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To get to the point, people DON'T UPDATE YOUR VIBRANTS and T-MOBILE HANDLES THE ISSUE HORRIBLY! Obviously this is not a universal problem, but if you do happen to be one of the lucky ones that bricks their phone with the update there is no saving it (at least with the help of T-mobile).
I just got off of the phone with tech support and they were less than helpful. After the regular punching in numbers, talking to two different people, and trying to re-boots that everyone with half a brain have tried, they informed me that they would replace the phone but I had to PAY for shipping. While I realize this is a normal policy when it comes to random malfunctions, which may or may not have been the users fault, this is absolutely ridiculous when the problem is 100% their fault. Seriously, T-mobile ships a top of the line phone that has some major flaws and inactivated software (media hub), then breaks the phone with it's official update, and somehow this is MY responsibility to pay to get fixed? The rep even asked if I at this point wanted to add insurance so next time I wouldn't have to pay for shipping and if I wanted to pay extra for expedited shipping! They were trying to make an add-on sale while fixing an issue THEY caused!
That's not even the end of it, because I was so irritated they sent me to a "loyalty specialist" (who sounded like a used car salesman). He rambled on about how he would waive the shipping fee (he made it sound like he just saved my first born child). I told him I appreciated that but it didn't fix the fact that T-Mobile was not handling the issue well. When a large number of phones break from an issue originating from the provider they should either 1) have re-furbished phones (or even set aside new phones if necessary) to replace these broken phones as they come up or 2) offer free over night shipping of the replacement phone. He told me that these options were too expensive for T-Mobile, and that if I like I could sign up for either of their two insurance plans, as they would allow me to do an in-store replacement (he later noted that one of them was only available within the first 14 days of owning the phone...). I couldn't believe they were trying to another add-on sale! The best part being, I later called around to all my local T-Mobile owned stores and none of them have the Vibrant available for in-store replacement (and never have).
So the Cliff-Notes of my rant:
1) DON'T UPDATE YOUR VIBRANT
2) If you did brick your phone, make sure to complain and they should refund the ridiculous shipping charge
3) If you don't own a Vibrant and are thinking about it consider the following (Don't let it stop you, just consider it):
- Still on 2.1, when Nexus One has been on 2.2 for months (and the Galaxy S 2.2 official ROM has been leaked so it does exist in some form.) => Meaning updates are super scarce and extremely late.
- T-Mobile is selling a good phone with many flaws, and their first attempt to fix it bricked many phones (do a google search I am not the only one).
- While it may be better than other companies, T-Mobiles customer service is FAR from flawless
P.S. My phone was completely stock (so please don't mention how I did this with a lag fix, etc.). I waited at least 15 mins before I pulled the battery, before which I had noted the T-Mobile sound starting without the animation (seems like a timing issue or something). And finally, I realize this is a duplicate post to many others but I want people to find this info (not be at the bottom of a really long thread) to get the word out how T-Mobile deals with their errors.
I hate when people mess with their phones then get angry at a company for "breaking" their phone. Im running stock rom with root and also got bricked, but, I manned up and knew I was in the wrong and accepted what happened. I didn't put the blame on TMo, because completely untouched vibrants that I was aware of had no issues with this OTA. If you added functionality to it after the fact that it wasn't originally on there before when you initially purchased it; then its YOUR fault that it bricked, NOT T-mobiles. Take some responsibility and stop crying.
Had the same problem but this is a pretty fix using Odin.
If you install an update from an OTA T-Mobile should be held responsible
I don't know about you guys but when you have been a customer for 10+ years, T-Mobile will pretty much suck your balls.
Either way, if you guys rooted it, then that takes the fault from T-Mobile to you. You changed the phone. The update was designed for a pristine un-edited Samsung Vibrant, if you changed anything in the system by rooting or flashing it is your fault for changing the equation. T-Mobile is NOT at fault for your actions.
