to me.
Looks like I will be waiting for the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 when it hits OZ as it's better for my eyes.
Now, how to convince my wife that I absolutely need it???

[Q] ADP1 + Warranty Claim - Anyone have any experience?

Hey folks!
After three un-responded to emails then several hours on the phone and much hassle (including get transferred to two non-HTC companies), I finally got a hold of HTC's department to handle ADP1 warranty claims. Described the problem to the technician (backlight lights up, lcd does not turn on, phone still shows it's booting fine when connected to a computer - checked adb shell, could copy files on and off, etc) - he agreed it's almost definitely a screen issue, and that it should most definitely be covered under warranty. I get my RMA number.
I shipped the phone in, they received it October 22, 2010. I heard nothing back until I finally called them on December 8th, then December 10th. They showed they had received the phone, but had no response from the repairs department.
Finally got an e-mail back today:
Code:
Diagnosis:
Illegal Software
Suggested Repair:
Replace Main Board
Total Repair Price:
With shipping $388.31
I called back and talked to some girl in tech support, the only note on the account from repairs was 'Will not turn on'. They presumably put a battery in, hit the power button, and when nothing showed up on the screen decided it was a mainboard issue, and have told me that none of my repairs will be covered under warranty because of 'illegal software' (I had flashed Cyanogen Mod - the phone was running without issue until the screen quit. If the mainboard is fried, how exactly could they tell what software was running on it? Or did they just guess?)
I asked her, point blank, "So what you're telling me is when you use the phone you sell as a 'Development Phone' to do 'Development', it voids your warranty?" "Yes sir."
She finally suggested that if I want to dispute the charges, I could talk to the escalations department. They're supposed to call me within the next '72 business hours'... So given their track record with responses, I'll probably get a call in about 6 months.
Does anyone have any experience talking to HTC's repair/escalations departments? Anyone have any suggestions on getting this phone fixed without spending enough to buy a new damn phone?
Thanks!
Either somebody is in error, or that is FRAUD.
There is also a specific exemption to the DMCA (if you're from the US) making hacking of your own personal phone LEGAL.
LEGAL and ILLEGAL are defined by your GOVERNMENT, not HTC.

i337M Abrupt Signal Loss

Hi everyone,
So about five days ago I was in the middle of using my Galaxy S4 (I think I was playing a game or something) and all of the sudden my cellular signal dropped out completely—from 4 bars to zero with a little X in it. There it's remained ever since.
My first thought was that I ought to reboot the thing and see if that would solve anything. The answer was no.
My second thought was that maybe my contract was up (as that was due to happen this month), and rather than auto-renewing, they kicked me off. Weird, but possible. But that's not it: I phoned up my provider and they said that all systems are go, there are no outages, your account is active for a week still, and even past that contract expiry I'll just get bumped to month-to-month and never experience a blip in service. So that's not it.
So then I put my SIM in another unlocked phone, and lo-and-behold, it connects just fine. So clearly the problem is with my phone.
My i337M is running Liquid Smooth 2.9 and KToonSez' kernel. I decided to make a nandroid and flash back to stock ROM/kernel. Still I could not connect to the network.
I can only think of two potential problems. First, I unlocked the phone myself via FastGSM.com's tethered USB method. It was a Bell-locked phone, and I'm on Rogers. This was accomplished back in July, and since then, there haven't been any issues to speak of (i.e., the unlock worked flawlessly). I tried to see if those unlocks ever expire, and couldn't find any reason why they ought to. I personally don't think it's that, but I mention it out of interest in being thorough.
Second, I messed around with my phones NVData a few weeks back to enable the AWS network via this method. I didn't experience any signal problems after doing so. Again I mention this out of interests of being thorough. Could that have had something to do with it? I suppose I could try flashing back my original NVData, but honestly I don't see why that would suddenly kick in now since I did it weeks ago originally.
Any thoughts? This is really bizarre, and it sucks being without connection.
I was also thinking of flashing back to stock and going to a Bell shop to see what happens when I put a tester SIM in.
It sounds to me like it's hardware related. Don't see anything you've done that would have caused it. I'd flash back to stock and if it still persists I'd file a warranty claim.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app
Hi, thanks for your reply.
