[Q] S4 DEV - Warranty Question - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4

Greetings. My S4 Developer Edition will arrive on Tuesday. When I purchased it online I think I read that once software is installed (I'm assuming recovery/ROM/rooting it, etc.), the warranty is void. Did I read that right? If that's the case and some hardware component dies, that's gonna be one expensive fix.
Yeah, I should have read the whole thing before clicking but all I could think about is ditching this crappy Bionic. So I guess in the end it really doesn't matter, I'm rooting and ROM'ing it no matter what.
EDIT: It appears I will need a new warranty. I'm subscribed to a thread that mentions something about this.

I got a warranty for $99 for 2 years through www.squaretrade.com.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app

Kaiya_FL said:
I got a warranty for $99 for 2 years through www.squaretrade.com.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
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Thanks. It was your post that clued me in. I'll check into it.

I also got a squaretrade warranty also but realized esquared has a better coverage which includes theft or loss.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 4

[Solved] Can you post a ;link to them? (esquared)
equake said:
I also got a squaretrade warranty also but realized esquared has a better coverage which includes theft or loss.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
google didn't find anything with that name?
the name is ensquared.
http://www.ensquared.com/

You couldn't revert to stock, and have them honor the warranty? I mean, a hardware failure has nothing to do with the software.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4

jova33 said:
You couldn't revert to stock, and have them honor the warranty? I mean, a hardware failure has nothing to do with the software.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4
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The warranty, even for hardware, is only 30 days on the Dev phone.

I just compared Ensquared and SquareTrade. Same price for two-year plan (US$99). What I've learned so far:
Ensquared has theft/loss protection whereas SquareTrade does not.
Each covers three claims per contract.
Ensquared accepts claims on the 31st day after the application has been accepted.
The SquareTrade agreement states: "Damage to computer hardware, software and data caused by, including, but not limited to, viruses, application programs, network drivers, source code, object code or proprietary data, or any support, configuration, installation or reinstallation of any software or data." So, does this mean if I hard brick the phone, I get no replacement? I guess that's fair, but then again, I plan to hack/mod (software) this phone, so this raises a red flag for me.
The Ensquared TOS states, "Error or omission in design, programming, system configuration, faulty construction, or any original defect in any Covered Product, or recall by the manufacturer." Same comment regarding hard bricking.
So I guess the question is, does hard bricking a phone a hardware or software issue, and will it be covered? For everything else hardware related, either of these two should work.
I'll research both and get a feel for what people out there are saying about both and make a decision. I'll post my findings here if y'all are okay with that.

Captain Crypto said:
I just compared Ensquared and SquareTrade. Same price for two-year plan (US$99). What I've learned so far:
Ensquared has theft/loss protection whereas SquareTrade does not.
Each covers three claims per contract.
Ensquared accepts claims on the 31st day after the application has been accepted.
The SquareTrade agreement states: "Damage to computer hardware, software and data caused by, including, but not limited to, viruses, application programs, network drivers, source code, object code or proprietary data, or any support, configuration, installation or reinstallation of any software or data." So, does this mean if I hard brick the phone, I get no replacement? I guess that's fair, but then again, I plan to hack/mod (software) this phone, so this raises a red flag for me.
The Ensquared TOS states, "Error or omission in design, programming, system configuration, faulty construction, or any original defect in any Covered Product, or recall by the manufacturer." Same comment regarding hard bricking.
So I guess the question is, does hard bricking a phone a hardware or software issue, and will it be covered? For everything else hardware related, either of these two should work.
I'll research both and get a feel for what people out there are saying about both and make a decision. I'll post my findings here if y'all are okay with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would guess that hard bricking is caused more of the time by failure to properly flash software or a bad software install and not so much by hardware failure? Makes sense that neither will cover any failure related to software. But if the failure is cause by hardware than it should be covered by either. And both cover accidental damage too.

Kaiya_FL said:
I would guess that hard bricking is caused more of the time by failure to properly flash software or a bad software install and not so much by hardware failure? Makes sense that neither will cover any failure related to software. But if the failure is cause by hardware than it should be covered by either. And both cover accidental damage too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree, it's a software thing. But from a warranty perspective each carrier states that they don't cover damage caused by software issues that, to me, look like modding/hacking/ROMing, etc. I think I'll call each one and ask specifically, just to be clear about it. Either way, both are cheaper than transferring my Asurion insurance from my Bionic to the S4.

Related

No idea if this is allowed...

