My customer service experiece - Galaxy Note 3 General

Hi all, long time listener first time caller and all that...
I thought it would be a good idea to post up here my customer service experience so others can hopefully learn from my mistakes.
I bought a note 3 sim free from phones4u in the uk, when i first used it i tried to install kox, this failed and on to google... many people had this problem, so i called samsung and they said i need an enterprise licence for it - bull sheet
Then i noticed the proximity sensor ddnt work, again a very common fault.
I went to a store within the 28 day exchange period and told it was too late as they are about to close, as i work away abroad i couldnt take it back i the 28 day period so when i finally got to taking it back, i was told it needed to be sent off. This is not true as the sales of goods act entitles me to a replacement due to the faults existing from new.
After much arguing with customer services, i was told tough. I wet in to a store with all my notes and paperwork in hand, they agreed to replace it.
The new phone works fine, the proximity sensor is perfect and guess what... knox works fine.
Goes to show that even samsung tech suppoort even get it wrong, also, phones 4u also think that the sales of goods act does ot apply to them.
I hope this information is useful to someone.

Phones4U here in the UK are notorious for being Idiots. always have been. They are just sharks, you walk in and they swarm around you like the pretty boy who has never had a job does. And yap in your ear, yet you aska technical question and they look at you like sheeeeeet dude knows stuff!
I bought a phone from them many many years ago and had issues with it they wouldn't swap and argued. In the end I won. -- I vowed I'd never buy from them again.
That being said... I bought my HTC One there (red version) as it was cheaper and Red was exclusive to them, and I purchased my Note 3 there (which worked out a tenner cheaper too!) because Carphone warehouse didn't have any in stock.

radicalisto said:
Phones4U here in the UK are notorious for being Idiots. always have been. They are just sharks, you walk in and they swarm around you like the pretty boy who has never had a job does. And yap in your ear, yet you aska technical question and they look at you like sheeeeeet dude knows stuff!
I bought a phone from them many many years ago and had issues with it they wouldn't swap and argued. In the end I won. -- I vowed I'd never buy from them again.
That being said... I bought my HTC One there (red version) as it was cheaper and Red was exclusive to them, and I purchased my Note 3 there (which worked out a tenner cheaper too!) because Carphone warehouse didn't have any in stock.
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Click to collapse
They were the only place that could sell me the phone sin free. Also the only place to have the s view cover in.
To be fair, the manageress had to go in the back to kick off at head office as they didn't want to swap it out.
Just gutted I updated to MJ7. . . Could have done with rooting it but don't want 0x1 just in case it develops another fault.

Only issue I had with MJ7 was an Android OS drain, which was a launchers fault (which I have since removed), tbh my battery is superb! 30 hours or so average.
As for the KNOX issue, I just went ahead and tripped mine. I dare them to even not replace mine if something goes wrong, EU directive etc, plus I'll make such a stink about it they'll have no other option. So fudge them!!! -- (plus I have insurance in worst case scenerio lol but that has an excess charge...)

Sorry to hear Phones4U are still trading.

Related

[Q] Question about HTC Global Warranty

Sorry if this can't be asked here.
My question is, what is the extent of the coverage? Any details at all if possible from anyone who's had their phone physically damaged without warranty from the seller.
My situation is: bought a Touch HD from clove.co.uk a month ago, without insurance, and my dog just recently destroyed it . I called the north american service hotline, and heard my case, and suggested I call the hotline for the country my phone came from. Which I'll have to do tomorrow as theyre only open 8am - 8pm eastern time (im in CA).
So please, anyone with a similar experience, please let me know what can be done. Bad news or good news, doesn't matter.
Oh then the guy said "happy holidays".
Hi. Wow expensive chew toy! I will tell you from experience HTC is the absolute worst company I have ever had to deal with especially for warranty! I swear they will do everything in their power to avoid honoring the warranty so be careful how you answer their questions.
One example: I bought a used HTC S710 off ebay that was only 2 months old but had some keys that were not working right after about a month. Seller even gave me a copy of his original receipt showing it was under warranty which had 9 months left by time I realized the problem. First guy I talked to said it had to of been damage I caused or accused me of getting it wet but I didn't think that was the case. I know I didn't do either & it had been working for awhile & either way you'd think it should be covered under warranty within the 1st year or they'd at least look at it. When I brought up if it would be covered under warranty he said it depends on if it was damage I caused or not. Next guy I talked to asked if I had the original receipt & if I was the original purchaser. I said yes & no. Then I was told it was non transferable & only good for the original purchaser. I asked the seller if he'd mind sending it in for me & he said sure no problem. Well the next HTC guy said the warranty was invalid because they knew the phone had been resold. (It seems they take notes when you call in) They said they'd be happy to look at it but it'd be at least $80 & could be $120 for keypad issue & maybe much more depending on what the problem was, it could even hit $200 which is almost as much as I paid for the phone! I asked about buying parts & they send they don't sell to end users. I do some computer support for a company that sells & repairs cell phones (Sprint/Nextel) & had them contact HTC to find out they couldn't buy parts either. Run around left & right. I ended up buying replacement parts on ebay for like $30 & fixed it myself. It was a pain but it worked & I didn't give them my $. I swore I'd never buy another HTC but here I am with a Touch Dual & a Fuze. lol
I've read similar horror stories on the net so I know I'm not alone. Moral of the story is don't rely on HTC to honor any warranty & if they do you are one lucky SOB. I highly doubt they are going to cover yours if it is obvious it was chewed on (or dropped or run over or sat on or got wet etc) as they'll say it was abused & not a manufacturer's defect & therefore not warranty. (Not sure any company will cover such things, that is what insurance is for. lol) Odds are they'll gladly offer for you to ship it to them & they'll fix it for a fee but you might be better off cutting your losses now & selling it as-is for parts & buying a replacement. Along with some raw hide bones for yer pooch.
Good luck!
Bill
Ah, figured as much.
Yeah I don't put any faith at all into manufacturer warranties, I just wish they had hearts . But really, this blows and the irony is that earlier I was telling myself, after weeks of tweaking, that I'd lose some hair if I have to hard-reset anytime soon.
Looks like that statement was taken to the extreme....
sp8805 said:
My question is, what is the extent of the coverage?
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Click to collapse
I wanted to buy my device abroad, and lucky me, I called reseller here.
Answer was "Warranty is valid only locally", meaning only in my country for device bought in my country!
And sorry to say, damage caused by a dog is not covered by warranty! At least here...
http://www.crc.id.au/2010/11/25/htc-when-warranties-go-bad/
Adding my bit to the piece. Even when its a genuine fault, they are still hopeless.