An additional thought's occurred to me: I lost signal at or about the same day I setup Android Device Manager to allow for remote lock/wipe directly from Google. That couldn't possibly be responsible for signal loss, could it...?
Currently flashing back to stock, and I'll unroot/restore kernel/restore NVData and make it look factory, and see what the store says about it. Hopefully I don't have to pay for another unlock at some point.
Okay, this is very messed up. Nobody has any idea why my phone isn't getting signal. I can scan for networks and everything shows up, but in any case with any SIM it says "unable to connect to network". It doesn't matter what ROM I'm on. I flashed back to stock and updated to latest using KIES of all things, which found a firmware/modem/baseband update, and still no dice. I don't know what to do with this thing except take it to an unlocking store that might be able to figure something out for me, but it'll cost me. This is messed, I've never had to get someone else to look at my tech for me.
Okay, so the situation is that it most probably is a hardware failure related to the radio.
I am a Rogers customer who bought the phone from a guy from CraigsList who apparently got it from Bell. I went into Bell and explained the situation, and they scanned the IMEI and printed me out a proof of purchase of the guy's name and told me I should take that to the Bell service centre, and it doesn't matter if I'm not the guy. I also had them check to see if he reported the phone stolen; it turns out he did not—though it should be known that if he had done so, then that could have very well been the reason I wasn't getting signal from anyone, as all providers across Canada apparently share their blacklists with one another now (including the little guys like Wind/Mobilicity).
So now I am in the process of making it look like it's never ever been hacked before: I shall restore my NVData, unroot, and update everything using KIES, and then perform a factory data reset. I'm also on the hunt to figure out what the heck the "flash counter" is and whether or not I need to reset that, but perhaps since mine is the i337M Canadian variant, I don't need to worry about that. (Any advice on restoring my phone to factory condition would be welcome, thanks.)
Edit: Figured out TriangleAway and everything associated. I'm all stock now and ready to bring it back to the factory.
MAJOR UPDATE: PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
So I got my phone back from the factory today. They reported that everything is 100% a-ok on the hardware/software side of things. The radio IC is NOT blown as was suspected.
You know what they said? The problem is on the network. I have a story to tell that I think people should hear, as I've learned something very valuable today and people need to learn this lest they get conned themselves.
Today I phoned in Rogers again, armed with new information, to ask what's up. They ran the IMEI number, and this time... it's come up on the blacklist.
It wasn't there last week. In fact, it wasn't even there an hour ago. It actually only appeared there as the clock ticked past midnight Eastern time... as that is EXACTLY 90 days from when the phone was reported missing. It took them a long time to track down this information.
To reiterate, I did not steal the phone. I bought it from a guy on Craigslist who had it brand new in box with the screen-protector sticker still on the front of it. I checked it out, tried it, and unlocked it myself and have been using it since July without issue, until a week ago.
There is the trouble of, why now? Why only now does the IMEI come up blocked? What the senior rep at Rogers thinks happened was that the guy had it delivered to his house, didn't sign for it, kept it in box, reported it as "undelivered", and flipped it to me for cash. Insurance has meanwhile hooked him up with a new phone, and the factory kept my phone in the "we're looking for it" pile for the requisite 90 days, after which they officially publish its IMEI as "blacklisted". That would explain why it worked for a while but doesn't now; and this 90-day TO THE DAY period is the same for Rogers as it is for AT&T apparently (which is where the rep used to work for 10+ years).
I am in possession of stolen property. I've little hope of recuperating my losses. I've been advised to file a police report, and I think I will actually, given that I've got a receipt with the "anonymous" guy from Craigslist's name on it which I had printed out from Bell after they scanned the IMEI number for my factory warranty receipt. This phone will officially never work in Canada, as there is no way for it to be removed from the blacklist. I've been very unfortunate in this case, and it's a real shame.
People should take note: If buying a phone, ALWAYS do it in-store and have the IMEI number run first to check and see if it's on the blacklist. Next, have the phone transferred into your name so that the IMEI and you are officially linked, and the guy can't report his gear stolen or lost. That should suffice in most cases... except in the case of insurance fraud, which is my case, where there is a 90-day delay period in the IMEI number being added to the blacklist (which is why it didn't come up on the blacklist last week when I had the Bell rep run it in-store for me). Another point of interest is that in my case, I found it was possible to lose service BEFORE the number is on the blacklist—assuming the Bell guy didn't run the number wrong last week.
