Database Info

SEARS Outlet FAQ (with link)

Outlet Link: http://www.searsoutlet.com/d/invent...mode=buyUsedOnly&to=cart&pn=1&ps=10&disp=sel#
My device is an Outlet item, so I have some experience with this.
General Information
SEARS Outlet is (generally) updated every morning, and they are selling "refurbished" GTablets for $279. Unless you can convince your local SEARS rep to make an exception, you need to pick the device up at the location it is located in.
If you purchase it, you would do that online and, usually within an hour or two, you'll get an email saying the device is ready for pick up. You'd then head over to their Merchandise Pick-Up section, with email printout in hand, to pick it up at the location you bought it at.
Are these Refurbs?
NO, they are not. And I don't know why they say they are. These are customer returns that they just re-sell. It doesn't go back to Viewsonic, and it doesn't get "cleaned up" in any way.
Case in point, my purchase: The previous owner rooted it and had Launcher Pro on it, and the screen was loaded with fingerprints. All SEARS did was slap a "Closeout" sticker on it and re-sold it. But it was in good shape, overall.
Do I Get a the same Warranty?
Not 100% sure, but read this (and keep the link handy):
http://www.searsoutlet.com/s/legal/FAQ.htm#NewReconditionedDifference
This claims that "New product warranty still applies". So, if you ever have a problem, you can use this to fight SEARS with if they tell you there's no warranty.
Bottom Line: Should I buy one?
I personally think it's a good buy, if you manage to snag one that hasn't been dropped on the floor. I suspect that a lot of these are going back fairly quickly so the amount of damage that a person can do is small. But, be aware that things like FC's and other issues might be the reason why it was returned. I would recommend having our firmware ready, possibly clockworkmod or, best of all, nvflash to clean the device up.

I wish I could get one but they are all in other states... HAHA i should have a friend buy one and return it at the store by me

Several days ago, they were displaying properly on the sears site, I was about to order, but I decided I would wait until later. So the next day this link comes up to:
"An error occurred while processing your request.
We apologize for the inconvenience and will work to correct the problem. "
Does this mean they are out at the moment and I need to keep checking back? I am interested in purchasing one for the $279 price for sure.

hextex said:
Several days ago, they were displaying properly on the sears site, I was about to order, but I decided I would wait until later. So the next day this link comes up to:
"An error occurred while processing your request.
We apologize for the inconvenience and will work to correct the problem. "
Does this mean they are out at the moment and I need to keep checking back? I am interested in purchasing one for the $279 price for sure.
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Click to collapse
I believe so. I would check the link every morning. They usually go very fast (Seriously, like within 30-60 minutes of when they post the updated locations).
If you're in the West Coast, check REALLY early. I usually start checking around 9 or 10AM ET.

And if you're really lucky and catch it at the right time, they'll pay you 92 quadrillion dollars.
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Sweet! Who couldn't use a few quadrillion every now and then?
Thanks a lot for the information. I am on the East Coast, I am normally up at like 6ish to head to class, so I will check through out the morning on most mornings.
I am also trying to get an Archos 70, but I think the G-Tablet can be a long term solution with the custom roms, etc. (As long term as a tablet at this stage of the game can be, anyway.)

khaytsus said:
And if you're really lucky and catch it at the right time, they'll pay you 92 quadrillion dollars.
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Click to collapse
Wow Walter, you really find the good deals.

hextex said:
Sweet! Who couldn't use a few quadrillion every now and then?
Thanks a lot for the information. I am on the East Coast, I am normally up at like 6ish to head to class, so I will check through out the morning on most mornings.
I am also trying to get an Archos 70, but I think the G-Tablet can be a long term solution with the custom roms, etc. (As long term as a tablet at this stage of the game can be, anyway.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't take the cash! Such liquidity in our macro economic infrastructure would create 10,000% inflation! :O

Man, where are all the refurbs going? I expected to see a TON of them after thanksgiving.

I agree, I figured there would be a pile of outlet deals going on.
I was at my local Sears today snooping around, hoping to luck up on a "in-store" Outlet deal. When I mentioned the Outlet $279 deal, the sales guy became a complete jerk. He said, "If you are talking about the Outlet price, then don't even talk to me." He said it very loud, almost like a yell. I was stunned a little before my admittedly short temper acted up and I flew off the handle. I had picked out a pretty nice camera I was for sure going to purchase, but changed my mind after that.
I did make it to Staples to play around their demo model. Internet was extremely snappy, but, my God, other than that the thing is like a $99 Kmart Tab when it comes to navigation being laggy etc. I didn't have an issue with the screen though, like many people have said was an issue for them.

khaytsus said:
And if you're really lucky and catch it at the right time, they'll pay you 92 quadrillion dollars.
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Click to collapse
I saw that before and was sorely tempted to place an order and then demand my gTab and $92Q...

Some thrifty person in Scranton, PA can pick up a floor model (I'm surprised about that) G-Tab that just popped up on the radar for $149.93...
Every once in a while, I wish I lived further east

just seen that... 2+ hr. drive for me.....is it worth it to return the $280 g-tab and take a 4 hr drive?

