Rant: HTC's Awesome Repair Service - One (M8) General

First off this is going to be a rant so if you guys do not want to read it then I suggest you leave now.
Also let me just clear things up, I am a 17 year old kid that needs his phone as much as possible. I am attached and I am not scared to admit it. I am very very tech savvy and know what I am doing with my phone in terms of flashing ROM's,kernels, recoveries, and rooting. I have been on androids side for over 5 years now and have been through almost every top end device. I have bricked one tablet in my past but noted to never do that again. I pay for all of my devices and work 2 jobs to counter my technology habit.
Story: One night I flashed a CM nightly as I am a pure stock android type of guy. Everything went through fine and I had a usable phone for the next few hours before I fell asleep. At about 4 in the morning I got a text and it woke me up. I went to check it and realized that my phone was incredibly hot so I figured that I would turn it off and turn it back on in about 10 minutes after it is all cooled off and then diagnose the problem. Before shutting off I also checked my battery stats with everything checking out just fine and the battery was sitting at about 65% charged. After the 10 minutes I went to turn on the phone and realized right off the bat that the charging LED was not on. Scared I tried every button combination to turn on the phone with no luck. I tried numerous chargers including my computer to even see if I could adb flash something onto it if it was software oriented with no avail. I officially had a paperweight of a phone and it wouldnt turn on nor charge.
So very frustrated and worried I contacted HTC support via online chat at about 6 my time which is 8 their time. The lady walked me through all the simple button combinations and even though I knew it would do me no good I tried them anyways. After several frustrating minutes we both gave up and the lady was starting to take about 5 minutes in between each response so after the 3 response or so I was even more frustrated. We decide to sign me up for a repair and about half way through the process she asks my age, given I am 17 she cannot finish the process which is understandable. However, this should be one of the very first starting questions rather than down the line when we are half way through the process. I digress, she tells me to call with an adult next time and also tells me about their other 2 repair options that she failed to even mention before, another very frustrating moment. Regardless we end the chat and I call back later.
A few hours later my mother calls HTC support to see what we can do and right off the bat this lady is so much more helpful and quick with her responses really knowing what she is talking about. She covers the other 2 options the person via chat failed to cover along with going very in depth as to how each process works. A $20 option seemed to suit me the best as they send you a phone immediately after receiving your phone sort of like a straight exchange. However, she tells us (My mother and I) that since HTC is running out on parts that this option isnt available at this time and to check back tomorrow as that's when the shipment of parts is coming in. So with our hands tied we hang up and I go about my day phoneless.
Fast forward to today, I go and get a loaner phone from tmobile along with a different sim. They charge me $50 dollars which will be refunded to me once I return the phone but mind you I don't have tons of money so this is an inconvenience. I call HTC again and ask them about their $20 swap option and the guy very enthusiastic gives me the description on how it works. After hearing all this I tell him that is indeed what I want to do and then that's when he tells me that bad news: HTC doesn't have enough inventory to do so leaving me with only one option, send in the phone and wait for the repair and shipping back (10-14 day process). Frustrated and running out of options (literally) I tell him to just do that. He goes over a ton of information in a short amount of time and then emphasizes that they have a very strict warranty and that if they find anything that they can conclude I did to cause the phone a shorter life span than I will be given a quote to fix my phone via email. I finally hang up but am on the edge at this point. If they cannot fix my phone for free I am going to be pissed. It will also mean that they will never receive my service again because I know for a fact that I did not cause this. A thread was made about this same exact problem so I know it wasnt a fault on my end. Regardless, I will keep you all updated.
Sorry I had to rant to someone that gets the absurdity of all this.

mj23kb24 said:
Sorry I had to rant to someone that gets the absurdity of all this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the absurdity? You understood the risks when you unlocked the bootloader; and in fact long before that since you're experienced with modding phones. And if HTC doesn't have inventory for the $20 swap, than there isn't anything they can do about that. Its not like they can make stock magically appear out of nowhere.
Did you try to leave the phone on the wall charger overnight, and see if the charging LED returned or you can power on, or get into bootloader?

redpoint73 said:
What's the absurdity? You understood the risks when you unlocked the bootloader; and in fact long before that since you're experienced with modding phones. And if HTC doesn't have inventory for the $20 swap, than there isn't anything they can do about that. Its not like they can make stock magically appear out of nowhere.
Did you try to leave the phone on the wall charger overnight, and see if the charging LED returned or you can power on, or get into bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just think that if it is purely a hardware issue and they deny me warranty over a software unlock then its bogus. Also I think its sad that a phone company does not have enough inventory.
I did and no power whats so ever. No charging LED and phone just sit off, I would love to even get into the bootloader at this point or to even see any signs of life.

mj23kb24 said:
I just think that if it is purely a hardware issue and they deny me warranty over a software unlock then its bogus. Also I think its sad that a phone company does not have enough inventory.
I did and no power whats so ever. No charging LED and phone just sit off, I would love to even get into the bootloader at this point or to even see any signs of life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Running completely different software on your phone can cause hardware problems. There are so many different variables that could have gone wrong, leading your phone to overheat. Especially considering it was a Nightly.
"...if they find anything that they can conclude I did to cause the phone a shorter life span than I will be given a quote to fix my phone via email."
Overclocking at all will reduce the life span. Which I'm not saying you have, but it's pretty much common practice around here. (I certainly have)
Maybe you should take the warning it gives you about unlocking your phone more seriously. And not blame HTC for wanting to fix a problem you caused.

