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My sprint store won't replace my Hero with dust under the screen >_<
So if I brick it, they will, correct?
Would brick by pulling battery during radio update or something.
Yeah...this is against your contract and such...if they can prove you bricked it they can say no...
This is incredibly unethical and results in higher costs for all of us. I understand you're upset that you have dust under your screen, but intentionally bricking your phone to get a replacement, that cost only gets passed on to everyone else.
I guess that you could argue that the product was defective and they ought to replace it anyway, but a little dust under the screen isn't the end of the world is it? I've got chipped paint on my back button and the case has a small crack where the mini-usb plugs in, should I brick my phone just to fix those minor issues?
ASULutzy said:
This is incredibly unethical and results in higher costs for all of us. I understand you're upset that you have dust under your screen, but intentionally bricking your phone to get a replacement, that cost only gets passed on to everyone else.
I guess that you could argue that the product was defective and they ought to replace it anyway, but a little dust under the screen isn't the end of the world is it? I've got chipped paint on my back button and the case has a small crack where the mini-usb plugs in, should I brick my phone just to fix those minor issues?
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I'm completely OCD about these things. Once I notice an issue that I didn't cause, it bothers the complete hell out of me.
Just take it to a local repair shop and pay the cost to have it cleaned/screen replaced.
intx said:
I'm completely OCD about these things. Once I notice an issue that I didn't cause, it bothers the complete hell out of me.
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Asides from all of that, as already mentioned this is unethical, and also illegal, you would be committing fraud. This is something in the same vein as insurance fraud. I don't condone such things. There are guides on the internet on how to openup your phone and clean out the dust, probably guides on how to stop it from happening again, look them up and give that a shot if the dust bothers you so much.
rayborn said:
Just take it to a local repair shop and pay the cost to have it cleaned/screen replaced.
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I absolutely refuse to pay extra money to fix a defect in a phone I've only had for a few months.
So take it to a Sprint shop and they'll blow out the dust for free.
intx said:
I absolutely refuse to pay extra money to fix a defect in a phone I've only had for a few months.
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Then open ur phone and clean it urself, seriously why do ppl think their entitled to sh*t nowadays? if you can flash ur phone then open the shell and clean it out.
entropism said:
So take it to a Sprint shop and they'll blow out the dust for free.
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He said he did that and they wouldnt.
How do u guys get dust under the screen? Om. Truck driver and see tje worst conditions ever, from scorching heat to freezing cold with everything in between n my phone still looks bew after a few months and many drops andi cary it in my pocket.
I would have to agree that the best option, (being money free) is to follow a guide to open up your phone and cleaning it yourself unless of course you would be voiding your warranty. However that seems to be not the case here.
to brick it, flash a gsm radio or rom. BUT "if" they catch it you will be charged for a new phone.
Nate14 said:
I would have to agree that the best option, (being money free) is to follow a guide to open up your phone and cleaning it yourself unless of course you would be voiding your warranty. However that seems to be not the case here.
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no need to clean it, just call sprint and they will send you another phone. i did and i got a new one a week ago. sprint knows about the dust defect.
Uhmmm. The answer to your question is yes. The bricked hero is going to go into a bucket of hero's at the HTC repair center and probably be recycled. There is no forensics team waiting to check every phone because of HOW it got screwed. I would keep it all stock though so if they do read it they wont see something that hasnt been released yet.
I would say the radio update trick may brick it but it would be best if the phone didnt even power on.
Also, don't feel bad. I am ocd about this stuff too and if I had dust under the screen in one hand, and a company like sprint trying back out of responsibility in the other, I would do the same thing. I could go on and on but its up to you to decide what the "right thing" to do is. And I personally feel that they should cover this stuff, so I have no moral or ethical problems with forcing a company to own up and care about their customers. Just be sure to take it to a sprint store you have never been to before.
FYI- I am a Sprint employee.. and I can tell you that as long as you're going to a COMPANY OWNED Sprint store, they will clean the dust out for you at no charge since you're still in warranty. If they do not, ask for a manager and let them know you don't want to have to email [email protected] (yes this actually works, and his executive escalation office really does read these emails.) If it is a repeated issue, they will eventually replace the phone for you, but it will likely be a reconditioned model (which are just as good as new.) The Hero comes apart very very easily and is very simple to clean. Good luck!
a99tandem said:
FYI- I am a Sprint employee.. and I can tell you that as long as you're going to a COMPANY OWNED Sprint store, they will clean the dust out for you at no charge since you're still in warranty. If they do not, ask for a manager and let them know you don't want to have to email [email protected] (yes this actually works, and his executive escalation office really does read these emails.) If it is a repeated issue, they will eventually replace the phone for you, but it will likely be a reconditioned model (which are just as good as new.) The Hero comes apart very very easily and is very simple to clean. Good luck!
