So, Just though I'd let you all know about what happens if you ever have your phone stolen.
So a few weeks ago my house got broke into and stole all of our electronics, and among those stolen was my G2x, after a police report and some time on the phone with the phone insurance company they were very quick on approving my claim and getting my phone out to me.
I asked the rep "Will the replacement phone be re-manufactured or brand new?" The rep replied "We have no way of knowing what is sent out, it all comes from T-Mobiles warehouse."
I didn't think anything more about it and paid my deductible of $130.00. Now keep in mind I have ALWAYS had insurance on my phone since 2006.
So after paying $5.00 a month for 5 years over $300, and then paying $130.00 so $430.00 for a replacement phone. I was excited to see the UPS guy deliver me a phone and went into tearing it open... only to see that it was a re-manufactured for with;
Scratches on the glass screen
dents and dings all over the sides of the phone
wear and tear near the charging port
wear damage on the back case where the phone has been laid down a lot
and the phone wouldn't even TURN ON! (I put the battery in and let it charge for 25 minutes before attempting)
SO after all of this I went and gave T-Mobile/insurance company a call and the rep stated "All of our re-manned phones have the plastic, glass replaced, and software reformatted on the phone before shipout, we have a strong 150 point inspection where we lay a brand new phone next to a re-manned and see if we can tell the difference" then they're shipped out.
Well I can DEFINITELY see the difference, I called again and am having them send me out another one to replace the one i replaced, I asked if they could please request a BRAND NEW one and they said "We can't guarantee its going to be new, but if there are any issues please call us back and we'll replace".
I'm very frustrated because i'm almost positive i'll end up getting ANOTHER re-manned with issues.
correct me if i'm wrong, if you pay for car insurance and you're in an auto accident, they fix the car to NEW standards, if you have home owners insurance and you brake a window, door, a/c unit etc, they dont send you a USED window, door, a/c unit, its all NEW. If you have health insurance they use NEW products on your body not ones that have already been used.
WHY the hell would a phone be any different?!!?!?
Just an FYI and a little venting If you're the type of person who loses their phones, drops it, water damage etc, its probably good to have insurance, if you're like me and wont use it for years at a time, don't waste your money, just buy a brand new one.. it will save you the hassle...
Thanks for letting me vent.
javolin13 said:
So, Just though I'd let you all know about what happens if you ever have your phone stolen.
So a few weeks ago my house got broke into and stole all of our electronics, and among those stolen was my G2x, after a police report and some time on the phone with the phone insurance company they were very quick on approving my claim and getting my phone out to me.
I asked the rep "Will the replacement phone be re-manufactured or brand new?" The rep replied "We have no way of knowing what is sent out, it all comes from T-Mobiles warehouse."
I didn't think anything more about it and paid my deductible of $130.00. Now keep in mind I have ALWAYS had insurance on my phone since 2006.
So after paying $5.00 a month for 5 years over $300, and then paying $130.00 so $430.00 for a replacement phone. I was excited to see the UPS guy deliver me a phone and went into tearing it open... only to see that it was a re-manufactured for with;
Scratches on the glass screen
dents and dings all over the sides of the phone
wear and tear near the charging port
wear damage on the back case where the phone has been laid down a lot
and the phone wouldn't even TURN ON! (I put the battery in and let it charge for 25 minutes before attempting)
SO after all of this I went and gave T-Mobile/insurance company a call and the rep stated "All of our re-manned phones have the plastic, glass replaced, and software reformatted on the phone before shipout, we have a strong 150 point inspection where we lay a brand new phone next to a re-manned and see if we can tell the difference" then they're shipped out.
Well I can DEFINITELY see the difference, I called again and am having them send me out another one to replace the one i replaced, I asked if they could please request a BRAND NEW one and they said "We can't guarantee its going to be new, but if there are any issues please call us back and we'll replace".
I'm very frustrated because i'm almost positive i'll end up getting ANOTHER re-manned with issues.
correct me if i'm wrong, if you pay for car insurance and you're in an auto accident, they fix the car to NEW standards, if you have home owners insurance and you brake a window, door, a/c unit etc, they dont send you a USED window, door, a/c unit, its all NEW. If you have health insurance they use NEW products on your body not ones that have already been used.
WHY the hell would a phone be any different?!!?!?
Just an FYI and a little venting If you're the type of person who loses their phones, drops it, water damage etc, its probably good to have insurance, if you're like me and wont use it for years at a time, don't waste your money, just buy a brand new one.. it will save you the hassle...
Thanks for letting me vent.
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Click to collapse
I see why your frustrated, but having a remanufactured phone isn't so bad. The reason why I say that is because they are gonna do there honest best to try and fix the known issues that 90% of the G2x owners are experiencing. I just gotten a remanufactured phone and I can honestly say I have no screen bleeding issues at all! I also have no scratches either! Although I do understand your frustration about paying monthly on insurance and getting a used phone.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
I just received my phone from asurion 2 days ago, and I have no problems like the ones you mentioned. The casing is in immaculate shape, and there are no scratches anywhere. It even has a couple of the adhesives still on there. The only problem I did have with it, is that it has a bit more light bleed than my original one had.