xxquicksh0txx said:
Running completely different software on your phone can cause hardware problems. There are so many different variables that could have gone wrong, leading your phone to overheat. Especially considering it was a Nightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess so. I just figured that many other HTC phones have had this problem in the past (Including the M8) so it was just something on their end.
Also I have never OC'ed but have UC'ed.

mj23kb24 said:
I just think that if it is purely a hardware issue and they deny me warranty over a software unlock then its bogus. Also I think its sad that a phone company does not have enough inventory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ideologically I agree that they should not deny you warranty for a hardware issue. But its the terms of their warranty and the terms of the bootloader unlock (both of which are spelled out clearly) that you have voided the warranty.
Keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Mhm, stuff like this is a large part of why they try to lock phones down in the first place.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

redpoint73 said:
Ideologically I agree that they should not deny you warranty for a hardware issue. But its the terms of their warranty and the terms of the bootloader unlock (both of which are spelled out clearly) that you have voided the warranty.
Keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do man thanks. Many people have brought up points on here that I was tunnel visioned too. I do still think that it was a rare hardware fluke though.

Thread closed as these are classed as off topic threads,
Many thanks,
Ghost

Related

My Experience with Replacing the Nexus

Hi all,
This is not so much of a ranting thread (although I am really frustrated), but just a gentle reminder to please check your screen for dust, as well as any other known issues BEFORE rooting. Thankfully, I did that, and my phone had dust under the screen UPON arrival. I got it at 2pm, and returned it to HTC by 5pm.
The other problem is, do remember Google takes no responsibility with hardware related issues. As much as I hate it, find HTC. I had a horrible experience with them, and I just want to share it with the rest of you. Also, I'm from Singapore, just in case.
I got my phone at 2PM from DHL, and was really happy about it (who wouldn't)? I opened it, booted it, and it was really fast. Then I checked the screen. There was not one speck, but at least 5 specks of dust under the screen. I immediately called HTC Singapore's hotline, and it was outsourced to another country (I'm guessing China, cause when they called me back it was +86). I can speak Mandarin, but only barely, and it was really difficult trying to tell them my problem in English. They really tried to help, but the communication barrier proved to be very frustrating. In the end, I was told to go down to HTC Care (at Keppel Bay Tower) to return the phone.
At this point in time, I didn't really want to make a huge fuss or anything. **** happens, I can accept that. All I want now is my phone replaced, as quickly as possible. I reached HTC Care around 4.15PM, but was only served at 5PM. Even worse, the staff at HTC Care Singapore had NO idea what to do with the Nexus One. They told me it was dealt differently from other HTC phones. As a consumer, I seriously do not care. I just want my phone fixed/replaced/whatever. I then waited for 20 minutes while they tried to log into the Nexus One system of theirs or something.
As though that was not bad enough, they had no idea what to collect from me. Some of them said I should return only the phone, while others said the entire box set. In the end, I returned the entire box set. They did not even bother to check the contents inside. Also, the courier service used this time is M3 express instead of DHL, and I was not given any tracking number despite them telling me the order has already been placed.
Also, there were other discrepancies. The phone staff told me to expect it within 3 working days, while HTC Care staff said to expect it within 3 to 5 working days. To be fair to the HTC Care staff, I doubt they were even briefed on what to do with Nexus Ones.
Below is the email I've sent to HTC, although at this point in time I doubt the response will be good:
To whom it may concern:
I placed my order for Nexus One with Google on January 9, and finally got it today, January 15, at 2pm. I understand that weekends are not considered work days, so effectively it took 5 working days to reach, which is reasonable to me.
I opened the Nexus One only to find dust under the screen. Doing a quick search on Google shows that it is a common problem. In fact, I read on some posts that it is considered to be a DOA problem by HTC, as seen from http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=29bc1e80107f01f7&hl=en. The first thing I did was to call the Singapore HTC helpline. I had a hard time communicating with them, but they did their best to help. I was told to go down to HTC Care (Singapore) at Keppel Bay Tower. The person on the phone had also opened a ticket for me.
I reached Keppel Bay Tower at 4.15PM, and was only served at 5pm. The service staff were polite but very unsure of what to do with the Nexus One. Apparently, Nexus Ones are dealt with differently from other HTC phones, though I do not see the point of them informing me of that. I have already accepted that there is dust under the phone and instead of making a big fuss, my main aim is to get my phone replaced on a one-to-one basis since I am still within the 14 days.
Once the staff managed to retrieve my information using the ticket number given to me earlier by the person over the phone, I was told I had to return the phone, but they were unsure whether to collect the phone, or the entire box set. In the end, they collected the entire box set. I had been told to expect it within 3 days by the person over the hotline, but the staff at HTC Care informed me that it was 3 - 5 days.
I am now requesting that you replace the entire box set, and deliver it to me within 3 days. In addition, I would like to know why the courier service used
is M3 Express instead of DHL (which was used when I first got my Nexus One). Moreover, I was not given any tracking number to track the status of my delivery, despite the service staff telling me that the order has already been placed.
I find it disappointing that the service staff had no idea what to do with Nexus One cases. It seems to me that HTC does not care because it is not really HTC's phone and more like Google's phone in this case. I hope you understand where I am coming from. It is my first time dealing with HTC's service, and the experience has been a let down. I have always thought highly of HTC's products since my previous HTC phones were all well-built, and I never had to visit the service centre.
I will appreciate if you could get back to me by Monday.
My ticket number, as well as product serial number are as follows:
Ticket No.:
Phone S/N:
Thank you.
