Horrendous experience with Sony Repair Centre - Xperia Z3 General

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.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

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.

Related

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.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
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.

VERY Impressed with HTC USA!

2 weeks ago to the day, I accidentally dropped my HD2. Nothing major.. I was actually sitting down when it happened, and the phone bumped my ankle then gently bumped the floor.. no big deal right? (It has a hard shell protector). Well, then as the phone flipped over, it bumped the edge of a table leg and damn! Four hairline cracks on the digitizer. And no more functionality though the LCD was fine and the phone was working but locked with no way to unlock it.
So, I weigh out the cost of repair vs. replacing it all together. Ultimately, it was cheaper to repair the screen.
Here is what blew my mind! Keep in mind that I am in Canada, I purchased the phone (T-Mobile Branded) on the 'net, it's unlocked, tweaked, and therefore there is no warranty.
So, on 04/01/2011, I contact HTC USA. To my surprise I actually get an American on the phone not some call center in a third world country. Wow! The person totally has their act together and in less than 10 minutes, I have a quote for the repair. Wow again! The rep explained everything in detail along with the mandatory disclaimers and while they were finishing up that, I'm receiving an email with all the necessary details and an RMA and Case number and shipping instructions. Wow yet again!
04/02/2011, I send the phone to the repair center in Texas. By 04/05/2011 at 10:50pm the phone has arrived at the repair center. The next morning, I get a call from HTC confirming the damage (which I knew), and they simply want a yes or no to go ahead with the repairs or not. By the afternoon, I have a FedEx tracking number, the phone is fixed and it's on its way back to me in Canada. Wow one more time!
04/11/2011 FedEx is at my door with my phone and HTC picked up the return shipping. Well.. you guessed it! Wow!
I am reconfiguring the phone back to the way I had it prior to sending it as I write this. It had been hard reset to factory spec which if fine and to be expected since they likely run various diag after repair.
So, for $120.00 + $25.00 Shipping, my phone is working again!
There's a case study for keeping our companies and their support centers on North American soil. There are dozens of companies I could list that should be taking notes. 8)
Nice to see a positive post like this. glad you got you HD2 repaired and are now back to modding it.
The whole repair process was nine days including weekends which I think is darn good!
That said, I was without the phone/device for 2 weeks. Talk about withdrawals! LOL!
Amazing how reliant we become on these devices. I use it to manage my daily activities for 3 businesses, 1 job, and my personal life/activities. I was on the verge of anxiety at times! Hehehehe!
At least I had my trusty HTC 8125 as backup and while it cannot connect to my cellular provider's network for phone/text/data, at least I had my calendars, tasks, notes, and contacts but I'll tell ya, talk about feeling tethered to a land line and out of the loop.
Yep, it just got HardSPL 4, my preferred radio flash, BsB, Total Commander, and a few other goodies back on and is now syncing with my Desktop and Exchange. d'-'
T-Macgnolia said:
Nice to see a positive post like this. glad you got you HD2 repaired and are now back to modding it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was not a bad price if it was a year ago, but I just picked up another near mint condition one for $150 with everything included off criaglist.
Sent from HTC HD2 with Android
Yeah, fair enough however, in Canada, the phone is not even available therefore my options were a bit more limited to purchase a new phone through a system where there is a little more security in knowing that if it turns out to be a bad deal, the purchase it covered. i.e. Buyer Protection from eBay or anything like that.
It's not like you can hop on a local Craigslist up here and find them readily.
So, the replacement cost for a whole phone was much higher, and the repair was the way to go.
coldest~~~ said:
It was not a bad price if it was a year ago, but I just picked up another near mint condition one for $150 with everything included off criaglist.
Sent from HTC HD2 with Android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're a lucky guy.
I've had less good experiences in the Benelux here.
I called in mine for a screen and gps issue that is warranty issue since I run the official image on this HD2.
They didn't pickup the device twice as promised which drove me up the wall since I had my colleague involved and had to change several appointments with my clients for.
After I complained I got called by a customer care guy and was promised my device would be fixed one week after the pickup.
Called them this afternoon since we are one week further and my device was waiting for 2 parts but they didn't know which.
I wonder how many parts can break in the HD2 that direct to the fault. Guessing the main board and an LCD screen?
Well according to the customer service I will have to wait for the parts to come in.
I am so disappointed in the service and hole customer care after having a touch, touch pro, touch hd etc.
The touch pro which costed me over 500 Euro ended up in the trash after 3 failed repairs and numerous errors which where caused by the repair center. Sending it back to another address and name was only the tip of the iceberg.
Looking around for a dedicated Android device the LG optimus 2x looks good since it has a 24hour swap warranty.
Sorry to hear bro!
Heck, they even confirmed parts availability while on the initial call just prior to setting up the RMA. Maybe I just lucked out.
