[Q] Cryptic Message - Is this water damage or other fault? - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
My phone got stuck looping on the Samsung logo. Sent it away for repair and currently the status is "Device Beyond Economical Repair
".
Can you take a look at the attached picture and let me know what you think it represents? (It was uploaded by the repair company to my repair status page).
Are they suggesting that I've damaged the phone and the item won't be covered by warranty... or that the item will be covered by warranty.
If it's the latter, why bother taking a picture, just hurry up and replace the phone.
This was done through EE repairs (UK) and quite frankly the whole operation is slow and incompetent. I've rung three times to get an answer, the first two times I disconnected after being on hold for 30 mins. The third time I was disconnected mid call. Will have to ring again next week as they aren't available at the weekend.

Device Beyond Economical Repair
Means it will cost to much to repair .
No indication of warranty or not judged on the information you have posted .
Do you have an I9300 ??
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S+III+Teardown/9391/1

Economic repair means its too expensive to repair. If it was covered by warranty, you'd have a replacement rather than a fix, however since they're telling you its beyond economic repair, I would assume its not covered by warranty
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

orygnedi Camaret
Hi, thanks for the replies.
Yes it's an I9300 and it's within the Samsung warranty period.
Any idea what's being illustrated in the attached image?

Looks like water exposure but best they clarify
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

I have had a look at the tear down and the repair manual and cannot tell what it is as i don't see a water indicator in that position .Looks more like a heat sink from the pictures.

That was my guess too Frustrating because it hadn't ever got wet. Thanks for your reply!

aph5 said:
That was my guess too Frustrating because it hadn't ever got wet. Thanks for your reply!
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Condensation = wet

JJEgan said:
Condensation = wet
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Yep, and if it is indeed water damaged then it must have been through condensation.

Related

[Q] Help needed - problem with repair centre (samsung UK)

I'm having a nightmare with Samsung UK repair centre. Could do with some advice...
I'll try to keep this short. Basically my phone has had reboot problems since I bought it back in May. It would reboot itself while sat on a desk or in my pocket (on standby). Every now and then it would get stuck in the boot animation loop and require a factory reset. It went back to Carphone warehouse once for a repair, where they flashed it and replaced the battery, but this did nothing to fix the problem, and after a few months of perseverance with the rebooting ( I couldn't bring myself to wait another 4 weeks repair time...) I had had enough and contacted Samsung direct as their repair turnaround is shorter, and it went back to them for repair. I got the phone back today and they are claiming the fault is water damage and as such the warranty is void. This is bulls##t and the phone has not been exposed to any more moisture than any phone is exposed to in general use.
They could not give any sort of detail on the water damage, but suggested that it may be discolouration on the motherboard. I recall in the first few weeks of owning the phone the phone got very hot (too hot to touch against your shin hot). Could this display similar colouration to water damage?
I seem to be banging my head against a brick wall with the repair centre call centre and Samsung customer support are not offering any resolution options. I'm loathed to write off my warranty and a £500 phone cost. So any advice would be appreciated.
pixate said:
This is bulls##t and the phone has not been exposed to any more moisture than any phone is exposed to in general use.
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what moisture do you expose your phone to in general use?
Humidity in the air (not much of that in the UK...) Kettle boiling in the kitchen. That sort of thing... The point I'm making is that it's not been exposed to moisture beyond that expected in normal use, something the phone should be resistant to.
Its probably the usual condensation fault across all makes of phone its a known warranty reject .
Water damage is shown by on-board indicators .
One Samsung have refused warranty fair enough you can proceed by writing directly to Samsung UK stating your case .Or pay for a specialist phone engineers report and if they find no water damage then go back to Samsung .
jje
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
Do you have a telecommunications ombudsmen in your country?
If so contact them and put your case forward.
I bet after they contact your carrier, retail outlet or Samsung you get a new phone.
I know a mate who got a new phone from both the carrier and the manufacturer.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Thanks, yeah we have Ofcom in the uk, and also a trading standards organisation. I May have to get them involved if I can't work something out with Samsung. The fault I have problems with has been on the phone since I got it out of the box, and certainly isn't water damage. Trouble is if there is some sort of liquid detection inside and it's changed colour, how can I prove that the phone was only subjected to normal use, and not exposed to moisture?
pixate said:
Thanks, yeah we have Ofcom in the uk, and also a trading standards organisation. I May have to get them involved if I can't work something out with Samsung. The fault I have problems with has been on the phone since I got it out of the box, and certainly isn't water damage. Trouble is if there is some sort of liquid detection inside and it's changed colour, how can I prove that the phone was only subjected to normal use, and not exposed to moisture?
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Click to collapse
Its not a network problem so OFCOM is no use . The phone is not part of your network contract .
Under UK consumer law your supplier of the phone is liable for warranty .You have since been to Samsung who in law have no responsibility bar their extended warranty .
Samsung have said no its a user fault we are not responsible so its up to you to prove them wrong .
Trading standards will have experience of the water damage issue and may be of help .
jje

