Database Develop

Tell me about your experience getting your phone replaced under warranty!

What trials and tribulations did you have to go through? What was your end result and were you happy with that end result? Here's a brief outline of what i went through.
I recently bricked my phone and had to spend almost 2hrs at an ATT store making arrangements to get it replaced under warranty. Since i bought my Tilt on Amazon (got a deal w/a new line of service for $50 usd.) Amazon told me to talk to ATT, ATT said talk to Amazon, ATT told me to go talk to the local repair shop. They were closed, and i had no phone cept the paperweight that was my Tilt. Since all this was on a Sunday everything closed early and i ended up buying a cheapo "Go" phone to use.
Called ATT warranty support from work, they said they never even saw the Tilt on my plan but they did see that damn Go phone. Thats when i was told to go to the store and show some ID and what not. Everyone was really helpfull at the store and after waiting on the phone at the store, we eventually got to the people that can replace the phone.
The only thing that sucks now is that i'm getting a refurb as a replacement, but beggars can't be choosers.
I do have a few questions now though. Right now the phone doesn't start up at all, should i worry about ATT spotting what i did wrong? If so should i find a large and powerful magnet in the hopes of corrupting or erasing the data on the phone? I'm just curious what other's went through having to replace their phones and am only partially kidding in regards to magnet thing.
I'd also like to stress that i'm not asking for any criminal malfiesence, just the story you have and how hard/easy was it for you to get your phone replaced. It doesn't have to be an ATT phone either.

I also bought my Tilt through Amazon on their $50 deal last month, and mine experienced the Red Light of Death RLOD within 2 weeks. Took it to the local ATT store, they said I needed to deal with Amazon since the phone was less than 30 days old.
Went to Amazon.com, filled out the forms to return/exchange the device and within two days, I had a new Tilt. I can't believe how easy it was. During those two days, I went back to my old Symbian powered Nokia 6670.
Before I packed up the old Tilt in the box to return, I tested it with the new battery, and it booted up (which allowed me to reset the device)....so for grins, inserted the old battery into the new Tilt and experienced the RLOD, so in my case, my dead Tilt was due to a defective battery.
Lessons that I learned...1. if my new Tilt dies, make sure the guys at the ATT store give me a new battery to try. 2. Keep a spare charged GSM phone in my cars in case if my Tilt dies while I'm out (I was a T-Mobile/Voicestream customer for 10 years before switching so I have a box full of GSM phones). 3. Amazon.com is really easy to deal with.

Snowreaper said:
-snip- I recently bricked my phone -snip-
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Click to collapse
And because you broke it, it's AT&T's responsibility to replace it?
That being said, when I first got my 8525 after my Wizard died, I bought it from ebay and it developed a problem. Call up AT&T on the hardware line and tell them that your Tilt won't turn on anymore. If they give you static, ask for a supervisor. You'd be very surprised how well the "supervisor game" works is all situations.

I bought mine from NewEgg & around 30 days in "up" on the d-pad stopped working 90% of the time. I took it to an AT&T store, showed a rep the problem & he gave me the number for the warranty exchange. I called them up, explained the issue & 2 days later I had my newly refurbished phone (verified with ~1 hour inbound & outbound usage each). The new one seems to be working without issue so far.
Overall I'm satisfied with the AT&T support on this considering they don't offer any paid extended coverage on the phone anymore.

A Canadians woeful tail of failed N4 Repair

To start off, YES, this is a rant thread about LG and its outsourced repair center, Stellar Wireless in Fort Texas.
I dropped my phone and the glass broke. Here is my older thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2126134
Spoke with 10 different reps at LG USA to confirm i could send my N4 for repair to their facility. Apparently, I can, as long as I have a return address in the States. Sweet deal! Cost $153 for repairs vs. $250 from Canada supplier in Mississauga (All Tech-Neek Electronic).
So i prepare my package, pay the fee of $25 for having it shipped via UPS (bad mistake). Everything is going well, phone shipped off on February 1. It ends up reaching the facility but gets rejected! Why? because at the boarder for Canada/US customs there is a "Customs Delivery Charge" aka COD fees on any products being imported in the States. Well, i wasn't aware of this. The repair center rejects the package, I am on the phone for 2 hours that same day, being transferred to 4 departments and given 5 different numbers to call, eventually i get to the right number. Pay my COD fee of $35 off. Sweet, so now i can ship it and my headaches are over right? I wish that were true, UPS sends it off a 2nd time. It gets rejected cause there is the "COD Sticker" on the package.
Essentially, if that sticker is on the package, the repair center doesnt check to see fees have been paid. I get on the phone with UPS AGAIN, speak to 5 different departments and get them to say to the repair center that the "COD is paid." If you have followed this thread this far and are aware with UPS, I'm on my final and 3rd strike! SO needless to say, 3rd time worked and it got delivered! Yeah!:good: Butt....
So i'm sitting at home, waiting for the email/phone call to repair my phone. I receive it on Feb 19, total cost: $153. Sweet deal! Fill out the information and send it via fax to the LG wireless facility. Now according to that repair form, They have 5 business days to process the payment and get my phone fixed. BUT guess what? My phone mysteriously leaves the repair center on Feb 21, which is 2 business days after i sent the payment. Now did they receive it ? I don't know. I called that same day to ask about the fax, and no one was able to help me. So i called FEb 21, asking about my phone and they said it was repaired and sent off. Cool story right? But my visa never received a payment. Now i call today, and find out my phone was NOT repaired and it was sent out. Why? Once again, NO ONE KNOWS.
Needless to say, calling LG 10 times, UPS 15 times, and being transferred to different departments and ALMOST getting my phone fixed....in the end, im at square one again. Its en route to my friends house and I am sending it back to the states forking out the $250 and getting it repaired locally. /Rant. Frusturated beyond belief at LG Wireless, Stellar Wireless (Repair center) and UPS (not informing of COD fees, even the store i shipped it from didn't know about that).
Just needed to rant and share a terrible customer service tale about trying to get the N4 repaired. Canadians, keep your phones in Canada and pay the extra money to know it will be done correctly and properly the FIRST time in your home country. I am applaud and frustrated with this situation.