TurboTsi said:
I just received my phone from asurion 2 days ago, and I have no problems like the ones you mentioned. The casing is in immaculate shape, and there are no scratches anywhere. It even has a couple of the adhesives still on there. The only problem I did have with it, is that it has a bit more light bleed than my original one had.
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Click to collapse
Not to jump off topic, but you own a Talon or a Starion? I love DSM.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
You should not be able to tell the difference between reman and brand new from Asurion. If you can you definitely have a right to complain. I wouldn't worry about the second phone being in bad shape too, that must be a total fluke. As far as how much premium you have spent on insurance since whenever date, all that is irrelevant. You should receive the same level of indemnity as the guy who signed up for his policy 6 months ago. Some people pay their whole lives and never need to make a claim. Insurance is simply peace of mind. The insurance company bears the majority of risk when they write policies. You pay a tiny amount monthly and they will give you a $500 phone for $130 any time you jack your **** up. You burn through 2 insurance replacements and Asurion has lost money most likely writing your policy.
Anyway, you have a right to ***** about them sending you a messed up refurb, and they have a responsibility to make it right. Good luck.
Sent from my LG G2x
I've only had 1 insurance replacement with a Behold back in the day and it looked brand new! So I think they shipped you the wrong phone!
....
I'd say get another replacement. They weren't lying when they told you about their QC procedure; your example is simply one that got overlooked. A mistake, an exception. Something that almost certainly won't happen again.
I had T-Mobile since voicestream and Asurion since it they got with T-Mobile and after loosing my phone and my wife hers years after I did I've never had that happen .....my question is y even put a battery in and chrage it if there was damage on the phone already I woukdbif just saw it packed it right up and called Asurion .......I even had them replace me my nexus one after I dropped it and broke it and I bought that from Google not from T-Mobile ........
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Refurbs usually run real well since they fixed the problems
Dsm all day! When it wants to run....
Call back and get the replacement, shouldn't take more than two days
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Related
So, if you ever take your kids to the pool, make sure you check your pockets. I discovered that after 45 minutes my phone was in my back pocket of my swim trunks. I let it dry in the sun until I got home, then did the rice thing.
As of now, when I put the battery in, the light on the back flashes on, the phone vibrates, but thats about it.
I called the insurance and have a new one on the way, but its $130 I really didnt have to spend.
I did the same except it was a party so I had to play it cool but the girl who's house I was at flipped out and felt terrible as I pulled it dripping out of my pocket and we went inside and put it in rice. A week later I took it out and it booted up but the digitizer was sadly dead
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA Premium App
Nicgraner said:
I did the same except it was a party so I had to play it cool but the girl who's house I was at flipped out and felt terrible as I pulled it dripping out of my pocket and we went inside and put it in rice. A week later I took it out and it booted up but the digitizer was sadly dead
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. What was weird was that after the 45 minutes, there wasnt as much water pouring out as I thought, There wasnt even any under the screen like I would expect, but I would rather pay the money for a full functioning phone than one that onlu partially works. I just am glad its covered. I remember a time when no water damage was covered at all.
dubie76 said:
Yep. What was weird was that after the 45 minutes, there wasnt as much water pouring out as I thought, There wasnt even any under the screen like I would expect, but I would rather pay the money for a full functioning phone than one that onlu partially works. I just am glad its covered. I remember a time when no water damage was covered at all.
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Click to collapse
dont you just hate when that happens? its happened to me a couple of times, but thankfully my phones at the time were crap so it didnt matter that much to me. but yeah Im glad phones with water damage are covered now, or youd be out around $400 for a brand new phone
Yikes.....
This reminds me of when I was pushed into a pool with my cell phone in my pocket. It was a BB8900 that was ruined. The culprit immediately gave me the cash to buy a new one, thankfully.
ryumo said:
Yikes.....
This reminds me of when I was pushed into a pool with my cell phone in my pocket. It was a BB8900 that was ruined. The culprit immediately gave me the cash to buy a new one, thankfully.
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Click to collapse
What about what you had in your phone, all your data? I think I would go crazy if someone does that to me now. Even though I got everything backed up!
anthonya1g said:
What about what you had in your phone, all your data? I think I would go crazy if someone does that to me now. Even though I got everything backed up!
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Click to collapse
Thats what im thinking! Phones are always replaceable, data is not.
Why not wait a week and get the htc sensation. It will cost a bit more but id say its worth it.
Sent from my demonSPEED Glacier using XDA App
getrdy said:
Why not wait a week and get the htc sensation. It will cost a bit more but id say its worth it.
Sent from my demonSPEED Glacier using XDA App
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Cuz I am not elidgable for an upgrade until next year and dont have $550 to fork out for the Sensation. I would love to get it, but thats way too much out of pocket for a phone.
Here's a quick tip for people that fall into this trap, never call in and say it got ruined in water or your screen is broken, you always take out the sim and keep it off wait a day and call your provider and tell them your not sure if it's stolen or lost.
They will charge you the $40 dollars and send you the new one, if your phone is not missing or stolen they will not take care of you. This can only happen in one calender year so no insurance jobs. You have to be on an insurance plan prior to this event other wise you pay the whole amount.
Orical said:
Here's a quick tip for people that fall into this trap, never call in and say it got ruined in water or your screen is broken, you always take out the sim and keep it off wait a day and call your provider and tell them your not sure if it's stolen or lost.