Yeah why warranty the phone when you can just ODIN and fix it yourself? Do a xda search. If you're gonna use xda to complain at least use it to solve your own problems as well. Unless your phone is hardware locked it is 100 % fixable.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
starkiller86 said:
I hate when people mess with their phones then get angry at a company for "breaking" their phone. Im running stock rom with root and also got bricked, but, I manned up and knew I was in the wrong and accepted what happened. I didn't put the blame on TMo, because completely untouched vibrants that I was aware of had no issues with this OTA. If you added functionality to it after the fact that it wasn't originally on there before when you initially purchased it; then its YOUR fault that it bricked, NOT T-mobiles. Take some responsibility and stop crying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
P.S. My phone was completely stock (so please don't mention how I did this with a lag fix, etc.). I waited at least 15 mins before I pulled the battery, before which I had noted the T-Mobile sound starting without the animation (seems like a timing issue or something). And finally, I realize this is a duplicate post to many others but I want people to find this info (not be at the bottom of a really long thread) to get the word out how T-Mobile deals with their errors
Did you not read that part?
I bricked two stock Vibrants with the update. The second one failed during Mini-Kies update and was hardware locked.
It is a known issue according to the Tech guy that I spoke to while getting my replacement.
First phone wouldn't power on after failure, second phone was hardware locked so un-fixable.
No, no.
This happened to me, I had a rooted phone I had uninstalled the inflight internet, etc on it and hadn't overclocked or anything like that. Phone kills itself. I went to the tmo store and they only make you pay for shipping if you take the overnight option.
PROTIP - DON'T ASK FOR EXTRA SPEEDY SHIPPING AND THEY'LL PAY FOR IT.
so i guess we are just SOL for the data on the phone? I just lost an entire vacation of pictures. I had not had a chance to root this phone either. this is ****ing awesome.
dechire said:
so i guess we are just SOL for the data on the phone? I just lost an entire vacation of pictures. I had not had a chance to root this phone either. this is ****ing awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess this is just an example of "store your pictures on the external SD card"
Then if you brick it you can still get your pictures back ....
watcher64 said:
I guess this is just an example of "store your pictures on the external SD card"
Then if you brick it you can still get your pictures back ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Word. That's one of the first things I did when I got the phone and was playing with the features. Switched it from phone storage to memory card.
Sorry to hear you lost photos.
Protip: Pay the damn overnight shipping fee...it'll be deducted from your bill (flex pay) which makes it free: )
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Here is the business side
If I am T mobile every time some person has a problem and I offered free shipping, the Every moron would be shipping the device back for Any problem. Way way costly, so that is not going to happen. If you Really believe the phone is factory defective then, pay the shipping and move on. If you messed with it at all then the burden to resolve is yours and be honest about that. Remember the reason people are in here is to customize the phone and improve it. Like the XDA mantra sez.......... It is not just the result... but the journey....
Like one of the other posts stated:
If you rooted it, then that takes the fault from T-Mobile to you. You changed the phone. The update was designed for a pristine un-edited Samsung Vibrant, if you changed anything in the system by rooting or flashing it is your fault for changing the equation. T-Mobile is NOT at fault for your actions.
Gr8gorilla said:
First phone wouldn't power on after failure, second phone was hardware locked so un-fixable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a hardware lock fix now, you really should flash that before you do anything else. Yeah, you run the risk of bricking with the hardware unlock, but it's probably a safer bet than flashing away.
dechire said:
so i guess we are just SOL for the data on the phone? I just lost an entire vacation of pictures. I had not had a chance to root this phone either. this is ****ing awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you Odin it with the JI6 update, you might still be able to get a working system out of it. Worth a shot to see if you can get it without having to flash to stock first (which will wipe).
With all the time you spent with tech support, you could have found the thread that delineates how to fix your phone and update through odin. Its very easy and, frankly why be on a developers forum when you are not willing to tinker around a bit.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
dechire said:
so i guess we are just SOL for the data on the phone? I just lost an entire vacation of pictures. I had not had a chance to root this phone either. this is ****ing awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as the phone still powers on you can still use ADB Pull and save the data from the /sdcard folder. This update isn't a totally bricking the phone (at least it didn't mine) just making the display and inputs not work. To quote Billy Crystal: "He's only MOSTLY dead"
Odin was really simple to reflash the stock ROM and then I was able to do a nandroid restore from there.
The T-Mobile OTA update left my phone only booting to the vibrant screen, but it was a pretty simple fix with Odin. The hardest part was getting the proper drivers installed in windows!
Mini kies wouldnt even let me update,so I rooted and flashed bionix 1.8,works great.**** tmo.