Regards,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To end it, please remember to check before rooting!
bro sad to hear this from you.
I also got my nexus one today and i notice the screen's bottom left and right corners are making loose noise when pressed with some pressure..
so i used some pressure on the problemic areas for 20secs and so far, no more loose noise..
Hopefully it will prevent my unit from dust..
I have been consistantly checking mine as well. This sucks
melterx12 said:
man now im really going crazy. it seems that everyone is having this problem. I cant seem to find any dust under the screen but what if im just not seeing it??? Whats the chance that my phone DOES NOT have this problem???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I understand, this is still a problem with a small minority of phones.
People who do not have this problem (as you might have noticed) are not going to be very vocal about not having it.
For the record, I have an N1 and have had zero problems whatsoever, screen or otherwise.
melterx12 said:
man now im really going crazy. it seems that everyone is having this problem. I cant seem to find any dust under the screen but what if im just not seeing it??? Whats the chance that my phone DOES NOT have this problem???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine doesn't have it either. If you can't see it, then why is it bothering you? Mine doesn't have jam (jelly if you're in the USA) in it either but I'm not going to keep checking for jam.
SC
ScaredyCat said:
Mine doesn't have it either. If you can't see it, then why is it bothering you? Mine doesn't have jam (jelly if you're in the USA) in it either but I'm not going to keep checking for jam.
SC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its bothering me because I REALLY want to root but REALLY will go out of my mind if I see this problem after rooting (because my warranty will then be long in the void ). So I want to track this problem down now and some how be 100% sure that my phone is safe.
Wow, this dust problem is become quite large. Small quantities doesn't sound like a good enough example of the problem. I don't have my Nexus One yet, but I do hope - that when I get it soon - the newer models (if they are starting to correct the issue) doesn't have this problem.
melterx12 said:
its bothering me because I REALLY want to root but REALLY will go out of my mind if I see this problem after rooting (because my warranty will then be long in the void ). So I want to track this problem down now and some how be 100% sure that my phone is safe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you either wait for the warranty to expire or you root it before.
If you're really that worried power it off and check it with a magnifying glass. TBH Right now there are 1001 reasons not to root it and only a couple of reasons to root it. Unless there's something you really need/want root for you may as well wait.
SC
I know, I am waiting for now, probably until Cyanogen Mod comes out for N1. However I do not want to wait a year
ScaredyCat said:
Well, you either wait for the warranty to expire or you root it before.
If you're really that worried power it off and check it with a magnifying glass. TBH Right now there are 1001 reasons not to root it and only a couple of reasons to root it. Unless there's something you really need/want root for you may as well wait.
SC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly i think one of the main reason i root my G1 was to apps2sd....and then some themes...but with this much RAM on the N1 i do not see a reason to root...
DKM119 said:
exactly i think one of the main reason i root my G1 was to apps2sd....and then some themes...but with this much RAM on the N1 i do not see a reason to root...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theres more to root than apps2sd. For example, Internet tethering is a feature I really want and only possible through root.
Since we're talking about rooting here, I just wanna root to upgrade to un-released Android firmwares, themes, changing things inside the phone that aren't possible stocked. There are lots of reasons to root in my eyes, and I really don't care about the negatives.
kozm0naut said:
From what I understand, this is still a problem with a small minority of phones.
People who do not have this problem (as you might have noticed) are not going to be very vocal about not having it.
For the record, I have an N1 and have had zero problems whatsoever, screen or otherwise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Zero problems with mine.
Also I don't plan to root until the S-ON/S-OFF issue is either resolved or root without unlock is discovered.
melterx12 said:
Theres more to root than apps2sd. For example, Internet tethering is a feature I really want and only possible through root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i undertand you point but is not for everybody...like myself i do have wi-fi at home and at work...so i never used the internet tethering....so for me when i rooted my G1 is was only for the apps2sd and themes....
melterx12 said:
Theres more to root than apps2sd. For example, Internet tethering is a feature I really want and only possible through root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are always alternative. Although not as elegant of a solution, PDAnet allows you to connect your phone to your computer so it can use your data connection. Works pretty well.
as someone who had to unroot and use the warranty on my rooted G1 like 11 months after I got it, I definitely will not root my N1 when I get it unless there is a way to revert to the full factory settings. I'm not a dev but I have faith they will figure it out though.
I woke up to find this thread now has 3 pages of useless conversation :|.
Anyway, if you take a torch and shine it it'll be obvious if there's dust on it.
I need root cause of Market Enabler and internet tethering. Will update this thread when I get a response from HTC.
That's a truly depressing story!
The warranty situation is the main reason I use to keep myself from buying this phone. Since I had a hardware issue with my G1 that needed to be replaced (stopped accepting USB input, so it wouldn't charge or transfer data), this is kind of a deal-breaker for me.
Not repairing hardware defects because of a software issue is complete bull****.
My contract comes due in November, hopefully by then, HTC will have changed their policy. If not, the phone I buy definitely won't be unsubsidized! I've had good luck just contacting tmobile and saying the phone broke. Since it doesn't work, I'll have to cancel my contract and pay the ETF.....in the past they've given me a good price on a replacement. This probably wouldn't work if I wasn't on contract with them.
I agree and some of these pointless posts have been reported, so please keep this thread on topic.
I have cleaned this thread up so please refrain from from spamming and flaming. (and will continue to do so!)
Greetz.
i may be sending mine in for a repair soon, i have a stuck/dead baby blue pixel.

I think I bricked my N1. Please help!