I work in the IT field and deal with all kinds of this stuff all the time and it has been years since I encountered this type of competence and efficiency. Don't know what else to say.
Have you checked out the Motorola Atrix?
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/U...d-Services/Mobile-Phones/Motorola-ATRIX-US-EN
This thing looks cool! Watched several segments on it during the CES show back in February. My only question or disappointment was in all the promo vids from the CES they were touting Android 3 Honeycomb however at the Motorola site its tech specs list Android 2.2.
Good luck in your search!
lukesan said:
You're a lucky guy.
I've had less good experiences in the Benelux here.
I called in mine for a screen and gps issue that is warranty issue since I run the official image on this HD2.
They didn't pickup the device twice as promised which drove me up the wall since I had my colleague involved and had to change several appointments with my clients for.
After I complained I got called by a customer care guy and was promised my device would be fixed one week after the pickup.
Called them this afternoon since we are one week further and my device was waiting for 2 parts but they didn't know which.
I wonder how many parts can break in the HD2 that direct to the fault. Guessing the main board and an LCD screen?
Well according to the customer service I will have to wait for the parts to come in.
I am so disappointed in the service and hole customer care after having a touch, touch pro, touch hd etc.
The touch pro which costed me over 500 Euro ended up in the trash after 3 failed repairs and numerous errors which where caused by the repair center. Sending it back to another address and name was only the tip of the iceberg.
Looking around for a dedicated Android device the LG optimus 2x looks good since it has a 24hour swap warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thx for the headsup JayG!
Well lets say that I do the same work as you and do escallations and process realignments. If I could have a go in this whole thing .....
The Motorola looks interesting but try to find one in Europe.
I very agree with your assessment of HTC. My story is one better. I had bought my phone (HTC ELFIN P3452 TOUCH) in India. It had some battery charging issues and when on a whim I finally contacted HTC US, the lady told me that the warranty on the phone had expired 5 days back. I politely requested her if there is something she could do. She came back a few minutes later and told me she will take the phone as under warranty, but she will have to get back to me after figuring out where I should be sending the phone for repair as they figured HTC touch is not serviced anymore. I did not get a call back for 10 days and then I called back and explained my situation again and the previous call to a totally different lady. She gave me an RMA and asked me to ship to their TX facility. I got the phone back with brand new board in a week. But then I noticed a crack in the body. Since now the phone was under a 90 day warranty, I called back and explained the situation. They gave another RMA and so I sent it back. another week later, I get the phone back and it was brand new everything including the LCD and the phone. New IMEI.
HTC is top notch. So my current phone is HD2 and backup phone is Touch.

Xperia Warranty Service is a joke

Ok, my story with Z3 Compact ended not even started.
Yes, I got lucky and my screen cracked on itself without any force.
And it looked well as sony accepted the phone in US service center even though it was bought in UK.
That's where fun part stops.
First joke is a turn around time. 14 business day for a simple repair. that is at least 3 weeks! Who can wait phone that long?
That means I have to buy a new one and send sony to ebay when and if I got it repaired.
My guess is that people would buy anything else than xperia they just got broken.
What a stupid way to loose customers. Apple store would replace phone in store or take little time to resolve issue for example.
So after 16 business days I called just to hear that part is on back-order with NO ETA!
Also I was told that its not US phone so I should not even expect it to be ready soon.
Nice Sony! Good way to treat your loyal customers.
Seems like my first and last xperia phone unfortunately....
So if you still deciding ... Look at the other phones, that are more rigid or at least have a proper warranty service for 2014.
SonyXperia US has much to catch up.
Sucks man. My screen hasn't cracked yet but if it does this will definitely be my last Sony product.
I hope it won't. I am ok with stuff breaking as soon as you have a good service to get out of the situation.
Sony did not make that easy. The worst part is that there are no more good compact phones around except of iphone and galaxy alpha. which are worse than z3c in many ways.
Sucks that you're phone-less for so long, although Sony is fixing it despite being bought in the UK, which is more than they're doing for some people. Maybe the fact that it's a UK model is why they're not treating the repair with more urgency.
Other than Apple, which other phone manufacturer will instantly replace an unlocked phone as part of the warranty? Normally this is handled through carriers or (if you're lucky) the authorized retailer, but even they usually don't offer the same instant service as Apple. It's why Apple stuff costs so much. Well, that and the fact that iSheep will blindly pay for anything Apple :laugh:
pipspeak said:
Sucks that you're phone-less for so long, although Sony is fixing it despite being bought in the UK, which is more than they're doing for some people. Maybe the fact that it's a UK model is why they're not treating the repair with more urgency.