galaxy s3 sudden death issues with Vodafone

i will keep it short and sweet.
my phone suffered from sudden death few weeks back. It wouldn't switch on or charge. It was working 100% fine the night before the morning where phone was dead.
anyways I called Vodafone and they said that's okay Sir we will do an exchange basis. I.e courier comes with a refurbished Samsung galaxy s3 in exchange for my phone and that should be the end of it.
However few days ago i received a letter for a charge of £100 for liquid damage.
Now the thing is phone has never been near water ever as far as I'm aware so I'm baffled
For time being i have paid charge as it was added to my phone bill.
anyways I have uploaded a picture they sent me of the so called water damage. I'm concerned that's its a scam and they have taken picture of another phone or put water on board them self.
I said i would be happy to return exchanged phone for damaged one i sent in but they refused and said Samsung wouldn't honour the warranty anyways as it has water damage.
donovan2123 said:
i will keep it short and sweet.
my phone suffered from sudden death few weeks back. It wouldn't switch on or charge. It was working 100% fine the night before the morning where phone was dead.
anyways I called Vodafone and they said that's okay Sir we will do an exchange basis. I.e courier comes with a refurbished Samsung galaxy s3 in exchange for my phone and that should be the end of it.
However few days ago i received a letter for a charge of £100 for liquid damage.
Now the thing is phone has never been near water ever as far as I'm aware so I'm baffled
For time being i have paid charge as it was added to my phone bill.
anyways I have uploaded a picture they sent me of the so called water damage. I'm concerned that's its a scam and they have taken picture of another phone or put water on board them self.
I said i would be happy to return exchanged phone for damaged one i sent in but they refused and said Samsung wouldn't honour the warranty anyways as it has water damage.
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One its a question in the wrong forum .
Two Samsung does not cover water damage if the indicators show .
Three water damage not an uncommon problem on any mobile phone .
Four having a repair and then getting a bill later is due to them exchanging the product and finding waranty was void after the exchange presuming it was SDS .
If it had gone back for repair and no exchange you would have been informed of the cost first .
jje
You need yo take this to the vodafone forum, this is a common occurrence wiyh them.
Rthe moisture strips can become 'activated` from many things out of your control and if this happens vodafone will NOT repair under warrenty. This is where (as you will be instructed by many established member on the vodafone forum) that you need to send to samsung approved repair centre, as there are apparently firther water damage markers inside the phone which give a better indication of water damage.
My personal instructions, but you are free to go your own way, contact vodafone, instruct your phone be returned (if they have give you another return that one) and send phone to samsung directly. You will no doubt have a different and better outcome.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
This is why you shouldn't go to your network provider... Just go to Samsung straight away and you won't get any bull****.
Liquid damage can also be triggered by sweat or rain.

[Q] Dropped htc one in water what do?

So i did a bunch of searching and can't find anything so i'll ask here. The other day i got pushed into a pool with my One in my pocket, From what i can tell the processor's fried and i was wondering if i could get away with just going down to T-Mobile and asking them to switch it cuz it wont turn on and not bring up the water damage. Is there any way they'd be able to tell?
Ummm if your within your 30 days or 14 or whatever it is you could try just say it won't turn on... They have to replace in store if its within their time frame for in-store warranty .
As long as water doesnt pour out on counter you may have a chance ,since they can't do a battery pull how else will they know... Just act real let down say u paid a lot of money to be let down ...
Act but don't over act.
Normally sales people are clueless and don't care what's what , as long as your within the rules... time frame.
They aren't techs, so doubt theyll know .
If it doesn't turn on a dead cpu should pass as the issue only issue is if it's past the 30 ,then htc gets it for manufacture replacement and they on the other hand will know .
Sent from my M7 using xda premium
Throw it in a tub of uncooked rice overnight to absorb as much water as possible before bringing it in.
There is a papertrail with taking it back in your 14/30 day warranty. Eventually the device will get back to a service center and when they open the unit up and see the damage im sure the ticket with it will say warranty / no power. Any good tech will throw up the red flag and say the warranty is void with liquid damage.
So you do run the risk of having that come back to haunt you a month or two down the road.
I'm not sure if they'll find out down the road Dec possible but not guaranteed ,even if your past 14 you don't have to go thru HTC you still have tmobile warranty u dud a swap not for water but they'll ship a new one overnight then u mail yours back ,last yr I returned a rooted bricked note2 and never got charged
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
IAmSixNine said:
There is a papertrail with taking it back in your 14/30 day warranty. Eventually the device will get back to a service center and when they open the unit up and see the damage im sure the ticket with it will say warranty / no power. Any good tech will throw up the red flag and say the warranty is void with liquid damage.
So you do run the risk of having that come back to haunt you a month or two down the road.
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This is correct.
I work in the RMA department of a large phone repair/warranty center.
I doubt you will get T-Mobile rep to replace it for you in the first place (there are still ways to check for water damage without opening it up). Liquid indicators are inside the phone when you eject the SIM tray for example.