Appalled*

At that point I would of said f it and bought another one and “said such is life". sorry to hear about your ordeal.

Wow, that sucks.

I hope you have some cold beers in the 'fridge because i would be drinking a few. Hang in there buddy.

Update: thanks to those who read. Apparently the LG staff are either retarded or poorly trained. An executive supervisor just informed me that my payment was received and the phone is actually "fully repaired and visa has been charged." Now i dont know whether to believe it or not, but she sounded confident, Only time will tell, should have my phone back in 2 weeks. Will let everyone know how this repair service turned out.

Well that sucks... but doesn't LG have a repair center in Canada? I called the Play Store to get an RMA for a faulty battery and they sent me a UPS shipping label to a repair center in Fort Worth Texas so I called again and told them I was calling from Canada and the issued a new shipping label to an LG repair center in North York, Ontario.

jark99 said:
Update: thanks to those who read. Apparently the LG staff are either retarded or poorly trained. An executive supervisor just informed me that my payment was received and the phone is actually "fully repaired and visa has been charged." Now i dont know whether to believe it or not, but she sounded confident, Only time will tell, should have my phone back in 2 weeks. Will let everyone know how this repair service turned out.
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Good luck.

Good Phone/Poor Glass
I bought this phone about 3 weeks ago and LOVE it! Everything about it is awesome, except one thing...the glass front and back. It says that this glass is gorilla glass. I am thinking after 3 weeks that it's the cheapest "gorilla" glass they could put on the phone. I say this because I dropped the phone from 2 feet off the ground directly on it face (with a case on it) and the front glass shattered rendering the entire phone completely useless. I've done some research online and found that several hundreds of other Nexus 4 owners have experienced the similar things. I read one review where someone was at their home computer working while their N4 was just sitting on their desk like it had many time before. The user said it say in one spot for about an hour or so and he hear glass crack. Looked all around their apartment and couldn't figure out where it came from. Then they looked at the back of their new N4 and the back had cracked in two spots. As much as I love this phone I have to say I am very, very disappointed with LG and Google for this phone. with ins thru T-Mobile USA I have to pay $130 for a replacement, once it comes in I will be selling it and buying a Samsung GS3. My wife wanted this phone also and we almost got it last Friday, but held off for whatever reason. She is now also going to buy a Samsung GS3.

tail?
tale?

That sucks, seriously.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

trav2001 said:
I bought this phone about 3 weeks ago and LOVE it! Everything about it is awesome, except one thing...the glass front and back. It says that this glass is gorilla glass. I am thinking after 3 weeks that it's the cheapest "gorilla" glass they could put on the phone. I say this because I dropped the phone from 2 feet off the ground directly on it face (with a case on it) and the front glass shattered rendering the entire phone completely useless. I've done some research online and found that several hundreds of other Nexus 4 owners have experienced the similar things. I read one review where someone was at their home computer working while their N4 was just sitting on their desk like it had many time before. The user said it say in one spot for about an hour or so and he hear glass crack. Looked all around their apartment and couldn't figure out where it came from. Then they looked at the back of their new N4 and the back had cracked in two spots. As much as I love this phone I have to say I am very, very disappointed with LG and Google for this phone. with ins thru T-Mobile USA I have to pay $130 for a replacement, once it comes in I will be selling it and buying a Samsung GS3. My wife wanted this phone also and we almost got it last Friday, but held off for whatever reason. She is now also going to buy a Samsung GS3.
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Sorry Gorilla glass is not shatter proof. Only scratch resistant. I love how you blame the phone instead of your self.

[Story]Serious complaint and remorse for buying a Nexus 5 at Carphone Warehouse UK