If it isn't, just delete this thread... But I was wondering if I could get ahold.of someone who knows more about the streak, as in get their number for texting or something... I have a decent amount of glitches, occasionally, and I have no idea why, and I'd like to talk to someone about it.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
Or an fb?
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
sure.. here is my number...
Please no Personal No
Krad said:
sure.. here is my number...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was JUST thinking about refinancing my mortgage! Thanks Krad, you rock!
I know it can be intimidating here but if you are having problems just ask. Everyone is friendly and as long as you read the rules and try to look for problems before posting people will help you out. Having said that pretty much no one will send you their number, especially if they really know what they are doing.
Good luck
I wasn't expecting a number, lol. So I shouldn't have even said that, but rather...Some form of decent contact, like an fb, since everyone has one...
Why not post your issues here like everybody else?
Second that.
Asking for personal info is not appreciated.
If people wish to be found they'll put their FB or Twitter in their sig.
Just don't go asking around personal info.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
You could always call Dell Support. They are happy to listen to your problems
Dell support is useless
Streakin said:
You could always call Dell Support. They are happy to listen to your problems
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Click to collapse
Yea... call them.. they'll have you factory reset your phone and then send you a replacement.
They're the same ones who told me that downgrading from the 353 rom that came with my RMAed replacement phone back to the 351 that I was used to was impossible. (in case you don't all know... this is very possible as described in these two places:
Installing a stock rom
Original Instructions here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wik...lashing_Guide#Entering_fastboot_mode_on_phone
Official ROM thread here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Dell_Streak#Official
NOTE: Reinstalling a stock rom will wipe all data!
)
Dell sucks. The reason why Dell-computers are so cheap is because they make it of 2nd hand parts. My friend once ordered a pc and he got a 'new' one which didn't even turn on.
That's offtopic, i know. But i just wanted to 'compliment' Dell.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
I find your off topic post rather funny. There are currently six Dell devices in my household (desktop, two laptops, two netbooks, and my Dell Streak) and not a single one of them had a used component in them when purchased. Using two-month old components (based upon date codes) in a system does not equate to "refurbished components in a new computer". Are you sure your friend didn't purchase his Dell from their outlet store?
Dell does use refurbished components and they do sell refurbished computers. The refurbished computers are at the Dell Outlet store. The refurbished components are sent for warranty replacements.
I know that it seems to be fashionable to bash Dell for everything. After all they did screw up in the marketing of the Streak as well as its release. But the "refurbished component in new computer" claims I believe have no basis. If such a thing actually occurred, there would be three things that have not appeared in my search on the Internet: incontravertible proof, an inquiry into Dell's activities, and the accompanying media coverage.
Generally for a large company selling stuff, anything that is sold that isnt brand new usually has to note that it's not new.
someone like dell selling refurbs without listing as such sounds totally implausable and is a quick way to destroy your repupatation as a company.
There's nothing inherently wrong with a qualified refurb, they just arnt labeled as new
Either it was a mistake or your friend was full of it or the most plausable: even the best companies cant stop 100% the chance of a dud making it to a customer. All products have a small (how small depends on the company practices) chance of a DOA.
Saying they use 2nd hand parts is just baseless ranting
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I find your off topic post rather funny. There are currently six Dell devices in my household (desktop, two laptops, two netbooks, and my Dell Streak) and not a single one of them had a used component in them when purchased. Using two-month old components (based upon date codes) in a system does not equate to "refurbished components in a new computer". Are you sure your friend didn't purchase his Dell from their outlet store?
Dell does use refurbished components and they do sell refurbished computers. The refurbished computers are at the Dell Outlet store. The refurbished components are sent for warranty replacements.
I know that it seems to be fashionable to bash Dell for everything. After all they did screw up in the marketing of the Streak as well as its release. But the "refurbished component in new computer" claims I believe have no basis. If such a thing actually occurred, there would be three things that have not appeared in my search on the Internet: incontravertible proof, an inquiry into Dell's activities, and the accompanying media coverage.
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That's right, I gotta say.
It's been over 5 years now since Dell pulled that trick of. And I actually can't ONLY blame Dell, because the center at which it was bought had a reputation for 'generating profit' that way. Still it carries Dell's name. So indirectly it's their fault. They're supposed to ensure quality of of a franchiser.
TheManii said:
Generally for a large company selling stuff, anything that is sold that isnt brand new usually has to note that it's not new.
someone like dell selling refurbs without listing as such sounds totally implausable and is a quick way to destroy your repupatation as a company.
There's nothing inherently wrong with a qualified refurb, they just arnt labeled as new
Either it was a mistake or your friend was full of it or the most plausable: even the best companies cant stop 100% the chance of a dud making it to a customer. All products have a small (how small depends on the company practices) chance of a DOA.
Saying they use 2nd hand parts is just baseless ranting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This wasn't a refurb. As you say; it needs to be mentioned somewhere.
Sorry for my rant. In previous post.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Now I know why I haven't found proof of the foul deed, a lack of an inquiry into Dell's activities, and no media coverage: because Dell isn't responsible. You can't hold Dell responsible for a center's activities. But just as it's become fashionable to blame Dell for everything short of global warming, it's also become fashionable to blame shift.