Unfortunately, it might not actually be there. I just found out that even if it is listed on the outlet site, it might not really be in the store. I ordered the one from Landover, MD this morning, and then called when the store opened to get someone to put it aside so I could pick it up. First the electronics department told me they don't even carry that device new, then the merchandise pickup department told me that they don't have any refurbished devices, and for that matter that they wouldn't have it anyway. "Those types of things get shipped back to the manufacturer for a refund."
Oh well, so close...
Hopefully another one will come close to VA.

crowpismo said:
Unfortunately, it might not actually be there. I just found out that even if it is listed on the outlet site, it might not really be in the store. I ordered the one from Landover, MD this morning, and then called when the store opened to get someone to put it aside so I could pick it up. First the electronics department told me they don't even carry that device new, then the merchandise pickup department told me that they don't have any refurbished devices, and for that matter that they wouldn't have it anyway. "Those types of things get shipped back to the manufacturer for a refund."
Oh well, so close...
Hopefully another one will come close to VA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy it online with "add to cart," and then go pick it up after you paid for it. Don't call. I had the same problem, and mentioned it in another thread. Sears outlet and sears stores have ZERO affiliation, and are not aware of each other, so calling the store does absolutely nothing. I'm in VA too, so we may be fighting over one. Not sure if I'm going to bother though.

NewbTrader said:
Buy it online with "add to cart," and then go pick it up after you paid for it. Don't call. I had the same problem, and mentioned it in another thread. Sears outlet and sears stores have ZERO affiliation, and are not aware of each other, so calling the store does absolutely nothing. I'm in VA too, so we may be fighting over one. Not sure if I'm going to bother though.
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LOL! I'll break out the boxing gloves... I did do the add to cart, and went through the whole process of inputting my credit card and everything. Once I finished that I figured I'd better call to make sure they put it aside so no one walked in and grabbed it before I could get there. That's when they said they don't even have em new. A little while later I got the email reply to my order, confirming that they didn't have it in stock. I am starting to wonder if an employee snapped it up quick this morning. Either that or their system is jacked.
ARG!

crowpismo said:
LOL! I'll break out the boxing gloves... I did do the add to cart, and went through the whole process of inputting my credit card and everything. Once I finished that I figured I'd better call to make sure they put it aside so no one walked in and grabbed it before I could get there. That's when they said they don't even have em new. A little while later I got the email reply to my order, confirming that they didn't have it in stock. I am starting to wonder if an employee snapped it up quick this morning. Either that or their system is jacked.
ARG!
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Click to collapse
When you buy online, it removes it from the online inventory. So, calling is redundant, as the one that's available is reserved for you (assuming you get the confirmation email that it's in stock). I did the same thing you did in a sense and just called ahead (didn't know you could even buy it online and reserve it initially, but 15mins later bought it online, and got a confirmation that it was in stock), and when I got there the manager said the wifi was damaged on it and they were going to send it back. Of course, strange that this problem wasn't caught till I called and asked the store about it.. An employee likely wanted it, and I nicely called to notify them of the great deal. So, do yourself a favor (and anyone else looking to get one), and don't call.

Showing one for $149 in Scranton, PA.

2 1/2 hour drive for me, and it's a toll road. I did consider it, for that price.
Would have made a great dev device, assuming its all scratched up / floor model.
Btw, my understanding is that the Outlet stores and the SEARS stores are the same thing (at least it was i my case). These are the "clearance" and "closeout" items you see in the bins in the Electronics section. In my case, I picked up my Outlet device in the Merchandise Pickup at a local NJ SEARS, in a mall.

roebeet said:
Btw, my understanding is that the Outlet stores and the SEARS stores are the same thing (at least it was i my case). These are the "clearance" and "closeout" items you see in the bins in the Electronics section. In my case, I picked up my Outlet device in the Merchandise Pickup at a local NJ SEARS, in a mall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, they're the same physical stores. To clarify my post, I meant to say physically they're the same, but the outlet and regular sears sites and internal inventory/etc. seem entirely separated to a degree. If you call a store asking about an outlet product, they are completely clueless about it, and have no way of knowing without calling the "outlet" department, which is what the manager told me when I called (wherever that is, maybe an 800 number for them?). At least it seem to be this way to me.
The wise thing to do is not call if you ask me. You're essentially notifying everyone of its availability (and cheap price), and you'd be naive to think that employees wouldn't have any qualms snatching it up even if you already placed the order. The employee and manager I spoke to when I called inquiring about the unit seemed VERY interested in it when I mentioned the price, and not in a "oh I'd love to help you with that" sort of way..

Galaxy S4 Repair nightmare

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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.

Return Defective ONEPLUS [Support-Thread]

​This thread is to help guide EVERYONE who is having issues with their ONEPLUS
regardless of what the issue is or if its a DOA I will cover it all in this short post.
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What does this mean ? it means if you don't have your electronic receipt on your OnePlus Account, you wont be able to claim an RMA OR if you purchased it off Ebay/Amazon/Craigslist, ect and you don't have the copy of the packing slip in which your ONEPLUS shipped in then your kinda screwed..
What does the above chart mean? Well it means what it says, although I have had some close friends have horrible experience dealing with even TRYING to get an RMA because ONEPLUS kept refusing that it wasn't their issue.. *cough cough* Yellow Band/Screen issue just be aware of the following information above before you make a claim.
TIP: Be aware that in some cases ONEPLUS wants you to pay for shipping even though they clearly say that they will cover it, So its up to you whether you want to pay a few bucks for shipping or be left with a useless device...I honestly just pay the shipping and get my money back if that's your case.
If you need to submit a Ticket: Here
All this information was from OPO's official site here: http://oneplus.net/support#warranty-and-repairs