I'm not 100% sure if this is the correct thread, however given the nature that it is relevant to the general discussion of the Nexus 5 I'm going to post it in here anyway.
Do not shop at Carphone Warehouse UK​
So I bought my Nexus 5 on release day from the Carphone Warehouse. I paid £295. When I got it home to my annoyance it wouldn't charge, no matter what I did it would not charge. I'm pretty experienced with phones and could tell it was a hardware error. I use my phone primarily for business, so being without a phone is completely a no-go for me. I took my Nexus 5 back to Carphone Warehouse on the assumption that they would just do a straight swap, however no they didn't have any stock in.. which is where my trouble started.
They offered me an alternative phone, they recommended the LG G2 as it only had a price difference of £150 and for some stupid reason, I went for it. The device I received was in an OPEN BOX (my mistake, I admit) that has had promotional stickers ripped off, however the phone inside was sealed, and so I assumed there was no issue. Got the phone home, start using it and discover that the phone is getting hot and crashing, this is as soon as I've got it out of the box.. so it's not like I've done anything to it or used it too much.
Anyway took it back to Carphone Warehouse the following day. By this point I was quite annoyed because the store that I purchased it from is a 60.8 Mile round trip. Due to my working hours I can't go to my local one, which closes at 5PM. The store I got the G2 from closes at 8PM, making it the only store I can get to that is open. I took the phone in and spoke to a lady on the Checkout about the issue and she said that an exchange was no problem and that more importantly, they had the Nexus 5 in stock. We initiated the exchange when she checked the IMEI. At this point she said she needed to speak to her manager. After around 5 minutes of waiting and her taking my phone in the back with her, she comes back and says to me 'I'm sorry Sir, we cannot exchange this phone as YOU have taken this phone and swapped it for an identical one with a different IMEI number. Our system shows you should have a different phone'
Quite astounded at what she had told me, I explained to her that I had only just purchased the phone the previous morning. She wouldn't have any of it and sent me away with an 0845 number to call to make a complaint. On the way home I called into another Carphone Warehouse store. I spoke to a lady who called Customer Services on behalf of me to find out how this issue could have occurred. To put it plain and simple, the IMEI on the box of the phone was the same as the one on the system, but the phone I had had an alien IMEI. After she spoke to Customer Services the lady told me that unfortunately they couldn't do anything from their store because, get this, the phone I had was being sent off for a repair. I would have to take it back to the original store, the same store that just fobbed me off, in order to get it exchanged. And this was head office that told me this!
The following day I spoke to customer services myself. I rung up and lodged a complaint because I believe the fact that I was accused of committing fraud but am also expected to drive 60 Miles to resolve a problem is disgusting. I spoke to a lady called Amy who "promised" me she would get to the bottom of this for me and resolve it. She told me that she could see from notes put on the account (presumably from the previous days call to cs) that the phone was a repair handset. She then spoke to the repairs team who confirmed they were waiting for the handset to arrive. She told me that she wouldn't be able to resolve the issue until she had spoken to the store I originally bought the handset from. She then "promised" to call me back as soon as she had spoken to them, or by 5PM the same day.
For records, this was on the 6th November.
5PM came, and no call. Because she called me on an 0800 number and wouldn't give me a number to contact her on, I was unable to call her myself. However the following morning (7th November) she called me and told me that she had still been unable to get in contact with the store in question and that she would definitely have this fixed for me by the evening and that she would call me back by 5PM. Well 5PM came and went, and there was no call. By this point I was extremely annoyed. The following morning there was no call either, so I called CPW on my mobile (which has charged me) and requested to speak to Amy. By this point it was on the third day of being without a working handset and nobody had really acknowledged there was an issue, or done anything to solve it. I actually managed to get put through to Amy who told me that she had still not been able to get through to the store, but that her manager was in in 20 minutes and she would call me back with a resolution to the issue. I asked her if she would 100% call me back, and she promised she would. 24 hours passed and no call.
So by this point I've been without a handset for 4 days, been sold a second hand one, promised that I will have a call from customer services to resolve it but haven't, and been accused of fraud. Getting quite angry at this point.
I allowed a few days to go by to see if Amy would get in contact with me, however by Monday 11th November she still hadn't. We took the phone to the Trafford Centre store which is still a good 25 miles away. We spoke to a very helpful gentleman in the Carphone Warehouse store who went to a lot of trouble for me. He spoke to head office who reiterated the fact that the phone was a repair handset and advised the gentleman to call the store I bought the phone from. He called the store and spoke to the manager. He confirmed that the IMEI on the box of the phone I had was in store, and that there had been a bit of a mess up and he was unsure of how it had happened. I was then told that unfortunately due to the circumstances of the issue I would have to drive to the other store, a further 10 miles, to initiate the exchange OR refund.
So finally just under a week of being without a phone and driving from my house to Manchester every other day the issue was resolved and I would be able to go back to a Nexus 5 or get a refund. Hell, wasn't I wrong.
On arrival at the store we spoke to the manager who told us we had two options, either swap the LG G2 for another LG G2, or get a cheaper handset. He couldn't offer us a refund because he would have to speak to customer services who were closed, and he wasn't prepared to knock the difference off a HTC One (£50) due to all the problems we had had. Furthermore the sim-free price of a Nexus 5 at Carphone is now £495, however they are not selling them sim-free at the moment! I was then told that I could have a refund, but I would have to come back the following day!! All this after driving probably in excess of 200 miles.
I felt backed into a corner and didn't really have a choice but to accept the G2. As I said earlier I need a handset for work and it's not an option for me to be without one.
I then spoke to the complaints department of Carphone Warehouse once again yesterday. I explained everything that I have just said in this post, and their reply:
"We do not offer refunds on any sim-free products, and the manager was wrong to tell you that we do. Because you accepted the G2 there is nothing we can do for you. You chose to drive there on your free will. Would you like me to raise your complaint against the store?"
:good: Not happy.
Carphone Warehouse's Policy
If something's not working properly, here's what to do
Pop into any Carphone Warehouse store with:
your product
all the accessories that came with it (including any free gifts)
Preferably its original packaging
proof of purchase
We'll take a look at it, and if we can't fix it there and then, you'll be eligible for a return, exchange or repair. You can find out more about our repairs service on our repairs page.
Lots of common phone problems can be fixed with a simple software update, which you can do yourself. Check out our page and see how.​
So now I really do not know what to do. I have been left with a phone that I do not want and am considerably out of pocket due to fuel costs of driving to get the issue resolved. Help?

Never get upset with them, for starters. It's difficult, I know from extensive experience, but their hands are tied to within their policies and they won't want to help if you tell them off like they probably deserve.
This is how I've played these games and won countless times.
Politely calmly ask:
"So, there is nothing you can do?"
"No, I'm sorry sir, there isn't"
"What is your employee ID#, who is your superior, and how do I contact them? I'd like to pass on a good work for your efforts"
Rinse, repeat. Insist to pass to a superior. They'll tell you nobody can help. Tell them you feel like you deserve to hear it from their boss.
I once had a vp with Sprint (verified that they really were via background checks: on the phone with me to resolve an issue by asking "Well, if you can't help me, someone can approve this. Who can?"
Just keep climbing the ladder.
-No longer accidental, just Jeremy. F.cfb
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying

That story has put me off buying from CPW for life. Thanks for sharing how they see fit to treat a customer who has spent hundreds of pounds in their store.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

setspeed said:
That story has put me off buying from CPW for life. Thanks for sharing how they see fit to treat a customer who has spent hundreds of pounds in their store.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I don't blame you, going to try my luck again later with their complaints department. I will update the thread. I think a lot of it depends on who you speak to as well, it's not necessarily speaking to a manager that matters, it's speaking to someone that can relate to your experience.