So I realized this the moment after I hit the trackball to select my .zip. To make things simple: I had cyanogen 5.0.6 and I accidentally flashed 2.2 for custom bootloaders. My phone won't even turn on...AT ALL. Am I ****ed?
Can you not get in the recovery image by holding down trackball and power button?
No. I don't know what to do. I flashed the Stock image earlier and it took awhile for my phone to turn on, but it did start up after a few minutes. Also it had a Radio that it flashed. Could it have been for the Tmobile model? I am on the AT&T version. Nothing will turn on.
did you try removing the battery ?
I did. I called support and they want me to send it in. Hopefully I will be one of the lucky people that HTC takes even if there is some broken rules.
xxjoshuaaxx said:
I did. I called support and they want me to send it in. Hopefully I will be one of the lucky people that HTC takes even if there is some broken rules.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awwww
Best of luck!
Since its just Software related, maybe you will get lucky
Exactly why I try to avoid toying with the radio at all times..
Stupid me didn't notice the radio change. What do you think HTC will do?
xxjoshuaaxx said:
Stupid me didn't notice the radio change. What do you think HTC will do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck. They are currently denying my warranty - even though my last Nexus went in TWICE, and they even DOA replaced it with body damage and an unlocked bootloader. Both times they just reverted the software back to locked, no questions asked. This time, after sending in the refurbed phone they gave me last month due to a faulty headphone jack, they say my "illegal software" voids my warranty - even though software can't break a headphone jack.
SANTilt said:
Good luck. They are currently denying my warranty - even though my last Nexus went in TWICE, and they even DOA replaced it with body damage and an unlocked bootloader. Both times they just reverted the software back to locked, no questions asked. This time, after sending in the refurbed phone they gave me last month due to a faulty headphone jack, they say my "illegal software" voids my warranty - even though software can't break a headphone jack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That could also be their way of saying we have fixed two phones of yours with unlocked (voided) warranties, we aren't doing it a third time... aka, three strikes and you are out. To be honest, I would be singing the praises of a company that warrantied a phone twice, even though I knowingly voided my warranty and agreed to a contract saying as much during the process.
OP, good luck! As this person's history shows, they are willing to go above and beyond with in reason. If I were you, before sending it in, I would try tossing it on the charger to make sure the battery isn't dead... flashing uses up a lot of juice, and messes with battery stats to an extent that can cause the phone to think a low battery is actually a dead battery, thus it doesn't power on since it doesn't want to die mid boot, which is bad.
Yeah, plug it in and see if you get the charging led, if you do let it charge for a while. Then try booting to recovery. If you cant unplug it and pull the battery. Plug it back in and hold down the power button for 15 seconds, put the battery in while still holding the power button for another 15 seconds or so. You got nothing to lose if it is bricked so give it a go. Check back if it lights off. Just a hint but I only keep whatever I'm going to flash on the root of the sd with the rest of the zips in a file. Keeps you from being where you are now.
mind keepping the battery out for a little while. i got the same problem yesterday and this solved it : i kept the battery pulled for about 1 minute before i put it back in. then the phone powered on no problems.
SANTilt said:
Good luck. They are currently denying my warranty - even though my last Nexus went in TWICE, and they even DOA replaced it with body damage and an unlocked bootloader. Both times they just reverted the software back to locked, no questions asked. This time, after sending in the refurbed phone they gave me last month due to a faulty headphone jack, they say my "illegal software" voids my warranty - even though software can't break a headphone jack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rhetorical question:
What type of bad "luck" does somebody have to need a warranty replacement three times for a phone that's less than 4 months old?
xxjoshuaaxx said:
So I realized this the moment after I hit the trackball to select my .zip. To make things simple: I had cyanogen 5.0.6 and I accidentally flashed 2.2 for custom bootloaders. My phone won't even turn on...AT ALL. Am I ****ed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may be stupid, but that doesn't sound like you were doing anything wrong. I think that is how many people upgraded to FroYo.
What did you do when you thought you had done the wrong thing? You say you realized the moment you hit the trackball. Did you then try to stop it by pulling the battery? If so then you may have pulled it while the radio was flashing, which would brick it for sure.
Maybe they say it's illegal because Froyo is not released yet and they saw part of it installed on your N1.
This sucks big time, I wish you best of luck and I hope they end up fixing it for you.
what happens when you hold volume down and hit power...does the bootloader come up?
I flashed 2.2 over enomther's 1.9.2 on my att frequency n1 and it is working fine, I did the radio update too and it works fine.
pjcforpres said:
That could also be their way of saying we have fixed two phones of yours with unlocked (voided) warranties, we aren't doing it a third time... aka, three strikes and you are out. To be honest, I would be singing the praises of a company that warrantied a phone twice, even though I knowingly voided my warranty and agreed to a contract saying as much during the process.
OP, good luck! As this person's history shows, they are willing to go above and beyond with in reason. If I were you, before sending it in, I would try tossing it on the charger to make sure the battery isn't dead... flashing uses up a lot of juice, and messes with battery stats to an extent that can cause the phone to think a low battery is actually a dead battery, thus it doesn't power on since it doesn't want to die mid boot, which is bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would I sing the praises of a company that picks and chooses when it will void a warranty and when it will honor it? Furthermore, under the Manusson-Moss Warranty act of 1975, this behavior is illegal; warrantors of consumer goods cannot void a warranty due to modifications made by the consumer unless they can directly attribute the failure to the modification made. Which they have not done in my case.
Additionally, the first time it went in, was for dust under the screen - something an unlocked bootloader most definitely did not cause. The second time it went in was because they didn't fix it the first time - both times they relocked the phone. Also, the second time the phone went in, they DOA replaced it even though it had physical damage that I had previously been willing to pay for. And now, after they send me a damaged unit, they want to void my hardware warranty because the bootloader is unlocked? That just stinks of a money making scheme. I just called them, and they tell me that they cannot flash the motherboard due to the "illegal software", yet in the email they sent me it's all due to the warranty being void due to "illegal software". They're harping on a non-issue just to make money.
You can sing your praises to scheissty companies all you want - I'll stick to companies that are honest and up front in their dealings - or at least more so than HTFingC.
SANTilt said:
Why would I sing the praises of a company that picks and chooses when it will void a warranty and when it will honor it? Furthermore, under the Manusson-Moss Warranty act of 1975, this behavior is illegal; warrantors of consumer goods cannot void a warranty due to modifications made by the consumer unless they can directly attribute the failure to the modification made. Which they have not done in my case.
Additionally, the first time it went in, was for dust under the screen - something an unlocked bootloader most definitely did not cause. The second time it went in was because they didn't fix it the first time - both times they relocked the phone. Also, the second time the phone went in, they DOA replaced it even though it had physical damage that I had previously been willing to pay for. And now, after they send me a damaged unit, they want to void my hardware warranty because the bootloader is unlocked? That just stinks of a money making scheme. I just called them, and they tell me that they cannot flash the motherboard due to the "illegal software", yet in the email they sent me it's all due to the warranty being void due to "illegal software". They're harping on a non-issue just to make money.
You can sing your praises to scheissty companies all you want - I'll stick to companies that are honest and up front in their dealings - or at least more so than HTFingC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, you're pedantic and this is pathetic. Get over yourself. If you expect consumer goods in this day and age to be perfect you need to reset your expectations. Three claims in four months? I bet HTC wishes you went and got a Motorola.
djmcnz said:
Dude, you're pedantic and this is pathetic. Get over yourself. If you expect consumer goods in this day and age to be perfect you need to reset your expectations. Three claims in four months? I bet HTC wishes you went and got a Motorola.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? Three claims? Reading comprehension much? English > you.
djmcnz said:
Dude, you're pedantic and this is pathetic. Get over yourself. If you expect consumer goods in this day and age to be perfect you need to reset your expectations. Three claims in four months? I bet HTC wishes you went and got a Motorola.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree.