They will charge you the $40 dollars and send you the new one, if your phone is not missing or stolen they will not take care of you. This can only happen in one calender year so no insurance jobs. You have to be on an insurance plan prior to this event other wise you pay the whole amount.
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Click to collapse
Don't know if insurance fraud is something that should be suggested on here. Don't get me wrong, i could care less about how much money insurance companies make off of a claim. But not a good suggestion nonetheless.
Sent from my demonSPEED Glacier using XDA Premium App
eqjunkie829 said:
Don't know if insurance fraud is something that should be suggested on here. Don't get me wrong, i could care less about how much money insurance companies make off of a claim. But not a good suggestion nonetheless.
Sent from my demonSPEED Glacier using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
I dont know what carrier you have, but I am with Tmobile and smartphones carry a $130 claim fee.
dubie76 said:
I dont know what carrier you have, but I am with Tmobile and smartphones carry a $130 claim fee.
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Click to collapse
I don't carry insurance on my phones because it's a ripoff. Why am I going to pay asurion 5-6 bucks a month for them to send me some crap refurbished phone IF i break or lose my phone. I would rather save my money and buy a used one from someone online for the price of the deductible they are going to charge me IF I file a claim. Btw i have been using cell phones since the brickphones came out and have never broken or lost one yet.
Sent from my demonSPEED Glacier using XDA Premium App
We have a pool at our house, for the most part phones stay well away from the water...but accidents have happened. When we went to seaworld last summer, there were people who were vacuum sealing phones in clear plastic which is a great idea...headed to Walmart and bought the sealer and a pack of small bags...works great for days that we know we will be out there all day. I can even punch a hole through the sealed part at the top and put my phone on a lanyard to wear around my neck
Sent from my demonSPEED Glacier using XDA Premium App
eqjunkie829 said:
I don't carry insurance on my phones because it's a ripoff. Why am I going to pay asurion 5-6 bucks a month for them to send me some crap refurbished phone IF i break or lose my phone. I would rather save my money and buy a used one from someone online for the price of the deductible they are going to charge me IF I file a claim. Btw i have been using cell phones since the brickphones came out and have never broken or lost one yet.
Sent from my demonSPEED Glacier using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange to hear that. Its cool if thats what you do, but the referbs that come from them are certified referbs and have a 6 month warranty. They even cover stolen or lost cell phones. My personal choice has always been to get the insurance. $130 for a like new to me is better than $200 plus for a like new used from someone. jmo
You also mentioned "IF". Thats what insrance is all about the "IF" siutation. I do know that the insuance companies make millions on us because the "IF" usually never happens, but that's life I guess.
Actually it's a known fact, they list it in their disclaimer when you pay for insurance they have to tell you what the terms of service are. It clearly states if damage to any device is a result of the user then you are solely at fault and no claim will be entertained by said warranty, if the device is either stolen or lost under said claim then the deductible will apply and a replacement will be issued over the contract term not to exceed more than 2 times over a calender year.
They basically tell you to not bother if the screen is cracked or the buttons pop off but if it's lost or stolen then give us a call.
I actually dropped my last phone in the water while working on a side job and when I called the customer service person said "Ohh so you lost the phone, we'll send you out a new one then" AFTER I told him what happened.
Their well aware of what happens and mistakes get made but why pay for a service if it's not working for you. I didn't scam anyone nor did I offer any information that wasn't offered to me direct from T-Mobile, I paid my $40.00 dollars and had my phone back in 3 days (My Touch 4G). It's better than paying for the phone out right or second hand.
For those whom think I'm some thief or a scam junky just don't read the suggestion, keep paying top dollar for services you never use and we'll be cool I really don't care either way but for those whom live in the real world and know every penny counts take my advice and keep your investment, what's funny about "those with negative responses to my suggestion" is here you are on a site that's main goal is to develop solutions for software issues not provided by your carrier and freedom of use and the right to use what you pay for on all devices posted here ( Will Void Your Warranty threw your Provider for Using!) has something to say about it.
I love the site and would never have anything bad to say about it, I believe all of the dev's and site staff have a good thing going here and hopefully everyone can learn from all of it as you should, people need to take a bigger step and learn how to do for them selves and others instead of just being sheep and this site supports that.
dubie76 said:
So, if you ever take your kids to the pool, make sure you check your pockets. I discovered that after 45 minutes my phone was in my back pocket of my swim trunks. I let it dry in the sun until I got home, then did the rice thing.
As of now, when I put the battery in, the light on the back flashes on, the phone vibrates, but thats about it.
I called the insurance and have a new one on the way, but its $130 I really didnt have to spend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do the rice thing with the phone as disassembled as you can, about an inch of rice, the bag full of air and sealed, shake it good (to make the air inside really really dry) and leave it for 48 hours.
That revived my Samsung Blast from completely dead, couldn't even get the charge light to come on.
Phateless said:
Do the rice thing with the phone as disassembled as you can, about an inch of rice, the bag full of air and sealed, shake it good (to make the air inside really really dry) and leave it for 48 hours.
That revived my Samsung Blast from completely dead, couldn't even get the charge light to come on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the recommendation but there was no hope for it. It was swimming for 45 minutes at least. Plus I called for replacement right when I found out. I want a fully functioning phone, not one brought back from dearh.....LOL
I hear you there, you know some where down the line it will just give you problems anyways and my phone is everything as far as work goes and knowing where I need to be every day matters when your a tech.