Cool thread, although the yellow band /screen example isn't really an issue, as it goes away after a couple of weeks... With mine it did anyway.
Dealing with the Chinese for returns on anything is like pulling teeth. 11 years of experience tells me this.
I hope that these phones are one of those amazing deals, that come along rarely, and outperform for the $ that are laid out.
Sent from my One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I have the yellow band I am only a few days in with the phone so I am deciding if I am going to return it. Every one that says it goes away says it takes a few weeks and that is to long I will be out of my return period. Also I'm wondering if it takes a few weeks just to get used to the yellow band. So its really not going away you are just adjusted to it.

jdh10475 said:
I have the yellow band I am only a few days in with the phone so I am deciding if I am going to return it. Every one that says it goes away says it takes a few weeks and that is to long I will be out of my return period. Also I'm wondering if it takes a few weeks just to get used to the yellow band. So its really not going away you are just adjusted to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would it not be better to just sell it as it is less bother than sending it to China plus you could make a few £/$ on it.

Had mine 3 weeks and the banding hasnt changed, excellent phone just the one little annoyance. They've offered me a free pick up return, but not sure i want to depart with it, the problem is there's no other phone i want.

I'm having several issues with mine, dead pixel, battery getting hot, random reboots and now as of 2 days ago it shuts off on it's own.My device started acting up last week, sent 3 emails and have only gotten one response. It was a BS response to try the dead pixel app from the Playstore to get rid of the dead pixel. My email all 3 times has contained all the issues but OnePlus customer can't seems to read for some reason, goes to show the lack of education they have but that's besides the point. I contacted Paypal today and they have put a hold on the funds until OnePlus contacts them.

Knight-Rider said:
I'm having several issues with mine, dead pixel, battery getting hot, random reboots and now as of 2 days ago it shuts off on it's own.My device started acting up last week, sent 3 emails and have only gotten one response. It was a BS response to try the dead pixel app from the Playstore to get rid of the dead pixel. My email all 3 times has contained all the issues but OnePlus customer can't seems to read for some reason, goes to show the lack of education they have but that's besides the point. I contacted Paypal today and they have put a hold on the funds until OnePlus contacts them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've imported goods from China and my feeling is that while the phone is great spec- the fall down points are availability and the famous chinese warranty ( good luck and like phases of moon).
I'd consider being a agent for these if the Manufacturer got act together on faulty devices, the cost margin should allow for fault warranty claims.
Still I haven't recieved an invite, put off by warranty or lack of it- so other than an opinion, doesn't look like I will get one any time soon.

teaker1s said:
I've imported goods from China and my feeling is that while the phone is great spec- the fall down points are availability and the famous chinese warranty ( good luck and like phases of moon).
I'd consider being a agent for these if the Manufacturer got act together on faulty devices, the cost margin should allow for fault warranty claims.
Still I haven't recieved an invite, put off by warranty or lack of it- so other than an opinion, doesn't look like I will get one any time soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I received a reply back from Paypal yesterday in my favor, money was deposited to my Paypal account early this morning and I transferred to my bank account. I got my money back plus I'm keeping the phone, I put it up on Craigslist and I'm getting several offers already. I'm going with an LG G3 very disappointed with OnePlus.

Knight-Rider said:
I received a reply back from Paypal yesterday in my favor, money was deposited to my Paypal account early this morning and I transferred to my bank account. I got my money back plus I'm keeping the phone, I put it up on Craigslist and I'm getting several offers already. I'm going with an LG G3 very disappointed with OnePlus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How long did the process take? Did you just open the dispute, and then just escalated it to a claim right away? One of the two OPOs I have has a loud vibrator and can barely feel it. I don't even want to bother dealing with them, but I don't want to sell it on ebay since I wont get as much with the defect even though it's new.

rickyx32 said:
How long did the process take? Did you just open the dispute, and then just escalated it to a claim right away? One of the two OPOs I have has a loud vibrator and can barely feel it. I don't even want to bother dealing with them, but I don't want to sell it on ebay since I wont get as much with the defect even though it's new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I contacted Paypal on 8/7 and resolved yesterday 8/18 so 8 business days, they originally told me 5-7 business days but I was planning on contacting them that day I got a reply so they saved me a phone call. Whatever the issue you're having you have to contact them, I previously contacted OnePlus via email in 2 separate emails but failed to get a response gave them a week to reply so I got tired of waiting. Good luck!

Knight-Rider said:
I contacted Paypal on 8/7 and resolved yesterday 8/18 so 8 business days, they originally told me 5-7 business days but I was planning on contacting them that day I got a reply so they saved me a phone call. Whatever the issue you're having you have to contact them, I previously contacted OnePlus via email in 2 separate emails but failed to get a response gave them a week to reply so I got tired of waiting. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man, I can't make up my mind, I'm still within the 14 days on this new one, though based on this photo it looks like it's not a hard fix, maybe some hot glue to keep the motor still, but I'll probably end up braking a seal or something and void the warranty. I guess I'll just jump into the cockpit and have a dogfight with OnePlus and their support. I think I'll also simultaneously open a dispute with PayPal, since I know things are gonna go nowhere fast.

rickyx32 said:
Thanks man, I can't make up my mind, I'm still within the 14 days on this new one, though based on this photo it looks like it's not a hard fix, maybe some hot glue to keep the motor still, but I'll probably end up braking a seal or something and void the warranty. I guess I'll just jump into the cockpit and have a dogfight with OnePlus and their support. I think I'll also simultaneously open a dispute with PayPal, since I know things are gonna go nowhere fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem and good luck. I was still within the 14 days but OnePlus I've heard fails to respond knowing the 14 days will expire and you're SOL (**** out of luck) and you're screwed. That's why I went the Paypal way.