So f**k me. All I can do is try to hack the number, I guess, or find a way to spoof the IMEI.
Edit: Unf***ing believeable—I somehow reenabled data and texting by messing around with QPST. Calls still not happening, though.

My experience with tech support so far...

I really just need to vent about this...
I initially emailed on 05/09/2015, I've made it nowhere in the RMA process other than verbally assaulting their tech support (I only sort of feel bad). I've been moved around to five different people. The first three told me the exact same thing. The fourth did what the third said they would, and the fifth is what the fourth said they would be.
05/09/2015 Melissa wanted a video of the problem.
05/15/2015 I told her that's not something I should have to do for a well documented defect.
05/17/2015 Chris wanted a video of the problem.
05/17/2015 I told Chris I didn't have another device to record video with and again said I thought it was ridiculous I had to do this.
05/17/2015 Chris requested a screencast video of the device showing its ghost touches.
05/17/2015 I told Chris that it was a cool day so that the device was not acting abnormally at the moment and asked if I should warm it up in the oven.
05/17/2015 Chris thanked me for the reply and said we would pick up once the problem showed again. 05/17/2015
05/17/2015 I sent Chris a link to "lmgtfy" with the search query "one plus one touch screen issues". 86.8M results. I then told him if we waited for my device to show the defect again, that I could be in a life or death scenario and being unable to unlock my device is just... I'm dead. Worst case, but seriously you guys. It could happen. 05/17/2015
05/17/2015 Chris again thanked me for the reply and said he would be escalating it to the proper department for assistance. 05/17/2015
05/19/2015 Elmer wanted a video of the problem, and pictures of the device.
05/19/2015 I told Elmer I didn't have another device to take video or pictures with, and then suggested he do an Advance RMA so that I could take pictures with a properly function OPO.
05/19/2015 I was with a friend that day and I low and behold, the scenario where I couldn't unlock my phone showed up! So I sent it to them.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4MvQwyeqEj2M1dQSWNMaFdNOGs/view?usp=sharing
05/20/2015 The next day I send another screencast video of my phone.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4MvQwyeqEj2X3BlVW5tYURHZzA/view?usp=sharing
05/21/2015 I send them an email saying I like how quickly the replies were when I was fighting them on the videos, but then don't reply when I do. I also told them they had lost me permanently as a customer. "it's good to end bad relationships early."
05/22/2015 Chrystle sends me links to two different zip files. One called, ONEPLUS+ONE-FIX-Windows.zip, and the other OPO-Display-patch.zip. She informs me that they are Windows or Mac only.
05/22/2015 I send two different messages, one saying that I do not run Windows or Apple operating systems on my computer, requesting that I get something that will be flashed in recovery, or something that could work with Linux. Fast forward through my work shift. I get home and download the files anyway and extract them. there is a .bat file in there with a bunch of commands flashing partition files using fastboot. open up a terminal and I start copying and pasting the lines so I don't make any mistakes. Get to the one about flashing the userdata partition, and the script as a typo. the file has a capital G and the script is showing a lower case g. Those are 500MB "patches" just FYI. One did nothing, and the other made it worse. They were both CM11S. http://i.imgur.com/bEq9Boy.png http://i.imgur.com/InuCpLo.png respectively.
05/23/2015 I send several messages. It's early AM but I send an email asking if it's amateur hour because of the typo in the first rom. Then another message saying that the typo was also in the other patch zip. Yeah, that's right. both zips had the same typo'd batch script. It's funny they treat us like we know nothing. I finish the email with "Idiots."
05/24/2015 Cherie asks if my device was ever dropped, bumped(???), or exposed to liquids. Also goes on to explain that the CPU and Camera are close together and that the camera material transmits heat quickly so the device can feel warm there. Then suggests I close apps running in the background. Also then recommends that I recondition the battery by fully charging and discharging it three times. And also says not to use the phone while it's charging because it needs to rest. She then wanted me to install a multitouch testing app to screencast, and also requests pictures.