I don't mind taking a risk when the over all out come means I benefit more down the line and being able to fix my own equipment means I make more money later so making sure everything I have works properly is key not only for myself but also my customers.
I know that tmobile isn't really doing swaps for the g2x, I'm not sure if they even have them in stock, some people have said they've had to get the mytouch 4g. Does anyone know if asurion have them available?
They have them available for warranty exchanges, it appears... I just got my replacement in the mail today(3 days after ordering the replacement) after being told it may be a two week wait. What problems are you experiencing with your G2x?
The only reason you should make a claim with Asurion is if you've lost or broken your phone. The deductible, itself, should be enough to warn most people of that.
It has a cracked screen
I got a replacement G2X through Asurion when I got my original stolen. I actually got the phone in 2 days and it works great. The phone is refurbished, but you won't be able to tell. There are no scratches or physical signs of wear and tear. They have the G2Xs in stock.
This was my first time using my insurance plan, but I'm glad I did now. You shouldn't be dissappointed. The deductible was $130 though.....beats buying a new phone at outright though.
Hope this helps!
I had no hassles with Asurion. My wife left her phone on a cab in Vegas. Filed a claim from the airport and got a replacement the next day.
The replacement they sent was a bit flakey, and the vibration motor made a kind of grinding noise. When i called them and explained the problems, they drop shipped me a second replacement with a return label. We had it the next day and the second one is as good as new.
propain4444 said:
I had no hassles with Asurion. My wife left her phone on a cab in Vegas. Filed a claim from the airport and got a replacement the next day.
The replacement they sent was a bit flakey, and the vibration motor made a kind of grinding noise. When i called them and explained the problems, they drop shipped me a second replacement with a return label. We had it the next day and the second one is as good as new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What happens in Vegas...
I also had no problem through Asurion on the G2X, got a new phone though ( killed the G2X with water)
Yeah, Vegas is why I will always buy phone insurance from now on - I'd never lost or broken a phone priorly.
A word of caution, if you're ever in vegas and feel like passing out before everyone else, be sure your buddy isn't planning to bring a hooker to the room, you will be out a phone come morning.
Lol...brings back memories lol
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
I bought my Nexus S at Best Buy when it was free for AT&T last week and I was coxed into buying their Black Tie Protection Plan. I have to say that it was a great idea. However, I took my phone in, because I had a deep scratch in the screen and they told me it's a no go, and they wouldn't accept it for repair. The scratch was deep enough where I could feel it with my fingers... In the end, the phone had to be more impacted, like a cracked screen. They told me Zagg would make it look like new again... All of this while I was waiting for my Case Mate case in the mail...
So I went home and intentionally dropped my phone from two feet from the ground and it smashed the screen! I was "hopping" it would hold up a bit better than it did, but it did have a scratch in the screen. Went back to BB today and turned it in... unfortunately I had read terrible stories of BB repair turn around times, taking up to three weeks!!! So here I am waiting for a commencement email from BB regarding the repair...
Anyone else have experience with BB Black Tie Protection?
The speaker on my first nexus blew out and I also had the black tie protection. Instead of repairing mine they just approved me for junk out about a week later and i went into best buy and got a brand new one. The only way it's gonna take a terribly long time is if the repair center is bogged down or they are having trouble repairing the phone. I wouldn't worry about it too much as the typical time is usually gonna be no more than two weeks.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I have the black tie. Never did a repair though. however I did have to take my nexus in yesterday because of wonky touch buttons. They said I qualified for rapid exchange. They took my nexus, gave me an LG Optimus loaner, and said I'd h have a new nexus in 3 days. Can't beat that!
Sent from my LG-P509 using XDA App
I took mine in for repair because the screen started to lift up on the top right corner. They said it would be taken care of in 3 to 5 business days. That was four business days ago. Also on the Geek Squad tracking website it still shows my device only as being checked in. Luckily I still have my N1 as a backup phone.
I was with GeekSquad a long time ago and their Policy then was, that Under no circumstances would they cover screen scratches or cracks. I'm sure that still stands now.
3 weeks is normal if they send the phone to Samsung, at least it's normal for European electronic device (phones, laptops, tvs, etc) exchanges/repairs.
Because I work for Geeksquad, I can answer most questions reguarding BTP.
90% of the phones sold at BBY qualify for Rapid Exchange BTP, the remaining 10% are either standard repair (taking approx 3-4 weeks to send it in get it repaired and then shipped back, but they provide a loaner phone everytime.) or In-store exchange.
Rapid exchange is essentially a pre-repaired phone, aka refurb. Instead of waiting normal repair times you get refurbs normally within 3 business days.
As for the OP, whoever told you scratches were not covered is lieing to you. BTP covers everything except blatent abuse, IE smashing the phone infront of an employee or sticking it under a tire and driving over it on purpose(yes they really can tell). This also includes water damage. Next time they tell you its not covered, ask to speak to a manager.
Well, I should have posted this before cracking the screen. And I thought they told me BTP covered everything except lost or stolen! (So I wouldn't have to go through the pain of cracking my screen...) And the rapid exchange wouldn't work because I have an AT&T version, which I believe is sold out...