Other than Apple, which other phone manufacturer will instantly replace an unlocked phone as part of the warranty? Normally this is handled through carriers or (if you're lucky) the authorized retailer, but even they usually don't offer the same instant service as Apple. It's why Apple stuff costs so much. Well, that and the fact that iSheep will blindly pay for anything Apple :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For samsung, sony and all other manufacturers even if you pay premium price like note 4 for $700 and xperia Z3 $650 you get ****ty service. You wont get instant replacements what so ever.. No proper estimated ship dates, No proper customer support, No Earbuds bundled is what we pay for and seems you enjoy it more
demon_xxi said:
Ok, my story with Z3 Compact ended not even started.
Yes, I got lucky and my screen cracked on itself without any force.
And it looked well as sony accepted the phone in US service center even though it was bought in UK.
That's where fun part stops.
First joke is a turn around time. 14 business day for a simple repair. that is at least 3 weeks! Who can wait phone that long?
That means I have to buy a new one and send sony to ebay when and if I got it repaired.
My guess is that people would buy anything else than xperia they just got broken.
What a stupid way to loose customers. Apple store would replace phone in store or take little time to resolve issue for example.
So after 16 business days I called just to hear that part is on back-order with NO ETA!
Also I was told that its not US phone so I should not even expect it to be ready soon.
Nice Sony! Good way to treat your loyal customers.
Seems like my first and last xperia phone unfortunately....
So if you still deciding ... Look at the other phones, that are more rigid or at least have a proper warranty service for 2014.
SonyXperia US has much to catch up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
feel your pain, going through the same thing:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/help/handtec-returns-t2919883
was really glad sony USA would do warranty repair for my phone.. although 14 business day turnaround time seemed like a lot (3 full weeks regularly), but ok. they never emailed me to say they received it - no emails for anything in fact. i had to chat with them to confirm they had received it. and then they returned it to me in about a week - shipped it out in under a week, actually. although i wouldn't have known it had i not seen the 2nd delivery attempt notice on my door. had they emailed me, i would've been looking out for it and had it a few days sooner.
all that's fine, it's their stipulated process and timing, i just could have used some communication throughout. but then comes the icing on the cake. they removed the SIM tray from the phone and sent it back to me without it. so my phone is useless as a phone for a week now, and i'm still waiting to get a replacement or hear anything about it. they've stopped responding to my daily follow-up emails.. the latest response i got had an order number of some kind but no idea where i can put it to check status (it's no retail order number or anything). no tracking. just a blurb that it may take 14 business days to send out a SIM tray to me. and here i thought when i called they'd be like "oh sh*t, we'll get one right out to you asap". but i had to go through this RMA process a second time in order for them to send this to me. i've now owned the phone for 6 weeks, and only 3 of those have i been able to use it. first experience with sony not going so well.
mohlsen8 said:
feel your pain, going through the same thing:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/help/handtec-returns-t2919883
was really glad sony USA would do warranty repair for my phone.. although 14 business day turnaround time seemed like a lot (3 full weeks regularly), but ok. they never emailed me to say they received it - no emails for anything in fact. i had to chat with them to confirm they had received it. and then they returned it to me in about a week - shipped it out in under a week, actually. although i wouldn't have known it had i not seen the 2nd delivery attempt notice on my door. had they emailed me, i would've been looking out for it and had it a few days sooner.
all that's fine, it's their stipulated process and timing, i just could have used some communication throughout. but then comes the icing on the cake. they removed the SIM tray from the phone and sent it back to me without it. so my phone is useless as a phone for a week now, and i'm still waiting to get a replacement or hear anything about it. they've stopped responding to my daily follow-up emails.. the latest response i got had an order number of some kind but no idea where i can put it to check status (it's no retail order number or anything). no tracking. just a blurb that it may take 14 business days to send out a SIM tray to me. and here i thought when i called they'd be like "oh sh*t, we'll get one right out to you asap". but i had to go through this RMA process a second time in order for them to send this to me. i've now owned the phone for 6 weeks, and only 3 of those have i been able to use it. first experience with sony not going so well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha and they wonder why their sales are falling..
i bought their protection plan for $50.. 2 years covered and they will send me a loaner asap when i send my phone in for repair.
radiohead14 said:
i bought their protection plan for $50.. 2 years covered and they will send me a loaner asap when i send my phone in for repair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where did you get that for $50? online it says 79?
sravanz said:
where did you get that for $50? online it says 79?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
employee discount :good:
Where can I get the plan for at least 79? Can I get in in USA for phone I got from Clove?
I'm willing to pay for the plan as soon as it has accidental damage coverage. This is better than going with 3rd party warranty coverage.
Fond here http://store.sony.com/gsi/webstore/...le-Phones-Protection-PLUS-Standalone-Warranty
It says $59.99 + tax I assume.
Will check tomorrow if I can get it for the phone that already went to the service.
Really had no idea that sony has these extra plans for phones.
From my previous experience I had AHD warranty for 3yrs for my laptop from Sony Japan and they easily fixed all issues with shipment around the week even when there was a disaster going in Japan few years back. Japan service worked like a clock. They would also fix issues that I did not report. Just to replace components with fresh ones.