My eBay experience (techno.trading.house)

Hi everyone,
I want to share my journey with the Z3, and the experience with buying from eBay, specifically from a seller, techno.trading.house (Steph, Ed). I bought two brand new Z3 (D6603)--a black one for myself, and a white one for my girlfriend. The order was smooth, and the phones came in pretty much brand new (open box though) with their plastic peel-screens on the glass, untouched. After using the two for a few hours, I noticed that my black one had a defective sensor (photo). The seller advertised "hassle-free" exchanges/refunds, so I reported the defect and had the black one exchanged right away.
After a week, the new one came, the same brand new (open box) condition as the previous phones. However, there was a slight manufacturing defect with the USB flap--it closes completely at a slant (photo). I spelled out the issue with the seller, and here was how it went:
SELLER: I'm sorry to hear that! We will certainly replace it for you, I believe that your phone would be damaged underwater if that or any other flap was not closed properly. (I also do strongly suggest to avoid wetting the phone just in case). Please return the phone to...
ME (after 2 days delivered to them): Hi, have you receive the package yet, and have you ship out the new phone?
SELLER: Your return has been received. If you had chosen to receive a replacement, it will be sent within 2 days. If you have opted for a refund, it will be issued within 24 hours minus applicable restocking fee.
ME: Do you have tracking info? Thanks!
SELLER: Our records indicate that we have already sent a replacement. You have reached out to us to let us know that the replacement has the same issue. In order to avoid another occurrence, we recommend that we proceed with a refund for this item. Please let us know if this is okay.
ME: Sorry, I am not sure what you are saying. Are you talking about the previous replacement or the 2nd replacement being shipped out? I am currently waiting for the 2nd replacement. You said "sure" on the second replacement last week.
SELLER: We are talking about the previous replacement. We believe since both- the original phone and the replacement phone- has had the same issue, that a refund might be best. Let us know if this is ok.
ME: That is not correct. First phone had a defective camera. Second one had a manufacturer defect on the flap. You agreed for the second exchange, so I am not sure why you are backing out now? I need the phone as I have been using an old dumb phone for work for a week already.
SELLER: I'm very sorry for the confusion. I just read back through the emails and you are indeed correct. We will have your replacement unit shipped today. Here is your tracking number. Again, I am sorry for the confusion. Have a great day!
ME: Thanks. I just hope the new one does not have any defect--I will be checking it. If it's not shipped out yet, anyway you can inspect these? Thank you.
SELLER: Hello, Not a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the 2nd replacement came (third phone), and the phone came in a used/open condition. There were no plastic peel-screens on either side of the glass and the USB wire was laying in there without its plastic wrappers. I knew immediately this was used, so I began close inspection of the phone. I found that the power button had a noticeable dent on one side, as if it was dropped on a table before. At this point, I don't know what to do with the phone. I have summoned the seller to see what they plan to do with this situation.
It appears that the seller recycles their returned phones and try to sell them as new, or whatever it is. I am extremely disappointed with this seller, and I want others to know so they may not fall into the same trap.
I checked the current feedback, and it appears someone had the same situation (photo). Go figure!
To me this sounds like a fair seller and a picky buyer. 832 positive reviews and 6 negative ones in a month is a ratio I would buy at if I wanted to save a hundred bucks by buying without factory warranty.
It could have been an honest mistake. I doubt he purposely gave you an opened one, just work with him to solve the problem. eBay is much harder on sellers than buyers and he would ruin his reputation if he did it on purpose. Looking at his rating I would say it was an honest mistake.
I understand if he wants to refund you, he is just trying to cut his losses. At the same time it was your misfortune to get a bad device/s. Since this phone is known for cosmetic/other issues as its in early production you are better of buying from Sony/carrier making replacement easier.
abhinav.tella said:
It could have been an honest mistake. I doubt he purposely gave you an opened one, just work with him to solve the problem. eBay is much harder on sellers than buyers and he would ruin his reputation if he did it on purpose. Looking at his rating I would say it was an honest mistake.
I understand if he wants to refund you, he is just trying to cut his losses. At the same time it was your misfortune to get a bad device/s. Since this phone is known for cosmetic/other issues as its in early production you are better of buying from Sony/carrier making replacement easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
remember me?
I'm sorry to hear that. It was really a frustrating moment you went through. If I were you I would probably be really angry.
If you want, just buy it from Sony store. I got mine and it's perfect so far (except some cosmetic minor faults).
I bought two phones directly from the same seller. The price was cheaper on their own site vs eBay or Amazon. Both phones are perfect. They came in non sealed boxes. I've got no complaints.
android404 said:
To me this sounds like a fair seller and a picky buyer. 832 positive reviews and 6 negative ones in a month is a ratio I would buy at if I wanted to save a hundred bucks by buying without factory warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may be a picky buyer, but who wouldn't be when you receive a defective product, and even worse when you get a used one on your third one. Feedbacks mean jack when you are on the short end. They are only good for initial decision about the seller, hence I trust them like you would too.
abhinav.tella said:
It could have been an honest mistake. I doubt he purposely gave you an opened one, just work with him to solve the problem. eBay is much harder on sellers than buyers and he would ruin his reputation if he did it on purpose. Looking at his rating I would say it was an honest mistake.
I understand if he wants to refund you, he is just trying to cut his losses. At the same time it was your misfortune to get a bad device/s. Since this phone is known for cosmetic/other issues as its in early production you are better of buying from Sony/carrier making replacement easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you are right on the honest mistake.
bluesky2111 said:
remember me?
I'm sorry to hear that. It was really a frustrating moment you went through. If I were you I would probably be really angry.
If you want, just buy it from Sony store. I got mine and it's perfect so far (except some cosmetic minor faults).
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I really regret not buying from Sony store, or even T-Mobile here. At this point, I might just say screw it, keep the phone, and move on with my life. Maybe the Z4 will entice me in few months. :good:
I purchased 3 different Z3 D6603 from Techno Trading, Never-MSRP, and Sony Direct all off ebay.
Techno Trading shipping a Central America version of the D6603 (White) to me and it had no seals whatsoever on the box (US Charger). This model would not show LTE indicator until I flashed a generic TFT. Booting with Encryption shows the Pin Entry text in Spanish but quickly changes to English. Seller Feedack: Shipped very quickly but using subpar shipping materials. Shipped from Miami.
Never-MSRP shipped a Central Europe version of the D6603 (Copper) to me and it HAD seals on the box but also included a Sony Screen Protector (Non-US Charger). This model had the LTE indicator from start. Booting with Encryption shows the Pin Entry text in English. Seller Feedback: Shipped same day and was packaged very well. Unfortunately, they are located in Houston so I had to pay tax.
Sony Direct shipped a Generic North American model of the D6603 (Green) to me. This one had seals on the box but didn't include the Screen Protector. LTE shows from start and includes a US Charger. Plastic on the front and back of phone is totally different than the other two. Its hard to describe but the other phones came with a very very thin plastic protector. This model shipped with much thicker protectors on front and back (still meant to be removed because they have tabs on the side). Additionally, the other two phones were inside a cellophane bag but the this model was not in cellophane. Shipped from Sony in Romeoville IL. Shipped within two hours of purchase using FedEx for free. Unfortunately, Sony charges tax everywhere. Packaged well but not great.
My point...
Sony packages models different based on their intended destination. It might not be that you ever got "open box" devices but rather they were intended for an area which Sony (for whatever reason) chose not to use seals.
mwep said:
My point...
Sony packages models different based on their intended destination. It might not be that you ever got "open box" devices but rather they were intended for an area which Sony (for whatever reason) chose not to use seals.
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That is interesting. Before buying from techno, I bought a white one from tropical_mobile (in which I sold quickly due to being D6653), who stated they were located in Tennessee, but shipped from Singapore. However, the phone was sealed with two white rounded "sealed" stickers on the box. The phone also was sealed in a clear plastic slip and had protective screens on both sides.
This whole Z3 deal has been pretty bad luck for me. Maybe it is not meant to be. But good news--the seller techno.trading.house got back to me, and is willing to refund me $20 for the dented power button, or do another replacement. I'm planning to take the refund, and live with it as I am sick of all the exchanges. Who knows, the replacement might have even weirder issues.
If you spend $500 plus on an item, you the buyer, have every right on this planet to be as picky as you like.
Nobody has to settle for anything less than perfection.
So no, you don't have to accept a defective camera, or flap or indeed a previously returned phone.
As I mentioned before but was lambasted in another thread, Sony may be using premium materials, but they are certainly not using premium construction. Not when some people have to go through six boxes in store to find a unit without light bleed and gaps.
I myself had two exchanges within the first two weeks. My first unit was simply not waterproof and had a leaky flap and my second one didn't charge on the magnetic dock and now I have light bleed but no energy to fight it anymore.
It's almost as bad as an iPhone. All my iPhone friends have had multiple exchanges... Some as many as 5 in a year.
Sent from my D6603 using XDA Free mobile app
More recent feedbacks to prove my point.
stop accepting being called a picky buyer.... ur paying top dollar for the phone, that said u should receive a product good for the purpose, if the camera doesn't work its not good
if the phone isnt water proof it isnt good
if there is a dent in the design it should state it before being bought. so it's not the buyer nor seller (purposely) its a unlucky sale.
I purchased mine at t-mobile. I paid 100% upfront despite being with t-mobile and they unlock it on the spot. When I registered with Xperia Care (sonymobiles product registration) I entered my IMEI and it has till Oct 2016 on warranty.
However on the 2nd day of owning the device The bottom speaker stopped working and was making a static noise. I went to my t-mo store I purchased it and they swapped it out. I didn't even pay a restocking fee. The manager said as long as I get the same phone and since I bought it back so promptly that he would just swap a new one. This one has been perfect since. Sometimes the convenience of having a store near by is better than having to deal with shipping my phone back and forth!
Alot of people dont want the tmobile Bloatwear but like I said, 32 GB + Local customer support outweight > No bloatwear & 16 Gig with mail in issues. (since i have no sony store near by, id still have to mail in for repairs and exchanges)
Me too, I'm glad I bought it from TMO with an EIP, exchanged mine 3 times on my 4th now, no hassles or fees.