Good luck, I hope you end up with a decent resolution, but I fear that even if you were to get the phone you want, all the extra money you gave them and spent on petrol is lost. I really wanted an N5 on release day and I even went to my local CPW to take a look at them - thank God they weren't selling the 32GB because I would've bought it there and then. It might've taken a few days longer from Google, but at least I know they won't jerk me around if I have to return it (I returned my N4 last year because I didn't like it enough to keep it over my S3, no issues with refund at all).
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I mentioned managers because sometimes the person you're speaking to doesn't have the power to make that decision on your behalf, and must go by policy. Someone in the chain, however, can choose to bypass policy. Talk to them if you don't get what you want (as long as it's realistic).
-No longer accidental, just Jeremy. F.cfb
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying

jRi0T68 said:
I mentioned managers because sometimes the person you're speaking to doesn't have the power to make that decision on your behalf, and must go by policy. Someone in the chain, however, can choose to bypass policy. Talk to them if you don't get what you want (as long as it's realistic).
-No longer accidental, just Jeremy. F.cfb
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
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Click to collapse
Oh no I completely agree with you there! Sorry I meant you multi-quote. I mean the gateway though, I believe a realistic demand is to have the Nexus 5 for £295 and a refund of £150 which I paid the difference on for my LG G2. This is fair, right?

I'd get yourself to citizens advice just to get something in writing and report them to trading standards - they're spinning you a line. No refunds on Sim Free?? Any product sold by a retailer in the UK is subject to the Sale of Goods act. You can return an item for a full refund if it's not as described, of satisfactory quality or fit for purpose. The rules don't just stop there but they're the basics
If you fancy a read and have some time: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/54
Edit - forgot to add, you're entitled to a full "cash" refund too, you don't have to accept store credit..

Cactus42 said:
I'd get yourself to citizens advice just to get something in writing and report them to trading standards - they're spinning you a line. No refunds on Sim Free?? Any product sold by a retailer in the UK is subject to the Sale of Goods act. You can return an item for a full refund if it's not as described, of satisfactory quality or fit for purpose. The rules don't just stop there but they're the basics
If you fancy a read and have some time: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/54
Edit - forgot to add, you're entitled to a full "cash" refund too, you don't have to accept store credit..
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Good advice here. I would also get the credit card company involved.
You did pay by credit card didn't you? If not, silly billy.
This is a good way of dragging someone else into the fray on your side and applying pressure on recalcitrant suppliers.

I got my N5 from CPW and i'm on my 3rd handset (which is no fault of CPW).
Each time i've taken it back they've been helpful and each time they've given me a new handset they've pulled the outer sleeve off to show it's a new and factory sealed box...
I suppose the service you get depends on which store you go to :/
Also i have to ask...
You got a sim free phone meaning you would have already had another working phone/sim?
Why didnt you just wait for the nexus 5 to get back into stock again? :/
Also looking at your sig...
Why didnt you stick with the Z1?

I'm not defending CPW as the issue you're having is tragic.
But at the same time you made numerous mistakes yourself and undoubtedly made things harder..for yourself.
The first being not waiting for the N5 to get back in stock again from that specific retailer or asking them to find a store where it was in stock and doing an exchange there.
The second, getting a phone you did NOT want and paying an EXTRA £150 for it. You do acknowledge this was an open box and you were still in a position to run the risk that it did not behave as intended. Which unfortunately it did.
Glad you got that IMEI stuff fixed, that was BS on their part. Handy Gentleman at trafford to the rescue! Oh yeah, Thirdly, you were wasting your time with Amy, She was clearly incompetent at her job, producing no results every time you waited for her and continued to wait for her again.
Driving up and down in excess of xx miles is another issue when you could have made the alternative and smarter decision of calling the individual store up. Each CPW store has a different phone number which you can find on the website. Only till you're guaranteed that you can have an exchange or whatever you had desired, you could have popped in. Had that particular store failed to assist you, you wouldn't have to drive back achieving nothing but wasted petrol.
Oh yeah, when you finally spoke to the manager, you conceded and accepted another LG G2, may I reiterate, as you said. A phone you did NOT want. So customer Service was closed but you still had the opportunity for a full refund. Again, why not wait till it was open. [I get it, driving issues but that shouldn't stop you if it causes more 'driving issues' later]
The issue is, you don't wait for things and you take the easiest most convenient option at the time but at the end of the day it's the one you don't like, so you wish-wash out of it and things become more complicated.
The IMEI was unfortunate and yes, incredibly annoying. But that got resolved. The faulty handset is by no means the direct fault of CPW. And you did have a choice in regards to accepting the G2, I really don't see how you're playing the victim card in this aspect with that. In terms of work, you could have used a temp phone in the mean time, nothing fancy, an old nokia could have done the job if you need to make calls. You already had a sim if I'm correct. I figure the refund for the Nexus 5 was not an option the moment you opted for the G2 as that phone supersedes the N5 in terms of pricing. I figure what you want now is a refund for the LG G2 and the Nexus 5 at the £295 pricepoint from CPW that it once had? I don't think that's a realistic expectation anymore mate. At best just accept the refund for the LG G2. The N5 window is gone.
An alternative If you still want the Nexus 5 would be selling your LG G2, boxed and unopen, I hope and buying a N5 at the play store.
Edit-
jaaystott said:
I believe a realistic demand is to have the Nexus 5 for £295 and a refund of £150 which I paid the difference on for my LG G2. This is fair, right?
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No, it isn't a realistic demand because once you bought the LG G2, that became a stand alone product independent from any attachment with the N5. Quite simply you have you're head attached to the idea that the Nexus 5 is your main phone from CPW and that the LG G2 is a temp / secondary / repair or whatever. Once you chose the G2, you made your bed, that's where all the concern now lies.
bleets said:
I got my N5 from CPW and i'm on my 3rd handset (which is no fault of CPW).
Each time i've taken it back they've been helpful and each time they've given me a new handset they've pulled the outer sleeve off to show it's a new and factory sealed box...
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Click to collapse
Also, this is a clear example that the CPW system does not fail with returns. Ahhhhhhhhh Now I'm contradicting the first sentence in this post. But the problem does not lie with them completely as you make it out.