05/24/2015 I say I've never dropped the device, and am unsure what they mean by bumped. And say the device hasn't been anywhere near water in my possession. (near enough to cause an issue anyway). I'm just going to quote myself here, "What causes overheating of the display? And my typing is not the problem. HTC MyTouch 4G, Samsung Galaxy S3, LG Nexus 4. Those three devices could keep up with me. Ah, those were the days. Such fond memories of accurate touch screens.S o the CPU is close to the other components in the phone? That's amazing! How do you do it in such a small package? Crazyness. Though, my Nexus 4 is even smaller, must be magic to be able to fit the cpu and camera in there together. Material of the camera transmits heat... Well, most things are conducive of heat. I close background apps frequently enough. I keep the screen brightness close to 50%. The phone needs a rest while charging? Why is that? Did it get fatigued? Is it tired? Did it have a long day? I've never had an electronic device that "needs to rest". Sounds like YOU NEEDed to improve the cooling capabilities of the device. My battery usage is also not abnormal, nor under heavy load does the battery get hot. I get 7 hours of screen on time. That's absolutely amazing! Now if only I could use it for those 7 hours I'm able to turn the display on. Common problem with Li-Po batteries that are old. Are you saying I have an old battery in my device that needs to be reconditioned? I better not since I've only just bought the phone a month ago. Pull the notification drop down menu down, press the back button, and restart the device... What? How's that any different than just rebooting it? The last step of this RMA process pretty much sealed the deal that yall are idiots, and this is just kind of the icing."
05/25/2015 Cherie requests pictures of my device. And says if I do she promises my device will be like new once she forwards me to their Level 2 support.
05/25/2015 I send them the pictures they requested.
05/26/2015 I send them a screencast AGAIN saying, "Can we stop playing games?"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4MvQwyeqEj2dGNidWNxRlkzVFE&authuser=0
05/26/2015 Llores sends me an email about setting up a remote session with Level 2 support. Requests that I download a few files and to set up an appointment. For Windows there were five zips linked. One for OxygenOS(I'm presuming) "oxygen-dlt.rar" 784MB. One for CyanogenMod(again, presuming) "DLT-CM.rar" 512MB. a Certificates rar that I did not download, as these are probably Windows driver things. The Android SDK which I did not need. CM11S from cyngn website 510MB. And an archive titled AFX. Which has two files in it, a persist.img and a reserv4.img... a measly 10KB.
05/26/2015 "Are you new? Or did you just not read anything? The operating system on my computer is Debian Linux. No one needs to remote access my computer because I've already proven I'm smarter than you. I do not trust any of you to access my personal computer. It is unnecessary. If you're level two tech support maybe you can fix the amateur hour typo in the previous fixes automated scripts that didn't do jack didn't squat for my device. My device has an intermittent hardware issue that needs to be resolved with a different device that has been factory reconditioned or refurbished. No amount of software is going to fix a hardware issue. Waaaaiiiittttt, you guys are that dumb huh? Holy ****. LOLOLOL." and shortly after, "I hope you can understand, that I do not want anyone accessing my computer, and running commands. A miskey from an idiot at OnePlus (witnessed from a script typo and the inability to read a conversation history) could erase all of my personal files. I would be highly aggravated, and you've only seen me mildly irritated."
And there we are so far. This kind of service is absolutely unacceptable. It doesn't matter how much the phone was. Someone on the OPO forums said they paid for the phone, not tech support and warranties.
Also, the DLT files are password protected, which I'm sure the L2 support lackey knows the passwords, I'm trying to break in to it using rarcrack, but.... bruteforcing something is relatively slow.
05/27/2015 Cherie emails me again and from the sounds of it, she had no recollection of our previous conversation. She says that Level 2 tech support needs to remotely access my computer.
05/27/2015 I tell Cherie that I've already mentioned I will not be allowing anyone from their company to remotely access my computer. Request one of their computers be sent to me for them to remotely access and flash my phone. Then go on to say that they probably won't do that because you don't trust me with your data as much as I don't trust them with mine. Tell them I will be going through with a paypal dispute.
05/27/2015 Cinderella says, "Thank you so much for the response. We understand your point of view on the said issue,I understand how frustrating it is of not being able to use your Oneplus phone and have to go through with this process. Many felt the same reaction too. In the long run, numerous Oneplus owners found out that patch fix resolved their touchscreen issues as it may install those missing "TPK firmware" on the phone."