bought this phone at bestbuy today

So I was minding my own business talking to the best buy mobile guy that was helping me purchase this phone after getting a refund on my galaxy s6 that wasn't working out for me. Then this lady that also worked there comes up and is like "please tell me you aren't leaving the s6 for this thing". Has anyone ever been treated like that before? I found it so tacky.
It's not tacky it's there opinion. I honestly would think the same in my mind why switch from an S6 to something a year old.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
georgeo1991 said:
So I was minding my own business talking to the best buy mobile guy that was helping me purchase this phone after getting a refund on my galaxy s6 that wasn't working out for me. Then this lady that also worked there comes up and is like "please tell me you aren't leaving the s6 for this thing". Has anyone ever been treated like that before? I found it so tacky.
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Seems to me the whole transaction was none of her business. Not just tacky, but rude as well.
She sounds like a Samsung fangirl.
hyelton said:
It's not tacky it's there opinion. I honestly would think the same in my mind why switch from an S6 to something a year old.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Well with the s6 and fingerprint scanner on my phone was pressing emergency call in my pocket so I went with a phone that I knew worked well for me which was the lg line.
georgeo1991 said:
Well with the s6 and fingerprint scanner on my phone was pressing emergency call in my pocket so I went with a phone that I knew worked well for me which was the lg line.
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Click to collapse
I think it is more about the fact that you are "downgrading" since the phones rolling out now have better specs such as octa cores vs quad. However, if you are content with the phone, then I say forget what others think and enjoy it. If you go the full two standard years between phone upgrades, then you should have no worries. Worst case is that you may not see system updates to the latest versions of Android. Of course that is one of the reasons XDA exists...to get a custom of the latest .
Kinda rude in my opinion, What's right for her may not be right for you. I wouldn't put much thought into to be honest.
---------- Post added at 10:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:33 AM ----------
aybarrap1 said:
I think it is more about the fact that you are "downgrading" since the phones rolling out now have better specs such as octa cores vs quad. However, if you are content with the phone, then I say forget what others think and enjoy it. If you go the full two standard years between phone upgrades, then you should have no worries. Worst case is that you may not see system updates to the latest versions of Android. Of course that is one of the reasons XDA exists...to get a custom of the latest .
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Click to collapse
Yeah.. yet apps today can't even take a advantage of the extra cores lol... Worthless imo.
In my opinion the Samsung S6 sacrifices some S5 features such as sd card slot and removable battery (not to mention losing waterproof feature and usb3) even though camera is better. I would rather have the LG G3 because having sd slot and removable battery are important to me.
I will always pick LG over Samsung. She's just following the heard. But on the plus side she's an android user (+1). At least they did not try to sway you over to the dark side.
How long do you have to try it out? The G4 is suppose to be announced tomorrow (April 28th) and available on Wednesday the 29th. Of course it will have new phone prices vs the $0.01 you probably paid for the G3, but it might be worth considering.
I got this phone from meeting in person, excellent condition. Used it on Cricket network.
This is amazing 4k phone (my first 4k phone) I do hear LG G4 gonna be released soon but got phone for cheap price. I actually enjoyed it, I'm coming from Iphone 5s.
LeonKnight12 said:
I got this phone from meeting in person, excellent condition. Used it on Cricket network.
This is amazing 4k phone (my first 4k phone) I do hear LG G4 gonna be released soon but got phone for cheap price. I actually enjoyed it, I'm coming from Iphone 5s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It records 4k vid but the screen is 2k, there has not been a phone yet with a 4k screen but glad you are liking it ^^
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app
sic0048 said:
How long do you have to try it out? The G4 is suppose to be announced tomorrow (April 28th) and available on Wednesday the 29th. Of course it will have new phone prices vs the $0.01 you probably paid for the G3, but it might be worth considering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carriers in the US are not expected to sell the G4 until June.
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app
Ah..Best Buy
Just want to add my $.02. I bought this phone today myself as a phone to tinker with since my Note 4 is locked down. I picked this up OFF contract at BB for only $399 and I think that's a steal. Walking into the store, I already knew what their website had it listed at, but to test the BB rep, I asked how much the phone was and he quoted me $700. I asked him to ring it up just to check and sure enough, it rang up $399. We can root and CM12.1 this phone but not the Samsungs! This is a fun phone to get my crack flashing addictions satisfied with! Enjoy our our LG G3. It's still a great piece of hardware.
edpete97 said:
Just want to add my $.02. I bought this phone today myself as a phone to tinker with since my Note 4 is locked down. I picked this up OFF contract at BB for only $399 and I think that's a steal. Walking into the store, I already knew what their website had it listed at, but to test the BB rep, I asked how much the phone was and he quoted me $700. I asked him to ring it up just to check and sure enough, it rang up $399. We can root and CM12.1 this phone but not the Samsungs! This is a fun phone to get my crack flashing addictions satisfied with! Enjoy our our LG G3. It's still a great piece of hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my G3 from Best Buy for $.99 when I was updating the AT&T contract. They ended up shipping me a Gold Sprint G3 instead of the Blue AT&T G3 I ordered. Took the gold one to the local BB to swap it out, but they had me call their 1800 support line.