Now I have to pain through three weeks!!! Dang!
Thanks for the info.
jake.corey.jacobs said:
Because I work for Geeksquad, I can answer most questions reguarding BTP.
90% of the phones sold at BBY qualify for Rapid Exchange BTP, the remaining 10% are either standard repair (taking approx 3-4 weeks to send it in get it repaired and then shipped back, but they provide a loaner phone everytime.) or In-store exchange.
Rapid exchange is essentially a pre-repaired phone, aka refurb. Instead of waiting normal repair times you get refurbs normally within 3 business days.
As for the OP, whoever told you scratches were not covered is lieing to you. BTP covers everything except blatent abuse, IE smashing the phone infront of an employee or sticking it under a tire and driving over it on purpose(yes they really can tell). This also includes water damage. Next time they tell you its not covered, ask to speak to a manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, BTP was not around back then. I was a GeekSquad DA at launch; remained for two and a half years.
I've had my shift since feb. Rooted since day one.
Phone works, keyboard works, speakers work, everything works. Battery seems to drain faster, but hell, its a year old and gets used extensively.
I have the $8 insurance thing through them since day one. Never once used it.
My phone has been dropped more times than a $10 crack whore. Dented, scratched, chipped, etc. But as I said, all works.
Do you guys think sprint would replace it with a new phone under the insurance plan? Has anyone done this? Does it have to be broken to be replaced? Does the deductable apply? Should I try to replace it in a sprint store, radio shack, or does it have to be done via phone/snailmail?
Sent from my PG06100 using xda premium
If the phone is still in good working order, cosmetic damage will not get you a replacement. Unless that damage is to the screen ( cracked screen ) . If your screen is just scratched they will not do it. As for a good place to try and possibly get a replacement. I would try the Sprint Authorized Repair CenterIt's where when I've had an issue with my phone It's been resolved every time. But experiences vary a lot from what I've heard.
Or if you really want a new phone just throw it on the floor till it does break and say someone tried stealing it and it fell in the middle of the street while a car ran over it
Find a friend at a sprint store and have them send you a REPLACEMENT. ASURION IS A LAST RESORT.
Thanks guys. I don't know if there's a repair center around here, but I'll check.
As far as the "accident", I've considered many options. Such as a drop in the potty during #2... and bringing it to the store in a bag with poo attached. Bet I wouldn't even have to unroot!!!
I will probably try the replacement path first. The salesman I used was a straight up guy, or seemed to be. I may take a ride up to huntsville this weekend and see if he still works there. Hopefully.
I guess I'm foolish for not knowing, but the insurance that comes from a true sprint store, is that assurion? I thought it was something they handled directly. I guess the confusion comes from different posts I've seen here. Didn't one of you guys break hinges a while back and get a new phone? What was your situation as far as sprint, insurance, etc.?
Sent from my PG06100 using xda premium
Well the cofusion usually comes from Sprint spliting up what they do " in house " , vs what they call an " insurance claim ". Although from my understanding if you do not have T.E.P. , then you cannot make an insurance claim. They do have guide lines, but I've seen different stores interperate them differently. The biggest thing IMO is that if they do not resolve the problem in house ( at the repair center / store ) then they try and make it an insurance claim. You then have to contact Insurian, that realy sucks. Because then you most times end up paying the deductable, which is now $100 .
my earpiece went out last saturday. i brought it to a repair center and they kept it for a few hours. They told me they couldn't fix it, so they ordered me a new one, but it was on backorder and didn't know when it will be in. Been calling everday and a no go.
jsp254 said:
I've had my shift since feb. Rooted since day one.
Phone works, keyboard works, speakers work, everything works. Battery seems to drain faster, but hell, its a year old and gets used extensively.
I have the $8 insurance thing through them since day one. Never once used it.
My phone has been dropped more times than a $10 crack whore. Dented, scratched, chipped, etc. But as I said, all works.
Do you guys think sprint would replace it with a new phone under the insurance plan? Has anyone done this? Does it have to be broken to be replaced? Does the deductable apply? Should I try to replace it in a sprint store, radio shack, or does it have to be done via phone/snailmail?
Sent from my PG06100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
updated reply from me: DO NOT REPLACE YOUR ORIGINAL PHONE IF THE ONLY PROBLEM IS COSMETIC DAMAGE.
I have swapped 3 Evo Shifts already. I speak from experience. I actually sent the last replacement back because the microphone did not work properly.
So my wife is the proud owner of a Galaxy S4 and I was stoked to have finally convinced her to get rid of her POS iPhone. Unfortunately she had the phone for about a week before our daughter got a hold of it and promptly dropped it on the concrete. Since my wife was not sure if she wanted to keep your iphone or the S4 in the beginning, at that point the phone was neekid (case arrived the day after it was dropped!). Needless the say the screen shattered and there were some groovy dings in the chrome bezel and no we did not have insurance.
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Original Damage.
So I started doing research into different companies that would do the repair. I came across a company in VA called Rockit Repairs (www.rockitrepairs.com). After talking to them on the phone and reviewing their work on FB I felt comfortable with sending my wife's phone there to have it repaired. Needless to say, this was a huge mistake. I will give them credit for standing by their word but so far the only thing they have done is screw me over.