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sprint tried to clean my dust but refused to take apart the hero in fear of breaking it or getting fingerprints on the lcd. the blew out what they could and hooked me up with a new phone, no questions asked.
flexgrip said:
Uhmmm. The answer to your question is yes. The bricked hero is going to go into a bucket of hero's at the HTC repair center and probably be recycled. There is no forensics team waiting to check every phone because of HOW it got screwed. I would keep it all stock though so if they do read it they wont see something that hasnt been released yet.
I would say the radio update trick may brick it but it would be best if the phone didnt even power on.
Also, don't feel bad. I am ocd about this stuff too and if I had dust under the screen in one hand, and a company like sprint trying back out of responsibility in the other, I would do the same thing. I could go on and on but its up to you to decide what the "right thing" to do is. And I personally feel that they should cover this stuff, so I have no moral or ethical problems with forcing a company to own up and care about their customers. Just be sure to take it to a sprint store you have never been to before.
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In other words, your telling him its ok to commit fraud, which is a felony. Its because of people like you, that a cell phone costs $500, pc's cost $1000's, insurance rates are high, health care is so expensive, etc.......Fraud accounts for probably a good majority of the cost of products and services. Imagine what it would be like if everybody actually took responsibility for their actions...Ah well..that'll never happen in this society that thinks it's entitled to everything for free.......
intx said:
My sprint store won't replace my Hero with dust under the screen >_<
So if I brick it, they will, correct?
Would brick by pulling battery during radio update or something.
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Use the OPEN enrollment on sprint to get TEP. (they have special now till the end of the month).. then take it in have them 'diagnose' it, and the worse case you pay 50 deductible to get it replaced, keep TEP until your satisfied.
I can usually get out of the TEP deductible by just going to a repair center and waiting for them to fix it.
Maybe that will work.. I had gone through 8 sprint moguls on TEP and never once had to pay the deductible by doing things this way.
TEP on smartphones is $100 not $50 deductible.
OK, first off... The OP never said he tried to fix it, he said he tried to REPLACE it. For all we know, he didn't go to a corporate repair store, just a sales location.
Second, for Fixxxer: if you went to a repair store and they felt uncomfortable opening up your hero? Change stores IMMEDIATELY. They're trained and paid to open up phones, if they can't do that, they're worthless.
Finally, Kkruse: The deductible is $100, hasn't been $50 for smartphones in over a year. Besides, a deductible should only be used for the following: Water damage, physical damage (I'd rather pay $120 on the spot to get it fixed), theft/loss, fire damage, complete devastation (aka motherboard shattered into more than 2 pieces). If you use the deductible for dust, send me the $100 instead, it'll get more use. Half of your insurance goes to free in store repairs. Guess what dust is covered under?
Edit-D'oh. I failed searching. I somehow missed the 3 existing posts about square trade warranties for the nexus one. *sigh* I blame sleep dep and the 15 hour shift at work I just finished. Well, hey, it's more confirmation that square trade covers it, even if it apparently is MUCH cheaper to go with your existing home insurance company.
So, I'm almost certainly getting a nexus one in a month. However, I was very worried about possibly not having a warranty for it, due to the 'warranty void if phone unlocked' thing. I know some people have gotten HTC to fix manufacturing defects, but it worried me. I buy warranties for most of my portable electronics from Square Trade, so I emailed them to ask if their warranty covers unlocked Nexus Ones, and it does! I priced the warranty on their website, and it's $115 for a 2 year warranty that also covers accidental damage (tho with a $50 deductible for accident claims). And, if they can't fix any problems within 5 days, they refund you the purchase price of the phone! You've got 90 days from date of purchase to get a warranty from square trade.
So, for those of us who want to root our nexus ones, but want to still be covered by a warranty, this seems like an awesome option! I've included the text of the email exchange with Square Trade below!
Hel
Edit-If you've got another insurance policy/warranty for your nexus one, post the details here! What it cost, what it covers, how they handle claims, whatever info you've got!
Hello *****,
Thank you for contacting SquareTrade.
We offer coverage for unlocked cell phones, regardless of condition (New, Used, or Refurbished).
This offer of coverage is specific to software unlocked phones. We do not offer coverage for hardware unlocked cell phones (that is, any phone where the hardware has been modified by an unauthorized 3rd party to unlock the phone).
Hope that answers your question! You can also reply to this email or call 1-877-WARRANTY (1-877-927-7268) US & Canada only, 24/7.
Thank you,
JP
SquareTrade Care Specialist
re: Ticket [**********]
Your comment:
If I were to purchase a square trade warranty for a nexus one phone, and unlocked the nexus one, which voids the manufacturer warranty (except sometimes the manufacturer will still honor the warranty for hardware defects, according to online forums), would the square trade warranty still cover any hardware defects or physical accidental damage to the phone? Thanks!