Fyi to the people with hardware lock. I did the update on my gf's phone which was hardware locked and it failed. The phone would only boot to the vibrant screen. The good news is the ota update unlocks the hardware because her phone is able to get into recovery and download mode even thought the update failed. The point is don't worry if ota fail on you because you can just use odin to fix it since it unlocks the download mode.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
mr2t32 said:
Fyi to the people with hardware lock. I did the update on my gf's phone which was hardware locked and it failed. The phone would only boot to the vibrant screen. The good news is the ota update unlocks the hardware because her phone is able to get into recovery and download mode even thought the update failed. The point is don't worry if ota fail on you because you can just use odin to fix it since it unlocks the download mode.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the update even gets that far...
ok about to root and rom. will verizon know if i call them for service questions? what i mean is, i suppose for a tech support call they can do over-the-phone diagnostics. right? if i call for tech support are they able to determine i am rooted and rommed through their diagnostics?
would i need to return to stock prior to making a tech support call to verizon?
thanks
there are honestly very few reps that know anything about the phones they sell
I'm not sure why you'd call Verizon for diagnostics on a device that's not running their software anymore. I'd think talking to the dev would make more sense. I suppose the could tell, but care? Probably not. I told the manager where I got mine that I intended to root it as soon as I got home shd that my old Incredible was already rooted. His only question was how much better the battery life gets.
They will try to help you for sure but they may no be able to since you do not have stock. They can not look up your phone info on their end but they may ask you for info like software or info about the phone from about phone that could give it away. Honestly you're probably better off posting your issue on this forum and having XDA help.
They wouldn't be too helpful not because you rooted but because you have a different piece of software on your phone.
It'd be like calling Microsoft because your copy of Ubuntu is acting up.
>_> big red is all knowing >_> they will find you.. they will GET YOU! >_>
I don't think they can see what software you are using, but I do believe they may be able to see your radio version.
So what about if i pay my bill with the My Verizon app and the thunderbolt ( which they know i have) is not yet supported by them? Not that i care but id think that be a huge red flag lol
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
littleguevara said:
So what about if i pay my bill with the My Verizon app and the thunderbolt ( which they know i have) is not yet supported by them? Not that i care but id think that be a huge red flag lol
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone can google "My Verizon.apk Thunderbolt", download it, and put it on their phones. Even non rooted fellas. So no, this should not throw up any red flags other than you are using a modded application.
U r legally allowed to root so dont worry about it
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
I did this a week ago, my TB lost 3G completely at the house and 4G only works in PHX. It just happens the wife's D1 had no 3G so I called and we went through some settings on the phone and they checked the IMEI number etc. Found out the following day after talking to several Verizon people that the issue was the SIM card on the phone so I took it in and they replaced it and that fixed it.
I was rooted when I called, I went back to stock before taking it in and replacing the SIM card. They knew nothing at all.
It would be wise to just find help elsewhere. I find that online support is better than verizons anyways
I am an AT&T tech rep, so I can only speak for here. Bu universally most of us, despite carrier, that know what they are doing will answer the same from what I've found.
When someone walks into the device support center with an obviously rooted I won't exchange it for them. I will help them, find answers, and tell them how to fix it. I will also explain any known problems, or past problems, I know about with various roms. But I won't exchange the phone. And it's not to be mean. But often times when a person does come in with a rooted phone the issue they are experiencing is with the radio they flashed or the rom they are using. I see this a lot with the Inspire as is.
If I deem it to be an actual hardware issue and I can very the rom is not the issue then I will tell them how to take the phone back to stock so I can exchange it. For the Inspire I keep a handy sd card with the stock image there that I can flash it back right away.
If I know a phone has been rooted and the person brings it back to me with it flashed back to stock, I will exchange it without a problem. The phone is still under warranty and the warranty does explain in most products that not current software alterations exist (Ie: rooting, clockwork mod, unlock boot loader). If it's back to stock then warranty guidelines are meet.
Now with that being said, I have physical access to the device. Over the phone, the only way they would really be able to know is if they asked the software version, baseband version, kernel version, etc... and knew what they were off hand. Things like that. They can't magically peer into your phone over the air to see what's going on with it. That's the reason for their little script techs over the phone have to run through.
Ultimately, the advice mentioned above about asking the dev or the rom thread is the best you'll get. Most times this is your best place to look after a custom rom has been flashed. If a problem is deemed hardware and not software and you have to have it exchanged, flash back to stock and take it in. No tech rep will care if it was flashed back to stock (unless they are having a really miserable day and can prove it's rooted. but that's few and far between and not specific to any company).