The first problem I had was with return shipping. I paid an extra $20 to have the phone overnighted back to me. It took them three days from when they told me the phone had been shipped before I got an actual tracking number. Obviously they had not shipped it until then. That was a Saturday so I did not receive the phone until that Tuesday. When I called them on it they offered to refund my overnight shipping.
The repair job itself was horrible. First of all there were to scratches on the LCD underneath the front glass. One went about half length of the screen and the other was about 1/3rd the length of the screen. There were over a dozen pry marks in the chrome bezel and there were all sorts of crap between the front glass and the LCD. Some of which was dust and others that were bigger - possibly food crumbs.... IDK. Portions of the touch screen were not as responsive as they should have been. I called them again and I talked to a guy named Jim who said he is the one that did the actual work. Jim apologized and said that he did not see this when he sent it (I don't know how) and to send it back so they could do it right.
All that stuff you see on the screen, yeah that is actually under the front glass.
So I sent it back and they said they had to order a LCD, overnight, from their supplier. The next day I get an updated saying the phone was repaired and shipped and I was even given a tracking number. Again, they couldn't even get the shipping right because they were suppose to overnight it but sent it 3 day priority. How can you trust a company that can't do something as simple as ship a package correctly? Because of their error in shipping, I didn't get the phone back for 4 days (weekend).
The second time we got the phone back it looked much, much better. Everything looked great. I originally though that they must have replaced the entire front assembly this time because the chrome bezel was replaced as well. However, my excitement didn't last long. When I got the phone home, I pulled the battery to look at the serial number to make sure it matched the box. It did but it was obvious that the sticker had been peeled up at some point. Since the phone was working and looked great I just let it go. I assumed that there was a screw under the sticker that they had to remove. I was far from right.
Six days after we got the phone back the LCD started to get lines through it, or it would just not turn on, or it would be all white, or the colors would be reversed. Basically the LCD was shot. At this point I was done with Rockit Repairs. I told them to refund every penny or I would do a chargeback via my credit card company. They did not argue at all. That same day I took the phone to a local repair shop to have them figure out what is going on. Now you may ask why didn't I go to this place originally and that is a valid question. When I talked to them on the phone I didn't really like their attitude. I don't know if I caught the dude on a bad day or what but I didn't get a good vibe from him. Anyway, we started talking about what was going and I asked about the sticker under the battery. This is where it gets fun.
By the end of the day the phone was completely unusable.
The repair tech at the local shop, First Class Cell Phone Repair, told me there was no screw under there and that most likely this other shop had created a Frankenstein phone. That they probably took a parts S4, maybe a water damaged phone or something along these lines, and replaced some of the internals with the parts from my wife's phone and slapped our serial number sticker on this other chassis. I cannot confirm that they did do this but I do know that I never agreed to this and at no point was it ever even discussed with me. The local shop is going to see if they can determine the issue with the phone and they are going to take pictures of everything they see. If they are of the opinion that they Frankensteined my phone, well it won't be a good day for Rockit Repairs.
The odd thing is, this company seemed legit. They have a nice public facebook page with over 2200 likes. Lots of stories about repairs and satisfied customers. Local papers doing write ups about their shop. They seemed for real. But seriously, they have screwed up every step of this process and had lied to me and did some extremely shady things. Maybe their regular customers are idiots? If anyone who reads this needs their phone fixed, don't send it to Rockit Repairs.
Anyone else have any experience with this shop?
So I just got off the phone with Rockit Repairs and they clarified their repair process the 2nd time around. He explained that the part he ordered was the entire chassis and not the LCD (even though in the reply on my ticket said only LCD). I don't know where they ordered the part from but I have found vendors that do sell the chassis for the S4 and it is essentially the front glass, lcd, housing for the logic board and the other internal workings.
They did apologize profusely and stated that they had never had issues like this before but seriously, even if the repair was done right the first time the shipping issues and being lied to about the shipping issues would be enough for me to never do business with them again.
How old is your daughter? $600+ phone without insurance is a very expensive "play toy" regardless of how she got her hands on it. A case wouldn't have made a difference from the looks of the phone. Good luck with your repair process.
scott14719 said:
How old is your daughter? $600+ phone without insurance is a very expensive "play toy" regardless of how she got her hands on it. A case wouldn't have made a difference from the looks of the phone. Good luck with your repair process.
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She is 2 but we don't let her play with out phones. I have an old busted HTC phone that she plays a few games on but not our phones. My wife just left it on table and then walked away. Trust me, she feels pretty stupid about it.
berdo said:
She is 2 but we don't let her play with out phones. I have an old busted HTC phone that she plays a few games on but not our phones. My wife just left it on table and then walked away. Trust me, she feels pretty stupid about it.
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Sorry to hear that. Kids seem to be able to get into everything. I've seen parts (Digitizer and screen) available for around $200 - $250 US and videos on youtube showing how to replace the part(s), but it's something I would rather have someone else do as well.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I wouldn't use Facebook as a source for accurate information on a company reliability since i believe they can pretty much edit every post and delete any that don't agree with what they have to say.