So I'm on the line with support in my truck in the BB parking lot, the girl almost has it done for me to be able to walk back into the store to return my phone and have mine shipped to me when the call was dropped....30 minutes wasted....
So I call back, get a different person...long story short, took 45 minutes on the 2nd call for them to send me an email that contained my return label. Went home, printed the label, went to UPS, and sent my phone back.
4 days later and my Blue AT&T G3 arrived. The day after that a 2nd Blue AT&T G3 arrived at my house. I got 2 Blue G3s for $.99 because Best Buy has a horrible return department and policies. I suppose the hour and 20 minutes between 2 customer service calls, 5 miles worth of gas, and 4 days of extra waiting is worth it for both a free G3 and a 99 cent G3.
Very nice...one to rom and another to....rom! Lol.
skeevydude said:
I got my G3 from Best Buy for $.99 when I was updating the AT&T contract. They ended up shipping me a Gold Sprint G3 instead of the Blue AT&T G3 I ordered. Took the gold one to the local BB to swap it out, but they had me call their 1800 support line.
So I'm on the line with support in my truck in the BB parking lot, the girl almost has it done for me to be able to walk back into the store to return my phone and have mine shipped to me when the call was dropped....30 minutes wasted....
So I call back, get a different person...long story short, took 45 minutes on the 2nd call for them to send me an email that contained my return label. Went home, printed the label, went to UPS, and sent my phone back.
4 days later and my Blue AT&T G3 arrived. The day after that a 2nd Blue AT&T G3 arrived at my house. I got 2 Blue G3s for $.99 because Best Buy has a horrible return department and policies. I suppose the hour and 20 minutes between 2 customer service calls, 5 miles worth of gas, and 4 days of extra waiting is worth it for both a free G3 and a 99 cent G3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but I simply cannot give kudos for your actions on this. No matter how terrible their returns department is, or what kind of "on the phone" experience you had with their rep, you are still not entitled to keep both of these devices. Man up, be honest and send one of them back and explain to them their mistake. It may not be a drop in the bucket to them, but it wold be loads of good karma for you my friend.
There are a LOT of ladies like that in this world unfortunately. Especially if they in the upper-level socioeconomic classes.
I believe that's why there are a lot more single men these days... they just don't want to put up with snooty broads.
I purchased my LG G3 D850 from a gentleman on Ebay. It was unusual in the fact that when he listed it, he put no photos of the phone in the listing.
He stated it was in "Pristine" condition and set the bidding on it for $320. I was intrigued, so I sent him a PM via Ebay. He responded quickly, plus it was
serendipitous in the fact that he resides in the same city I do! He told me that he had the phone for only six months and was moving on to something
different. He said it was not because of any issues with the phone... he just wanted to get a different phone. (An uber techie nerd type... he told me.)
I kept the listing in a "Watch" status and noticed an hour before the auction was to expire that only one other person had bid on it and it was at $325.
I waited until about a minute before the end and set my bid at $330, then clicked the "Submit" at 8 seconds prior to end. I WON IT! Woohoo!
The seller agreed to let me pickup the phone locally since he resided about 12 miles across town from where I live. I was very happy to see that the phone
was truly in pristine condition, it looked like it never came out of the box. All original contents and box too. He'd even put a tempered glass screen protector on it.
I felt I made a great purchase indeed.
hitekredneck said:
Sorry, but I simply cannot give kudos for your actions on this. No matter how terrible their returns department is, or what kind of "on the phone" experience you had with their rep, you are still not entitled to keep both of these devices. Man up, be honest and send one of them back and explain to them their mistake. It may not be a drop in the bucket to them, but it wold be loads of good karma for you my friend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it had been just Best Buy I would have. But it wasn't. What makes me keep it was going through the worst AT&T contract upgrade ever. I was shipped the wrong phones 3 times, returned them all. I spent 8 to 10 hours a day for 5 days straight on the line with AT&T's reps, 60% of the time on hold (and the reps spoke in a horrible broken English because they're from India). Then AT&T changed my contract 3 different times, each to a plan that I specifically said that I didn't want. The first misorder, it was 3 G3's on the Next program....that was $400 some odd dollars out of the bank that I couldn't afford which caused 3 different checks for bills to bounce. Took 5 days to get that money back....
I still have two more misorders, three trips to the AT&T Store, another $150 taken from the bank, the Best Buy experience, and a bit of BS dealing with UPS to return the wrong G3. It really is a long story, but I'm keeping the phone due to all the hell I went through with AT&T.
As far as karma is concerned....three weeks ago lightning struck the power line between my house and the street. That only fried all my wall plugs, around 10 thousand in major appliances, my computer (which was uploading some Rin based LP stock kernel commits to github), and caused sparks and smoke to spew from anything connected to a cable line. Oh, and for kicks, hail damage, from the same lighting storm, caused my roof to leak.
Normally I would have returned it, but I spent over 40 hours on the line with AT&T, had money taken that caused bills to bounce, lost cable/internet for a week because I only had the funds to cover electricity or TV after AT&T took money the shouldn't have....Oh, and two months later I now pay $5 more a month and have 2gb less data per month because I just got tired of dealing with AT&T and figured that, after all I'd dealt with, the plan they ended up putting me on was good enough and in budget.
Did all of this mobile because my desktop and two laptops are fried and don't work.
I gave back an S6 and G4, going back to a g3(along with my 6+). They are not worth the extra cash.