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well, thats way more expensive than my 0 deductible, $60 policy from state farm for two years....
Red MacGregor said:
well, thats way more expensive than my 0 deductible, $60 policy from state farm for two years....
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ooo, that's inexpensive! I like inexpensive! What's the state farm policy cover? Accidental Damage? Normal wear? battery? Can anyone get one, or do you have to already be a state farm policy holder? Do they give a full price refund, or just replace/repair?
i was already with state farm for other stuff so i'm not sure about that... any major insurance agency will have a similar policy, so if you're with farmers, geico, progressive, whatever for your homeowners/car/renters/whatever policy, I'd call them first for the multiline discount.
they just cut you a check for whatever you make the insurance for... i made mine for $600 to cover the phone & MicroSD card. if something, ANYTHING, including flashing a bad radio and bricking it happens, you call 'em, they send you a check. even if you used the phone to shim the jack when changing a tire, it's covered.
Interesting! I have "progressive" renter's insurance, tho it's actually from a company called homesite. I know we pay an extra $12 a year for computer coverage. I'll have to call them and find out if we've got cell phone coverage, and if not, how much it'd be. Thanks for the info!
So my EVO's charging port is messed up and loose and i have to put pressure on the charging cable for it to recognize it and charge.
My question is this...since this is a hardware problem, should I worry about trying to unroot it and such, or just let it be? Obviously, it being rooted is not the reason for the hardware failure. I have the best buy "no questions asked" warranty, not the Sprint. Just wanted to see if anybody had been in a similar situation to me. Thanks
Also, is there something I should look for if I do get a replacement as to better screens and or builds?
Sent from my Baked Snack using XDA App
I would put it back to stock and take it to a Sprint Store. (Don't tell them you have the Best Buy insurance) If they decide it's a warranty issue, you will likely get a new phone on the spot if they have any in stock. If they don't have any, they can order you a new one. If they say it's "damage" and not covered under warranty, then take it to Best Buy. Just be aware that you will probably be without your phone for about a month if you take it to Best Buy.
...it's white. Does that change anything with sprint? Why does it take a month from best buy? Stock issues?
Sent from my Baked Snack EVO using XDA App
well with best buy rather than fixing it right then and there they ship it off to get reapired and you have to wait for it to come back
Oh I see, so do you all feel it's unnecessary to have the best buy warranty. It's $10 opposed to sprints like $7 I believe.
Also, if I just do the OTA .29 will it unroot me and I be GTG? Thanks
Sent from my Baked Snack EVO using XDA App
i know with the sprint insurance it covers Damage beyond repair/water damage and lost/stolen still worth having and it extends the manufacturers warranty.
don't know about unroot.
Sprint might call it physical damage. We have certain criteria to label it as that but from what you're describing its very possible the local sprint store will call that physical damage. Definitely return phone to stock though... good luck hope you get new one
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
here is how it works
As far as the whole root thing, it depends on the geek squad agent that you are dealing with. Some can say no you are rooted please GTFO or some can just help you as they understand
They will type your warranty information into the computer and it will tell them whether to ship it or to replace immediately. With the evo it is currently shipping to this cell repair service center and it takes about a month for it to get fixed. You do NOT get a loaner. Well you can, but you have to pay 100 dollars and you give the phone back and get your money back.
I'd look at your bestbuy receipt and see if there are any serial numbers on there related to your EVO phone. If not, then take it to sprint as they may do an on the spot exchange. Make sure you get the same type of phone (IE white/black)
BestBuy warranty is good mostly for accidental damage as you don't have to pay 100 dollars but the 1 month long wait is sucks.
One cool thing though, is say a year and a half from now you do something to your phone and it is not fixable (Non economical), guess what happens?
You get to get a new phone that is "same technology switch".
i know someone who has an HD2 and it broke, and they get to get the phone's value. They paid 200 dollars but that is contract price, instead they got 499 credit to any new phone which they got the TMOBILE VIBRANT
That is why bestbuy's warranty is good.
Man just take that **** back to best buy I took mine back with a different ROM they dont check!
amirborna said:
here is how it works
One cool thing though, is say a year and a half from now you do something to your phone and it is not fixable (Non economical), guess what happens?
You get to get a new phone that is "same technology switch".
i know someone who has an HD2 and it broke, and they get to get the phone's value. They paid 200 dollars but that is contract price, instead they got 499 credit to any new phone which they got the TMOBILE VIBRANT
That is why bestbuy's warranty is good.
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This is not accurate information. while part of it is that if your phone is uneconomical or unrepairable you will get a new one that is a switch for like technology.... It does not mean you get the price you paid for it credit to do what you will. while this sometimes happens i wouldn't expect it.