Mine stopped recognizing the SIM card, opened a ticket 15 days ago and still got no answer whatsoever.
Unfortunately it has been more than 45 days since I've bought the phone so I can't claim through Paypal....
I'm seriously regretting buying this phone, the cheap has become expensive....

OnePlus said in their reddit AMA that they would pay for a courier to collect the phone if it is defective, and they will be doing that for me. If they refuse, I will make a fuss.

My touchscreen doesn't work sometimes
My OPO's touchscreen has been having difficulties recognising touch.
About 50% of the times i take it out of my pocket, half of the screen just doesn't recognise touch, you press it and... nothing. Its rather bothering I'd say. Makes the phone kind of useless, you can't write sms, you barely can navigate on the phone, even the menu buttons fail to work. I reboot the cellphone and it may or may not recognise touch afterwards, its crazy.
I've contacted support, but they're even more useless than the malfunctioning phone. They said I would have to download a bunch of files in order for them to provide online support and that they could only be available on a given date. So I downloaded the files and asked my boss for an extra lunch hour on that date to take care of this issue. A few days passed, and the date finally came and guess what? THEY LEFT ME STOOD UP! No contact for hours, I went back to the office disappointed...
Second try, they said they were sorry and asked me to book another date. I booked it, but this time I asked for confirmation. I was only going to bother my boss asking for extra non-working time once I had their confirmation that there would indeed be someone helping me on that date. The confirmation never came and the date flew by... at least I didn't put my job in risk for trusting OnePlus's support this time.
A new e-mail arrived: we are so sorry, please book a new date.
I answered: you guys book a new date, I don't give a damn, just need my phone fixed please.
And their answer the same automatic email: we are so sorry, please book a new date. (this has made me kind of mad)
So I seem to have gotten in a never ending cycle, if I book a date they will leave me stood up. If they book a date they will leave me stood up. Meanwhile my phone is useless and I have a very frustrating day trying to use it, sometimes it takes some self control not to throw this OnePlus One-pile-of-crap out of the window.
I really don't know how to deal with this sort of un-supporting customer support, any ideas?
BTW: I've had the phone for 5 months and after contacting support I've made a factory reset in an attempt to see if it was some installed software issue, made no difference, it's still the same crap.
Thanks

BatuKMan said:
Mine stopped recognizing the SIM card, opened a ticket 15 days ago and still got no answer whatsoever.
Unfortunately it has been more than 45 days since I've bought the phone so I can't claim through Paypal....
I'm seriously regretting buying this phone, the cheap has become expensive....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue, submitted a ticket a week ago and nothing...

Just to show the positive side of the story too. I had a broken microphone in my one. I contacted Oneplus for an RMA request. got a reply within 4 days. First they went trough a troubleshooting list with me. about a week later they send me some files and asked me to make an appointment too. But since i work during their office hours, and i cannot have remote access to my work computer, I flashed the files myself (without instructions to do so from Oneplus). This did not fix the problem. When i told Oneplus they opened a return ticked for me. Since i live in Europe, they organized DHL to pick up the package for free. 5 days later i had a new phone!
I was really scared that the support would suck, but my experience was actually positive. So for people who read this topic. Yes support could be bad, but it could also be good!

theBIGone said:
Just to show the positive side of the story too. I had a broken microphone in my one. I contacted Oneplus for an RMA request. got a reply within 4 days. First they went trough a troubleshooting list with me. about a week later they send me some files and asked me to make an appointment too. But since i work during their office hours, and i cannot have remote access to my work computer, I flashed the files myself (without instructions to do so from Oneplus). This did not fix the problem. When i told Oneplus they opened a return ticked for me. Since i live in Europe, they organized DHL to pick up the package for free. 5 days later i had a new phone!
I was really scared that the support would suck, but my experience was actually positive. So for people who read this topic. Yes support could be bad, but it could also be good!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear you had a positive experience. I did get a response on my ticket offering an appointment for them to try flashing my phone back to stock (which of course was the first thing I tried), so I replied back that I'd already tried it. Hopefully they will approve RMA now.

How do I contact one plus, I want to call them

[Q] Z3: Sleep of death and NOT waterproof

Purchased the Xperia Z3 last thursday. Seemed fine. First night - sleep of death. Had to find a firmware update which was apparently being released in the UK. Haven't applied as I intended to take it back first. I then used the spa yesterday and tested out its alleged waterproofing - turns out, not waterproof even one iota. After 5 minutes of initially being submerged, boom - display broken, never to return. Also worth noting that PS4 remote play app required to stream PS4 games is not yet available.
So, to summarise:
- Sleep of death has made a return
- Not waterproof
- Can't do PS4 remote play
All in all - this phone is a piece of crap at the moment. Well technically, this is now more of a paperweight than a phone. I triggered the RMA process with the shop I bought it from (returned less than 7 days later) and they tell me it must be sent away for up to 4 weeks to be diagnosed and determined whether covered by warranty.
Awesome - so also, a great customer experience too! My patience is wearing thin. Has anybody else had similar experiences?