T-Mobile Z3... dropped/Best way to root new one/Backup old one/Insurance Claim

So I dropped my Z3 on some concrete last night....
Device works just fine but it's ugly. Will they accept the claim provided it's just cosmetic or should I lie and say it is done for? What pisses me off is not the money for the deductible... it's the countless hours I've spent customizing it.
So I'm going to file the insurance claim today. I would like to know the best way to backup my device so that I can restore as much onto the new one as possible. I had the dual backup installed but will never boot into it, maybe ill try to reinstall.
Then as far as the new device... what's the best way to root it? Should I take the update? I have blocked the sony updater on my existing one for fear of it breaking root.
Lastly will Assurant check to see if I rooted my old one? Should I unroot it prior to sending it back.
Thanks in advance for your advice. My big thing is I'm not sending this one in until I get an exact replacement and I can get that replacement rooted. If I can't do that I'll pay $200-300 to get it repaired.
I do not believe cosmetic issues are covered. Granted I did not have insurance (They backdated Jump for me after my 3 refurb so had insurance technically) when I did my exchanges with T-Mobile but they made it clear that cosmetic issues are not considered plus you technically physically damaged it and it was not a factory defect, Unless its affecting the usage of the phone they won't, unless I suppose any damage to the frame affected water proofing, you could make that case if true. In my case of severe light leak on a few of them I convinced them waterproofing was compromised (failed pressure test) so they agreed to replace.
Oh and by the way T-Mobile does not have any new Z3s nor any new ones coming in, you will get a refurb..... And boy does the repair center do a bad job, I had to send 4 refurbs in a row back recently because they had issues ranging from severe light bleed to missing paint patch in bezel which acts like an extra LED near lower speaker on 2 of them to a streak of hot/dead pixels on one....
So basically unless they can get you factory sealed one, you will have to test your luck with refurbs, though depending on how bad your damaged Z3 looks it may well be worth it lol.
abhinav.tella said:
I do not believe cosmetic issues are covered. Granted I did not have insurance (They backdated Jump for me after my 3 refurb so had insurance technically) when I did my exchanges with T-Mobile but they made it clear that cosmetic issues are not considered plus you technically physically damaged it and it was not a factory defect, Unless its affecting the usage of the phone they won't, unless I suppose any damage to the frame affected water proofing, you could make that case if true. In my case of severe light leak on a few of them I convinced them waterproofing was compromised (failed pressure test) so they agreed to replace.
Oh and by the way T-Mobile does not have any new Z3s nor any new ones coming in, you will get a refurb..... And boy does the repair center do a bad job, I had to send 4 refurbs in a row back recently because they had issues ranging from severe light bleed to missing paint patch in bezel which acts like an extra LED near lower speaker on 2 of them to a streak of hot/dead pixels on one....
So basically unless they can get you factory sealed one, you will have to test your luck with refurbs, though depending on how bad your damaged Z3 looks it may well be worth it lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assurant always does refurbs, unless they don't have any they will give you a new one. It's at least a z3 they are sending, otherwise I'd tell to them to f*** off and I'd find a way to repair it.
I'm pissed that T-mobile doesn't carry anymore (some still available in stores). I think half the reason they don't sell is the salespeople at the mobile carriers and best buy are always pushing garbage samsung devices. If you go to Europe you can find accessories for any sony phone in any electronics store or airport shop. My friends in Canada say one in four in their group of friends have an Xperia. I have only seen one other out in the real world... and the individual was from Hong Kong.
I would rather purchase direct from Sony, but T-mobiles coverage is still spotty and I depend on wifi calling in some places I visit regularly.
Guy at T-Mobile said cosmetic is covered. The way I see it they'd probably prefer I pay $175 and get a device that's working just fine. I said the screen was cracked... but technically it's the glass on the back.
It's not T-Mobile's fault, they still sell the Z/Z1, reason they stopped sale of the Z3 is due to quality control issues and numerous returns. A rep told me that after I said I want a new one not any more defective refurbs. As I said I am on my 8th lol plus the 4-5 more (new) TMO store itself went through to get me my 4th so make it 10-12 total TMO sent back to Sony just for me...
Don't get me wrong I love the phone but needing that many returns is just ridiculous.....
The international version seems to have much better consistency in production and quality.
However honestly I'm glad I bought directly from T-Mobile they gave me immediate replacements for my first 4 (in Oct-Nov) which were new and 1 day shipping for the last 4 which were refurbs (recently). Sony support asked me to do a software reinstall to get rid of light leak from frame/glass where glue was clearly missing, facepalm. After that they said 3 week minimum turn around time for replacements. TMO reps seemed more knowledgeable.... They even offered to cancel my monthly phone cost and refeund tax if it happened again....
Well anyway, I hope you get a good replacement. Another idea is in the event you get a bad refurb, try to go through Sony and make them give you the international version instead.
abhinav.tella said:
It's not T-Mobile's fault, they still sell the Z/Z1, reason they stopped sale of the Z3 is due to quality control issues and numerous returns. A rep told me that after I said I want a new one not any more defective refurbs. As I said I am on my 8th lol plus the 4-5 more (new) TMO store itself went through to get me my 4th so make it 10-12 total TMO sent back to Sony just for me...
Don't get me wrong I love the phone but needing that many returns is just ridiculous.....
The international version seems to have much better consistency in production and quality.
However honestly I'm glad I bought directly from T-Mobile they gave me immediate replacements for my first 4 (in Oct-Nov) which were new and 1 day shipping for the last 4 which were refurbs (recently). Sony support asked me to do a software reinstall to get rid of light leak from frame/glass where glue was clearly missing, facepalm. After that they said 3 week minimum turn around time for replacements. TMO reps seemed more knowledgeable.... They even offered to cancel my monthly phone cost and refeund tax if it happened again....
Well anyway, I hope you get a good replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As much as I liked the more squarish design of my z1s (though hated the silver accents)... my z3 seemed to be a much more quality device. Scared to try out this refurbed one. I'm charging it up and waiting until I find out the best means for rooting it. Hoping it's not a piece of crap. I remember a friend dropped my z1s, the replacement models vibrator would stop working.
Personally what upsets me most is the bootloaders that can't be unlocked and frustration with rooting. It's so easy on the international versions. And frankly while wifi calling is a nice feature it's a total load that I can't use it on any device and even more upsetting that it isn't compatible with third party messaging apps. I can't get mms to download over wifi calling with anything but that hideous bare bones stock messaging app.
"The international version seems to have much better consistency in production and quality." That right there says it all. If the international version is compatible on your service, why create a dumbed down version?
Regardless it's good to speak to someone that has experience with this, albeit unfortunate experiences. Good luck.
Make sure to check it at night, and look for light bleed and also any LED like effect from missing paint on front glass (That I believe is due to a tool mark), saw this on 3 refurbs.
As I said earlier if it does have issues try the cross model exchange with Sony. I see no alternative devices lol, the Z3 is still the most well rounded device even with the new guys in town.