Service Tag question

Does anyone know where is the service tag ( that 7 character string you get when you purchase the mobile ) stored or any way to change it etc.
Thank you in advance, ...... and yes I did google about it but I couldn't find anything useful , maybe any Joda here might know.
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
It's physically on a black sticker under the battery door and it's in the firmware under: menu/settings/about phone. It's most likely stealthed somewhere else in the firmware as well..... Hope that helps
Sent from my Dell Streak using xda premium
SHildebrandt said:
It's physically on a black sticker under the battery door and it's in the firmware under: menu/settings/about phone. It's most likely stealthed somewhere else in the firmware as well..... Hope that helps
Sent from my Dell Streak using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My question was not how to see that, but where is stored and is there any way to change that, ( not by using a Xerox, lol ).
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
Why do you need to change it in the first place?
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Why do you need to change it in the first place?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not ?
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
streakOwner said:
Why not ?
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Because it sounds fishy - that tag is used to identify the Streak to Dell for warranty issues for one thing.
Also - because there is no benefit, AFAIK, that can be derived from changing it that does not involve fraud of some kind. If there is, enlighten me.
If you have no intent to deceive then you have no reason to keep the reason a secret.
marvin02 said:
Because it sounds fishy...
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Click to collapse
Dell's warranty is quite specific:
This limited hardware warranty does not cover:
Software, including without limitation the operating system and software added to the Dell-branded hardware products through our factory-integration system, third-party software, or the reloading of software
Non-Dell branded products and accessories
Problems that result from:
External causes such as accident, abuse, misuse, or problems with electrical power
Servicing not authorized by Dell
Usage that is not in accordance with product instructions
Failure to follow the product instructions or failure to perform preventive maintenance
Problems caused by using accessories, parts, or components not supplied by Dell
Products with missing or altered Service Tags or serial numbers (emphasis mine)
Products for which Dell has not received payment
Normal wear and tear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dell would not service such a unit under warranty, and has two ways to deny warranty service. The alteration of the tags is the obvious one. Regardless of whether the tag in the battery compartment is removed or not, Dell can tell if the service tag has been changed. The other option is to declare that the unit has been serviced by someone other than Dell. Frankenstein Streaks cobbled together from different non-functional Streaks fall under this.
What the OP is attempting will not work, and his alterations - if they could be done - would facilitate fraud. Thus illegal, and should not be discussed here.
The service tag can be changed, but not in a predictable way.
And just as much unless you can give us a valid reason as mentioned above it's warrentee fraud and likely illegal.
If you have a good reason it might be possible, regardless it's more work then to buy a new streak/streak mobo unless you already own the equipement to do it already. If you did you likely already know, have a clue on how to do it.
TheManii said:
The service tag can be changed, but not in a predictable way.
And just as much unless you can give us a valid reason as mentioned above it's warrentee fraud and likely illegal.
If you have a good reason it might be possible, regardless it's more work then to buy a new streak/streak mobo unless you already own the equipement to do it already. If you did you likely already know, have a clue on how to do it.
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Click to collapse
Thank you for the info The Manii , I am already on the way, the question arrived when I was trying my best to brick the streak totally and intentionally but in a controllable way , I observed that one time I had lost my service tag, was just empty there, so that wasn't being parsed I guess , why etc I don't know .
As for the other answers from those Dell guards , I can say this, I bought my streak in Aug , this is the first smart phone I own, never been interested in such things before, but this reminds me of the old days when I was active member of Astalavista and was putting my hands on some thing called Linux ( must had been around 1997 I guess ) , very very interesting , carrying this little Linux with me all the time now making me feel like that again. Do not judge next time, if you don't know something you better do like those other people that did read this thread but didn't comment on the legality of my thoughts, walk away peacefully.
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
Just to point this out, had you answered my original question in the first place with the same response you gave Manii, you wouldn't have gotten Dell's warranty and comments about the legality of it all shoved down your throat. Instead you tried to be all coy about it and answer questions with questions. So don't play the "righteous indignation" card, because you have no one to blame but yourself for the responses you got.

