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Really unhappy with HTC Repair techs' conclusion

Just received my repaired MT4GS about an hour again, and I am just spitting nails about the absolute failure to communicate by the HTC Repair techs. Yes, this is a rant and a vent. You can move on to other posts if you don't want to read my growling and hissing.
I thought that the techs would make their diagnosis on the actual hardware malfunction of my phone (in a nutshell, I had weird condensation that occurred out of the blue, no exposure to moisture on my part, and then the display failed after four days of flickering), but no, their conclusion was that I had "the wrong software" on my phone. And for this they charged $185 for a new mainboard.
Yes, the phone was rooted/s-off with the most recent CWM, but once the display went bye-bye, I couldn't do much about it. And the state of the software did not cause the display failure! To top this off, when I asked--twice!--through the online e-mail form for a clarification of how they came to this conclusion, I never received an e-mail reply. I paid for the repair because I need my phone, and find out today that the morons called the cell number and left a message! Not my home phone, not via e-mail--the effin' cell number! For the phone they had in their hands! So an hour ago, I listened to this message, which I could barely hear with the volume maxed, and just about threw my phone across the room when the tech got to the "wrong software" part.
The new mainboard gives the phone a new serial number and new IMEI number, so it's like a new phone, but the trackpad button is weirdly angled up and the power button is a little floppy. And to add insult to injury, hboot is now 1.44.0013 and the software at version 1.55.531.3, so I have to figure out how to root with the stupid update, so I can get CWM back and restore from my last Nandroid backup.
So...pissed...off. Stupid, stupid HTC techs! Wrong software my a$$.
Okay. Rant finished. I'm off to find the rooting method for 1.55.531.3.
Siiiighhhhh --
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KingCheetah

Man, that sucks however it is commonly know that rooting voids your warranty If they find out. It still sucks though.
Sent from my Bulletproof_Doubleshot using XDA App

Major suckage...yep
My understanding was that gaining root/s-off only voided the warranty if the damage was directly caused by the unlocked state--e.g. if I had loaded a ROM that overclocked the CPU and caused damage to the chip. This wasn't the case, I was still running stock ROM, and the display failure occurred over a period of five days in a very strange fashion. I guess it was hoping too much of these individuals to exercise some Sherlockian deduction and verify the details I included in the letter shipped with my phone.
At any rate, my growliest complaint by far is the failure of the tech(s) to communicate with me regarding the quotation for repair. I can't help but feel that a discussion may have changed that tech's mind. At the very least, it would have allowed me to make my case instead of the tech coming to, what I view as, a rather knee-jerk diagnosis.
Thanks for commiserating with me --
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KingCheetah

That sucks so bad. Now I will definitely be sure to unroot, and put the stock rom back on and s-on if I need to send it in for warranty repair. Ugg. I had heard of lots of people sending their phones in while rooted, with no problem, Thanks for warning the rest of us that it isn't always the case.

Aside from unnecessarily changing your phone's mainboard, what did they do to get the touchscreen working? Sounds like it was an easy fix to me but had to find a way to justify the $185
sent from a Nokia 3210

I have no clue how replacing the mainboard addressed the display failure, since there was an utter lack of communication from the HTC techs (as per my initial growlings). I did explain in the letter shipped w/ my phone that it was operating normally right up until the screen died; and even then appeared to boot okay, even if the response wasn't visible.
Suffice to say the repair was successful, but I doubt I'll even get an answer to the logic (or illogic) behind the techs' repair diagnosis.
Still having poofy fur over this a bit --
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KingCheetah

[Q] Horribly broken Nexus 5 after sending it in for repairs, looking for suggestions.