Done with Samsung

Yesterday morning my phone of the past 14 months decided to drop dead for no good reason. Called Samsung, and they told me I either have to send them the phone for repairs (that could take 2-4 weeks) without a loaner or I could take it to one of their stores. Their closest store to me is their location close to downtown LA about 15-20 miles away from me. Before leaving, I tried to call them in excess of 20 times, and they never picked up. Took a chance and drove there in the middle of rush hour traffic on Friday night to be confronted by absolute buffoons.
They said it's either the battery or the motherboard. Fixing the motherboard isn't worth it, but I could replace the battery for $45 and that may or may not fix the problem. Took a chance and went ahead with battery replacement because based on their description, this was likely a battery issue. My gamble - my loss.
Did I get a call\email\holla\anything?? from them once they found out the motherboard was dead? Nope. Did they ever answer their phone? Nope. Drove back there today in the middle of a very busy and exhausting day just to find out those losers couldn't fix the phone.
The moral of the story is this.... you as a customer mean absolutely nothing to Samsung. Zero customer service. They leave their phones off the hook just because those lazy bastards simply don't give a **** about you, your time, your inconvenience, but they have the audacity to charge you for paperweight.
A company that has a problem with combustible phones, couldn't do any better with customer service!??? maybe? Why would I continue to bash apple and iphone when they have stores nearby, offer loaners, better product, and better customer service? Why would I buy another product from a company that doesn't stand behind its products and treats its customers like ****. Have had S1, S3, S5, and S7E....No more Samsung for me!
wait, don't you got 2 year warranty like everyone? so you don't give a sh** about battery fault or motherboard fault or anything else, just take it to them, and get repaired, no questions what is dead, you don't care..
and never ever heard of that kind of repair shop where you being asked what to replace.. wtf.. that is their job to find out what is wrong, fix it, and test it..
Yup, it's kind of hard to keep slamming Apple when they stand behind their phones, repair them for you and update them the same day the update is available. No waiting 180 days for an update to the next version of the OS and no waiting for security updates that may or may not ever come. I've loved Android and I have really liked many of Samsung's phones in particular, but I think my Android and Samsung days are getting close to being done. There is no rhyme or reason as to why the phones do what they do sometimes, no rhyme or reason as to how badly the battery deteriorates over very little time and no reason why most of these Android vendors simply turn their backs on a flagship phone once it is released because the next latest and greatest thing has arrived. I never thought I would say this, but I think I'm on my way to iPhone Land after my contract with this S7 Edge is up on my carrier.
digitall1982 said:
wait, don't you got 2 year warranty like everyone? so you don't give a sh** about battery fault or motherboard fault or anything else, just take it to them, and get repaired, no questions what is dead, you don't care..
and never ever heard of that kind of repair shop where you being asked what to replace.. wtf.. that is their job to find out what is wrong, fix it, and test it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung has a 1 year warranty, and this was their official repair shop (see if you can call them):
3150 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 206, Los Angeles, CA 90010-1305
Phone: 213-637-0191
TheIgster said:
Yup, it's kind of hard to keep slamming Apple when they stand behind their phones, repair them for you and update them the same day the update is available. No waiting 180 days for an update to the next version of the OS and no waiting for security updates that may or may not ever come. I've loved Android and I have really liked many of Samsung's phones in particular, but I think my Android and Samsung days are getting close to being done. There is no rhyme or reason as to why the phones do what they do sometimes, no rhyme or reason as to how badly the battery deteriorates over very little time and no reason why most of these Android vendors simply turn their backs on a flagship phone once it is released because the next latest and greatest thing has arrived. I never thought I would say this, but I think I'm on my way to iPhone Land after my contract with this S7 Edge is up on my carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They used to be different than apple. SD cards, replaceable batteries, easier maintenance, unlocked boot-loaders, etc. What's the appeal now? They do the same shady things apple does except that they don't have the backbone of Apple's customer service. After all the note7 disasters, you'd think they'd learn their lessons...nope. They charge top dollar for devices that simply lack quality.
I'm shopping around for a new phone right now, and it's tough switching to iOS. I've despised iOS for a long time, but I might have to get it over with.
pvc_ said:
Samsung has a 1 year warranty, and this was their official repair shop (see if you can call them):
3150 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 206, Los Angeles, CA 90010-1305
Phone: 213-637-0191
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aha, in US they got only 1 y warranty.. shame..
here in europe 2 year warranty is for all, samsung, lg, sony, etc, etc, except crApple off course.. only 1 y for them..