What you get for your warranty if they cant repair it is a phone that has similar features to an evo. So if in 1.5 years from now they dont have the evo and they have a phone with comparable features to the evo for 100$ you will get the 100$ phone. you wont get the 500$ non contract price the evo cost now to pick out a phone as you choose.
this goes for all best buy warranties it guarantees if they cant fix it you will get a product with COMPARABLE FEATURES it doesn't guarantee price. many many many people have gotten angry over this in stores when i ran a geek squad when they bought something (say a laptop) for 1700$ and 2.5 years later get a laptop that cost 600$ that while still better then the one they had ... isnt the 1700$ laptop they want.
So i wouldn't go in expecting 500$ if you have a warranty like the above poster tries to imply. i would expect a phone comparable to the evo (if it costs 500$ then great but in a few years it is doubtful).
Ok, confused on what to do. Mine is white and I know when i got it that it was a best buy exclusive color, but wondering if any sprint stores have them now. I don't want to walk in a sprint store and feel like a fool when they say 'bro, this is obviously a best buy phone..take it there'
I would love to not have to wait a month for a new phone, but I will do whatever I have to I guess
Sent from my Baked Snack EVO using XDA App
i was told this when i got my best buy insurance.
even if i had scratches on my phone they would give me a brand new one no questions asked. its insurance not a warranty
the only time you would have to wait is if the screen is cracked then they ship it out
just tell them the charging port is broken and if they have it in stock they should give you one right then and there
patcat2 said:
i was told this when i got my best buy insurance.
even if i had scratches on my phone they would give me a brand new one no questions asked. its insurance not a warranty
the only time you would have to wait is if the screen is cracked then they ship it out
just tell them the charging port is broken and if they have it in stock they should give you one right then and there
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they say a lot of things but did you read the brochure they gave you for your insurance? It specifically says int he brochure that they have the right to try and repair any defects. The reason most people get screwed on "insurance" from stores etc is because they listen to a sales person and dont read the information packet. i suggest you take a look at it sometime it is eye opening for what it covers and what they are required to do and many times is vastly different then what you are told when you buy it sadly.
I wont go as far as to say they are all crap but i will say they arent normally as great as many sales people will have you believe and you should read and decide if you are ok with the actual coverage and not what thy told you because when it comes time to use it .. they are going to go by what is written and NOT what was told to you
just saying
im actually friends with the kid and he takes advantage of his insurance as well hes returned 13 iphones from best buy. 2 of the times he bricked his device.
IF for some reason they dont take your device back throw it against a wall and wait the 2 weeks for one to be shipped to you but i highly recommend telling them about the charger port i can guarantee you will get a new one
you are paying for the insurance you should take advantage for it
and yes i did read the brochure. i dont sign contracts and not read them.
Coverage: This Plan covers parts and labor costs to repair your product in the event your product fails to properly operate due to:
a) a defect in materials and workmanship;
b) normal wear and tear;
c) dust, internal overheating, internal humidity/condensation;
d) a power surge/fluctuation.
e) defective pixels for those products that have a pixel-based display. Pixel repair will be based upon three (3) defective pixels located in a group less than
one half (1/2) square inch or five (5) defective pixels throughout the entire display area.
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your charging port problem falls into categories A and/or B maybe even D.. it is non-repairable so they will give you a new device right there
awesome..i am going to take it by there tonight as it is ROOTED/ROM'd and see if they can replace it on the spot for the problem i have. It is a legit problem as well, i do not remember hitting it or pressure applied to it for it to be broken. Obviously there was some pressure at some point to break it, but i just know i looked at it one day when i took it off the charger and it wasn't charged and that got me looking to see what was wrong.
Thanks everyone for the input. I will update everyone after I stop in BB
Best Buy is garbage.
I like best buy.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
How can you say it is non repairable? talked to friends that currently still work for geeksquad (i used to run the geeksquad near me before i moved off to better pastures in the it world) and they say the evo is not a devo item (if you dont know what that means a devo item will never be repaired they ship it back to the manufacturer) and that currently the procedure is to ship them out to the repair center and then if the repair center deems it not fixable they will replace it.
even in the portion you copied and pasted in it says they will try to fix it. I am not sure where you are getting your information that it is not repairable or what makes you think that they wont try to repair it.
you kinda proved my point with the copy and paste about repair so i will leave it at that. your assumptions after that they will automatically replace it like i said may happen however there is a very good chance it wont and they are not required to by their "insurance" which is in fact a warranty no matter what they or you want to call it. you should stick to advising based off what the document says and not what you have heard from a sales person or a friend because each store is different and heck each employee/manager is different and the only thing that will hold true is what is written in the brochure as that is all they are currently required to do to fulfill their end
So one has to think, this Best Buy insurance is a bunch of ****. Pay Sprint the 7 bucks and tell BB to f' themselves.