Bro sometime back I was hardcore sony products users but now no more. Sony has made it complicated, if you products goes wrong you had it as you will notnget spare easily outside hence you are left with sony service expensive option to get it fixed and best thing is spare cost is almost closer to new item.
Sent from my LG-D802 using xda premium

vishal11in said:
Bro sometime back I was hardcore sony products users but now no more. Sony has made it complicated, if you products goes wrong you had it as you will notnget spare easily outside hence you are left with sony service expensive option to get it fixed and best thing is spare cost is almost closer to new item.
Sent from my LG-D802 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome - I was hoping for some good news like that. Moral of the story? Sony loves to rape its customers for the lols. It's a shame really as Samsung's phones are *ok* but have crap stock apps and the phones themselves aren't particularly pleasing to look at. The only real alternative is LG or an iPhone (god forbid)....
The rep at the store I purchased made it sound like if they found 'water damage' then it wouldn't be covered by warranty. This is turning out to be a case for our national 'fair trading act' laws(New Zealand).

This is exactly what I'm scared of dealing with unlocked phones. The technical support falls by the wasteside. For the interest of this thread, I'm located in the united states, so a little patience for american phone support and warranty might help out my buying power. One thing that bothers me as well is the quality of glass Sony is using. They want a premium but someone mentioned the glass back cracking out of nowhere. For a consumer waiting to buy this device, all these stories are starting to scare me away.
I have a galaxy sIII, and have had it for over 2 years traveling and everything else in between and have never had an issue with it. I purchased the z3 compact as a replacement but was returned due to it being too small for my liking so the z3 was definitely going to be mine once: 1. T-Mobile has it, or 2. An online retailer has it that I can get device support from.
I think the reason i still love this device, is that it looks beautiful. I'm so hopeful that these problems will not happen to me but you never know. I am sorry about your situation. I was told that the flaps need to be sealed in order to submerge this device.

a. sleep of death - too early to comment for me, although "safe charge" from the store has always helped me out in the past;
b. remote play - deferred availability until November was mentioned online via voluminous sources/review sites, but should have been caveated within official advertisements - understandably, one or two will be a little frustrated;
c. water damage - this is what concerns me the most as I've read various accounts, all connected with the Z series, of users being blamed for water ingress, where they have no way of differentiating between defective ports/a defective handset and/or personal error on their part. I've actually made a point of purchasing a magnetic adapter from the get go, so that the sim/sd tray has only been opened once whilst the micro usb port is staying closed permanently, as long as I can avoid the need for a data transfer via cable. Not sure I'll be able to prove that though if and when the time comes;
d. four week turnaround time for a decision is pretty bad;
e. I still think it's a great phone, but user experience will differ unfortunately;
f. sincerely hope someone helps you out.
Actually, I've got no chance of leaving the micro-usb port sealed given that some firmware updates will be via wired connections only, and beyond that I'll be looking to install root and custom recovery to get around the apps2sd limitation.

staffsarge said:
Purchased the Xperia Z3 last thursday. Seemed fine. First night - sleep of death. Had to find a firmware update which was apparently being released in the UK. Haven't applied as I intended to take it back first. I then used the spa yesterday and tested out its alleged waterproofing - turns out, not waterproof even one iota. After 5 minutes of initially being submerged, boom - display broken, never to return. Also worth noting that PS4 remote play app required to stream PS4 games is not yet available.
So, to summarise:
- Sleep of death has made a return
- Not waterproof
- Can't do PS4 remote play
All in all - this phone is a piece of crap at the moment. Well technically, this is now more of a paperweight than a phone. I triggered the RMA process with the shop I bought it from (returned less than 7 days later) and they tell me it must be sent away for up to 4 weeks to be diagnosed and determined whether covered by warranty.
Awesome - so also, a great customer experience too! My patience is wearing thin. Has anybody else had similar experiences?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear this. Where are you located? Where did you buy it from?
smoovy said:
This is exactly what I'm scared of dealing with unlocked phones. The technical support falls by the wasteside. For the interest of this thread, I'm located in the united states, so a little patience for american phone support and warranty might help out my buying power. One thing that bothers me as well is the quality of glass Sony is using. They want a premium but someone mentioned the glass back cracking out of nowhere. For a consumer waiting to buy this device, all these stories are starting to scare me away.
I have a galaxy sIII, and have had it for over 2 years traveling and everything else in between and have never had an issue with it. I purchased the z3 compact as a replacement but was returned due to it being too small for my liking so the z3 was definitely going to be mine once: 1. T-Mobile has it, or 2. An online retailer has it that I can get device support from.
I think the reason i still love this device, is that it looks beautiful. I'm so hopeful that these problems will not happen to me but you never know. I am sorry about your situation. I was told that the flaps need to be sealed in order to submerge this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also here in the US. I have heard good things about Clove and Handtec from the UK. They both told me that in case of Warranty, we need to send the device to them, then they will deal with Sony UK. One point to consider is that the warranty is good for two years and not one as if you were to purchase the phone in the US.
Cheers,
G.