U guys are complaining because it took a week to get a phone not warranted in the usa to be fixed for free.... Try samsung or any unlocked, non apple phone and youll beg to go back to sony.
Oh and apple makes you pay for out of warranty repairs anyway. Like cracked screens.
The biggest joke is the screen cracked by itself. What's this Sony?
i had the back glass crack by itself here in the uk, sony repaired the device for free under warranty.1 week turn around time.
Just as a heads up, most decent credit cards give you an additional year of warrenty (on items costing up to $500) on purchases made with the card. This includes SonyRewards, which also provides 90 days accidental damage protection on purchases up to $500.
When I had a Samsung S4 Active I sent it twice for warranty repair. 2 weeks was normal turn around. Quit complaining.
Just to cool down the drama I see a UPS notification today that my phone is coming home.
I still think that 3 weeks is too much for screen repair. It takes less than a hour to replace it.
It would be ok if I have to wait 3 weeks for TV or Vacuum cleaner but its hard to survive without daily driver as a phone.
Good that I have dozens phones at home to use as a replacement, most people don't. I'm just saying that this is the way for Sony to loose customers.
For most it is better to go to Apple Store, PAY and get it fixed asap than look for a replacement phone, PAY for shipment and wait ... IMHO
Where Sony could improve even with current approach is bring more transparency and feedback. They have not notified me about receiving the phone nor about the backorder delays.
The simplest check my RMA status page would help a lot. I guess it is much more expensive to have staff answering phone calls and chat about RMA status. And all they can say - in progress or yes/no received.
The other way to improve is to start using quality glass and make more durable back for the phones
Meanwhile I started considering LG G2 or Nexus5 as a possible alternative. They are pretty old but still excellent phones. Also fragile though but less.
I feel your pain. I dropped my z3 compact here in the uk and cracked my screen. I sent it off to Sony mobile repair company in the uk and they said that it would take 14 days to come back. They quoted me £97.30 for the repair which is ok I guess, I mean i did drop it. After about a week thee website said that they had diagnosed the phone and it needed a new screen (genius) but that part was out of stock. What kind of repair service doesn't have replacement screens in stock, nice one Sony, how is this your official repairer?
I then found out that I had phone insurance through my work and for £50 I could get a new phone. So I decided to contact the repairer to cancel my repair and get my broken phone back. Despite ringing the repairer numerous times they wouldn't send it back even though every time I spoke to them they said it was in the process of being done. After 10 days I decided to contact Sony customer support and to be fair to them they got it sorted and had my phone back 4 days later. So i get a new z3 compact from my insurance company, and guess what the new phone's battery is ****ed. It drains like 25% every three hours and cant make it through a single day. So I'm back onto Sony and they say it needs to go off for repair. Yep, brilliant so i can wait another 10 days for you to tell me you don't have any parts in stock. So frustrating.
Blimey mate that's rough
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app

HTC One Pink Camera Tint - My experience

Hey everyone! just wanted to share my experience so far.
I got an HTC One m7 last year, and I love almost everything about it, except it began to develop the pink camera tint. For those who don't know, many m7's have a manufacturing/design defect that causes the camera to slowly degrade, and as a result, all low light pics come out with a pink or purple haze across the image.
I took my phone over to the bell store, where I signed a couple documents, and the rep sent the phone over to the repair center. The phone was in "Like-New" condition, and still in warranty.
I waited about a week, and today I got an email telling me that the repair facility was refusing to repair the phone citing physical damage (there was none, maybe a micro scratch!), and to get it back they would charge a $35 diagnostic fee. I don't even really care about the fee (although there shouldn't be one) I just want my phone fixed.
I called Bell and they escalated the issue and told me someone from the repair center would call me in 24-72 hours. They wouldn't give me a number to call, so now I have no choice but to play the waiting game...
bbmaster123 said:
Hey everyone! just wanted to share my experience so far.
I got an HTC One m7 last year, and I love almost everything about it, except it began to develop the pink camera tint. For those who don't know, many m7's have a manufacturing/design defect that causes the camera to slowly degrade, and as a result, all low light pics come out with a pink or purple haze across the image.
I took my phone over to the bell store, where I signed a couple documents, and the rep sent the phone over to the repair center. The phone was in "Like-New" condition, and still in warranty.
I waited about a week, and today I got an email telling me that the repair facility was refusing to repair the phone citing physical damage (there was none, maybe a micro scratch!), and to get it back they would charge a $35 diagnostic fee. I don't even really care about the fee (although there shouldn't be one) I just want my phone fixed.
I called Bell and they escalated the issue and told me someone from the repair center would call me in 24-72 hours. They wouldn't give me a number to call, so now I have no choice but to play the waiting game...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well u are not in USA. I had couple of devices with this deffect fixed under warranty even when warranty was expired. Call the consumer support number in your country and talk to them and tell them u have done your homework and this is a well known deffect and it should be taken care by them. Or wait maybe they will call.I never deal with carriers in this situation s call directly the manufacturer. Good luck.