well for service i think you will get quicker service from sprint insurance.
the con is 7 dollars a month for 2-3 years is a lot more then you pay for best buy service and yous till have to pay 100$ for the replacement though it does cover being lost and stolen as best buys does not.
so it depends on what is important to you. There are times you COULD get an instant replacement of your phone through best buy it just inst the norm and not required so even if you do once doesnt mean you will again and also doesnt mean just because one phone is flagged for auto replacement that all phones are. which is what i was trying to point out.
i personally go with sprints over bst buys but mainly because it covers the phone if it is lost/stolen. if i didnt care about that it is a toss up. At least some best buys let you "rent" a loaner phone while its shipped out. if you phone is completely dead though sprints you get nothing till you get the new phone.
I found out some info from TMO customer care yesterday that is interesting and worth knowing.
TMO cut the cost to replace a rooted vibrant down to $115 on April 1st, but the insurance still costs $130. So if anyone finds themselves in my situation (totally and utterly bricked in every sense of the word and still rooted) or a similar situation, it would actually be cheaper to just send it in without insurance, even if the damage indicator is red.
However, if they don't get the phone back within 7 days, then the price is still $455 to replace the phone.
This info is for T-Mobile USA. I have no idea if international branches of T-Mobile have adopted the same policy, and I have no idea if this applies to other phones as well (I am just restating what the customer care rep told me.)
So I can crack my screen completely and it will only cost 115 still? Or is that just for rooted devices? Because if you hard-brick the device, TMobile has no way of knowing that it was rooting considering they can't even turn it on.
Also just got mail that the insurance is increasing by $2 to $7.99 but you get free Mobile Security from Asurion included in that....Samsung Vibrant is only included in PLAN D of the insurance which is $130 deductible and a claim limit amount of $1000.
Confused. So hypothetically if I destroy my phone to the point it doesn't even power on, I can call them and send it in to get a refurb one for $115?
Does it apply only if its bricked? If it's broken physically...like screen or something internal, can I still do that?
Mine says LOSS THEFT DAMAGE or MALFUNCTION...Drop in water COVERED..Keypad stop working COVERED..etc etc..
Okay, I can see how my 1st post could have been a little confusing. Here's what you should do if you need to send in your vibrant.
First and foremost, if you CAN flash back to stock, DO IT. That is still the only sure-fire way of not having to pay anything and still get a new/refurbished Vibrant out of it.
Second, T-Mobile will charge you the $115 if they find that the phone has hardware damage (red damage indicator, damaged screen, exc.), but can still be repaired. So, if your phone has a cracked screen, for example, it's a better idea to send it in without insurance because insurance costs $130 plus an additional $8 per month. (NOTE: The FFC mod is an irreversible mod. You have cracked open the phone and therefore T-Mobile considers that "physical damage." You cannot swap out the camera for the stock one and re-paint the camera hole and lens.)
Third, T-Mobile will charge you the $115 if they find that the phone has been rooted or modded in any way in terms of software.
However, the chances of T-Mobile finding anything out about software modification is unlikely. At the T-Mobile processing center, they have some magic way of taking out the internal SD card without triggering the damage indicator. After they have done that, what they are SUPPOSED to do is attempt to find any data on the internal SD card that would reveal whether the phone was rooted or not (working superuser app, exc.). However, this process is long, tedious and boring as hell so what a lot of employees do is just skip the part where they examine the internal SD card and just format the thing without looking at it. To prove it, when I sent in that hard-bricked vibrant, it had a GT-I9000 bootloader on it plus CM7 and numerous ROM.zip files on it. I was not charged anything for that Vibrant.
Moral of the story: Don't buy the insurance for the Samsung Vibrant under any circumstances. Unless it goes down in price (which I seriously doubt it will), it is a complete waste of money. You will save money by going uninsured. Also, don't freak out if your Vibrant has software on it that you can't get rid of for some reason. In all likelihood, T-Mobile won't find anything.
Second moral of the story: DO NOT think that you will only get charged $115 if you choose NOT to send the broken Vibrant back to T-Mobile. They will charge you the ridiculous amount of approximately $455.18.
P.S. If anyone finds out the way that T-Mobile is able to open up the phone without tripping the damage indicator, PLEASE TELL US! If that info gets out, then I will do that FFC mod so fast you won't know what hit you!
I just walked in my tmobil store and told them my phone was messing up. And they sent me a new one. No cost at all to me except for that 8.00. So in my opinion insurance is good. For us if we have the old insurance is fantastic.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Do you get a brand new phone as a replacement if you have insurance?
Refurbished, most likely previous phones that were sent in from people like yourself and fixed up.
yah mine was refurbished, but brand spanking new! in my opinion the insurance is the best deal tmobile has!