[Q] Will Water Damage Pass Warranty?

I've recently unrooted and reset the flash counter on my water damaged phone.
What else do I need to do, to get it passed the warranty checks at Samsung HQ?
Thanks in advance
Water damage will be noticed. Has bin before and rejected.
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alliances+siyah
How will they notice it?
Would you suggest I get it repaired via a third-party such as this:
http://www.mytrendyphone.co.uk/shop/samsung-galaxy-s3-100960p.html
Does the phone still work? You could take your chance but I'll bet you will be one of the 27% that they cant fix without costing you extra.
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alliances+siyah
andrewwright said:
Does the phone still work? You could take your chance but I'll bet you will be one of the 27% that they cant fix without costing you extra.
--------------
alliances+siyah
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=45200521
The phone's system still works it's just the screen is really dim and green. I had a look inside the phone and it looks like something has gone wrong around the screen's connection to the motherboard.
I was thinking of replacing the water indicator stickers, unrooting it and reseting the flash counter. Then I don't see how Samsung could know?
Do that and send it to them. And hope they fix it. If not then send it to a local shop for repair. Local will be cheaper than sams service centre. But worth a try if you think it might get fixed through service centre under warranty.
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alliances+siyah
If I reset my flash counter by triangle away, will my phone pass warranty?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
andrewwright said:
Do that and send it to them. And hope they fix it. If not then send it to a local shop for repair. Local will be cheaper that sams service centre. But worth a try if you think it might get fixed through service centre under warranty.
--------------
alliances+siyah
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Click to collapse
So do Samsung offer to fix it for free if they don't see any signs of a breached warranty?
If they detect the warranty has been breached do they still offer to fix it for a price? (if so any ideas on how much they charge?)
Nyrus said:
If I reset my flash counter by triangle away, will my phone pass warranty?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see why not if you haven't set off the water indicator stickers or opened the phone yourself.
I followed this video to reset my counter and flash to stock:
http://youtu.be/WzydHUG7XZE
If warranty is good and cant tell you opened it up then yes if not you will have to send it to Samsung for repair. Never had dealings with sam so not got that much info. Best bet is to take it to a local shop and let them look. Its been in water so I would imagine that they could tell.
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alliances+siyah
synthecypher said:
How will they notice it?
Would you suggest I get it repaired via a third-party such as this:
http://www.mytrendyphone.co.uk/shop/samsung-galaxy-s3-100960p.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will notice it since the phone has various moisture sensors inside.
SignetSphere said:
They will notice it since the phone has various moisture sensors inside.
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Click to collapse
Even without them, they will notice. They are electronic experts. They know what water damage looks like
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4
rootSU said:
Even without them, they will notice. They are electronic experts. They know what water damage looks like
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I depends in what water does it goes, if it goes in a pure water then no one knows , but if the water is impure all of them ( except distilled water) then they will know.
fotbal5 said:
I depends in what water does it goes, if it goes in a pure water then no one knows , but if the water is impure all of them ( except distilled water) then they will know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Water damage is water damage. If it is damaged by water - it is noticeable, regardless of the type of water.
The argument with distilled water is it is far less destructive because it doesn't conduct electricity any where near as much as contaminated water. It is often used to clean circuit boards where isopropyl is unavailable. Dropping in distilled water should minimise short circuits when the device is powered on so once dried out, the phone should still work. This is not the onle water damage though. Water damage also means corrosion. Even distilled water oxidises so if water damage via corrosion occurs, it will be noticed - even if distilled water was the source.

[Q] L9 ii d605 rebooting constantly and company claims board needs replacement

Out of their warranty of course because the phone shows drop marks
They told me that the board is damaged and that is why the phone keeps rebooting. Anyone else had a similar problem?
Thanks in advance.
TheRipper7 said:
Out of their warranty of course because the phone shows drop marks
They told me that the board is damaged and that is why the phone keeps rebooting. Anyone else had a similar problem?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes fight with them. Ask them to provide proof that the phone is damaged, tell them its wear and tear.
I bricked my phone. I sent it in and they told me the exact same thing. I went on Facebook and wrote on there wall. I told them to prove I dropped it and that the problem is a result of drop damage. They sent me a new phone .
I sent a patronizing complaint on their page but I'll get a second opinion when they return my phone.
My main complaint is the cost of the repair which they quoted 100euros+vat while the sale price if the phone has now dropped to 170 euros I know they ship the phones to an LG authorized repair center but the repair price is beyond belief...

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