Galaxy S II dead after a month of use

So, pretty much exactly a month after I received my SGSII, the phone is now dead.
As I was commuting to work this morning and listening to music, the phone restarted completely at random. I chalked it up to just being a part of the Android experience until, 15 minutes later, the phone boots up again in my pocket. After that the reboots came in thick and fast until the phone was in a constant cycle of rebooting, with no time in between to even type in my PIN before the phone shut down again.
I haven't dropped the phone and it hasn't gotten wet (unless standing in the rain under an umbrella with the phone in my pocket is enough to wreck it), so there shouldn't be any damage that I could've caused.
At this point I removed the battery and just let it sit for 5 minutes before trying to boot it up again. It started up fine but restarted again after around 10 minutes. I shut the phone down, removed the SD card and tried again, but the phone still shut down after a while. After that I yanked out the SIM but that didn't fix anything either. The battery had around 90% charge at this point, the battery contacts looked just fine and it wasn't overheating or anything so I was a little mystified as to what the hell had gone wrong overnight.
I called up Samsung's Customer Support and they told me to factory reset the phone through the OS. The reset goes through it's paces until it comes time to reboot and then.. nothing. The phone is now completely bricked and will not respond to any key presses nor will it react in any way when I plug in the charger. After I told Samsung's customer rep about this, the first thing the guy asked was if I had rooted the phone or installed a custom ROM, to which I answered - truthfully - that I hadn't. By the sound of his voice he didn't seem to believe me and referred me fairly reluctantly to their RMA service to get it repaired while underlining the fact that they wouldn't do **** for me if there were any proof of tampering with the ROM. After that he said goodbye in a fairly annoyed voice and hung up before I got a word in.
Has anyone had their SGSII just spontaneously combust on them? Right now I'm feeling extremely pissed that I have to go through the RMA process with basically a brand new phone. The repair time is floating around at 2 weeks to a month due to holidays and whatever during which time I'll have to make due with a ****ty Nokia backup phone. The electronics repairs firm Samsung uses here in Finland is notorious for their crappy level of service and they've scratched the hell out of my two previous HTC phones that were serviced by them.
Bad luck ...
A friend of mine had more or less the same problem with the HTC HD2. Random reboots at first, then not bootable/flashable and a couple of tries later it was completely dead. They had to exchange the mainboard. Seems like some chip got damaged somehow ...
try removing the battery a few more times........good luck
novaci said:
After I told Samsung's customer rep about this, the first thing the guy asked was if I had rooted the phone or installed a custom ROM, to which I answered - truthfully - that I hadn't. By the sound of his voice he didn't seem to believe me and referred me fairly reluctantly to their RMA service to get it repaired while underlining the fact that they wouldn't do **** for me if there were any proof of tampering with the ROM. After that he said goodbye in a fairly annoyed voice and hung up before I got a word in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm somewhat surprised by this, given the fact that Sammy themselves have given a device to the team at CM7 Towers. I always thought they had a fairly relaxed attitude to custom ROMs, etc.
novaci said:
Samsung's Customer Support By the sound of his voice he didn't seem to believe me and referred me fairly reluctantly to their RMA service to get it repaired while underlining the fact that they wouldn't do **** for me if there were any proof of tampering with the ROM. After that he said goodbye in a fairly annoyed voice and hung up before I got a word in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't put up with any crap they give you. Considering that moron is meant to represent customer support, he should be more supportive of a customer who bought a £500 phone from the very company that pays him, and the last thing he should be doing is making you feel guilty when you're obviously innocent. The guy sounds like a complete prick.
Guys like him that need to be given a decent beating imo. Right lads... right.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Major_Sarcasm said:
I'm somewhat surprised by this, given the fact that Sammy themselves have given a device to the team at CM7 Towers. I always thought they had a fairly relaxed attitude to custom ROMs, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two different bits of Samsung DEVELOPMENT and WARRANTY .
Development want feedback etc from the community .
Warranty want no claims else why put a custom rom counter on and send a letter out saying custom rom = no warranty .
jje
i can see where the supporter is coming. just imagine how often people call there because they bricked their phones while flashing/rooting ... its understandable that he reacts like this
Why would the supporter care what's been done to the phone? Him having to ask questions for warranty purposes is obvious, but if a caller lies and the warranty is later rejected surely it wouldn't matter to him personally.
diehard2222 said:
Guys like him that need to be given a decent beating imo. Right lads... right.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahahahahahahha you funny.
i couldnt agree more samsungs care support is soo poor and the agents you speak to dont give a ****!
Damn, my Galaxy restarted itself randomly while listening music too, just today... However it did not completely restart, it looked like only TouchWiz restarted :/
Hello,
Put off the battery, sd card and sim card.
Then wait 10minutes.
When the 10m pass, put the battery in the phone and hold immediately power + home + vol down.
I think your will go in download mode.
I have same expérience with Sgs offre my friend.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
^^^
Do like what he said !
Maybe flashing the original ROM back will get it work again !
I had the same with Galaxy S Vibrant and I fixed it by using the same kaktuss77 steps !
Re,
if this methode doesn't work, try with the JiG.