I sent my Galaxy Note into Samsung to get the screen repaired.
When I sent it off, I realized that I forgot to reset the flash counter.
I was scared ****less.
Anyway, they repaired it and it is about to be sent back to me.
I just thought I would let everyone know that there is nothing to worry about.
sealcouch said:
I sent my Galaxy Note into Samsung to get the screen repaired.
When I sent it off, I realized that I forgot to reset the flash counter.
I was scared ****less.
Anyway, they repaired it and it is about to be sent back to me.
I just thought I would let everyone know that there is nothing to worry about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you just got lucky bud and I would not encourage anyone else to do the same thing. Just because they agreed to fix your phone doesn't mean that everyone else will be as fortunate. Samsung and your phone carrier clearly stated that if you do flash a non OEM ROM you will be voiding your warranty.
Also, lets wait till you get your phone back before you consider this a success.
deeken said:
I think you just got lucky bud and I would not encourage anyone else to do the same thing. Just because they agreed to fix your phone doesn't mean that everyone else will be as fortunate. Samsung and your phone carrier clearly stated that if you do flash a non OEM ROM you will be voiding your warranty.
Also, lets wait till you get your phone back before you consider this a success.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. I wouldn't recommend it. I feel like if I sent my phone in for some sort of software issue I would be out of luck.
I will update this thread when I actually get the phone back.
it might depend on the repair in question. A screen replacement is just hardware so they may not mind the software being a custom ROM. I sent in a GT 10.1 with AOKP installed to fix a screen issue. I'm sure they noticed the angry rainbow unicorn when they booted it up. They fixed it no problem though annoyingly, they actually WIPED my entire device, sdcard and everything back to stock. On the GT 10.1 boards, no one has had that happen except me.
I have to send my note in for a repair on my SD card slot, which keeps popping out the microsd. My phone has a custom rom and probably 3 on the flash counter. I was hoping they didn't care since it was a hardware issue. On a side note, it sucks that AT&T doesn't give out loaner phones while it's being fixed.
flintdragon said:
it might depend on the repair in question. A screen replacement is just hardware so they may not mind the software being a custom ROM. I sent in a GT 10.1 with AOKP installed to fix a screen issue. I'm sure they noticed the angry rainbow unicorn when they booted it up. They fixed it no problem though annoyingly, they actually WIPED my entire device, sdcard and everything back to stock. On the GT 10.1 boards, no one has had that happen except me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Makes me wonder if they just gave you a different phone? Or you memorized the hardware numbers? I agree with you being a hardware issue, they are probably not going to care about the flash counter. If you sent them a boot looping device that had the flash counter up high, then i would suspect they might say something.
No real worries guys. I had to send my phone in to Sammy for a screen issue a couple days before braway released the counter reset. They repaired it with no issues, wiped the ROM and reset the counter for me lol. This was back in late March.
Edit- in my case, they gave me the same phone because the Bluetooth physical address was the same. They replaced the screen including the front glass, so I didn't get my screen protector back.
Im pretty sure the techs there get paid by the hour and Im also sure that they themselves(techs) flash custom software on their devices. If I worked in that dept, I would spend the extra time resetting your flash counters and reverting you to stock, only to make my day go by quicker... I wouldn't recommend betting the farm on that. IMHO
dcfella said:
I have to send my note in for a repair on my SD card slot, which keeps popping out the microsd. My phone has a custom rom and probably 3 on the flash counter. I was hoping they didn't care since it was a hardware issue. On a side note, it sucks that AT&T doesn't give out loaner phones while it's being fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on the store. I threw a fit, called customer service and they have me a credit for ****tiest prepaid phone they have. Least its mine now as a total emergency backup. I was not gonna be out of a phone for days.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
erick161 said:
It depends on the store. I threw a fit, called customer service and they have me a credit for ****tiest prepaid phone they have. Least its mine now as a total emergency backup. I was not gonna be out of a phone for days.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sent it off Monday and I already have the tracking number for the return shipping. In any case, I am using my old iPhone 3g until I get my phone back. It's always good to have a spare.
So people wouldn't recommend it, but who here has actually been denied service with an upped counter?