Wondering if anyone here has experience dealing with LG support for repairs, I've had a problem I've been trying to get fixed for around 2 months, and not sure how to proceed.
My problem was every couple weeks my phone would nag me about not having a SIM card inserted, and take like 10 reboots before it would detect the SIM card.
I sent my phone to LG in the mail, because Google referred me to them as it being not something Google can help with, but because it was under manuf. warranty period LG should repair/replace it.
When I got my phone back from LG, it seemed to have some kind of bad flash of dev. firmware on it because everything in About Phone seems "wrong", and the picture is only drawing in the center of the screen, like it's drawing at the wrong resolution or something. (I mean, the phone model says "AOSP on GalaxyNexus" phones coming from Google aren't running AOSP, and why it says it's a GalaxyNexus, I have no clue because I sent my LG phone to LG, not to Samsung)
Also, they didn't return my SIM card tray, so I can't even put my SIM card back into it.
My IMEI / Kernel Version / Baseband / etc., almost everything in about phone is set to "Unknown", except for the serial number, which is "aaaaaaaaaaaaaa" (I might have the amount of a's wrong, but it's all a's). My Android version is set to "Pie Key Lime" (not the speculated name of KeyLimePie, but Pie Key Lime) and I cannot install ANYTHING from the Play Store, because it says the version of Android on my device is incompatible.
I've tried getting ahold of LG again several times, they've said they'll send me my SIM card tray, and that I should have it in 2 days, on three different occasions, I waited a week between calling them back each time but I've never got my SIM card tray back.
The fourth time I've tried getting in touch with them, which was today, they have no record of my support ticket, and cannot give me any further support because "aaaaaaa..." is not a valid serial number of a product they sell. Any suggestions about what I should do?
I sent them a phone with a minor annoyance, and got back something completely unusable.

I'd immediately call and ask for someone in charge. And i wouldn't end the call until they agree to overnight me a working and complete phone.

If what you describe is true, no offense, then that is really messed up. You should keep calling them and insist as much as you can. If you have to escalate it further than have it done and also contact Google about it. I think they are still obligated to help you. No one should take that kind of ****.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

What the hell. They dont know which firmware have to be flashed? Those idiots. Tell them to flash the "USER" firmware to your phone and not the "FACTORY" firmware which is not for costumers.

Had a several hour long phone call with an LG supervisor today, basically she told me "that's completely crazy, I don't know how you got a phone back so completely broken, I don't know what to do because I've never had such a weird support claim, send the phone you got back from the repair center in your phones original box, so we can check if the stuff in About Phone really doesn't match what's on the box, and we'll get ahold of you again once a repair technician looks at it"
So, thanks everyone for the suggestions of "nag the supervisor into submission", hopefully I get back a phone that works instead of a phone call in a week saying "yup, this phone you sent us is broken, you want us to send it back or throw it in the garbage?"

SM-G920I troubles... Need your expert suggestions

its been only 26 days I purchased this phone. I was very happy to buy this phone, but it didn't lasted long. I have to take this phone to Samsung Service Centre after a week due to OTA 5.1.1 update failed. Samsung Service Centre personnel had flashed 5.1.1 using ODIN and I thought everything will be fine but I am experiencing the below problems frequently
Multiple times screen freezes and no option other than soft reset (volume down + power button).
in gallery, pictures taken through camera, the picture becomes green and all its pixels gets disturbed. happened for at least 5 pictures.
in idle / standby mode, phone will not wake up only led light flashes & screen remains black. Only option for me is to soft reset.
sometimes fingerprint unlock doesn't work (there is a message that says the same) and I have to enter the backup password manually.
Phone restarts by itself at-least couple of times (2-3 times) in a day in home network, while roaming it is pathetic.
Phone restarts while using camera, opening Google play, opening Google maps, any software application.
Phone restarts while in safe mode also (suggested by one of customer support executive to monitor my phone in safe mode)
Phone restarts during a call, this happened twice
Model #: SM-G920I
Android Version: 5.1.1
Baseband version G920IDVU2COF8
Kernel Version: 3.10.61-5228538 [email protected] #1 Thu Jun 25 17:43:05 2015
Build Number: LMY47X.G920IDVU2COF8