Well, its been a while now, and it looks like I may have to send the phone to HTC since Bell are a bunch of ********. I eventually got a call, but it wasn't from the repair center, it was from USA's tech support, and the gentleman told me he had no idea what was going on, and that he couldn't help me at all, nor could he offer any type of recourse, or contact information for someone that may be able to help. I am very displeased as you can probably see. Anyway, I wrote HTC a letter complaining about their service. Here's what I wrote to them for your amusment:
Hello,
I recently sent my phone in to repair it's camera that wasn't working correctly. I was denied the repair, citing physical damage (I have documentation from the Bell store stating otherwise) and the device has now been marked down to be shipped back without the repair, when I did not give my consent, nor talk to anyone who had any bit of control over the repair process. I am very displeased at the service that has been given to me, as well I do not appreciate being lied to, or cheated out of the repair I am entitled to.(the phone's camera issue is a widely documented factory defect, just search Google or call HTC about the m7 pink camera issue). As well, I am appalled at how Bell has tried its hardest to evade my asking for help, instead pointing fingers at other divisions of the company and telling me to go talk to them. And finally, I would have liked to call the repair center, or visit the facility directly as I understand it is fairly close to me, but the information I have been seeking was kept secret from me. If you listen to the recording of the support call I made last week, you will hear the agent telling me that the company actively tries to withold this information.
I WANT MY PHONE REPAIRED. Not returned defective. If my phone is returned defective, you can be sure I will not renew my contract with Bell, ever.
Brandon Benyacar
I can only hope they read this letter sooner than later. Anyway, that's my repair experience so far. Lesson learned: Don't by a phone right away, let a few months go by and see if any major problems turn up. also, note to self: Buy extended warranty.
I may post one more time if anything else worth sharing happens. Have a good day everyone!
I'll also post my experience with the purple tint problem. Got my phone in may/june 2013 and got the purple tint somewhere around september 2013. Over time, it got worse in dark settings, but as the phone was still ok during daylight, never bothered too much. This year I finally took the effort to get it fixed. I contacted HTC europe (as I live in the Netherlands) about the problem and they said to just make an appointment; if I had caused the problem, I had to pay 35 euros research costs and if I agreed, an additional fee for the repairs.
As I rooted the phone like a month after I got it (unlocked through HTC dev website), I was kinda 'scared' they would say that would be the cause, but I followed all wonderful steps here to get it S-OFF and in locked/untampered state again and send it off. Made the appointment (UPS came to pick it up) and after a few days I got the email it was ready and repaired. Today (after about 10 days) they delivered the phone back. No charge at all.
So my experience with HTC customer support is fairly positive at the moment. Purple tint is indeed gone. Sadly, my original phone was just fixed and not swapped for an M8, but still no complaints about their service.
PandorasNL said:
I'll also post my experience with the purple tint problem. Got my phone in may/june 2013 and got the purple tint somewhere around september 2013. Over time, it got worse in dark settings, but as the phone was still ok during daylight, never bothered too much. This year I finally took the effort to get it fixed. I contacted HTC europe (as I live in the Netherlands) about the problem and they said to just make an appointment; if I had caused the problem, I had to pay 35 euros research costs and if I agreed, an additional fee for the repairs.
As I rooted the phone like a month after I got it (unlocked through HTC dev website), I was kinda 'scared' they would say that would be the cause, but I followed all wonderful steps here to get it S-OFF and in locked/untampered state again and send it off. Made the appointment (UPS came to pick it up) and after a few days I got the email it was ready and repaired. Today (after about 10 days) they delivered the phone back. No charge at all.
So my experience with HTC customer support is fairly positive at the moment. Purple tint is indeed gone. Sadly, my original phone was just fixed and not swapped for an M8, but still no complaints about their service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear everything worked out for you. I contacted HTC a few days back and explained what happened and they said they would be happy to repair my phone at no cost, and agreed with me about Bell's repair process being all sleazy. I just need to wait until my phone gets shipped back from Bell's repair center first.
I think I read somewhere that sometimes HTC will put in a higher quality camera module. do you notice the picture being better than the original? (before the purple tint started)
I really don't want my phone to be swapped for an m8, I like the m7 better. slightly smaller, capacitive buttons, and a more symmetrical speaker grille. Not to mention its super easy to s-off. though I might not mind if they give me an M9! HAHA
well, its been about a month, and after much trouble, I finally got my phone fixed. See, When I got my phone back from Bell, HTC told me to ship my phone to a company called Futuretel, located about 15 minutes from where I live. I shipped it, and a few days later, received an email claiming that the repair would not be covered under warranty, and would cost me $226. they also have a policy that requires them to replace both the camera, and the motherboard at the same time, hence the price.