I actually prefer the refurbished units since they are actually tested and everything should work on it (including GPS, mine locks 8 birds within 3 seconds).
30000 said:
Okay, I can see how my 1st post could have been a little confusing. Here's what you should do if you need to send in your vibrant.
First and foremost, if you CAN flash back to stock, DO IT. That is still the only sure-fire way of not having to pay anything and still get a new/refurbished Vibrant out of it.
Second, T-Mobile will charge you the $115 if they find that the phone has hardware damage (red damage indicator, damaged screen, exc.), but can still be repaired. So, if your phone has a cracked screen, for example, it's a better idea to send it in without insurance because insurance costs $130 plus an additional $8 per month. (NOTE: The FFC mod is an irreversible mod. You have cracked open the phone and therefore T-Mobile considers that "physical damage." You cannot swap out the camera for the stock one and re-paint the camera hole and lens.)
Third, T-Mobile will charge you the $115 if they find that the phone has been rooted or modded in any way in terms of software.
However, the chances of T-Mobile finding anything out about software modification is unlikely. At the T-Mobile processing center, they have some magic way of taking out the internal SD card without triggering the damage indicator. After they have done that, what they are SUPPOSED to do is attempt to find any data on the internal SD card that would reveal whether the phone was rooted or not (working superuser app, exc.). However, this process is long, tedious and boring as hell so what a lot of employees do is just skip the part where they examine the internal SD card and just format the thing without looking at it. To prove it, when I sent in that hard-bricked vibrant, it had a GT-I9000 bootloader on it plus CM7 and numerous ROM.zip files on it. I was not charged anything for that Vibrant.
Moral of the story: Don't buy the insurance for the Samsung Vibrant under any circumstances. Unless it goes down in price (which I seriously doubt it will), it is a complete waste of money. You will save money by going uninsured. Also, don't freak out if your Vibrant has software on it that you can't get rid of for some reason. In all likelihood, T-Mobile won't find anything.
Second moral of the story: DO NOT think that you will only get charged $115 if you choose NOT to send the broken Vibrant back to T-Mobile. They will charge you the ridiculous amount of approximately $455.18.
P.S. If anyone finds out the way that T-Mobile is able to open up the phone without tripping the damage indicator, PLEASE TELL US! If that info gets out, then I will do that FFC mod so fast you won't know what hit you!
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Well I didn't get insurance to replace my phone in case of damage via rooting. I got insurance to repalce my phone if I lose it, drop it in water, or if it gets stolen.
Also, what damage indicator are you talking about?
anthonys2r said:
Refurbished, most likely previous phones that were sent in from people like yourself and fixed up.
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Thanks, I have the insurance but haven't used yet. If you get a refurbished phone after paying deductible then its not with it for me, might just cancel mine
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
SamsungVibrant said:
Also, what damage indicator are you talking about?
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it's the liquid damage indicator. it's the white square underneath the battery right by the battery connection. it turns red if it gets wet.
VICosPhi said:
Thanks, I have the insurance but haven't used yet. If you get a refurbished phone after paying deductible then its not with it for me, might just cancel mine
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If you pay deductible, you get a new phone not refurb. Only time you might get refurb is when you do a warranty exchange. Warranty exchanges are at no cost. Insurance is 7.99 a month but like any insurance, its there in case you need it. You loose, break, get it wet or it gets stolen then you are covered. Just like car insurance, you could pay insurance for years and never use it, but then again if you are in a wreck or it gets stolen, then you are happy u did. Without insurance, you are screwed. Remember warranty is only for a year w/o extended warranty. Insurance extends your warranty for life of phone
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+1 on what he said!
funeralthirst said:
it's the liquid damage indicator. it's the white square underneath the battery right by the battery connection. it turns red if it gets wet.
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I know about the liquid indicator, but that's not what 30000 was talking about. 30000 was talking about a different damage indicator.
30000 said:
30000 said:
At the T-Mobile processing center, they have some magic way of taking out the internal SD card without triggering the damage indicator.
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What damage indicator?