Out of Stock / Shortages for Exchanges

I'm In Greensboro, NC, and have been told there are no Note7 phones for exchange in the area - closest in Charlotte, NC. I was also told by a manager the "promotions" end on 9/30, and after that: re-stocking fees will apply, phone must be returned with accessories and charger, no color or model changes. When I asked when they expected shipments of phones in, I was told it would be sometime next week.
Anyone else hearing about shortages of Note7 phones for exchange?

I ordered one through customer service last night. They said nothing about shortages, but I wouldn't be surprised. Customer service is stocked full of liars.

According to the sales rep that exchanged my Note 7 yesterday, T-Mobile has been changing the return process daily so this manager may not have the lasted procedures. I see no need to return the box and all the accessories unless someone is trying to make a killing on eBay on used Note 7 items.

dkb218 said:
According to the sales rep that exchanged my Note 7 yesterday, T-Mobile has been changing the return process daily so this manager may not have the lasted procedures. I see no need to return the box and all the accessories unless someone is trying to make a killing on eBay on used Note 7 items.
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That and this is no "promotion." Samsung, through their sales agent T-Mobile, is required by law to accept defective units in exchange for as long as they are out in the wild. They don't need the original packaging.
That said, if all you present is a phone, that's all T-Mobile is required to give you in exchange. They don't have to give you the box and the goodies that came with it.

On 9/21 stores around my area had long lines with long waiting time, I did not have time to wait and today (9/22) they are all out of stock. However the way I understand it, recall is a recall and there is no time limit especially if they run out of stock, so I don't worry too much about it. As far as exact procedure: some people didn't return box at all and had no problem, some needed at least empty box to return (quiet few of my coworkers have N7), so there might be some confusion among clerks how to proceed, but that's expected since recall of this magnitude is unusual and procedures are made as we go along. As a side note: I was hopping some people would jump ship and leave more replacement N7's for me to choose from , but doesn't seem it's happening that often, for example none of the 6 people I know who got N7, went for something else, they all just replaced it with new N7, so no wonder they're out of stock, but more comming soon.

pete4k said:
On 9/21 stores around my area had long lines with long waiting time, I did not have time to wait and today (9/22) they are all out of stock. However the way I understand it, recall is a recall and there is no time limit especially if they run out of stock, so I don't worry too much about it. As far as exact procedure: some people didn't return box at all and had no problem, some needed at least empty box to return (quiet few of my coworkers have N7), so there might be some confusion among clerks how to proceed, but that's expected since recall of this magnitude is unusual and procedures are made as we go along. As a side note: I was hopping some people would jump ship and leave more replacement N7's for me to choose from , but doesn't seem it's happening that often, for example none of the 6 people I know who got N7, went for something else, they all just replaced it with new N7, so no wonder they're out of stock, but more comming soon.
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Here is the OFFICIAL T-Mobile Twitter message about the Return of a Note 7. A Box is preferred but not required.
https://twitter.com/TMobileHelp/status/778684978259333121

DeadPhoenix said:
Here is the OFFICIAL T-Mobile Twitter message about the Return of a Note 7. A Box is preferred but not required.
https://twitter.com/TMobileHelp/status/778684978259333121
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Click to collapse
When I exchanged mine, they asked for the box as it was easier for them as it had the SKU number on it they could scan rather than look for it in the account notes and copy paste it. They said it wasn't required and that I could have it back if I wanted (they didn't give it back.) This was the same for the loaner they took back in the store as well. When they went to get my EIP cleared so I could get the new phone, they made me give back the loaner and the retail CS rep that was on the phone with the store processed that return too. Took about an hour and 15 minutes but I love my new device and my account seems all in order after two EIP refunds and a new phone added. Crystal Lake, IL.
They also refunded all the EIP/downpayment/taxes I paid so far on the recalled note 7 and recharged me all of it for the new one.

jimfun said:
I'm In Greensboro, NC, and have been told there are no Note7 phones for exchange in the area - closest in Charlotte, NC. I was also told by a manager the "promotions" end on 9/30, and after that: re-stocking fees will apply, phone must be returned with accessories and charger, no color or model changes. When I asked when they expected shipments of phones in, I was told it would be sometime next week.
Anyone else hearing about shortages of Note7 phones for exchange?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
**** man.....i called tmobile in frandor shopping area Lansing mi. They said they got five devices in and couldn't sell any till they heard from there district manager.....Wednesday I go to the store. I'm customer number one..... one employee entering the store before opening tells me they cannot sell the devices according to their district manager.... whole time I'm on the line with tmobile customer support..... they call the district manager and Lord behold 10mins later the process was going through..... turns out they had received 7 devices and sold two on Tuesday evening.......

exchanged mine all the asked for was the box and phone ..i wasn't about to hand over nothing else. guy didn't even open the box, just used it for scanning purposes do i got to keep all my accessories, got 2 of everything now hehehehe....

jimfun said:
I'm In Greensboro, NC, and have been told there are no Note7 phones for exchange in the area - closest in Charlotte, NC. I was also told by a manager the "promotions" end on 9/30, and after that: re-stocking fees will apply, phone must be returned with accessories and charger, no color or model changes. When I asked when they expected shipments of phones in, I was told it would be sometime next week.
Anyone else hearing about shortages of Note7 phones for exchange?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was this the store off cone Blvd OP? Because their employees aren't worth a damn. Haven't been to many other tmobile in gboro, so I have no idea if the others are the same.