I have insurance myself for my s4 and indeed for my son's iphone 4s. but sadly it still cost about $200 with insurance to replace his iphone when he dropped it into the ocean. Apparently there are other companies not affiliated with the carriers who offer better insurance but I haven't looked into it. I figure It's worth it to have insurance for the first 6 months but after that, the $200 replacement cost isn't worth it. Especially since you can buy a brand new Nexus 4 for $299.
acruxksa said:
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I wouldn't use Facebook as a source for accurate information on a company reliability since i believe they can pretty much edit every post and delete any that don't agree with what they have to say.
I have insurance myself for my s4 and indeed for my son's iphone 4s. but sadly it still cost about $200 with insurance to replace his iphone when he dropped it into the ocean. Apparently there are other companies not affiliated with the carriers who offer better insurance but I haven't looked into it.
You can buy a brand new Nexus 4 for $299, something to think about.
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I agree FB isn't the best place to go. I did google searches and searched for info on XDA but nothing really anywhere that was all that helpful. Really I based my decision off talking to them on the phone. They stated all the things you want to here, like the number of S4 repairs they have done, what their turn around time is, if the stand behind their work, etc.. I know they have multiple employees because I have talked with about 4-5 different people so they are obviously generating enough business to have that many employees. I don't think they are a chop shop, I just think they screwed up and were not honest about it until I pushed them for more info.
The local shop says the ribbon cable was pinched which is causing the LCD to short out. To fix I have to replace the entire LCD screen again. Does anyone have any suggestions for who to send it to? The local AT&T store recommended a place called Digital Doc http://digitaldocrepair.com/. They appear to be a franchise with 6 different locations.
if you broke your screen.the best option is Samsung USA.its under 200 and you still have full warranty.who knows u might get lucky and they repair it free.don't use these stupid small repair shops.they are lookin to rip people off.
I just thought I would throw in my two cents here and suggest you buy the digitizer/lcd/frame as a single assembly on eBay and then do the repair yourself. I've repaired many Samsung phones and I've found that taking the phone apart is very easy but it's really a pain to replace just the digitizer or just the LCD without getting any dust or smudges between them. On top of that you have to make sure the seal is damned near perfect or you'll accumulate dust in there over time. It's better to buy that as a single unit IMHO.
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S+IV+Teardown/13947/1
If you search eBay for "Galaxy S4 LCD Frame" a respectable price is in the range of $180 - $200. Be sure to read the description and not rely only on the pictures!
Let me translate for you. You sent your phone to Jim Bob who knows a little about Facebook. Jim Bob also watches Youtube and saw where you can replace the glass on your phone and says to himself "Hey I can do that, and make money doing it. I know how to make a facebook page to advertise". Unfortunately pulling the glass from the LCD is a lot harder than it looks on Youtube. No one showed where those tutorials are using a phone where it was already done once and the second time is much easier since the original adhesive has been removed. So JB screwed it up while doing it in his basement while eating Cheetos. The easy fix was just to buy a new LCD with digitizer that doesn't have your imei number on it. So JB tried to remove your sticker and put it on the new frame but no one told him they use a tamper proof material and adhesive that makes sure it's obvious when it has been removed. And now you have it back.
Unless they specifically told you that certain parts wouldn't be removed, or if removed would only be replaced with OEM parts, I can't see that you have any legit legal grounds to complain, other than poor workmanship.
Sorry for your luck.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I had a busted SIM Card reader on my old Galaxy S2Skyrocket.
I took it to http://www.bobknowsphones.com/ and they quoted me 60 to replace it. Brought it in and left in 15 minutes with a replaced sim card and a functioning phone.
They are local in Atlanta but get great recommendations and I think they have mail in service for those not local.
Good luck on your repairs.
navalynt said:
I just thought I would throw in my two cents here and suggest you buy the digitizer/lcd/frame as a single assembly on eBay and then do the repair yourself. I've repaired many Samsung phones and I've found that taking the phone apart is very easy but it's really a pain to replace just the digitizer or just the LCD without getting any dust or smudges between them. On top of that you have to make sure the seal is damned near perfect or you'll accumulate dust in there over time. It's better to buy that as a single unit IMHO.
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S+IV+Teardown/13947/1
If you search eBay for "Galaxy S4 LCD Frame" a respectable price is in the range of $180 - $200. Be sure to read the description and not rely only on the pictures!
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This is actually what I am doing. I purchased a frame assembly from Amazon actually (though the seller is on eBay as well and has a 99.5% rating with other 7200 feedbacks) but I will not be doing the work myself. I will have the local repair shop do the work. I am a Sys Admin by trade and have no problems digging in and doing the work myself but considering the phone is so new I would rather have them do it and have the work warrantied. That way if they screw it up it is on them.
BigMc71 said:
Let me translate for you. You sent your phone to Jim Bob who knows a little about Facebook. Jim Bob also watches Youtube and saw where you can replace the glass on your phone and says to himself "Hey I can do that, and make money doing it. I know how to make a facebook page to advertise". Unfortunately pulling the glass from the LCD is a lot harder than it looks on Youtube. No one showed where those tutorials are using a phone where it was already done once and the second time is much easier since the original adhesive has been removed. So JB screwed it up while doing it in his basement while eating Cheetos. The easy fix was just to buy a new LCD with digitizer that doesn't have your imei number on it. So JB tried to remove your sticker and put it on the new frame but no one told him they use a tamper proof material and adhesive that makes sure it's obvious when it has been removed. And now you have it back.