You are correct about the warranty but have you had to send anyrhing back to handtec or clove? I just mailed out my z3 compact and paid out $45 to send this back. This was the CHEAPEST route. Trust me, anything from the usa to uk is going to cost like no other. Not being able to get assistance anywhere but overseas is not my cup of tea. I have already made the descision to wait for tmobile. I was going to purchase the z3 from handtec the same way I did for my compact but no thanks. The glass is inferior to scratches, the waterproofing, cracked back glass, screen alignment, random rebooting and a feature( stamina mode) that doesn't work that well.
If you can agree that a supported device at your local store is better than shipping it far away and waiting for a reply back on whether they will warranty it is better than a 2 year warranty that a company will add for marketing purposes. I still want this phone but not as bad as I thought. It needs to last me 2 years or more. I dont purchase devices every year. This is the phone that is supposed to take the place of my only device I own right now, so it needs to be up to snuff and I want device support.

smoovy said:
You are correct about the warranty but have you had to send anyrhing back to handtec or clove? I just mailed out my z3 compact and paid out $45 to send this back. This was the CHEAPEST route. Trust me, anything from the usa to uk is going to cost like no other. Not being able to get assistance anywhere but overseas is not my cup of tea. I have already made the descision to wait for tmobile. I was going to purchase the z3 from handtec the same way I did for my compact but no thanks. The glass is inferior to scratches, the waterproofing, cracked back glass, screen alignment, random rebooting and a feature( stamina mode) that doesn't work that well.
If you can agree that a supported device at your local store is better than shipping it far away and waiting for a reply back on whether they will warranty it is better than a 2 year warranty that a company will add for marketing purposes. I still want this phone but not as bad as I thought. It needs to last me 2 years or more. I dont purchase devices every year. This is the phone that is supposed to take the place of my only device I own right now, so it needs to be up to snuff and I want device support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, I agree with you! I was just pointing out for you (and any others that might read this thread), but you are absolutely right. I also like the support here in the US, however sometimes it is really bad. Case here is the issues I had with my HTC One vs. the issues the Boss had with her Nexus 5: Oh my sweet Lord, Google costumer service has been so incredible, she (and I) cannot be any happier ! On the other hand, HTC... ...
Yes, that is why I am taking my time to get the Z3 here in the US, however I want the Non-Carrier version instead of the T-Mobile, to which I am not sure they are going to provide as Sony did with the Z2. Or, the other option is to get the discounted Z2, which is not bad phone.
And, like you, I do not change phones every other day... I just have had bad luck with my latest phones, and really want this one to last at least four years.
Cheers !
G.

I wasnt thinking before but my eyes are open now. I just wasted $80 between recieving the compact and sending it back. That is money I wont be seeing back in my pocket. I had been emailing clove all weekend about the white z3 version and the bundle. They just fixed it today...now I changed my mind. I will wait for tmobile. I would advise anyone else thinking to do the same because of the rare issues others are having with this device. Dont chance it, you could end up on here complaining about it.

Dunked my Black Z3 over the weekend, left it in hot bath water (HOT), with bubble bath in for a good twenty minutes. No issues.
I have to say I was worried, but that's what insurance is for.

I have a few questions for the OP
You mentioned the screen cracked in water".
I don't understand how that would happen unless you literally dropped it in and you had your jets at high velocity, with of course a hard bottom.
Regarding waterproofing - was all the ports sealed because if you have anything unsealed, thats exactly what will happen - tata - bye bye.
I have been told by Sony Tech and Sales that they offer replacements on any issues from waterproofing assuming that none of the ports were kept open. They have ways to check and test that.
Once again screen cracking doesn't make much sense to me in a "spa". Did you THROW it from OUTSIDE into the water or did you drop it calmly while you were inside the water.
The force at which a mobile is thrown and the location from which it is thrown could be one of the factors resulting to your "crack".

For all the people replying with "Glad I read this first" just remember this is one guy's experience. Clearly he had a faulty phone, it happens. My first Z3 had a flickering screen issue but it was replaced immediately (thankfully Amazon turned around a replacement in one working day but even going through Sony would only have been 5).
If the waterproofing fails, that is a no-questions replacement ASSUMING you haven't unlocked the bootloader or left a flap open.
The basic advice is to thoroughly check the device before voiding the warranty. Shoot some 4K video, dunk it in water for a bit, take photos, make calls, stream video, play music, and just generally use it for a week or so until you are happy there is no hardware issue. That goes for any consumer electronics product.
No device launch goes 100% fault-free, especially with cutting edge hardware. A few bad ones are gonna get out but how the company responds is the real test. My PS4 arrived DOA on launch day too and I was obviously gutted but I rang Sony, only had to hold for a couple of minutes (despite it being peak time and on launch day) and they had a courier out with a replacement the next working day. For me, that is excellent customer service.
Finally there is a lot of misinformation here. The Z3 has a two year manufacturer warranty. If you get water damage in normal use, you are covered and Sony will replace it in 5-7 working days (this is what they told me when I had to return mine).
The USB flap thing just means it should be closed AT THE TIME. Not that you can never open it, that would be daft.
I don't imagine that while charging or doing data transfer/ADB stuff there is going to be much risk of water ingress anyway.

To add to the above remember only the ones with issues post often and talk about the issues. The ones with phones working and no faults usually dont post much like me.