Marvlet said:
If you pay deductible, you get a new phone not refurb. Only time you might get refurb is when you do a warranty exchange. Warranty exchanges are at no cost. Insurance is 7.99 a month but like any insurance, its there in case you need it. You loose, break, get it wet or it gets stolen then you are covered. Just like car insurance, you could pay insurance for years and never use it, but then again if you are in a wreck or it gets stolen, then you are happy u did. Without insurance, you are screwed. Remember warranty is only for a year w/o extended warranty. Insurance extends your warranty for life of phone
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This is not true, there is a 95% chance that you will get a refurb. All T-mobile reps will tell you that you will either get a refurbished or new device. They will also tell you right after that, that you will most likely get a refurb. I've talked to them for hours and fought with supervisors and such just trying NOT to get a refurb. I know most people think that the refurbished phones are inspected, this is also a load of bs. They are not inspected, they fix the problem that was there and make sure that and ONLY that is fixed. They do not check any other part of the phone.
mugenfiji0327 said:
This is not true, there is a 95% chance that you will get a refurb. All T-mobile reps will tell you that you will either get a refurbished or new device. They will also tell you right after that, that you will most likely get a refurb. I've talked to them for hours and fought with supervisors and such just trying NOT to get a refurb. I know most people think that the refurbished phones are inspected, this is also a load of bs. They are not inspected, they fix the problem that was there and make sure that and ONLY that is fixed. They do not check any other part of the phone.
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Insurance and warranty exchange are 2 different things. With warranty exchange its new or refurb, cant guarantee one or the other. Most times its refurb. With insurance which is NOT thru T-mobile but thru Assurion, when you file a claim and pay the deductible, you get a new phone.
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Marvlet said:
Insurance and warranty exchange are 2 different things. With warranty exchange its new or refurb, cant guarantee one or the other. Most times its refurb. With insurance which is NOT thru T-mobile but thru Assurion, when you file a claim and pay the deductible, you get a new phone.
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Nope failed again. I will call Asurion right now and go through the process of having my phone replaced and record it just to prove it to you if you would like me to. They do not send out new products man, I know this for a fact. Think about it man, if they sent out new devices everytime someone called in for a problem, none of the companies involved would make any money on that phone which is what they want, MONEY. That includes T-mobile, Asurion and Samsung. Every electronics store I have ever bought from uses them as their insurance program. Best Buy,Verizon,T-Mobile etc. Every time I've had something replaced through any of those companys it has and ALWAYS WILL BE a refurb. I work for Verizon and guess what, everytime someone comes in for us to call Asurion for them or even if they call themselves they still get a REFURB. I used to work for Best Buy and on top of that I worked in the Geek Squad for Best Buy and did most of the insurance claims when people came through. Guess what, all of my customers got REFURBS. I'm done arguing with you and I think I have made my point.
I see a lot of misinformation being thrown around, so I'll just compile this little FAQ on how everything actually works. Feel free to point out anything I've left or any mistakes you think I may have made.
Q: What exactly is "Sprint insurance"?
A: Sprint TEP insurance is a combination of two things, ESRP and ERP. ESRP stands for Equipment Service and Repair Plan. ERP stands for Equipment Replacement Plan.
Q: So what's the difference?
A: ESRP is anything in a Sprint repair location. Including but not limited to part replacement, software updates, and advanced exchanges. Anything software related (such as updates, resets, etc) are always free. If you do not have ESRP or the full TEP, you may be charged $35 to replace a part or exchange the device.
ERP is everything else outside of that, which is handled by Asurion. This includes lost/stolen, liquid damaged, and physically damaged beyond repair. Depending on the type of device, there would be a $50 or $100 deductible to replace it. Usually, the replacement device is overnighted to you.
Q: So about the Evo and it's charging port, what is that covered under?
A: It depends. The technician would have to take it apart and look at it. If the charge port is broken cleanly free from the board, it's a known issue and can be replaced free of charge, even without TEP/ESRP. If the solder joints appear damaged and circuit board is peeled, it is not covered in-store and you would be referred to Asurion for ERP.
Q: Cracked screen?
A: No longer covered under ESRP, as per policy. Referred to Asurion. Sometimes a one-time courtesy screen replacement can be done, but the ESRP/TEP rules also apply in terms of a $35 charge.
Q: But what about warranty?
A: Warranty only applies to one thing in terms of Sprint: Batteries. 1 year after the initial activation of the device, a defective battery may be exchanged. After that one year, the system will not populate a replacement battery. As far as anything else with the actual device, the manufacturer warranty is not honored. If you think your problem would be covered under the warranty, you would have to contact the manufacturer, not Sprint.
Q: I'm paying $7 (soon $8) a month for insurance, why should I have to pay a deductible to get a replacement?
A: It works the same way as car insurance. If you damage your car, they don't just fix it or total it without a deductible. You're getting a "like new" device, for at least half (in terms of the Evo) of the original price. It doesn't matter what price you initially paid for it, you're not paying for a new one. Some times new ones do come, consider yourself lucky if so.
Q: Why does one store tell you one thing, then another store tell you another?
A: Every store is different. Each is bound by policy, called Methods & Procedues. However, there is some flexibility underneath that. Depending on the situation, it also may depend on who exactly you speak to in the store. From my experience, it happens most often with customer care/tech support and corporate retail locations. 3rd party dealers (preferred/co-branded/etc) have a lot stricter guidelines and therefore cannot operate with as much flexibility.