Traditionally, going all the way back to my Nexus One, the phone manufacturers don't care about root/s-off/flash counter if it's a clear hardware issue. If your button stops working or your screen doesn't respond anymore or your phone doesn't charge, they generally fix it.
sealcouch said:
I sent it off Monday and I already have the tracking number for the return shipping. In any case, I am using my old iPhone 3g until I get my phone back. It's always good to have a spare.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course its best to have a backup, but at the time I didn't. I didn't expect a loaner, but when the CSR on the phone said I'd get one...then the store says no...well, we have problems.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Hi, uh I started another thread on making sure things got backed up. Which I did properly and everything was good. So today I haven't done anythign and was waiting for the new slim rom to make it's debute hopefully this week sometime as that is the one that appeals to me the most. Anyways, today my phone just got super hot, far hotter than before and it decided to die on me...I think. it shut off and I haven't been able to turn it on. Could this be a side effect of installing twrp/unlocking the bootloader/rooting? Or would it be a defective unit? One concern I had was getting a defective unit so i waited out my 30 days before even considering doing all this. So yea my 30 days from att is up. Would there possibly be a way to get a new phone from att or does anyone have any tricks on getting it back online? I personally think it was an overheating issue, but my phone is now cooled down.
So i went to the att store and of course they won't do anything. They told me to call some number they gave me. If I return it will they know it was boot unlocked and rooted? I can't turn it on at all. Using a power source or connecting to my computer nor my car charger...
blamster said:
Hi, uh I started another thread on making sure things got backed up. Which I did properly and everything was good. So today I haven't done anythign and was waiting for the new slim rom to make it's debute hopefully this week sometime as that is the one that appeals to me the most. Anyways, today my phone just got super hot, far hotter than before and it decided to die on me...I think. it shut off and I haven't been able to turn it on. Could this be a side effect of installing twrp/unlocking the bootloader/rooting? Or would it be a defective unit? One concern I had was getting a defective unit so i waited out my 30 days before even considering doing all this. So yea my 30 days from att is up. Would there possibly be a way to get a new phone from att or does anyone have any tricks on getting it back online? I personally think it was an overheating issue, but my phone is now cooled down.
So i went to the att store and of course they won't do anything. They told me to call some number they gave me. If I return it will they know it was boot unlocked and rooted? I can't turn it on at all. Using a power source or connecting to my computer nor my car charger...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so, im not sure if by return you mean, return for an exchange or simply a return as ATT will probably only send you a reman unit for yours and not allow an actual return. If you havent called them yet, i would recommend it. I have dealt with them many times in the past and one thing that has always shocked me is that they never have asked me about, or even commented on, how rooting or unlocking prevents them from exchanging it. Even during the disclaimer, they have never once said that if the device has been modified they wont allow the exchange.
I say all of this because should they not mention anything like that, and you send it back, im fairly sure you can claim you didnt know and werent told, and they will take care of it. Also, i say this because i personally sent back 3 bricked GS2s and an lg nitro as defective and got my reman units and every single one of them were rooted and such. So, i would feel safe. As long as they dont ask, and you dont lie to them, then there shouldnt be an issue. I wouldnt lie to them, i just dont mention it. AGAIN DO NOT lie to them or attempt to decieve them, i would never encourage that, but if its something they dont ask about, then, it, in my opinion, is not something that they are too concerned with.
cloudraker said:
Ok, so, im not sure if by return you mean, return for an exchange or simply a return as ATT will probably only send you a reman unit for yours and not allow an actual return. If you havent called them yet, i would recommend it. I have dealt with them many times in the past and one thing that has always shocked me is that they never have asked me about, or even commented on, how rooting or unlocking prevents them from exchanging it. Even during the disclaimer, they have never once said that if the device has been modified they wont allow the exchange.
I say all of this because should they not mention anything like that, and you send it back, im fairly sure you can claim you didnt know and werent told, and they will take care of it. Also, i say this because i personally sent back 3 bricked GS2s and an lg nitro as defective and got my reman units and every single one of them were rooted and such. So, i would feel safe. As long as they dont ask, and you dont lie to them, then there shouldnt be an issue. I wouldnt lie to them, i just dont mention it. AGAIN DO NOT lie to them or attempt to decieve them, i would never encourage that, but if its something they dont ask about, then, it, in my opinion, is not something that they are too concerned with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, thanks for the response. Sorry I was in a bit of a panic when I wrote that. But I have called ATT and they didn't ask me or mention in any disclaimer that if it's rooted or unlocked it won't qualify. I didn't mention it and so that does make me feel a lot better. Hasn't been physically damaged or come in contact with water so i'm pretty sure I'm safe. Thanks again.