Unless they specifically told you that certain parts wouldn't be removed, or if removed would only be replaced with OEM parts, I can't see that you have any legit legal grounds to complain, other than poor workmanship.
Sorry for your luck.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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I hear what you are saying but I don't think this is an accurate description of the company I went with. While I am not defending them, they are definitely not some newb in his mom's basement thinking he can do something because he saw it on youtube. The company has two retail locations with about 5-7 employees. They have been in business for over a year and expanded from 400sq ft office to an 1100 sq ft office in a small time frame to deal with all the work they are getting. All of this info I found via a local paper who did a story on them, not from their facebook page. All this information lead me to believe they were actually capable. I do believe that their tech has a video posted on XDA of him removing the front glass on a S4, being one of the firsts to do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbJEpe79PDQ
I did my research. More than just facebook. I think they are a capable repair shop but they are not exactly up front about what they are doing and open with their communication when the eff up. Either way I will never use them again.
This is why I went the Samsung route and gave them $200 bucks, flat. They fixed it in under a week and shipped to and from with 2 day shipping. Professional and perfect condition. They replaced what seems the mid-frame, AMOLED, and digitizer. No dust, scratches, or bubbles.
But they upgraded me to MF3 :crying:
pejhod said:
This is why I went the Samsung route and gave them $200 bucks, flat. They fixed it in under a week and shipped to and from with 2 day shipping. Professional and perfect condition. They replaced what seems the mid-frame, AMOLED, and digitizer. No dust, scratches, or bubbles.
But they upgraded me to MF3 :crying:
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You know this sounds stupid, but it never occurred to me to send it to Samsung. Even when I called AT&T to ask them where I should send it to they never suggested Samsung. Now I feel really stupid. It is my wife's phone and she doesn't root/custom rom so she would care less about the firmware. Pretty effing stupid.
How did you set that up, did you just call 1-888-987-HELP or did you go to a samsung retail location?
pejhod said:
This is why I went the Samsung route and gave them $200 bucks, flat. They fixed it in under a week and shipped to and from with 2 day shipping. Professional and perfect condition. They replaced what seems the mid-frame, AMOLED, and digitizer. No dust, scratches, or bubbles.
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berdo said:
You know this sounds stupid, but it never occurred to me to send it to Samsung. Even when I called AT&T to ask them where I should send it to they never suggested Samsung. Now I feel really stupid. It is my wife's phone and she doesn't root/custom rom so she would care less about the firmware. Pretty effing stupid.
How did you set that up, did you just call 1-888-987-HELP or did you go to a samsung retail location?
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@berdo I called Samsung directly and they gave me the number. Unfortunately I don't have it anymore or I would share it with you. I did want to share how great my experience with Sammy was.
My experience is identical to @pejhod 's. Check around for alternative companies to fix, but all were charging in excess of $250. Finally called Samsung (repair facility in Arlington,TX. They sent me a shipping label, said 5-7 days to repair and 2 days to ship back. They replaced the screen and bezel and shipped it back in a day. All for a flat $200. Very professional and very true to their word. I hope I never damage my screen again, but if so, Samsung is the ONLY route I'd go. I was super impressed by the whole experience.
Get a SquareTrade warranty $6 buck a month and $100 deductible
peaster3 said:
@berdo I called Samsung directly and they gave me the number. Unfortunately I don't have it anymore or I would share it with you. I did want to share how great my experience with Sammy was.
My experience is identical to @pejhod 's. Check around for alternative companies to fix, but all were charging in excess of $250. Finally called Samsung (repair facility in Arlington,TX. They sent me a shipping label, said 5-7 days to repair and 2 days to ship back. They replaced the screen and bezel and shipped it back in a day. All for a flat $200. Very professional and very true to their word. I hope I never damage my screen again, but if so, Samsung is the ONLY route I'd go. I was super impressed by the whole experience.
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...I would hope so.....they made the phone lol
Yeah, I never believed in buying insurance floaters of any kind for my cell phones and that may just change after the GS4. Phones just keep getting thinner and easier to crack. This one is the easiest of all phones I've ever owned. Wouldn't be a bad idea, but I didn't have it to start with.
But yeah, Samsung is the quickest, easiest, and most professional. Obviously it hurt to pay the $200, sure wasn't a pleasure handing over my card information, but you gotta do what you gotta do. They even return it is this very cool box that almost has the phone floating between two pieces of paper. Haha. Idk but I thought it was cool. (I guess for $200 they better mail it back in a somewhat decent packaging.)
Mine was sent to Plano, TX.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4
Well after reading about the Samsung experience I am really pissed at myself. Live and learn. I would have gladly paid $200 to have samsung fix the phone. However, in the long run the phone is fixed, looks great, and is working great so far. I guess only time will tell if the replacement part will work. But if there are issues again I will be going directly to Samsung.
In the end, RockIt Repair was true to their word that they stand by their work. While I had every issue under the sun, they acknowledged those issues and took responsibility for them. They refunded the original cost of of the repair and reimbursed me for the cost difference in having to buy a new lcd assembly. So in the end I did not have to pay anything out of pocket to get it fixed. Though after 4 weeks and numerous amounts of hours spent dealing with this does not equal $250, I will take it.
Lesson learned.