It could be a serious case of karma....lol. Usually its an expensive fix
The following s quote by novaci in another thread
novaci said:
That video made me want to punch you and whoevers behind the camera right in the face. I really really don't think people ought to be posting this kinda crap here, go beg elsewhere.
Or better yet, pay for the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
novaci said:
After I told Samsung's customer rep about this, the first thing the guy asked was if I had rooted the phone or installed a custom ROM, to which I answered - truthfully - that I hadn't. By the sound of his voice he didn't seem to believe me and referred me fairly reluctantly to their RMA service to get it repaired while underlining the fact that they wouldn't do **** for me if there were any proof of tampering with the ROM. After that he said goodbye in a fairly annoyed voice and hung up before I got a word in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should always say something like "I have no idea what that is or means. All I know is my phone stopped working."
I would do as they said. Get into download mode, then flash the official ROM+Kernel for your device and see what happens. If you still have the same problem, then it is a hardware problem and you need to go through the repair process.
Random reboot, it's a well known issue caused by an app. Frequently the music player, or No lock, or something else...
A youth sin of the SGS 2.
Service is shouldnt pay attention to software changes that could been made, they simply write new software through box and thats it, thats why its interssting why personel asked about rooted or not:O
v1rtu4l said:
i can see where the supporter is coming. just imagine how often people call there because they bricked their phones while flashing/rooting ... its understandable that he reacts like this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes its understandable to ask if its been rooted. but bad customer service is still bad customer service. even if the op was lying, that rep doesnt get paid to have his being annoyed get in the way of providing the customer a friendly experience.
if you can't stand the heat, then stay out of the kitchen.

Dead Samsung S4 16 days after getting it. Quality Control problems.

This is the story of my AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4. Brand new woo hoo! Got it two weeks ago or so.
I was outside and the battery drained to zero (which i've never let it do before). I went home and plugged it into the charger. Doesn't charge. No led or anything. just blank.
Now the phone doesn't turn on. I went to ATT DSC (Device service center), and they said it was a battery issue. I tried somebody else's s4 battery that had a 75% charge. I got a grey battery icon with a stuck circle on it. Then it black screens. Phone refuses to turn on. So it's not a battery issue and technician is a moron.
When I put in a battery, sometimes the LED flash on the camera will stay lit for a few seconds, but no matter what i do or what combination of buttons (power + volume up, etc etc) the phone will not turn on. Sometimes when I plug in the phone for a few hours, the phone gets incredibly hot but still won't turn on.
Tried the samsung charger and cable with half a dozen outlets and computer usbs..
And the phone is completely stock. No ROMS, no nothing. Never dropped it, never submersed in water either. I've always taken great care of my phones.
I went from an iphone 5 to this. I was so ecstatic - like an upgrade in most ways! I've had iPhones for 3 years now, but wanted to try android. Guess the Apple powers that be have punished me for my treachery... Never had a single hardware related problem with them, but two weeks of getting this new phone? DEAD.
Now I've gotta wait for my replacement REFURBISHED phone to come in the mail. Nothing like paying for a new phone and getting a refurbished one two weeks later that may crap out again because it's shoddily repaired by some AT&T gnome. Thank goodness I paid like 7 dollars for it initially through my haggling skills.
I'm sure people here will call me a liar. They'll point to the fact that I have zero posts. (I have multiple forum accounts with a thousand posts). Tell me that I'm hiding some kind of physical/water damage. Maybe they'll say that I bricked it from flashing a ROM, or that i'm some kind of apple lover. I am not. I'm just letting you know that my particular experience with this phone is that it's durability and quality control blows. TWO WEEKS.
Basically the phone is dead. I've lost all the data and apps/customization i had. Not to mention the photos from a wedding I just went to.
Anyway, here's my question:
What can I do to back up the contents of the phone at regular intervals? Say, things like app data, texts, etc. etc. Should I use Samsung's bloatware?
Thanks for listening to my rant...
3 to 5 percent of any electronic devices have malfunctions, You've just became the unlucky one, that happens. I just don't understand why ATT doesn't give You new device, there should be something like warranty I think. Also I don't know why anyone would call You liar as I'm sure that each one of us have seen faulty device.
Btw. If You have multiple accounts with thousands of posts why state Your case from fresh one and speak about that multiple accounts??
Wish You luck with solving Your case, regards
Slig
slig said:
3 to 5 percent of any electronic devices have malfunctions, You've just became the unlucky one, that happens. I just don't understand why ATT doesn't give You new device, there should be something like warranty I think. Also I don't know why anyone would call You liar as I'm sure that each one of us have seen faulty device.
Btw. If You have multiple accounts with thousands of posts why state Your case from fresh one and speak about that multiple accounts??
Wish You luck with solving Your case, regards
Slig
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, not with this forum Brand new here. Other forums I have accounts wiht hundreds of psots.
Thanks for your comments. I wish it were 3-5 percent. I just don't see anybody else posting about my problems anywhere about the S4 as bad as I've got it.
And sorry for all the justification. I'm no stranger to forums, and when peopel get behind a keyboard, they like to make up all kinds of conspiracy theories. Thought I'd debunk some of those myths right off the bat.
I have similar problem. Did you find any solution?
thanks
Nihar