kishore927 said:
its been only 26 days I purchased this phone. I was very happy to buy this phone, but it didn't lasted long. I have to take this phone to Samsung Service Centre after a week due to OTA 5.1.1 update failed. Samsung Service Centre personnel had flashed 5.1.1 using ODIN and I thought everything will be fine but I am experiencing the below problems frequently
Multiple times screen freezes and no option other than soft reset (volume down + power button).
in gallery, pictures taken through camera, the picture becomes green and all its pixels gets disturbed. happened for at least 5 pictures.
in idle / standby mode, phone will not wake up only led light flashes & screen remains black. Only option for me is to soft reset.
sometimes fingerprint unlock doesn't work (there is a message that says the same) and I have to enter the backup password manually.
Phone restarts by itself at-least couple of times (2-3 times) in a day in home network, while roaming it is pathetic.
Phone restarts while using camera, opening Google play, opening Google maps, any software application.
Phone restarts while in safe mode also (suggested by one of customer support executive to monitor my phone in safe mode)
Phone restarts during a call, this happened twice
Model #: SM-G920I
Android Version: 5.1.1
Baseband version G920IDVU2COF8
Kernel Version: 3.10.61-5228538 [email protected] #1 Thu Jun 25 17:43:05 2015
Build Number: LMY47X.G920IDVU2COF8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like a broken update install. Go to the service center again and list them all the problems thats been happening with valid proof. They will again flash the OS and give it back to you. It might possibly go but most probable that it won't, so repeat the same thing until they take it seriously so that they give you either a refund or replacement or a proper repair! The problem is, Samsung India never does replacements!

Reflash is needed otherwise have Samsung replaced your S6.

update on 30-July-2015
I am just got my S6 checked with Samsung Service Centre. The personnel has understood my problem clearly and told me that he will reflash the IMEI that will make the phone to Factory OS and then he do some random hardware test and then flash the Adroid ROM.
But unfortunately, IMEI flash failed giving errors. he says there is a problem with PBA and it has to be replaced, in other words he says it is a Mother Board issue.
[What is PBA issue? if IMEI flashing fails will imply a hardware problem?]
So, at-last it is figured out that there is a hardware problem. They asked me to go for a Service Warranty and get the Mother Board replaced. But I didn't agree to the Service Warranty. I asked for a replacement. They say, they can't help me out on phone replacement, I need to check with Direct Customer Centre team.
Thanks for your suggestions.

kishore927 said:
I am just got my S6 checked with Samsung Service Centre. The personnel has understood my problem clearly and told me that he will reflash the IMEI that will make the phone to Factory OS and then he do some random hardware test and then flash the Adroid ROM.
But unfortunately, IMEI flash failed giving errors. he says there is a problem with PBA and it has to be replaced, in other words he says it is a Mother Board issue.
[What is PBA issue? if IMEI flashing fails will imply a hardware problem?]
So, at-last it is figured out that there is a hardware problem. They asked me to go for a Service Warranty and get the Mother Board replaced. But I didn't agree to the Service Warranty. I asked for a replacement. They say, they can't help me out on phone replacement, I need to check with Direct Customer Centre team.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any updates after this? Samsung India will never give in a replacement! NEVER EVER. I've tried arms and legs for my previous samsungs even within just 28 days but still they never did. They keep on insisting that the quality of repair will be excellent and i don't need to worry etc etc. Also, once you lose your 7 day window, you aren't eligible for a DOA. But, with increasing complexities in smartphone hardware, its difficult to replicate an issue within 7 freaking days! Please let us know what happened with your phone now! And yea, PBA is nothing but "printed board assembly" which is that green electrical board with all circuits and capacitors and other ICs.