Hi there , yours can call tmobile to order note 7 replacement
I did it already just few hour ago
Everything is fast
Shipping over night from today until next tuesday

Cnguyen490 said:
Hi there , yours can call tmobile to order note 7 replacement
I did it already just few hour ago
Everything is fast
Shipping over night from today until next tuesday
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called the 844 number two times and both reps said I'd have to wait for my local store to get inventory. They said they didn't have the ability to mail a phone to the store. Should I press for a manager?

rdobbert said:
I called the 844 number two times and both reps said I'd have to wait for my local store to get inventory. They said they didn't have the ability to mail a phone to the store. Should I press for a manager?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would. You got stores selling the device to people who never had the note 7 to begin with...have people saying they had it ship to stores, It definitely will NOT hurt. This recall showed some ugly inconsistent side to tmobile I think even they want to fix

rdobbert said:
I called the 844 number two times and both reps said I'd have to wait for my local store to get inventory. They said they didn't have the ability to mail a phone to the store. Should I press for a manager?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called Wednesday night to order one. I got an immediate text confirming the order. I haven't yet received shipping information. Par for the course at T-Mobile.
I do concede that I called about 6:30 PM and that I might have passed the deadline for shipping Wednesday. However, Thursday has come and gone without further word.
It's a real shame that you can speak to three people at T-Mobile and get three completely different and contradictory answers.

Well i show up on the 21, waited a little over and hour at tmobile.
Finally get up there and told they sold out and dont have any more black note 7 and they never got any sliver ones (wife has sliver).
So called a few more stores and same crap no one had any left.
Called the 1-800 number and was told they have to order them to the store. So did so, last night my wife got a text saying her has been ship.
Mines still no update.
But i have talk with a few other people and they said all tmobile needs is just the phone itself. So i plan on keeping my spend. Already upset that i gotta lost my skinomi screen protector and buy a new one, upset that i waited in line that to be told they dont have any. When i first walk in they knew why we where there.
So i will be keeping my box, charger, cable, otg and spen.
And there isnt any deline on the return. BY LAW they have to waive all fees and do the exchange. Doesnt matter how long it takes or what there stock looks like. If you have an effected device they have to exchange it.

douger1957 said:
I called Wednesday night to order one. I got an immediate text confirming the order. I haven't yet received shipping information. Par for the course at T-Mobile.
I do concede that I called about 6:30 PM and that I might have passed the deadline for shipping Wednesday. However, Thursday has come and gone without further word.
It's a real shame that you can speak to three people at T-Mobile and get three completely different and contradictory answers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called Wednesday night to order two, and the representative said they should arrive in the store by Monday. I got texts the following morning confirming the order, immediately followed by texts stating that the phones were on back order. No ETA was given. So I don't know if they're arriving this weekend or November. There's no indication of an order on the web site.

jfpbookworm said:
I called Wednesday night to order two, and the representative said they should arrive in the store by Monday. I got texts the following morning confirming the order, immediately followed by texts stating that the phones were on back order. No ETA was given. So I don't know if they're arriving this weekend or November. There's no indication of an order on the web site.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My saga gets even more interesting. I just got a text saying that I'm no longer eligible for the Note 7 exchange program. When I went to the T-Mobile website to find out why, there's a bill sitting there for the monthly charge on an S7 that I never got and a deposit and lease payment for the loaner S7 Edge that I never put in service.

Called Thursday to get replacement and was put on a call list....next day got called while at work that phones were in stock and to come before 7pm to get the swap done same day. Got there at 6pm...walked in store they announce a 2hr wait...put name on list with number....2 and a half hpurs later they weren't answering the phone....decide to drive over to check the situation....30 minutes before closing they're door was locked, with a few customers still in the store finishing their transactions......i was pissed but contained, talked to the rep through the door and she apologized and asked me to arrive 10 minutes before opening the next day....i agree. Come back this morning as we agreed 15 minutes before they opened and there was already about 5 people waiting in line....dammit i thought....suddenly the door cracked open the rep from the night before waved me in and gracefully ran through my swap....took about 20 minutes and she was a peach. Glad to have my replacement plus dual accessories including SPen. Didn't power phone till i was ready to root, and kept the sim card removed until phone was rooted and restored with my titanium backup.
Btw i took my original box minus everything in it cause while they should and will return without the box, it really makes their job easier and from what i gathered they are dealing with these swaps from the start of the business day to closing with continuous lines forming.
It sucked being turned away yesterday but today's service left me feeling good.

Just moved from NJ to GA. On the 21st i called a tmobile in Riverdale they had 7 available all blue. They didn't ask for anything the rep went right into the info and got the imei. The phone didnt even have the spen in it. They told me by the time i got there at noon there was only 2 left and they couldnt. Wait till they was done with these because of the process they had to go thru. Only issue i had was that they told me everything would stay the same. But I only had 23 payments left on my note 7 since i preordered it and got it when it cameout. They restarted my payments back to 24 and didnt refund me the $32.50 i had to call tmobile to get that credited back to me. So watchout for that.

jimfun said:
I'm In Greensboro, NC, and have been told there are no Note7 phones for exchange in the area - closest in Charlotte, NC. I was also told by a manager the "promotions" end on 9/30, and after that: re-stocking fees will apply, phone must be returned with accessories and charger, no color or model changes. When I asked when they expected shipments of phones in, I was told it would be sometime next week.
Anyone else hearing about shortages of Note7 phones for exchange?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Durham NC, had some!
Sent from my SM-N930T using Tapatalk

Note 8 ordered from Samsung is only 20 days old won't power on and Samsung doesn't