blamster said:
Okay, thanks for the response. Sorry I was in a bit of a panic when I wrote that. But I have called ATT and they didn't ask me or mention in any disclaimer that if it's rooted or unlocked it won't qualify. I didn't mention it and so that does make me feel a lot better. Hasn't been physically damaged or come in contact with water so i'm pretty sure I'm safe. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They may or may not check when you return the phone. I returned my S3 a few months ago in exchange for a different phone but I forgot to unroot it and uninstall Superuser. The representative at AT&T didn't even turn the phone on. I didn't have anything to hide though, if they told me I couldn't return it because it was rooted then I would have sold it and purchased something else. I think the manufacturer is the one to worry about with these things. LG would definitely know if it were unlocked and they would be able to determine if rooting and unlocking the phone caused the problems you described.
johnbyebye said:
They may or may not check when you return the phone. I returned my S3 a few months ago in exchange for a different phone but I forgot to unroot it and uninstall Superuser. The representative at AT&T didn't even turn the phone on. I didn't have anything to hide though, if they told me I couldn't return it because it was rooted then I would have sold it and purchased something else. I think the manufacturer is the one to worry about with these things. LG would definitely know if it were unlocked and they would be able to determine if rooting and unlocking the phone caused the problems you described.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if they can turn it on I will gladly take it back due to them not accepting. I couldn't turn it on by anymeans, even plugging it in there is no lights to signifying it is receiving power. But i heard this phone had overheating issues in the first wave (or two) so it's probably for the best to get a new one. They are currently mailing me a new one and so I should receive it next week sometime hopefully.
blamster said:
Well if they can turn it on I will gladly take it back due to them not accepting. I couldn't turn it on by anymeans, even plugging it in there is no lights to signifying it is receiving power. But i heard this phone had overheating issues in the first wave (or two) so it's probably for the best to get a new one. They are currently mailing me a new one and so I should receive it next week sometime hopefully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like everything worked out.
im in the same boat as you... completely dead phone. But I did open it to see of the battery pull would work. Do you think that theyll check and refuse my warranty because I opened it? the phone on the outside is NEW. Btw do you have a contract/account with ATT? I bought mine off ebay and used it on tmo...
I have the exact same problem! Totally dead phone that the charging light won't even turn on for. Unfortunately there is a small crack in the bottom left of the phone that was caused months prior so ATT wont give me a new one...
send it for repairs! I had rooted and unlocked mine so ATT didnt cover my warranty, but I only paid 50 bucks for the repairs and now I have my phone back!
IT'S A TRAP!
Well I just found out the hard way that VZW is even more evil than I thought.
Called about my G3 because of audio issue with the headphone jack, seeking an RMA.
Without my permission verizon ran some remote diagnosis on my phone and discovered root, right while I was on the call. Tier 2 support did this by the way.
Not sure how... I froze all the VZW bloat I could find in titanium.
Just wanted to let you guys know to watch your back. I'm not sure exactly when verizon got wind of my root. Whether it was right there while I was on call or the minute I rooted.
Verizon is literally the devil
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
What did they say once they discovered root on your phone? Just denied the RMA? Would they let you make an insurance claim at least?
The rep responded "after running diagnostics on your device I see your phone is rooted so your warranty is invalid"
Then he preceeded to try and give me instructions to call LG and get the flash tool to return to stock.
My issue with the audio jack is obviously a HW issue and not an issue with software/root
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
Always put your phone in Airplane Mode if you have to call them. If they say they need the phone turned on to run diagnostics, REFUSE, and tell them that you don't consent, or tell them that the phone is not near you, then continue talking and tell them that you're NOT calling about a software but hardware issue and there's no reason that they need to run a Software Diagnostic.
Someone else mentioned the same thing however from what I understand their system polls your phone every few hours so that may not help. Even if the phone was offline the system may still show root status regardless of the phones current state.
Couldn't hurt though...
Either way it's a little to late for me. I just hope that someone sees this thread before calling only to get a big fat middle finger from VZW.
Flash to stock and wait a bit on official software to make sure Verizon's system shows official software.
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
I woulda said root (software) has nothing to do with audio jack (hardware). Not that it wouldve really gotten you anywhere anyway.