What makes a bootloade hard to unlock

I'm not a programmer. Actually starting school for programming in a month, but what makes it hard for Devs to unlock them selves?
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
128-bit encryption key
Which is quite interesting. I am guessing they did it to prevent people from bricking their systems and returning them when in fact they are probably getting more returns now than they would have had the bootloader not been encrypted.
yup, by now the devs would probably have custom roms fixing all the issues...
fuzzer said:
yup, by now the devs would probably have custom roms fixing all the issues...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1(0 char)
fuzzer said:
128-bit encryption key
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Click to collapse
this means there are 128 ^2 possible combinations to test before finding the one for your device. This amount of tries would take years to brute force (trying every single one till you found it) even on today's most powerful super computers.
Paris6906 said:
this means there are 128 ^2 possible combinations to test before finding the one for your device. This amount of tries would take years to brute force (trying every single one till you found it) even on today's most powerful super computers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So close. It's actually 2^128. That's two to the power of one-hundred twenty eight.
Question, when you unlock the bootloader your warranty becomes void. Will there be a way to re-lock for warranty purposes?
hashish16 said:
Question, when you unlock the bootloader your warranty becomes void. Will there be a way to re-lock for warranty purposes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no one is really going to know how it all works for asus until asus releases their tool with the specifics on everything.
but as far as the law goes, if whatever you need warranty work for has nothing to do with you loading custom roms or messing with the kernel etc, you should have no problem sending it in for warranted repairs.
ie, the power button is broken or the screen dies
Rooting can become illegal soon
But once your unlocked warranty void forever because they track serial
tylermaciaszek said:
Rooting can become illegal soon
But once your unlocked warranty void forever because they track serial
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read that is what apple is doing and they are close to passing the bill. Its ridiculous, rooting is not all about pirating, its mostly for performance.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Evo_Shift said:
Which is quite interesting. I am guessing they did it to prevent people from bricking their systems and returning them when in fact they are probably getting more returns now than they would have had the bootloader not been encrypted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IIRC Asus did explicitly say that it was nVidia forcing them to lock the bootloader on the Prime. This could of course be BS, but after such a public statement saying this, nVidia would have gone apesh*t if it was not the truth.
It's all to do with the Tegra3 and the Prime being basically a prototype released only for mass beta testing. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Still love my Prime though.
tylermaciaszek said:
Rooting can become illegal soon
But once your unlocked warranty void forever because they track serial
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't have to be! It is not a bill, but an exemption to the DMCA. If we can show our support by contacting the Copyright office and showing them that jailbreaking/rooting is beneficial, they can extend the exemption. The EFF has more info on how to contact the Copyright office and how to request that other electronics be included (did you know that tablets are NOT covered in the exemption?) like consoles, tablets, and more.
https://www.eff.org/pages/jailbreaking-not-crime-tell-copyright-office-free-your-devices
XDA has 337,000 active members. This effects all of us. Let them know it should not be illegal to use your electronics however you wish!
It does not affect ALL of us by any means, however, I have already shown my support by donating to the EFF. It's disgusting that a device that you have paid your hard earned cash for can be ruled over with an iron fist as though you are simply renting it for the duration of it's life....
.... Oh that business model sounds familiar.
Doktaphex said:
It does not affect ALL of us by any means...
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Click to collapse
I assume that if you are on here, you are either a dev or get support from a dev. In either case, making rooting illegal again would give manufacturers cause to turn a deaf ear to us, making it more difficult to impossible to work with these devices and in turn help others. Even if you have never rooted a phone or even heard of jailbreaking, you would still (indirectly, yes) be affected, since fewer will want to put themselves in that position.
Devs will usually find a way around these locks, but the level of support will not be there as they will think twice about breaking the law (in the US at least).
silentheero said:
I assume that if you are on here, you are either a dev or get support from a dev. In either case, making rooting illegal again would give manufacturers cause to turn a deaf ear to us, making it more difficult to impossible to work with these devices and in turn help others. Even if you have never rooted a phone or even heard of jailbreaking, you would still (indirectly, yes) be affected, since fewer will want to put themselves in that position.
Devs will usually find a way around these locks, but the level of support will not be there as they will think twice about breaking the law (in the US at least).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I concede, you make a very good point. I was referring to the fact that I am in the UK and therefore it does not DIRECTLY affect me, but again, you ARE right.
Doktaphex said:
I concede, you make a very good point. I was referring to the fact that I am in the UK and therefore it does not DIRECTLY affect me, but again, you ARE right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for supporting the EFF! All I can do at the moment is to support by getting people motivated.
monkey10120 said:
I read that is what apple is doing and they are close to passing the bill. Its ridiculous, rooting is not all about pirating, its mostly for performance.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting can be considered as illegal as it uses hacking methods, and so break the software that belongs to the company made the device, even if the software is in majority open source, there are always closed parts that are concern by trading laws.
And be precise please, the'illegal' rooting stuff is ONLY concerning USA.
Plenty of places with some very smart devs where rooting will never become illegal. Russia as an example, or China (where the exemption would only apply to US built product). If some countries want to kill off their engineering and software development communities, plenty of other places in the world will be only too happy to step in and take over.
Correct me if I'm wrong but, android is open source. So then there's no copyright infringement unless you hack the apps or something. IOS on the other hand isn't open source so jailbreaking it could be seen as infringing. But I still disagree that rooting/ jailbreaking should be illegal.
Sent from my DROIDX using xda premium