ultraquantum said:
Any updates after this? Samsung India will never give in a replacement! NEVER EVER. I've tried arms and legs for my previous samsungs even within just 28 days but still they never did. They keep on insisting that the quality of repair will be excellent and i don't need to worry etc etc. Also, once you lose your 7 day window, you aren't eligible for a DOA. But, with increasing complexities in smartphone hardware, its difficult to replicate an issue within 7 freaking days! Please let us know what happened with your phone now! And yea, PBA is nothing but "printed board assembly" which is that green electrical board with all circuits and capacitors and other ICs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the follow up & sorry for the late response.
Yes, after this, I had to go through a difficult time. First they insisted me to go through repair, which i denied. After justifying the problems and pain that I was going through, they offered me a new handset as a replacement. When went to see this new replaced handset, the box is of dirt and a pen mark. It was looking like a potential tampered set. When questioned about this, they responded that they are giving a new handset and the dirt on the box is of mishandling by office boy & delivery person. When Opened the box, i was shocked to see the dirt hand print on the warrant card box also, & more disturbing is that there was dirt on the screen of the phone.
It was hard to believe myself, this was happening to me and for a one month old phone. When I rejected the new handset and demanded my money back. Again they took several days for process and finally did a refund. After nearly 2 months, a happy ending.
As I was in love with S6, did 2500 rupees insurance valid for 2 year, bought tough Armor case from Sipgen & Spigen Screen Gaurd, both together I spend around 3500 rupees. Tough Armor and screen guard are not used at all, now got wasted. Need to find someone who can use the same.
Now, I am back to my SII, which is still a reliable phone for me. SII is loaded with 5.1.1 which is being developed by Lysergic Acid. Thanks for his contribution and support.
S6 & services in India made me to think of moving to iOS. New Samsung devices with New Android features are being developed, but the core OS is not stable. Now, it is time for Android developers to concentrate on OS Stability, battery consumption so that people like me should feel secured when using new phones with new Android versions.

Beware the Asus Service Center

I thought it important to share this experience.
Background:
I purchased my tablet in Sept 2012, unlocked it, and after awhile, settled on a CleamRom version that hit the sweet spot and left it that way for 3 years. Recently I got curious about the current custom ROM's and, forgetting what I used to know, screwed up and soft-bricked the tablet. I recovered it by pushing the stock firmware back onto it, but that process relocked the tablet.
I tried the unlock tool for weeks but just kept getting the dreaded "network connectivity issue" error. I contacted Asus customer support, and to my surprise, they (EmmaZhang) tried to help. She said they reset something at the Asus database and to try again, unfortunately I had the same result.
I was told to get an RMA and send the tablet in (N American service center, Grapevine, TX), and with some reluctance, I did as advised. After about a week or so, I got an email with an invoice for $341 to replace the motherboard and I had to pay or they would send the tablet back. I had packed the tablet extremely well and was sure there was a mistake. Weeks of back and forth emails ensued, I won't get into the level of frustration I experienced with the different and frankly ignorant responses I received from them but I was told that the tablet would not boot to the OS, and the only way to proceed was to replace the motherboard, and I was constantly urged to pay the invoice amount or they would send the tablet back. I was also told emphatically that they do not help with unlocking a device (what's up with that EmmaZhang ?) Eventually, they got tired of my protests and sent the tablet back.
Guess what? The tablet boots just fine, it's exactly as it was when I sent it in, and to my surprise, the unlock tool worked first time, and I am happily running ZombiPop with 9000 Quadrant scores. What is my take on this? The level of incompetence and/or lack of communication would have to be so high that I can't believe it. I can only believe that this was a deliberate attempt to defraud me of $341, and I wonder how many times they've done this.
Believe want you want, but again, I thought it was important to bring this experience to light.
Moderator Edited

Post edited - selling is not permitted on XDA.

I've had similar happen with ASUS notebook repair. There are plenty of horror stories to be found on the net about that.
I sent in a notebook because of a defective LCD and they replaced the LCD with one that had a deep gouge in it. As if it had been sliced with a knife.