I am very disappointed with Google

To whomsoever it may concern. Yes that's what my state of mind is right now.
I will begin from the beginning then.
So heard on 4th October 2016 that google is launching it's Pixel phones. Couldn't have been more excited with the news as I am a big android fan boy. I had been using the Nexus 6p then, so the news of the Pixel phones was really pleasing to me.
I wait for the Pixels to get launched in India. 26th October 2016 is the date. I pre-order my Pixel XL very silver 128 GB before hand and receive the handset on 26th! Very happy!!
I haven't ever used a better phone than the Pixel XL. The smoothest android experience. Period.
So a month passes by. The phone does overheat from time to time but other than that it worked fine. My "rock solid" Pixel XL gets about 40 GB full. One fine day, while I was trying to open a PDF from my drive, the device freezes and reboots. Nothing to worry, sometime android does that, I think to myself. Same day, Gmail freezes and the phone reboots. Then the Camera freezes and it reboots. Now I started to see a pattern. Tried uninstalling apps one by one, to pin point the root cause. Found nothing. Tried Safe Mode. Still it would freeze and reboot. Finally, made my peace with a factory reset. The phone started behaving. I told myself that I must be some rogue app.
This cycle continues again when the phone reaches that 40 GB mark. It would freeze and reboot. Factory reset once again. It works fine.
So I start suspecting the phone internal memory. I fill up the around 80 GB with random videos and music. The restarts start happening like clockwork.
Come 6th December 2016, and I receive the 7.1.1 update. Everything goes smooth. The phone acts normal, for sometime at least. I call up Google Support on the 8th and the guy tells me to take my phone to the service center.
Moments after, I see my phone restarting. It boots up and it's sitting on my table. In about five minutes, while lying idle on the table, it reboots. And this time, it reboots to boot-loader. I try to start the phone with the power key and the volume keys by choosing the right option. It boots back to boot-loader. Doesn't load up android. So somehow my phone was soft bricked just sitting idle on the table.
I am not new to the fastboot mode and decide to flash the stock rom. However, there is this issue that i suddenly see. The fastboot screen on my phone says Baseband : N/A and my bootloader is locked! The only option I see to get android up and running is using stock recovery and sideloading the Stock ROM, which should have worked as Google Stock ROMS are signed and might have not need unlocked bootloader(I did my research). I select recovery, and surprise surprise! The phone says recovery can't be loaded, press any key to go back!!
So now my phone has no OS, no baseband, no recovery with a locked bootloader! And i don't know how it happened!
I take the phone to the service center today around 11 am. They can't make sense of what happened. They say they would keep the phone for sometime. I get a call from them around 4, which was like half an hour back. The guy tells me there is a power button issue and another hardware issue(which he doesn't specify) and tells me they will keep the phone for 2 days. And repair it!
WHAT!?! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU REPAIRING MY PHONE GOOGLE!?! It's a new phone, not even 2 months old! And it doesn't come cheap! For the price amount I would expect it to work flawlessly!! I ask the service guy for replacement unit, and he says it is more than 14 days old, and gives me all terms and conditions! The problems that I had with this phone couldn't have been foreseen!! Till the time the internal storage gets to about 30 percent full the restarting issue did not show itself.
I expect a replacement unit or a full refund. Because this is just not fair! Not really happy with you Google. Thanks!
P.S.: thanks for reading this.
TL;DR
Cliff notes?
I am not getting it! You mean that the phone you had, had no hardware problems? So if its software only, then why did you submit the phone at service centre at first place? And in case they are offering you a repair service, or a new phone, what is the problem with that? From the sound of it it does sound like a hardware problem anyway, repetitive problems are never software. In fact you should be rather thankful that they accepted the phone and offering you a free service, cause a lot of reviews say that HTC service centre is asking money for a phone which is just one month old and sorts like that.
And you probably are one unlucky fella where the phone might have come with a hardware problem, cause most seem happy with theirs anyway. I am not defending Pixel or its ridiculous price point anyway.
Honestly what's the difference? If they fix it and it's working again then it should be no different than a new unit. unless you've damaged the device and wanted to get a new one with no damage I don't understand.
So if you get a new car from a dealer and it has an issue you would demand a new car instead of letting them repair it? Sounds pretty dumb to me.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Guarantee this is caused by a bad memory chip. The only way to fix it is to replace the chip (which I highly doubt can be done at a service center) or the motherboard. I had a Nexus 4 that had the same issue. Eventually I could not even write a new system image at all.
At least demand a written explanation of what was done to correct the problem so if it continues after being repaired you can demand a new unit. If they are replacing the board you should be good to go.
So you are angry that Google are fixing the device for you at no charge to yourself? Things go wrong sometimes, sounds like Google are looking after you nicely.
You will get your phone back in the same condition you gave it to them - with the issues resolved.
Or
If they can't fix it, they will replace it.
What's the issue?
Mdizzle1 said:
So you are angry that Google are fixing the device for you at no charge to yourself? Things go wrong sometimes, sounds like Google are looking after you nicely.
You will get your phone back in the same condition you gave it to them - with the issues resolved.