I have a Note 8 that I have been very happy with. It's 20 days old and last night while using it just went black. When plugged in to power there is not LED or any sign of life. I performed troubleshooting steps for soft and hard resets with and without power cables. I've tried 3 different power cables and cords but nothing. I charged overnight and still nothing. Completely dead. Phone still looks brand new because I bought a rugged case for it. I've treated it like a newborn baby so it must be defective.
I called Samsung support this morning who walked me through all the previous troubleshooting I've performed and confirmed that the phone is defective. Because it is only 20 days old they created a ticket for me and told me to call ecommerce department @ 855-726-8721 and give them the ticket number and they would replace the phone.
Called ecommerce who was happy to help me and all was well until the end of the phone call. I was told that within a week I would get an email with instructions and a label to send my phone back and within 15 days I would receive a replacement phone. I said WHAT!!!
When I purchased the phone I payed for expideted shipping and had it within 3 days. It's 20 days old and defective and now I'm told that it will actually be 3-4 weeks before I get a working phone again. This is the only phone I have. I had to go to a family member's house to call them 3 times for this info.
There is no escalation path available. Support can only support me. ecommerce can only put in a request via internal communication to a returns team and this is the returns team policy. You can no contact the returns team. You can't escalate to anyone because they are all different departments that have no communication with each other. I can't even call the corporate office to complain because they send you back to support. Everyone I speak to understand and they would be frustrated to but can't help me. Even Samsungs employees don't agree with it but can't do anything or put me in contact with anyone to complain.
So now I sit here waiting for what could be a week before I even get a communication from the returns team to get a working phone. I had the note 7 and lived through two replacements before they took my phone. I even stayed with them and bought the S7 edge. Traded it in for the Note 8 because I had faith in the company. After my experience today it is gone. I'm speechless at the lack of concern about me the customer and the attitude that this is our process sorry and you can't complain.
I would return this phone for an iPhone but I already bought a case, wireless charger, memory card and DeX station.
When I bought my phone it said I could get a wirelss charger or cameral but when I called to inquire they said I missed it by a day. Now I see it's still there if I bought a new phone.
My only experience with Samsung customer service and it will be my last. Next time I will go back to an iPhone where I can get real support from people that seem to care and I can talk to.
In this competitive day I can't beleive that Samsung doesn't care about their customers, has segmented departments in to different silos with no communication and doesn't even provide a place for customer to complaing about a process. If I have no way to complain how will they ever know something is broke.
I was mad but now I feel hopeless. I hope I don't have an emergency that will require me to call an emergency service because I don't have a phone. If something does happen and I survive maybe I could sue Samsung.
If anyone has any suggestions for me to help with this situation or some secret to fix the phone please let me know.

Roughly 3 weeks total to have the new phone from start to finish?...i.e. 1 week to get the instructions, and another 2 weeks (15 days) to receive a new phone. Sounds like they were nice and helpful too...some of the two week delay could be quicker depending on shipping. Doesn't honestly sound too bad overall, but I agree it always sucks to have a problem with a new phone. Not giving you the bonus sounds wrong though, if they still offer it online. Hope it gets sorted out soon!

Maybe a surge fried it!

havrek said:
I have a Note 8 that I have been very happy with. It's 20 days old and last night while using it just went black. When plugged in to power there is not LED or any sign of life. I performed troubleshooting steps for soft and hard resets with and without power cables. I've tried 3 different power cables and cords but nothing. I charged overnight and still nothing. Completely dead. Phone still looks brand new because I bought a rugged case for it. I've treated it like a newborn baby so it must be defective.
I called Samsung support this morning who walked me through all the previous troubleshooting I've performed and confirmed that the phone is defective. Because it is only 20 days old they created a ticket for me and told me to call ecommerce department @ 855-726-8721 and give them the ticket number and they would replace the phone.
Called ecommerce who was happy to help me and all was well until the end of the phone call. I was told that within a week I would get an email with instructions and a label to send my phone back and within 15 days I would receive a replacement phone. I said WHAT!!!
When I purchased the phone I payed for expideted shipping and had it within 3 days. It's 20 days old and defective and now I'm told that it will actually be 3-4 weeks before I get a working phone again. This is the only phone I have. I had to go to a family member's house to call them 3 times for this info.
There is no escalation path available. Support can only support me. ecommerce can only put in a request via internal communication to a returns team and this is the returns team policy. You can no contact the returns team. You can't escalate to anyone because they are all different departments that have no communication with each other. I can't even call the corporate office to complain because they send you back to support. Everyone I speak to understand and they would be frustrated to but can't help me. Even Samsungs employees don't agree with it but can't do anything or put me in contact with anyone to complain.
So now I sit here waiting for what could be a week before I even get a communication from the returns team to get a working phone. I had the note 7 and lived through two replacements before they took my phone. I even stayed with them and bought the S7 edge. Traded it in for the Note 8 because I had faith in the company. After my experience today it is gone. I'm speechless at the lack of concern about me the customer and the attitude that this is our process sorry and you can't complain.
I would return this phone for an iPhone but I already bought a case, wireless charger, memory card and DeX station.
When I bought my phone it said I could get a wirelss charger or cameral but when I called to inquire they said I missed it by a day. Now I see it's still there if I bought a new phone.
My only experience with Samsung customer service and it will be my last. Next time I will go back to an iPhone where I can get real support from people that seem to care and I can talk to.
In this competitive day I can't beleive that Samsung doesn't care about their customers, has segmented departments in to different silos with no communication and doesn't even provide a place for customer to complaing about a process. If I have no way to complain how will they ever know something is broke.
I was mad but now I feel hopeless. I hope I don't have an emergency that will require me to call an emergency service because I don't have a phone. If something does happen and I survive maybe I could sue Samsung.
If anyone has any suggestions for me to help with this situation or some secret to fix the phone please let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I buy from the carrier. Sorry this happened I would be pissed off.

jason504 said:
That's why I buy from the carrier. Sorry this happened I would be pissed off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here; always buy from the carrier if possible

Can you return the items that you bought to the retailer, or are you out of the return period? You might be able to sell them on eBay or craigslist or some place like that to get some of your money back. Then you can get your iPhone.
The only thing that has really ever tempted me about the iPhone is Apple's customer service. They are the kings of customer service. Aside from my phone, everything else that I have is Apple. You know that if you have problems, they will stand behind what they sell and resolution is only a drive down the road (assuming that you have an Apple store nearby. If not, not sure).

of course Apple stands behind their products; when you overcharge for everything, and have the largest profit margins in the electronics world, its easy to provide good service!