The one thing customers hate the most is the "run around" feeling. I cannot count the numerous times that a customer has called into Care to be told one thing, only to be told no in my store because we simply cannot do that. One good example is "Sure, just go into that store and they'll give you a brand new Evo out of the box". 1. Our store simply cannot do that, at all, period. 2. Care cannot see that the phone is clearly wet, but the expectation has been set that the customer is getting a brand new phone, so we get a bad score.
Again, this is just a FAQ to clear up any misconceptions. This is not pointed at anyone in general, I just hate when people spout off about things they don't understand.
Thanks for the info. This answered a few questions I had been wondering about.
totally, thank you very much
Sunsparc said:
A: It works the same way as car insurance. If you damage your car, they don't just fix it or total it without a deductible. You're getting a "like new" device, for at least half (in terms of the Evo) of the original price. It doesn't matter what price you initially paid for it, you're not paying for a new one. Some times new ones do come, consider yourself lucky if so.
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I have personally only received a new device from Asurion.
mattykinsx said:
I have personally only received a new device from Asurion.
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You are very lucky then as me and almost everybody I know or have read about got refurbs. Some appeared to have been taken in and then reissued without any repairs having been made. Let's hope your luck holds out.
I hope they ship an unopened, in box, hardware 004 model to me. I cracked the screen 10 ways to Sunday the day before yesterday, and I filed an Asurion claim. Funny thing is, I called and my early upgrade was successful, but after paying $100, I am asking myself, do I really want the EVO 3D? Maybe if I get $150 from the buyback program.......neh......who knows.
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Thanks for the info... Makes me really wonder if it is worth it as you can get a used phone for $200 or so. So if on average you dont use this every year, just better to save the 7-8 a month and the 100 deductible and get a used one as seems you can just get a referb anyway.
ALWAYS treated good with the stores..
faithful customer for 13 years..
wi11ie
My Sprint store opened my phone and the charging port was clearly off the board. They told me I'd have to go through Asurion for a replacement.
Had to pay for screen repair 4 months in (sunspots) $35
My 3G borked 3 weeks ago and ordered a replacement $35.
The replacement came in (refurb) with the same sunspot in the same place (appx). Ordered another replacement, checked two days later, no order made....tech in store made another order, came in two days later with the same defect. Rep gave me a NIB 004 on the spot.
After paying $70 for repairs, I ended up ahead by $14 and a brand new phone for the trouble. Now if I had done something out of the normal 'repair' options, a different story all together on cost.
nyne7lac said:
My Sprint store opened my phone and the charging port was clearly off the board. They told me I'd have to go through Asurion for a replacement.
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Cleanly off or were the solder joints broken and circuit board peeled like I mentioned?
Received my replacement from Asurion today. It is brand new, in the box, with all the accessories. And it still has 2.2 Froyo!!
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Sunsparc said:
Cleanly off or were the solder joints broken and circuit board peeled like I mentioned?
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Not sure. The guy opened the phone and the port fell out. He didn't examine it, he just put the phone back together and said I'd have to go through my insurance. The guy didn't seem very helpful and was borderline rude, not the usual friendly sprint rep/tech. He didn't even look up my account info or anything. he just assumed I had insurance (which I do)
That was back in Alabama. I'm in Iowa now...do you think I should try the store here?
nyne7lac said:
Not sure. The guy opened the phone and the port fell out. He didn't examine it, he just put the phone back together and said I'd have to go through my insurance. The guy didn't seem very helpful and was borderline rude, not the usual friendly sprint rep/tech. He didn't even look up my account info or anything. he just assumed I had insurance (which I do)
That was back in Alabama. I'm in Iowa now...do you think I should try the store here?
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Yeah I would definitely try. Worst case scenario, you have to do what's already been said. No harm in trying again.
You are mistaken. When under warranty they will replace it. If they don't it will be 1 phone call away to corporate!
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novanosis85 said:
You are mistaken. When under warranty they will replace it. If they don't it will be 1 phone call away to corporate!
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When under warranty what?
Sunsparc said:
When under warranty what?
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If no actual cosmetic damages then it will be covered and sprint will exchange the phone.
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novanosis85 said:
If no actual cosmetic damages then it will be covered and sprint will exchange the phone.
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Like I said, warranty has nothing to do with it. Sure, Sprint will exchange the phone, but the $35 applies if you don't have insurance. Lost/stolen, liquid and physical damage aside.
Sunsparc said:
Like I said, warranty has nothing to do with it. Sure, Sprint will exchange the phone, but the $35 applies if you don't have insurance. Lost/stolen, liquid and physical damage aside.
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Oh yeah.... so why was I not charged?
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novanosis85 said:
Oh yeah.... so why was I not charged?
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Depends on the issue, as stated in the bit about the charging port.