Question XT2131-1 moto g stylus 5G (2021) Hard brick recovery

If I can edit this post, this will be a howto.
Path to get here:
- Installed TWRP successfully
- Think I installed Magisk successfully
- Not sure if I tried to flash a rom
- Would not boot
- Had a stupid idea to try booting off slot B
- black screen.
Current state:
- Will not boot, cannot start recovery (volume down w/ power)
- Only thing it will do is flash the LED if I hold down the power long enough. Flashes approximately for about 30 seconds 1 second apart
Items tried
- Ordinary USB cable watching Win 10 device manager with every combination of buttons I could think of
- Ordinary USB with Motorola / Lenovo Recovery & Smart Assistance with no luck.
- Purchased 2x different EDL USB cables, tried every combination of buttons, still nothing in Device Manager
- Screaming at it
- Calling Moto support and asking to pay for a reflash even though it was under warranty because I broke it, therefore Moto shouldnt loose money to fix my stupidity. The support staff in who knows where would not offer me anything but $199 to repair or free under warranty. Making Moto pay for my stupidity is one reason they wont let us have a reflashable phone...they dont want to pay to support me.
So I read
- Newer phones dont work with the EDL cables. True?
- Somewhere there's a photo of the EDL test points. If it comes to paying Moto the same price for replacement as I paid for the new phone, I'm going to solder 2 wires to the test points and run them through the case. Put in some jumper connector so I can fix the damn thing without effort.
- Is there any way to get the blankflash from a KNOWN Moto or Lenovo site? Or the stock rom again from a Moto or Lenovo site and a method to extract it to find or create from the stock a functional blankflash. (Yes I have read, it may be signed, maybe nobody can mod it, I just dont want to trust stuff I dont get from Moto/Leno. I wish I could get the full source from them and then I'd be in a happy world)
So, basically: EDL cables work on this or do I have to use test points? Any links to download blankflash (oh and tool as well) from Moto/Leno? (or minimally have a linux open source bit o code that will flash the blankflash files).

It should go straight to EDL when booting fails as long as the bootloader is unlocked afaik. You only need to short test points to recover OEM locked devices.
No official blank flashes either, they are leaked. You can rip the programmer from an existing blankflash and build your own if you really want. They are signed by Moto and will not work on devices they are not meant for.

Thx for contribs!
So, if I bought it unlocked from Best Buy, followed the bootloader unlock stuff which I had to get Moto accounts for...
then the test points wont save me?
Ie I should be investigating why it doesnt show up in Windows?
I thought it always showed up in dev manager but you needed drivers to make sense of it.
Right now it's nothing but black screen and flashing led no matter how I try buttons (long press power, hold up press power, hold down press power).
All of the above and nothing happens in Windows or on the phone (cept the led).
I was about to start tearing it apart tonight...

I'd try Linux or another cable/computer first, you should get a black screen and notification led in EDL mode. Shorting the test pins will get you into EDL if nothing else works.

Thanks for the advice. With the 2x special EDL cables one of which says it wont work on Moto's only Xianomi's...I get nothing but a flashing white light. Also the flashing white light is not directly associated with the cable button. Only the cable insert (sometimes) or the phone power button.
I've never seen anything in Win dev manager NOR have I ever seen anything in linux "watch -n 1 lsusb". I double check kern.log but also think thats never shown anything.
Another XDA thread said (regarding "newer Moto's") "Cables don't work any more and you need to use test points.
I'd love to see our gov force these companies to provide "parts". Can you imagine buying a Ford and them blocking you from using generic parts and also not providing you Ford parts?
This whole tech dominated environment is crap. Property ownership is a right. I cant steal your lawnmower, and you cant steal mine. When I lease a phone from someone...I cant screw with it cause I dont own it. When I buy a phone...its mine...I can do whatever I want. If I buy a lawn mower, and ride it to rob a bank...Deere doesnt outlaw mods to lawnmowers...it points me to the FBI who arrests me for robbing the bank.
Leave my phone alone. Provide clear paths with the software "parts" to repair the phone on my own.
Ok, I went off track.
Tonight...touch points that some stranger (sorry, nice guy) says are the 2x points on the MB to trigger EDL. Let's hope they dont actually short the thing out and ruin it. Why cant we get the gov to pull its head out of its...
Again, off track...
Details later on my test points. Specifically with a normal USB cable, touching the points, does anything happen in Windows dev manager? Also, if repeated in linux does lsusb now show QDL.. or kern.log?

In Linux you'd run the "lsusb" command and it should show "ID 05c6:9008 Qualcomm, Inc. Gobi Wireless Modem (QDL mode)". In Windows it'd show up as "Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008" (or "Unknown Device" if the driver is missing). My bricks have always just booted into EDL themselves so I don't have experience with having to use test points.