Their first claim was that my H-Boot date on the bootloader screen tells them that my phone had been tampered with. I did install custom firmware, but I flashed it back to stock, with the date showing January 29 2014, before I even bought the phone(not that they would know that) so I called them out on their claim. Then, they disregarded that claim, and now stated that since was that since my phone was S-Off, I was not entitled to a repair. Everything else on the phone was stock, bootloader locked, tampered flag removed and status showing locked.
talking directly to Futuretel was futile, so I called HTC and explained how refusing a defective hardware warranty because of S-Off is like ford refusing to replace your faulty transmission because you changed your headlights. The two are completely unrelated (unless your mechanic REALLY sucks I supposed). They agreed, but still wouldn't fix my phone.
My father, who isn't really a lawyer, but knows quite a lot for an average guy, wrote up a legal document for me to sue HTC. This isn't his first lawsuit, so he knew exactly how to write it up properly and file it into small claims court. I sent a copy over to HTC, and the next day, they offered to pay for the repair. It probably just wasn't worth it for them to fight it, so they gave in.
I also let HTC know of all the horrible reviews and complaints of this repair facility, with many of the stories online ending in either ridiculous repair costs, refusal of repairs for stupid reasons, or devices being returned with additional damage. HTC said they would do an investigation on this facility. that being said, Futurtel repaired my phone in 2 days time, and returned it in the same condition it left (actually, slightly better condition, my power button was losing its black paint, and they replaced it. small, but good attention to detail).
I powered up the phone to 5.0.2, and firmware version 7.17.666.7 which I believe is the newest version (a google search produced no results). They also replaced my mainboard, so everything was stock, and I had a new IMEI. tested out the camera, and its a night and day difference. Now my pics look the way they were meant to look. Once again, I am a happy customer.
I hope my experience inspires others to fight back, know your rights, and don't take no for an answer. I would love to hear other people's success and failure stories, especially ones pertaining to this pink camera issue.
Now onto installing insertcoin's sense 5.5 ROM. I just like it better than sense 6!
My related experience recently, I acquired almost new imported HTC One from local dealer, and there was Pink Tint, I took it to HTC Service Center in my locality, I had already did OTA updates and the phone is in Lollipop, the support person said, it will take 5500 INR (88 USD) which I agreed, then they said it is imported phone, the camera module might not be compatible they don't have software to calibrate the camera since the phone is in Lollipop (?!), and it is the risk they are not willing to take! they don't even try to repair and say it did not work. Their excuse was once they attempt to install new camera, and it doesn't work the Camera will be completely shut off even day light photos will not be possible. Looks like I had to live with purpley photos!
santhoshr said:
My related experience recently, I acquired almost new imported HTC One from local dealer, and there was Pink Tint, I took it to HTC Service Center in my locality, I had already did OTA updates and the phone is in Lollipop, the support person said, it will take 5500 INR (88 USD) which I agreed, then they said it is imported phone, the camera module might not be compatible they don't have software to calibrate the camera since the phone is in Lollipop (?!), and it is the risk they are not willing to take! they don't even try to repair and say it did not work. Their excuse was once they attempt to install new camera, and it doesn't work the Camera will be completely shut off even day light photos will not be possible. Looks like I had to live with purpley photos!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry, you can always use flash to avoid pinkish photos in the night. I didn't even bother to get mine repaired for free.
Semseddin said:
Don't worry, you can always use flash to avoid pinkish photos in the night. I didn't even bother to get mine repaired for free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the flash helps(thank god its even there), but still, video in low light is practically unusable.
It's not acceptable that HTC can get get away with this(though I found it had more to do with the repair facilities), and you should fight it if you've got the time, especially now that they have introduced that "oops protection" this for the M9. If they can replace an M9 at no charge for dropping your phone onto concrete, then they should at least be able to fix their own factory defect. Even if its out-of-warranty. Its what I believe is fair.
by the way, after they fix, not only are the pictures not pink, but they're less grainy now, and they're not washed out.
I too had this problem since last 1.5 years.. somewhere read online that you can get rid of it by placing your cellphone in freezer for sometime and it will get rid of the pink/purple issue of camera. So I did it.
WHat to do-
1.) I placed my cellphone HTC One(M7) in my freezer nicely wrapped in a small towel
2.) changed my refrigerator setting to the coolest...
3.) kept it in there for almost 20 minutes
4.) Took it out.... and no more Pinkish pics.......
Not sure if its permanent solution as I have tried it today only.... but as of now I am happy to see my camera work as good as new.... NO FAULTS WHATSOEVER.
It worked for me.. hopefully it can work for someone else as well.. please try at your own risk and make sure to cover your cellphone properly before trying this option.
anilkapoor9 said:
I too had this problem since last 1.5 years.. somewhere read online that you can get rid of it by placing your cellphone in freezer for sometime and it will get rid of the pink/purple issue of camera. So I did it.