Either way, Verizon doesnt really cover hardware warranty, they just send the phone over to LG, which the rep directed to you anyway. So sounds like youre gonna have to contact LG directly.
Or maybe you even get a do-over. You could flash back everything to stock, and then just walk into store and try the same thing. The reps at the store arent nearly as sharp as the phone reps.
Good to know tho, thx for the heads up!
Yeah but I got the phone on the VZW website on a black Friday deal. So that would leave me without a phone. I'm assuming they would have to ship it back and would not just exchange it on the spot.
Couldn't hurt though I call tomorrow and ask if they will swap it on the spot.
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
I had same exact audio jack prob on G2. They didnt take my phone or anything, they shipped me a new one and i sent back the old one afterwards. There's something like a 30 day grace period to ship your phone back before they charge you for it. Was easy peasy
---------- Post added at 06:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:58 PM ----------
Oh and doesnt matter where you bought the phone , its a Verizon phone and youre a Verizon customer so they will help you no matter what. That G2 was from Ebay. If its under warranty by LG, its under warranty. Again, Verizon just assists yoh with the warranty as a customer service. The money comes out of LG's pocket, not theirs.
Yeah but their service department knows I have root. I'm pretty sure they will just tell me to screw off if I go to swap the phone. But it couldn't hurt to try. Thanks for the info.
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True but you never know, give it a shot and let us know.
---------- Post added at 06:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:36 PM ----------
Check out this article from Droid Life. Verizon actually saw tge article and made some clarifications in regards to root, warranty and what they consider void or not void.
Verizon Begins Charging Full Price of Warranty Phones if Rooted? (Updated)
What exactly should happen if you were to root your phone, play around with ROMs/hacks/etc., somehow manage to break it, and then send it in to Verizon for a warranty replacement? Should you be allowed to get a replacement or not? According to reports, you can get a replacement, but the rooting of your phone voids any warranty you had and gives Verizon permission to charge you for a new one if they determine that your broken phone was tampered with.
Our buddy @P3droid has apparently heard from a couple of friends who have run into the scenario that we described above and then been slapped with a pretty hefty and unannounced bill. Fair or unfair?
I’ll just say this – we’ve known that rooting your device voids your warranty since well back in the original DROID days, so it makes sense that Verizon would do this. As unpopular as this may sound, I can’t fault Big Red for going this route. If you decide to take your phone out of its original factory status, tinker with its guts, and break something, it shouldn’t be their responsibility to take care of you.
With that said though, a broken volume rocker, faulty screen, etc. has nothing do with rooting, so I’d hate to see someone get charged for something that they didn’t cause even if they decided to root. It’s an interesting topic, and one that I would love to hear all your opinions on.
Update: Our friends at Verizon saw this post and wanted to reach out to clarify everything immediately. First up, is the fact that their policy says absolutely nothing about checking for root on devices. When a phone is received, a phone is checked for three things and that definitely isn’t one of them. They check to see if the box that the device was sent in is damaged, if the outside of the phone looks awful, and if it powers on – satisfy all of those and they move on to the next phone. So basically, these reports of being charged for a rooted phone simply mean that these people were sending in garbage phone with defects.
So…sound off!
http://www.droid-life.com/2011/06/1...ging-full-price-of-warranty-phones-if-rooted/
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I would take the word of a Verizon PR Rep over some call center dweeb. Just b/c he works there doesnt mean he's rhe end all be all.
I'll tell you what's up there. Worked for the company for a while and encountered this. Rooting does not really void a warranty, as the warehouse does not check for root, they just check if a phone has physical damage to it. Now if your phone is rooted, reps are advised to tell you that it can't be supported any longer by VZW. But that could happen with any company. If you modify a LG TV, LG might not want to support it either. If you are just rooted, it might be one thing, but different roms MIGHT affect different things. Yours probably is the hardware issue though. If you haven't been already taken care of, if you call back in, just let a rep know that you don't want anyone to remotely access your phone. That is not supposed to be done without your permission. I have had a few phones replaced under warranty that had been rooted. If nothing else, just return a phone to stock. But if you don't want to worry about any of that, just turn your phone off, and tell them that you tried to accept the most recent 12B update, and now your phone won't fully boot up, and leave the phone powered off the whole time.