Updates:
- Moto will not repair the device even if I pay for the repair. Since I broke it, I asked how much would cost just to reflash a perfectly fine phone. A nice person said $100 and I said fine, I broke it, I'll pay. Then they put me on hold and came back 10 minutes later and said "sorry, they told me that they wont repair it.".
To repeat, just to be clear, this company would rather fill a landfill with perfectly good hardware than repair the phone. Probably because the phone is built in a country where our laws don't reach. It's just branded with an American companies name...if still American. No, I'm not being nationalistic. My guess is in some foriegn country, a person bought a rebranded American product and was told their company would not repair it. Imagine if you bought a sedan, took it 4 wheeling and the tire fell off. Sure it's your fault, sure you're willing to pay to fix it...no, the manufacturer has locked down your product and you can't get anyone to fix it.
argghhh
We disassembled the phone, hooked it up to the computer, tail /var/log/kern.log, and touched the touch points. Nothing. Unplugged and replugged the normal USB-C cable and doing that with the power down got a flashing light. Nothing on the computer at all. Not in kern.log, not in lsusb output.
I'm open for ideas but at this point, I think I'll donate it to a cell phone repair shop and never buy this companies product again.
The phone is $200 brand new from Best Buy. Moto probably made $125? Surely they could just say "we'll repair it for $125 or send you a new one". They could then bury them in a landfill like Amazon does product and get 10 years before that was found out.
Yes, I unlocked the bootloader. Yes, I voided the warranty. I want to PAY to have it fixed.
ps- TWRP + magisk + something else and then boot from a different slot = VERY BAD IDEA

When I got (one of) the first Styluses I went straight to the park across the street and rooted it. Later, when I opened the camera, I got a faulty hardware message. The Metro store wouldn't help even though I just bought it (they had to call the cops on me)so, I called Motorola immediately thinking since I only bought it two hours ago they might stand behind the warranty anyway, even though the bootloader was unlocked. They could have made me a very loyal customer (I already was and told them this was my 4th Stylus this year and it really was) by helping me, and had the tables been turned I would have sure stood behind my obviously defective product, but they said, "To Bad So Sad." I've not been much of a fan of Motorola ever since which really sucks because all my phones are Motos and all my laptops are Lenovo. They did, however, send me a free stylus when I told them it had broken. A free stylus. I had that phone with the broken camera for months.

H.R.4006 - Fair Repair Act 117th Congress (2021-2022)​
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4006
This bill requires an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to make diagnostic, maintenance, and repair equipment available to independent repair providers.
Specifically, for digital electronic equipment sold or used in the United States, an OEM shall make documentation, parts, and tools available to independent repair providers in a timely manner and on fair and reasonable terms. Further, if an OEM has made an express warranty for digital electronic equipment with a wholesale price of $100 or more, the OEM must provide such items at an equitable price and convenience of delivery to enable the repair of the equipment during the warranty period.
The bill provides for enforcement of its provisions by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general.
I have my fingers crossed that this bill passes.
I'd like all phones to have JTAG programmer points, clearly defined, accessible, and the ROMs publicly available (md5sum checkable) from the company that made the phone. That would be trusted. Getting the blank flash tool to blank flash some 3rd party (possibly or possibly checksumed but not download from the manufacturer) and then deploy a 3rd party recovery tool which will deploy a 3rd party ROM...is not safe nor can it be trusted.
and...I LOVE twrp/GIS/ASOP/... Not having root is not to protect me...its to lock me in. Only being able to use 3rd party tools...is dangerous.
If you are in America, write your senator...it wont do any good...but write them, force that bill to be passed, explain that their big compaign contributor, that a company which is large part of their stock portfolio...is screwing the American public and destroying the environment...and plainly...stealing. Will it matter...no, but at least you can say you tried.
Technically, I'm still dead in the water. Hold the power button down and the LED will after 15 seconds start blinking once a second. Indicates some type of software is functional and controlling the LED. Unsure if it's enough to resurrect the phone.
Any advice?