Or
If they can't fix it, they will replace it.
What's the issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He wants a new phone. I understand. From my experience when things like this go wrong like this they keep going wrong. It is a phone not a new car. I am surprised they did not give him a new phone and call it a day.
johnciaccio said:
He wants a new phone. I understand. From my experience when things like this go wrong like this they keep going wrong. It is a phone not a new car. I am surprised they did not give him a new phone and call it a day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree
Pretty sure that the NAND chips are faulty. That is why after that chip gets written with data, phone starts to act up.
It may not be easy to replace just the faulty chip. Either they will replace the whole logic board or give you a new piece.
ithehappy said:
I am not getting it! You mean that the phone you had, had no hardware problems? So if its software only, then why did you submit the phone at service centre at first place? And in case they are offering you a repair service, or a new phone, what is the problem with that? From the sound of it it does sound like a hardware problem anyway, repetitive problems are never software. In fact you should be rather thankful that they accepted the phone and offering you a free service, cause a lot of reviews say that HTC service centre is asking money for a phone which is just one month old and sorts like that.
And you probably are one unlucky fella where the phone might have come with a hardware problem, cause most seem happy with theirs anyway. I am not defending Pixel or its ridiculous price point anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a hardware problem only, the phone worked fine till the 40 GB or so mark. And yeah, seem to feel unlucky about this now.
Also, I am not bashing HTC for this, they were pretty nice and they are doing their job. I understand that. Just not happy about the situation I am in that's all.
superchilpil said:
Honestly what's the difference? If they fix it and it's working again then it should be no different than a new unit. unless you've damaged the device and wanted to get a new one with no damage I don't understand.
So if you get a new car from a dealer and it has an issue you would demand a new car instead of letting them repair it? Sounds pretty dumb to me.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish i would have damaged the device just so that I would have something to blame this on.
And as for the car issue, you would want a new car, won't you? They will indeed repair it, however, a customer asking for a new car which works doesn't sound dumb to me.
johnciaccio said:
Guarantee this is caused by a bad memory chip. The only way to fix it is to replace the chip (which I highly doubt can be done at a service center) or the motherboard. I had a Nexus 4 that had the same issue. Eventually I could not even write a new system image at all.
At least demand a written explanation of what was done to correct the problem so if it continues after being repaired you can demand a new unit. If they are replacing the board you should be good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thought as much. Thanks for reading the long post!!:good:
sanke1 said:
Pretty sure that the NAND chips are faulty. That is why after that chip gets written with data, phone starts to act up.
It may not be easy to replace just the faulty chip. Either they will replace the whole logic board or give you a new piece.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is when they eventually return the phone, it would be hard for me to understand if the problem persists until I get a PC in front of me and fill up the device. And the problem is pretty random too. Thanks for the reply though.
No problem. Been in similar shoes. You are not getting anything for free here.. It is one of the most expensive phones out there and you paid for a new device. Not one that has been reopened after being assembled. Check it carefully for scratches after getting it back.
I do not even like my car being worked on. Nothing is as perfect as when it comes from the factory.
dc/dc said:
TL;DR
Cliff notes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a faulty Pixel XL, issue with the logic board(based on what i have read on this discussion so far), not really happy with HTC opening my new phone and repairing it. I paid for a new phone and I want a new phone which works! I know I am whining a bit.
johnciaccio said:
No problem. Been in similar shoes. You are not getting anything for free here.. It is one of the most expensive phones out there and you paid for a new device. Not one that has been reopened after being assembled. Check it carefully for scratches after getting it back.
I do not even like my car being worked on. Nothing is as perfect as when it comes from the factory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You read my mind!! Totally agree!!:good:
At least it will be fixed. I purchased my Nexus 4 from a reseller so Google refused to warranty it even though it was completely sealed and new when purchased. Google hates resellers, which I understand the reason, but it is not a good policy to have.
johnciaccio said:
At least it will be fixed. I purchased my Nexus 4 from a reseller so Google refused to warranty it even though it was completely sealed and new when purchased. Google hates resellers, which I understand the reason, but it is not a good policy to have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It surely is not a good policy to have. And with the pixel devices the resellers were a part of the launch process. It was not like we had to wait for a few days after it was available online. It was almost the same time. I hope i get my device as soon as possible in working condition, because as I mentioned earlier, I love the phone. Also I have been using a prehistoric Nokia 1100 which I found in some corner of my house as I don't have any other back up device currently.
I'm just impressed that Google had a service center in Bangalore.
Yeah sucks. Let us know how it goes.

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