subhelix said:
I'll tell you what's up there. Worked for the company for a while and encountered this. Rooting does not really void a warranty, as the warehouse does not check for root, they just check if a phone has physical damage to it. Now if your phone is rooted, reps are advised to tell you that it can't be supported any longer by VZW. But that could happen with any company. If you modify a LG TV, LG might not want to support it either. If you are just rooted, it might be one thing, but different roms MIGHT affect different things. Yours probably is the hardware issue though. If you haven't been already taken care of, if you call back in, just let a rep know that you don't want anyone to remotely access your phone. That is not supposed to be done without your permission. I have had a few phones replaced under warranty that had been rooted. If nothing else, just return a phone to stock. But if you don't want to worry about any of that, just turn your phone off, and tell them that you tried to accept the most recent 12B update, and now your phone won't fully boot up, and leave the phone powered off the whole time.
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I would assume that because I have already been caught that they have the voided warranty on record... or is this not the case?
I thought that once they caught you, thats it, the jig is up and they put a note on your account that the phones warranty is void.
I think I might know what happened. I have noticed that when I first rooted my G3 (3 Days Ago) that the Verizon Mobile app asked for root permissions immediately upon rebooting for the phone. I accidentally gave it permissions and it went on about its ways. I later removed the permission and didn't worry about it any longer. Not thinking anything about it I think that once you give the Verizon app permission it will figure out your rooted and sync up with your account (which it does automatically during the setup process) by your phone number tied to the Sim card. I think that's exactly how they knew, and I think a warning goes out and is posted on the account phone number saying its a rooted device.
Possibility? Let me know.
Wow, now that I think of it, you might be right!
Same thing happened to me a few days ago. I had already granted it access before i even realized it was the actual Verizon app. Shrugged my shoulders after I realized it but thought it had something to do with the actual ROM im running (Jasmine 3.0).
That being said, if it were me, id still try the store. Things arent nearly as automated and recorded as you think they might or should be in the real world.
Not to mention, reps at the store are idiots and dont really know too much about smartphones outside of using the setup wizard. I cant tell you how many times tge in store reps have told me or someone else to call the hotline b/c they werent sure or didnt know. The physical store employees are the bottom od the Totum pole. Halfbof them are fresh out of High School
Its not just Verizon that does this by the way.. These phone companieshave this in place as a standard to protect themselves against people bricking phones, and crying out for a replacement. History has shown them that when people root, they tend to flash custom roms, and more dangerously, custom kernels.. As well, people attempt to change the way their CPU functions, and alter the phone to better its performance.. When these things are done, it changes the system hardware stability, and things can get weak or damaged.
So as a way of cutting you off from future complaints, they make it clear that if you root, your warantee is void.
NEVER tell them its rooted, never walk into a store with a rooted device and ask for help, and if you call for support, dont just put it in airplane mode.... PULL THE BATTERY!!! They are able to access your phone through GPS, wifi, bluetooth, and data connection
If the battery is in your device, it can be accessed... The Government has been doing it for years to track people...and contrary to common thought, I believe I read some documentation that "front facing" cameras were a Government idea...
Anyways, be safe, and be careful...youve just learned proof that someone is watching
JJT211 said:
Wow, now that I think of it, you might be right!
Same thing happened to me a few days ago. I had already granted it access before i even realized it was the actual Verizon app. Shrugged my shoulders after I realized it but thought it had something to do with the actual ROM im running (Jasmine 3.0).
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Why on Earth would you grant something root privileges without verifying what was asking first? This is exactly the type of thing more senior folks in the modding community are constantly complaining about.
yes NEVER EVER GIVE MY VERIZON SU!!! this is what probably happened and it throws flag in their system if you call or request service
Its totally possible.
From what I understand the response from denying root access and the response from not having it at all have two different signatures.
Once I saw a VZW app requesting root I immediately denied it. But that right there could have been the dead giveaway.
I already tried flashing back to stock using the KDZ method. Still the problem of audio quality persists.
Either way, it's BS this is most definitely a hardware issue and should be covered under warranty.
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Yes it's BS but it shouldn't really be a surprise. And it's nothing we haven't been warned of before
I suggest calling back in. If you are now back on stock, you should have no problem. I know it sucks ass, but representatives are just doing a job. What we were told, if someone was rooted, to try to suggest that they return to stock and then we can support the phone, and that is again no matter what the issue might be. Well, as long as it can boot up. So if you flashed back to stock using the KDZ method, root should not be detected anymore. And it might have been noted at that time that it was rooted, but it's a different story now since the phone is back to stock.