My Z3 was sleep of depth this morning.
I am curious about why it is back.
It is all OK with my Xperia TX.
The battery comsumption log shows the SOD.
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Sent from my D6653 using XDA Free mobile app

Unlucky mate. No probs with mine.

i just had sleep death today. thought the phone ran out of batteries when it was at 91% remaining before i went to sleep.

Shudder123 - I believe Sony has released an update firmware fix for that. Please test.

Regarding USA owners of UK-purchased devices (warranty coverage)
I'm in the USA and had an online chat with Sony Mobile Support USA yesterday asking about manufacturer's warranty coverage in the USA on a Z3 D6603 purchased in the UK (Clove, Handtec). He said it was covered in the USA, but due to being an "international" phone it would take longer than 2 weeks to be repaired due to the need to obtain international parts.
Here's is the complete transcript of the chat:
Customer Chat
Chat Transcript
Please wait while we find an agent to assist you...
You have now been connected to an agent.
Agent Alan: Hi, thanks for choosing Sony Xperia™ Chat Support. My name is Alan your Xperia™ Support Representative. Would you please provide me with your full name and email address?
Paul: edited
Agent Alan: Thank you. What is the model of your device and your service provider?
Paul: I just have a generic question. Is the Sony Manufacturer's Warranty of an Xperia Z3 D6603 that's imported into the USA honored in the USA?
Agent Alan: Thank you very much, so you'd like to know if you purchase the Xperia Z3 in UK, if this one will support the warranty in USA.
Agent Alan: Is that correct?
Agent Alan: Are you still there?
Agent Alan: I haven't received a response from you in a couple of minutes. Please let me know you are still connected or I will need to disconnect our chat in another minute.
Paul: Yes. That's correct. Sorry for the delay.
Agent Alan: I'll be glad to assist you.
Paul: Another way of asking is if the phone purchased in the UK is covered under warranty in the USA.
Agent Alan: The warranty will be valid in USA, however the phone will be considered an international phone. This means that if you need to send it for repair it will take longer than the estimated 14 business days.
Agent Alan: Have I answered all of your questions today or is there anything else I can help you with?
Paul: Thanks for the answer. How long then, on average, does warranty repair take in the USA on an international phone?
Agent Alan: There is not estimate time.
Paul: Why does it take longer?
Agent Alan: Because the internal parts are different and they need to order the parts overseas.
Paul: Understood. That answers my questions. Thank you.
Agent Alan: You are welcome.
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So there you go. UK phones are covered in the USA.
I would also assume that if the D6603 became available unlocked in the USA officially, the parts would then be available in the USA by default and the 14 day turnaround time would presumably apply.

Project Fi Trade-In ripoff

Anyone else get ripped off in the Trade-In program for the X4?
I had two Nexus 6p devices to trade, and ordered two X4s. Got my X4s promptly, but they only sent one trade in package. When I asked for the other one they flat-out refused to send it and said I would need to send back my X4 and order another one in order to receive another trade-in envelope. Despite numerous customer service reps saying this wasn't right, they stuck to it and would not send the trade in kit. After a month of back and forth, I agreed to send back the X4 as requested -- but they said it was now too late!!
The other 6p was sent in the day we received the trade in envelope in mid-October.
Last week, I *finally* received the $50 credit that was promised. And yesterday, I received my trade in credit of $15.41. Yes, you read that right: $15.41.
Project Fi claims that I did not send in the device on time, AND that it would not power on.
The 6p was in pristine condition when I sent it THREE months ago.
I refused their trade in offer and requested them to return my device (as it allows in their trade in terms & conditions) and now they are stonewalling with generic responses.
I am out $300+ on the devices and $50 on the trade in they wouldn't allow, plus the $800 I spent on the new phones. Unreal!
Needless to say, I am cancelling my Project Fi service. I am trying to decide whether to keep or sell the X4's.

I didn't have any issues.

You should report this in /r/projectfi
Specifically check the sidebar of that subreddit and click on Make a Reddit Request! It will be a hassle but if you can communicate everything to them they may be able to help.
There were many other people that also had issues with the trade-in program. I think the FI team had a breakdown with their 3rd party vendor that was handling the trade-ins. They stopped processing them for about a week, when it first started to try and sort out issues.

My Project Fi devices trade in experience
Very first week of offer I bought a Moto X4 to replace my spare cracked screen, no power on Nexus 5x. I received phone quickly, trade in was delayed and was informed by Fi account. 2 weeks later received trade in envelope returned and more delays. Project Fi email of delays with trade in devices...Xmas time frame so waited and received 56.25 trade in allowance, actually slightly more than quote. Did get Project Fi credits.
I was very disappointed with being stuck with 7.1 and Nov update...with mightysween troubles on twrp and rooting....believe me I was watching every day....Thank you for your HUGH amount of work...
I decided to by a Pixel 2 with Google store credit and received device and waiting for trade in kit for my other Nexus 5x which has a $150 trade in value....now still waiting received email of delays...I did receive the buy device discount and
Project Fi credits.
I kinda like Moto X4 with Oreo really keeping for spare "cheap" Project Fi, I have only one carrier in my home area.
US Cellular and marginal Sprint / T mobile.

Wow, now I feel lucky that I got full value without incident ($150 for Nexus 6p + $50 fi credit).
I did have to wait 2 weeks after sending in my phone before they evaluated and credited it, and the fi credit took 2 months to show up, but nothing like your disaster.
Like the previous person said, sounds like the 3rd party service google used to do the trade-ins, wasn't up to par.
I'm surprised google hasn't stepped in to help you out.