WHat to do-
1.) I placed my cellphone HTC One(M7) in my freezer nicely wrapped in a small towel
2.) changed my refrigerator setting to the coolest...
3.) kept it in there for almost 20 minutes
4.) Took it out.... and no more Pinkish pics.......
Not sure if its permanent solution as I have tried it today only.... but as of now I am happy to see my camera work as good as new.... NO FAULTS WHATSOEVER.
It worked for me.. hopefully it can work for someone else as well.. please try at your own risk and make sure to cover your cellphone properly before trying this option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you really think our phones are designed to withstand below zero temperatures? This is a terrible idea which is most likely only a temporary fix (if your phone survives it).
While not a true "fix" I just edit the effected pictures and add an effect to them. 2 of the effects work well to remove the purple haze in pictures (depending on the picture each effect works better than the other). Not perfect, I understand, but they come out looking quite good.

Sony Warranty Repair - Success Story!

After seeing so many posts about how terrible Sony's customer service and repair centers are, I was determined to find a fix for my phone and only come crawling back to Sony as a last resort. Here's what happened:
The top speaker of my phone became much quieter than the bottom speaker. It was only playing sounds at less than half the volume of the bottom speaker. I tried rebooting, resetting, and using Sony's PC companion to repair and reinstall new firmware. Nothing worked. I called Sony support (USA) and told them all of the above. They gave me an RMA#, I mailed my phone to them, and prepared to wait up to 14 business days. Surprisingly, my phone was returned to me in just 7 business days, which meant it spent 6 of those days on a truck an only 1 day at Sony's repair facility in Texas.
The phone was packed very nicely and came with a single piece of paper listing the parts that were replaced. The list basically included the entire exterior of the phone (front, back, and all four sides). It looks like a brand new phone! I turned it on and to my disappointment, they had upgraded my phone from 4.4.4 KK to 5.1.1. LP. I had intentionally stayed on KK because of the battery life and greater control of notifications. I figured this was no big deal though because I could just flash the backup I made before sending in the phone for repair. But another surprise - the phone is no longer rooted! Well, at least the top speaker works properly again. It's so loud, it made me think speakerphone was turned on the first time I made a call. Didn't realize how bad it had become...
(3) Takeaways from this experience:
1. Sony honored my warranty despite the phone being rooted
2. Sony repaired my phone to a like new condition
3. Sony did this in less than a week
Now it's time for the next test - how long can I use the stock ROM before I can't take it anymore and root? I give it about a week...
Had the same experience, and same issue about the earpiece actually, among others. It took them only a few days and it looked like they sent a brand-new phone.
Sent from my GT-I9100G using Tapatalk
They sent mine back in the same box, by itself, and the problem with the audio port happened again after one month.... Probably that USA support is better than UK
I bought the extended warranty when I got my Z3 Compact from the Sony store. Headphone jack issue came up and I called Sony support. They were going to send me a replacement phone in a couple of weeks. I got a call one week later saying they were out of stock on the phone but offered to send me a check of $529.99, the price I paid for my phone and also keep it. Needless to say I took the offer and I now have a Z3C that I bought for $79. In the US btw.
I also had a success story with their service :
my front screen was separating itself from my phone slowly but surely. So I had a gap of 1mm between the screen and the body of my phone at the left top corner. So I emailed them, they told me to sent my phone to the repair center, I did it (had to pay the post fee) and it came back with three sheets of paper with all the stuff they replaced, from the glass to the plastic corners including the SD card holder and the flaps and a lot of small stuff (like small screws)
They were pretty quick, quicker than the delivery (they used DPD, but those are sooo bad, awful.)
NB : I first unrooted my phone before sending it back.
PS : on a side note, do you have any figure concerning the battery life of 4.4 vs 5.1 ? I'm a SlimRom user and I find that battery life was better a year ago, but I'm not sure if it's just subjective or if it's actually the case. I'm also unsure whether I wouldn't be better off if I were on real stock Rom, because I noted that I'm loosing a lot of perf with SlimRom (Antutu dropped from 51k to 38k, e.g)
I purchased mine from ebay and i think the person selling it knew of the sudden death issue that was causing a lot of issues with this phone. I was unaware after purchasing but soon found out after my phone wouldn't turn on and would randomly turn off. I did some research on the issue but could never resolve as it had a bad chip or something, i forget. I looked into the warranty & it was still under warranty (don't think the person who sold it knew the phone was still under warranty) i sent it in and they replaced it with a brand new phone. I bought it cheap on ebay & got a brand new phone out of the deal, so i'm quite pleased to say the least.
i sent my phone to sony twice with single warranty.. and for the second time the phone was unlocked.
Sent mine in 1.5 weeks ago because the vibration alert wasn't working correctly anymore - mechanical issue. Would work for a while when applying pressure to the phone at a certain point so obvious loose connection.
Got it back, issue fixed.