05/27/2015 I say I don't understand why someone needs to remotely access my computer when I've already proven that I'm more than capable. And that if she gives me the password I'll be out of their hair, forever and ever.
05/27/2015 Cinderella says she understands that a remote access can be challenging but my ticket is being handled in a timely manner by tech support and that remote sessions are recorded for security purposes.
05/27/2015 I tell Cinderella that they've done nothing to gain the trust for me to open up my computer to them. Say if they give me the passwords to the .rar's I would set up a remote session.
05/28/2015 Ethan emails me informing me that it is the tech that will be unzipping the files during the remote session, and to let him know when I've booked an appointment.
05/28/2015 I get on the site to book a remote session. The next available time is 06/06/2015 @ 6:30pm. No idea if that's local time or not, But either way, who is at work at 6:30pm OR 9:30PM? I send Ethan an email telling him the company is a joke, and that I'm getting my money back. I tick the "this issue is resolved" and hit the reply button.
I am really sad though, I love the phone and I wish it would work properly.
they are only thiefs, no other adjective describe them.
They put a fail cheap ****ty display on this device, and after a random time (depend from many enviroments, temperature, isolating, what you eat... ) it appears the non responsive/ghost touch issue.
They don't want repair or change, and if you have only a micro dent on the frame... goodbye
the incredible, it's that they have prepared some zips with naming "fix touch" etc... they are ridiculous... This phone have a target of 90% middle/high geek, so, they don't want this bull**** no resolutive sw, but they want try and flash whatever they want, when they want, and they want that almost the device have a display working !!!
They stop say try what rom you prefer, your warranty will remain..... YES, RIGHT, because we haven't any WARRANTY on display !!!
This is exactly why I buy used, broken devices for dirt cheap and repair them myself. I got my 64gb 1+ off eBay for $115 after repairing it's screen.
Screw warranties, support, etc.
silverton said:
I really just need to vent about this...
I initially emailed on 05/09/2015, .....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have similar experience and I too reach the point that tell them "NO way I gave you remote control"
They sad again, that second level technical will decide if my phone is for RMA.
I think with my refuses to gave them access they will close my case. I think it is not legal but.....
I just want to send phone and they fix or gave new one and I sale fast.
What we must do?
I bought phone in October, so obviously I can't claim refund from PayPal
It's been... 6 or 7 weeks now since I first submitted ticket. Somehow I managed to skip the remote session, went from asking me to book session, to setting up the phone getting picked up.
But...
A week after they said they received it, they come back saying water damage, apparently the the LDI in headphone jack was tripped and want me to pay for repair. I basically argued back, told them it had never been anywhere near and liquids.
Lo and behold, they come back saying they've made a mistake. On re checking, there is no water damage, and so now will replace my phone. Imagine I'd caved and paid for repair, or just had them send it back...
... Finding it hard to believe they made a genuine mistake...
mozyman said:
It's been... 6 or 7 weeks now since I first submitted ticket. Somehow I managed to skip the remote session, went from asking me to book session, to setting up the phone getting picked up.
But...
A week after they said they received it, they come back saying water damage, apparently the the LDI in headphone jack was tripped and want me to pay for repair. I basically argued back, told them it had never been anywhere near and liquids.
Lo and behold, they come back saying they've made a mistake. On re checking, there is no water damage, and so now will replace my phone. Imagine I'd caved and paid for repair, or just had them send it back...
... Finding it hard to believe they made a genuine mistake...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
**updated with a sad ending**
You're not the only one I've read about having them try to claim that the liquid sticker was tripped, and then back track when they're called out on it.
Sounds much alike the issues I have with OnePlus support right now. My 2 has what I strongly suspect hardware issues. I can say that I'm pretty sure, that is after worked for a Swedish/Japanese mobile manufacturer for almost 16 years. So I know a bit about mobile phones . I think in the end the wankers will not give me another phone. Their tactics is to f**ck you around until you give up. It's a shame actually, I love their products but the company is rotten to the core how they conduct themselves. I think I'll write an email to Carl Pei in Swedish and tell him my two cents about this matter. I don't except it to do any good but perhaps I'll catch him of guard. If anybody is interested I'll let you know how that wen't down.

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