and that is totally shame for any official repair shop! doesn't matter is it samsung or some other brand...
repair shop must do their job, not offer what to repair.. it's just stupid, funny, insane, and thanks god not possible in europe..
in here customers have more rights i think... and repair shops (of any brand) just do their job
pvc_ said:
They used to be different than apple. SD cards, replaceable batteries, easier maintenance, unlocked boot-loaders, etc. What's the appeal now? They do the same shady things apple does except that they don't have the backbone of Apple's customer service. After all the note7 disasters, you'd think they'd learn their lessons...nope. They charge top dollar for devices that simply lack quality.
I'm shopping around for a new phone right now, and it's tough switching to iOS. I've despised iOS for a long time, but I might have to get it over with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you despise IOS why don't you get a Pixel or wait for the new one? Instant updates and I assume better customer service than Samsung.
The problem is Samsung is sourcing a local company for the "privelage" of them being their official stores/service centers. In the UK I think it's CPW. In my country it's MemoXpress. All Samsung stores are run by said company for that country. They aren't Samsung at all. Same goes actually for Apple in my country. There is no Apple Care here, just some chain of stores called PowerMac who has a deal with Apple to be their local tie-up company.
So basically, whatever Android brand you go to in the US, with the exception of Pixels perhaps, that's what you'll get too. You can file complaints against Samsung though. I remember a case where CPW was unwilling to honor a warranty, the guy contacted Samsung directly who then told CPW to honor the warranty.
Meh while i feel your frustration it happens everywhere with every product.
Not just Samsung, Apple too, any product you find.
Some times you get stores that pride them-self, managers that give a ****, and other times you don't. Its luck and area and just a draw of bad luck if it doesn't go your way.
Focus your anger on making an official complaint to HQ, as other have stated you have gone into a repair shop, They cannot quote you to fix something they have no idea about.
The device has to be diagnosed then quoted and given the choice to repair if you are liable to pay.
This is not just the practise in mobile phones, any repair job goes down this route.
chanchan05 said:
The problem is Samsung is sourcing a local company for the "privelage" of them being their official stores/service centers. In the UK I think it's CPW. In my country it's MemoXpress. All Samsung stores are run by said company for that country. They aren't Samsung at all. Same goes actually for Apple in my country. There is no Apple Care here, just some chain of stores called PowerMac who has a deal with Apple to be their local tie-up company.
So basically, whatever Android brand you go to in the US, with the exception of Pixels perhaps, that's what you'll get too. You can file complaints against Samsung though. I remember a case where CPW was unwilling to honor a warranty, the guy contacted Samsung directly who then told CPW to honor the warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, you are right. Samsung has a "contractor" for their aftersales support, or official store in almost every country. Say for me here in Bahrain, Bin Hindi, which is holding the sales and servicing of all Samsung's, they really have a superb service. My wife had splashed her S6 before and Bin Hindi repaired it at no cost and efficiently. Maybe you can contact the "main" Samsung directly and file a complaint so they will take action for the erring "contractor" as it is surely this kind of company affiliated with Samsung will ruin its reputation.
digitall1982 said:
aha, in US they got only 1 y warranty.. shame..
here in europe 2 year warranty is for all, samsung, lg, sony, etc, etc, except crApple off course.. only 1 y for them..
and that is totally shame for any official repair shop! doesn't matter is it samsung or some other brand...
repair shop must do their job, not offer what to repair.. it's just stupid, funny, insane, and thanks god not possible in europe..
in here customers have more rights i think... and repair shops (of any brand) just do their job
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Europe (at least in Portugal), Apple only gives 1year warranty. BUT the store has to give 2years. So, Apple gives 1Year, the Store gives another year (at their expenses).
How can so many people defend Apple, when they take everything from you? Hmmm, they charged the highest price possible for repairs or hardware, and do it at their own shop by the hour too. Their products are never DIY like Android phones. You really play around with an Iphone and they complain about it. You are forced to take your Iphone to a shop to fix. So do not twist things around and try to persuade others to switch. So sick of the Apple fans trying to get us Android users to switch or PC users to switch. There are problems with Apple products just as much or the same as other products. The only reason Apple support is better because they enjoy taking more money and getting it easier. If vampires are real, it is Apple.
If you ever look at Best Buy website for unlocked phones. There are so many, many more Iphones listed as already used and refurbished than any other phone for sale. That does not mean Apple is better, it means more people are not enjoying the phone and taking it back, which to me is bad, not good.

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