[WARRANTY] Who's the best for Android phones?

I've owned HTC, Samsung and Motorola Android phones and I've had negative experience with two out of 3 those vendors (more on that below). I'm now thinking of getting a newer phone quite soon (well, supposedly Google will be announcing 5 new Google-branded devices this Fall) and the warranty considerations are about the top of my list.
If you've had an experience (wherever positive or negative) with the warranty on your android phone, please post away and let me start the ball rolling. My goal here is to ideally find the manufacturer which would deal with end users directly on the warranty issues and would not shy away from the international warranty. I'll collect responses and then edit this post to reflect the actual warranty statements from the manufacturers rather than my own experiences.
[HTC] I've had a Google Ion device (given at the Google I/O conference) which was also sold known HTC MyTouch. I needed to flash Android 1.5 on it and bricked the phone. HTC spent about a month before they said they didn't have this IMEI in their database and would not offer *any* support (including paid) with that phone. What a bummer, I don't think I'd ever buy the HTC-made Google-branded phone.
[MOTOROLA] Had a problem with the phone not charging (when plugged to a computer) and I panicked and contacted Motorola. They ran the IMEI and suggested I go back to the provider (even tho I'm overseas and wouldn't be back home for a while they refused to accept the phone directly from me). Thankfully the phone charged just fine off the wall outlet, but what if I've had a genuine issue with the phone while overseas? Also, what if this had been a second-hand phone?
.
Thread moved to Q&A due to it being a question. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.
the best solutioin for ur problem is the following:
there are two different things
1. the warranty (it is given by the phone manufacture)
2. the service the seller gives to u
i would mention to find a seller wich has a own service station
cus if there are any problems u can bring the phone to them and let them check out whats wrong
I thankfully haven't had to make use of warranty thus far on my android phone (it's an HTC), but I'd say probably if you read some small text somewhere you'd find that the device you were given at Google I/O came without warranty or something like that. I'm sure on purchased devices, HTC will honour the warranty well.
Also, from what I've read, it's almost impossible to completely destroy an HTC phone with software (you should always be able to access bootloader via hardware button combo and from there reflash OS). So an HTC warranty is probably mainly useful for hardware problems.
Another thought worth mentioning is that many manufacturers will not honour warranties if the phone has been rooted or had the bootloader unlocked (at least, if they can tell )
SifJar said:
I thankfully haven't had to make use of warranty thus far on my android phone (it's an HTC), but I'd say probably if you read some small text somewhere you'd find that the device you were given at Google I/O came without warranty or something like that. I'm sure on purchased devices, HTC will honour the warranty well.
Also, from what I've read, it's almost impossible to completely destroy an HTC phone with software (you should always be able to access bootloader via hardware button combo and from there reflash OS). So an HTC warranty is probably mainly useful for hardware problems.
Another thought worth mentioning is that many manufacturers will not honour warranties if the phone has been rooted or had the bootloader unlocked (at least, if they can tell )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was i was thinking too but ive been resently involved into a discussion where a guy bricked his phone in a way he couldnt even get into recovery nor the bootloader
jiffer1991 said:
That was i was thinking too but ive been resently involved into a discussion where a guy bricked his phone in a way he couldnt even get into recovery nor the bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On an HTC? Was he trying to get S-OFF or something? (Perhaps I am misinformed about the brick-ability of HTC phones)
Guys, the thread is about the warranty, not the brickability of the HTC phones.
Regarding the warranty from the seller -- who gives a **** when I'm half a world away from the seller for 4-6 months?
stangri said:
Guys, the thread is about the warranty, not the brickability of the HTC phones.
Regarding the warranty from the seller -- who gives a **** when I'm half a world away from the seller for 4-6 months?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, sorry for going off topic there.
Anyway, I agree you should not have to rely on any warranty from the seller.
jiffer1991 said:
That was i was thinking too but ive been resently involved into a discussion where a guy bricked his phone in a way he couldnt even get into recovery nor the bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know im just saying this because i want u to be careful