Mate of mine has a faulty audio jack. I had made him a little guide what to do since I did the process before. Might as well share it here. We live in the Netherlands.
Hi,
These are the steps you will have to do to get your phone fixed. Good luck.
1. Make an account on this page
https://account.sonymobile.com/nl-NL/#/signin
2. Find your IMEI number of the phone. This you can find*
Settings>About Phone>IMEI information
3. Register your product on the sony website
4. click on support, there it will show your warranty period. (mine says*GARANTIE VOOR: 05/01/2017)
5. send an email to*[email protected]*and specify your problem and the following details:
problem:*
faulty audio jack
Model:*
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
IMEI:
phone number:*
address:*
6. Wait for the service ticket, and send it to sony. 1-2 weeks.
Doei!
I had to send my phone two times. First time the sd card slot spring had problems. The second time was also about the audio jack, which sony bricked during the first repair. Ever since the back panel doesn't stay put. Still, all other internals got fixed. All without a proof of receipt. This is a second hand phone.
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
Success story here in the UK too.
Magnetic charge port got pulled out of my Z3 compact by the Magnector X-202 charger (had been using it for a year) was still within my 2 year warranty. Sent off to Sony and they collected it, replaced the screen (even though there was nothing wrong with it) & the whole casing and sent it back all within 7 days. I thought they'd just stick another magentic charge port in and be done with it. Don't know if it's a coincidence or not but the audio sound louder and better since the repair too, but that might just be due to using my old HTC Desire as a temporary phone.
Very happy with the service.
I had a similar success replacing mine after it got water in it despite all the flaps being closed. It was still within warranty. It took a few weeks because it needed to be tested, but they honored it and sent me a new unit. I suspect it was because I also had a Magnector charger that pulled the magnetic charge port out of the phone. Probably broke the water-tight sealing. All things considered, even if you don't know if it will be covered, go ahead and ask anyway. You might be surprised.
Hey,
also a success here. Send in for warranty with a fault headphone jack, low volume Speakers and a Connection error from pc to phone. Got a complete new model (ist also locked ) yeah
I purchased the phone from Sony Online in Dec-2014 w/ 2yr extended warranty, phone back is now separating from phone. I emailed Sony Support, they said phone was past warranty (WTF?). I phoned them, support said they don't have enough parts to fix phone so they will buy out my 2yr warranty. I'm getting my $$$ back.
itsmeinarizona said:
I purchased the phone from Sony Online in Dec-2014 w/ 2yr extended warranty, phone back is now separating from phone. I emailed Sony Support, they said phone was past warranty (WTF?). I phoned them, support said they don't have enough parts to fix phone so they will buy out my 2yr warranty. I'm getting my $$$ back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you plan to fix your phone, or will you just use the money toward an upgrade?
Sent from the only flagship device that can fit in my hand... Sony Experia Z3 Compact
PuffDaddy_d said:
How do you plan to fix your phone, or will you just use the money toward an upgrade?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I respect Sony Support (they treated my right on PS2, Camera and now Phone). That's why I went with a Sony phone. Not sure when I'll replace my phone, the case holds it together. I figure it'll be good for 2 more months .... see what new phones are out.
I also sent my phone for repairs on July 13, 2016.
The SD card socket was broken mechanically, the memory cards wouldn't stay inside.
They sent me a completely new unit on July 26, 2016 after only 10 working days.
Since now they're selling the Z5, I think they prefer just to send a new Z3C than to waste time trying to solder/desolder parts.
Ketoth said:
I also sent my phone for repairs on July 13, 2016.
The SD card socket was broken mechanically, the memory cards wouldn't stay inside.
They sent me a completely new unit on July 26, 2016 after only 10 working days.
Since now they're selling the Z5, I think they prefer just to send a new Z3C than to waste time trying to solder/desolder parts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky for you...I have the same problem and they ain't doing sh*t about it...in Kuwait btw...where r u located?mine is still under warranty btw....
subinsg said:
Lucky for you...I have the same problem and they ain't doing sh*t about it...in Kuwait btw...where r u located?mine is still under warranty btw....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in Germany... but did you apply directly from the Sony Mobile website? (link here)
I registered my phone online with the IMEI when I bought it.
Then I just logged in, clicked "Repair" under my devices and they sent a box directly to my house.
I packaged the device, sent it by post and they notified me when they received it.
Hopefully you can also get good service over there!
Good luck
Ketoth said:
I'm in Germany... but did you apply directly from the Sony Mobile website? (link here)
I registered my phone online with the IMEI when I bought it.
Then I just logged in, clicked "Repair" under my devices and they sent a box directly to my house.
I packaged the device, sent it by post and they notified me when they received it.
Hopefully you can also get good service over there!
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So much for online repair...?
My magnetic charge port has come out again after being repaired in April this year. Sending it off for repair again, hopefully will go as smoothly as last time.

Categories

Resources