I sent in a Nexus 6, my wife a 5. It took my wife about 1.5 months, and my trade-in took two months to process. Hers went through fine, full credit, etc. Mine had a similar response, saying that I didn't send it in on time, and that I hadn't done a full factory reset in my case. I detailed the day I received my X4, and then detailed the extensive process I went through to clear the phone, including the factory reset, then factor re-imaging the phone, relocking the boot loader, etc. Inside of 2 hours of filing the ticket, I had full credit for the phone.
I suspect that many of the "won't boot" issues are directly related to the battery degradation phones like the 6p were seeing, combined with a 2-3 month time before they analyzed the phones. From the number of cases, it is clear they aren't plugging them in on a fail to boot scenario. Can I assume you have done a reddit support request to try to get this resolved?

My trade in took over a month for them to receive and evaluate, but just got an email this week saying they got it. Still waiting on my Black Friday rebate though which I was told would be applied in 4-6 weeks.

As of my last complaint (which included past complaints/case #s) their response was that a specialist would reach out to me "sometime next week"... it has been 8 days. Absurd.
I am really not interested in anything other than them a.)proving by carrier tracking # that I sent the device late, and b.)taking back the credit and sending me my device per the terms of the trade in agreement.
If it really is DOA, so be it. I can probably sell it for parts and do better than 15 bucks.
But my suspicion is that they have NO idea where that device is. Time will tell.

mightysween said:
As of my last complaint (which included past complaints/case #s) their response was that a specialist would reach out to me "sometime next week"... it has been 8 days. Absurd.
I am really not interested in anything other than them a.)proving by carrier tracking # that I sent the device late, and b.)taking back the credit and sending me my device per the terms of the trade in agreement.
If it really is DOA, so be it. I can probably sell it for parts and do better than 15 bucks.
But my suspicion is that they have NO idea where that device is. Time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They actually changed the terms after the initial offer, removing the "send it back", or so I had read on a thread on Reddit. You had 30 days from receipt of the x4 to send it back--you can probably prove to them the date the X4 was received based on their shipping e-mails and such. I'm sorry you are having such problems with this--I really really want you to stay working on this phone!

mightysween said:
As of my last complaint (which included past complaints/case #s) their response was that a specialist would reach out to me "sometime next week"... it has been 8 days. Absurd.
I am really not interested in anything other than them a.)proving by carrier tracking # that I sent the device late, and b.)taking back the credit and sending me my device per the terms of the trade in agreement.
If it really is DOA, so be it. I can probably sell it for parts and do better than 15 bucks.
But my suspicion is that they have NO idea where that device is. Time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make a Reddit request in r/projectfi - they have access to Google to escalate issues.

I have been "escalated" to upper tiers of service several times. The issue is that there is NO follow up on their end.
They all seem to agree that I was ripped off, but that there is nothing they can do about it.
I am already moving on from Fi service back to an MVNO that at least doesn't scam their customers. But I WILL be getting my 6p back, or fair market value... even if it costs me 10x as much to do it.

Good luck on this one guys, they f-ed me over on my trade in as well. I did send it back a little later than I initially thought I would. It took them almost 2 months to process the return.
I sent in the phone, box, charger, everything that it originally included when I bought the phone. My phone was unlocked / rooted and I relocked it, fully wiped it out and returned it to stock.
Google claimed the phone was not factory reset (bullshiz) and that they didn't receive it within time and the credit was something like $15 bucks, when the phone (Nexus 6) was perfect in every way, shape and form.
I had a 2nd Nexus 6 to send back in as I bought two (2) of the Moto X4's and didn't even bother on the 2nd phone due to the way Google handled the 1st return.

No issues with my trade in, got the full quote. Pretty streamlined process was my experience.

My Fi trade in for the Moto X4 was great. I have been waiting for a trade in Credit on my Pixel 2 from Dec 22 and still shows on my Project Fi account page a trade in (worth 150 at posting of details for initial Trade in Credit of my Nexus 5x). A couple of no return responses on the project Fi feedback button. So who knows.

The moral of the story is to never trade in anything with anybody. The cost of your time and the gamble of problems makes it not at all worth it. If you think they care that you will cancel your service, think again. And if you think you will get better service elsewhere, think again. We no longer live in a customer service oriented society. And to be honest, I don't think we should. There are too many people out there who try to jack the man and sponge everything they can. People seem to have this sense of entitlement that sickens me to the core. Ah, but I digress. Sorry about your troubles, mate.

Have to agree. Why trade and lose 40-50% of it's value, and then have to worry if they will follow through.
Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

I am glad you were able to find some level of relief by venting your frustrations here. It always makes me chuckle a little, though, when people say they are no longer doing business with X and will switch to Y. The fact is, customer service is largely dead on this planet. You (or many others) will have the same crappy service with vendor Y eventually. Switching every time you have a bad experience is not going to solve your problem. In fact, it is only going to make your life harder. I wish you luck though. By the way, trade-ins are a huge waste of time; no matter what carrier you are doing the deal with.

Me Too
I got an attempt to rip-off today by Google Fi too. They promised $150 and then they said the best they could do was $19
My Nexus 6P had 0 cracks, screen in perfect condition, turned on, factory reset.
I contacted them asking why the low value, and they said they would re-check my phone to tell me the details.
I'm waiting for their reply.