Warranty voided :(

Can anyone help me out in this situation?
I sent in my touchpad to get repaired for cracks near the speaker but I had CM9 installed on it and it voided the warranty
My Touchpad was dead and I didn't have my charger for it so I couldn't wipe everything with webos doctor.
Today I got a letter in the post from SBE Ltd saying that my Touchpad couldn't be repaired the reason was ''Unauthorized software upgrade - Warranty void'' The faults found were Housing Rear - Cracked and Wrong Software version. The parts to be changed or repaired are replacement case and Software update
I was wondering if anyone could help me out in this situation. They want £294 for the Touchpad to be repaired because the warranty was voided and all they need to do is doctor it and replace the rear housing. They also are charging me if I want the Touchpad back unrepaired!
Is there anyway I can get my Touchpad repaired or sent back to me for free? I was thinking about playing dumb when I call them up but I don't know.
Please help me out
I think your options are very limited... if any.
There is a reason why devs make it clear in their statements that you are doing the modding at your own risk.
We all know that by modding and loading a custom rom you did not cause any physical harm to the device... it's the fall that broke it.
It's just that the OEMs (HP in this case) are using the "unauthorized software use" as an excuse to deny you the warranty service.
I personally do not agree with this policy but they set it up this way so they can wiggle out of warranty repair when ever possible.
I hope others have better news for you but I think you are SOL... Sorry...
cvcduty said:
I think your options are very limited... if any.
There is a reason why devs make it clear in their statements that you are doing the modding at your own risk.
We all know that by modding and loading a custom rom you did not cause any physical harm to the device... it's the fall that broke it.
It's just that the OEMs (HP in this case) are using the "unauthorized software use" as an excuse to deny you the warranty service.
I personally do not agree with this policy but they set it up this way so they can wiggle out of warranty repair when ever possible.
I hope others have better news for you but I think you are SOL... Sorry...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply.
I'll call up the repair company sometime this week.
I didn't even drop the Touchpad. It was always in the official case. I think it's a known hardware defect.
Shall I ring them up and deny ever installing any unauthorized software and act stupid?
sayeef said:
Thanks for your reply.
I'll call up the repair company sometime this week.
I didn't even drop the Touchpad. It was always in the official case. I think it's a known hardware defect.
Shall I ring them up and deny ever installing any unauthorized software and act stupid?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to actually read your warranty, and tell them of your interpretation of it. Be forceful that un-authorized software is not stated in the warranty as being an exclusion.
I have attached a link to your warranty information here:http://www.hpwebos.com/us/support/contact/LimitedWarranty_HPwebOS2011.pdf
Put particular emphasis on these areas:
HARDWARE: HP warrants to the original purchaser
(“Customer”) that new HP branded hardware products will be
free from defects in workmanship and materials, under normal
use, for one (1) year from the original purchase date, and that
refurbished HP branded hardware products (marked and sold
as such by HP) will be free from defects in workmanship and
materials, under normal use, for ninety (90) days from the
original purchase date.
EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES: Should a covered defect occur during
the warranty period and you notify HP, your sole and exclusive
remedy shall be, at HP’s sole option and expense, to repair
or replace the product or software.
They may argue this:
EXCLUSIONS: This Limited Warranty does not apply (1) to
damage to the surface of the product, including cracks or
scratches on the LCD touchscreen or outside casing; (2) to
damage caused by misuse, neglect, improper installation,
storage or testing, unauthorized attempts to open, repair, or
modify the product, or any other cause beyond the range of
the intended use; (3) to damage caused by accident, fire, dirt,
sand, moisture or liquids, power changes, other hazards, or
acts of God; (4) to damage caused by use of the product with
any non-HP device or service if such device or service causes
the problem; or (5) if any HP serial number has been removed,
defaced or altered.
But you should argue this:
EXCLUSIONS: This Limited Warranty does not apply (1) to
damage to the surface of the product, including cracks or
scratches on the LCD touchscreen or outside casing; (2) to
damage caused by misuse, neglect, improper installation,
storage or testing, unauthorized attempts to open, repair, or
modify the product, or any other cause beyond the range of
the intended use; (3) to damage caused by accident, fire, dirt,
sand, moisture or liquids, power changes, other hazards, or
acts of God; (4) to damage caused by use of the product with
any non-HP device or service if such device or service causes
the problem; or (5) if any HP serial number has been removed,
defaced or altered.
Tell them to explain how an "un-authorized" operating system caused material defects in workmanship!
---------- Post added at 01:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:40 PM ----------
They may also argue that installing the "un-authorized" software does not constitute "normal" use. You should then argue what the interpretation of "normal" is. I would suggest that after discontinuing the product and support, and a large percentage of users running android on their Touchpad's, that normal use would be installing Android.
Thank you so much for pointing that out. I thought all hopes were lost.
Shall I try it with the Palm live chat first? I'm not very confident when trying to get my point across over the phone. (I'm only 15)
When or if I call them up, could you tell me what to say to them and how to start the conversation?
Sorry for so many questions.
How much are they charging to send it back without repairs? Its hard to believe they would charge you anything other than shipping costs.
I would start the conversation straight out saying that you do not understand why they are denying coverage based on "un-authorized" software... I would have them explain to you how this has caused damage to the device. Have them prove that your TouchPad became defective as a direct cause of the custom rom usage. If they point to the fact that this is was a "improper use" or "improper installation", I would argue that point as well... have them define what "improper" use means. To me, that implies using the device for purposes other than what it was originally designed for... as in tablet PC Vs... a frisbee.
The fact that you used the device as a tablet pc (as intended) but with a "improper installation", is fishy and sketch at best... ultimately, I would argue that the use of "improper installation" had nothing to do with a known manufacturing defect (cracked case).
And a trick I usually pull is if the guys/gal helping you seem uncooperative, ask for the supervisor or manager... often times, I find that they have the authority to make the call on cases such as yours where as the tech support person might have to clear their decisions with their manager. Basically, it would be harder for that manager/supervisor to give you the bad news (I hope otherwise) Vs. having another person tell you on their behalf.
Good luck...
I've just had an hour long chat with one of the reps on the live chat
http://pastebin.com/KJC3nLmT
They were no help at all
sayeef said:
I've just had an hour long chat with one of the reps on the live chat
http://pastebin.com/KJC3nLmT
They were no help at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They sure are a difficult bunch... it seems like they cannot be reasoned with at all!
It would seem that the implicit meaning of the conversation is that they don't care what you do software wise with the Touchpad, as long as it arrived in the repair facility with WebOS on it.
It seems like you are in a difficult situation with your device already being in for repair. What happened with the voice call escalation?
jsgraphicart said:
How much are they charging to send it back without repairs? Its hard to believe they would charge you anything other than shipping costs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
£20 for the device back without repairs. Blasphemy.
cvcduty said:
I would start the conversation straight out saying that you do not understand why they are denying coverage based on "un-authorized" software... I would have them explain to you how this has caused damage to the device. Have them prove that your TouchPad became defective as a direct cause of the custom rom usage. If they point to the fact that this is was a "improper use" or "improper installation", I would argue that point as well... have them define what "improper" use means. To me, that implies using the device for purposes other than what it was originally designed for... as in tablet PC Vs... a frisbee.
The fact that you used the device as a tablet pc (as intended) but with a "improper installation", is fishy and sketch at best... ultimately, I would argue that the use of "improper installation" had nothing to do with a known manufacturing defect (cracked case).
And a trick I usually pull is if the guys/gal helping you seem uncooperative, ask for the supervisor or manager... often times, I find that they have the authority to make the call on cases such as yours where as the tech support person might have to clear their decisions with their manager. Basically, it would be harder for that manager/supervisor to give you the bad news (I hope otherwise) Vs. having another person tell you on their behalf.
Good luck...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the information. Much appreciated.
Can you look through my chat log with HP and tell me how I can improve?
Thanks
I didn't bother with the voice call escalation because I'm from the UK and the rep from Palm is from the US
I might call up tomorrow. Shall I call them both up (HP and the company that is repairing) or shall I only call up one?
Once again, thanks for everyone helping me out in a situation which I thought was impossible to get out of
This is unbelievable
What a bunch of pricks.
lifeisfun said:
This is unbelievable
What a bunch of pricks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried the web support and was drawn to a similar conclusion. It is easy for them just to say "no" and say it is because of policy; I'd say it is a standard answer.
Anything for them to get out of honoring the warranty... what a bunch of criminals. At least they will ship it back to you. The representative I spoke to said that sometimes it can take months for it to be returned!
I have dealt with tech/customer support such as this before. They are often given a script to read from and they are hard to deal with.
Your best bet... for now, would be to see if the phone support people (HP would be my guess) are little bit more understanding and reasonable. Like I said, ask for a manager/supervisor if the first person is not working with you.
At the end of it all, if you can get them to return the device to you at a reasonable cost (hopefully as close to free as possible) get the device to factory state and send it back for repair. But since they already have your device on record as "warranty voided", make sure that they will allow you free warranty service once WebOS is restored.
If this is still not acceptable, I would say, just live with the small crack. Afterall, if you have it under a cover, you will never even notice it. For the price you paid for the device, this might be too much of a hassle to deal with afterall.
Again, best of luck and I hope the phone support will be more reasonable then the live chat robots...
cvcduty said:
I have dealt with tech/customer support such as this before. They are often given a script to read from and they are hard to deal with.
Your best bet... for now, would be to see if the phone support people (HP would be my guess) are little bit more understanding and reasonable. Like I said, ask for a manager/supervisor if the first person is not working with you.
At the end of it all, if you can get them to return the device to you at a reasonable cost (hopefully as close to free as possible) get the device to factory state and send it back for repair. But since they already have your device on record as "warranty voided", make sure that they will allow you free warranty service once WebOS is restored.
If this is still not acceptable, I would say, just live with the small crack. Afterall, if you have it under a cover, you will never even notice it. For the price you paid for the device, this might be too much of a hassle to deal with afterall.
Again, best of luck and I hope the phone support will be more reasonable then the live chat robots...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll ring them tomorrow when I come back from school.
I used the warranty check on the HP site and it says that my Touchpads warranty is active and it will expire on the 20th of September.
If I get my device back unrepaired, shall I try to get another repair started?
Well, that would be entirely up to you... If they get the device back to you before the warranty expires and you still want to deal with the hassle, I would say, sure.
But, before you give up... let's hope phone support can help to resolve the matter to your satisfaction first...
Your other option is to try and get the device back, revert it to stock and then re-submit it. Still no guarantee, since they will have it on file that you had a non-standard ROM on the device. That said, if it boots into WebOS and they can make the repairs to confirm functionality - this stint of non-standard OS may not crop up on their radar.
***
(In general)
The issue HP has presently is they can't guarantee service or repair if they fixed your hardware under a ROM which they didn't install. Theoretically, if they botched something in CW Recovery or the ROM (CM or otherwise not WebOS), you as the consumer would be all over HP to not just replace the gear, but attempt all wordly efforts to recover the loss of personal data or information. This is a no-win and high risk situation for HP on a per-consumer transaction. To avoid this risk, they'll cut the consumer off at every corner from tampering with what they as the manufacturer push to market or certify the product for.
The same holds true in any industry. When consumers push the product outside the realm of what the manufacturer installed/certified the product for - you won't get assistance or support under the warranty. If you install 33" tires on your truck, but it's only rated for wheels up to 30" - you won't get warranty support. If you put in an aftermarket engine - you won't get warranty support. If your PC is only rated up to Win XP, and you push it to Vista or Win 7 - you won't get warranty support.
Prickish or not, that's the reality of support versus consumer expectation.
--McBean
McBeanTIO said:
Prickish or not, that's the reality of support versus consumer expectation.
--McBean
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, that is the reality. I don't want to discourage anyone from attempting to have their hardware issues resolved by HP, but the first course of action (if possible) should be to restore to factory WebOS prior to contacting them for any support/warranty.
I thought US passed law saying software doesn't void hardware warranties... since it is same as rooting/jailbreaking and something was passed saying that it doesn't void the hardware part of it. I know you aren't in US but HP is, and it should still follow that rule
unless HP's UK branch operates under a different set of rules
tell them to send it back and superglue the cracks

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