Where did you see the promo still ongoing?

Lol.. gee what did they ever do before they had phones...

Seriously, that's pretty good IMO. They are probably factoring the time you take to return the phone to them and the time they ship it to you. Most companies I dealt with for return/exchange will wait for the defective item to be returned first before they send out the replacement. Despite what was said and tested, they will test it themselves to ensure it is defective as well. Once they know it's defective they will ship the replacement. Some have a business supported plan where they will request payment first for a new item and ship immediately. Upon receipt, return instructions and label will be provided for the return. Once returned, they credit your account. So really don't see anything wrong with this. They are doing what other companies I've dealt with are doing from my own experiences.

The only reason why I buy from the carrier is one you don't have to pay for the phone all up front. Especially since I am only keeping it for a year. When the Note9 comes out I can switch this in for the 9. Number 2 is location the carrier stores are all over easy to walk into a store and swap a defective phone out. Or they will ship one overnight. I think Samsung just implementing his no return policy after the Note 7. I read somewhere that Samsung was not replacing phones. Or they are making it really difficult to try to return a phone.

havrek said:
I have a Note 8 that I have been very happy with. It's 20 days old and last night while using it just went black. When plugged in to power there is not LED or any sign of life. I performed troubleshooting steps for soft and hard resets with and without power cables. I've tried 3 different power cables and cords but nothing. I charged overnight and still nothing. Completely dead. Phone still looks brand new because I bought a rugged case for it. I've treated it like a newborn baby so it must be defective.
I called Samsung support this morning who walked me through all the previous troubleshooting I've performed and confirmed that the phone is defective. Because it is only 20 days old they created a ticket for me and told me to call ecommerce department @ 855-726-8721 and give them the ticket number and they would replace the phone.
Called ecommerce who was happy to help me and all was well until the end of the phone call. I was told that within a week I would get an email with instructions and a label to send my phone back and within 15 days I would receive a replacement phone. I said WHAT!!!
When I purchased the phone I payed for expideted shipping and had it within 3 days. It's 20 days old and defective and now I'm told that it will actually be 3-4 weeks before I get a working phone again. This is the only phone I have. I had to go to a family member's house to call them 3 times for this info.
There is no escalation path available. Support can only support me. ecommerce can only put in a request via internal communication to a returns team and this is the returns team policy. You can no contact the returns team. You can't escalate to anyone because they are all different departments that have no communication with each other. I can't even call the corporate office to complain because they send you back to support. Everyone I speak to understand and they would be frustrated to but can't help me. Even Samsungs employees don't agree with it but can't do anything or put me in contact with anyone to complain.
So now I sit here waiting for what could be a week before I even get a communication from the returns team to get a working phone. I had the note 7 and lived through two replacements before they took my phone. I even stayed with them and bought the S7 edge. Traded it in for the Note 8 because I had faith in the company. After my experience today it is gone. I'm speechless at the lack of concern about me the customer and the attitude that this is our process sorry and you can't complain.
I would return this phone for an iPhone but I already bought a case, wireless charger, memory card and DeX station.
When I bought my phone it said I could get a wirelss charger or cameral but when I called to inquire they said I missed it by a day. Now I see it's still there if I bought a new phone.
My only experience with Samsung customer service and it will be my last. Next time I will go back to an iPhone where I can get real support from people that seem to care and I can talk to.
In this competitive day I can't beleive that Samsung doesn't care about their customers, has segmented departments in to different silos with no communication and doesn't even provide a place for customer to complaing about a process. If I have no way to complain how will they ever know something is broke.
I was mad but now I feel hopeless. I hope I don't have an emergency that will require me to call an emergency service because I don't have a phone. If something does happen and I survive maybe I could sue Samsung.
If anyone has any suggestions for me to help with this situation or some secret to fix the phone please let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is these stories , that I count my blessings that the two devices bought from Samsung direct aren't defective. I think one thing I've learned for others on here is this. I think next time I'll just buy the devices from my provider, after all I bought a T Mobile one from Samsung direct. The T Mobile service is much better.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

jason504 said:
The only reason why I buy from the carrier is one you don't have to pay for the phone all up front. Especially since I am only keeping it for a year. When the Note9 comes out I can switch this in for the 9. Number 2 is location the carrier stores are all over easy to walk into a store and swap a defective phone out. Or they will ship one overnight. I think Samsung just implementing his no return policy after the Note 7. I read somewhere that Samsung was not replacing phones. Or they are making it really difficult to try to return a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I used to think, but after buying from Samsung directly I will NEVER again buy from them. There was a problem with the first phone that had to be returned, and the experience, which is not over, has been a nightmare. If it had been through Verizon, it would have been a piece of cake. It completely changed my mind about any perceived advantages (NONE) of buying from company vs. carrier. I've had all generations of the Note, but after this I'm so burned out on Samsung, I'd consider something else. And actually I don't like the 8 any better than the 7 (which I still have). Their e-commerce department which they route everything through is a joke. They have absolutely no authority and the answer for everything is "wait for a link to be sent to you", which has never happened so far. Lesson learned - I'll vote with my feet.

neograndizer said:
Seriously, that's pretty good IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's horrible. Samsung should offer the option of shipping a new replacement phone immediately for overnight delivery, if OP provides a credit-card number for the value of the phone until the old one is returned. Then Samsung should immediately email a return label for RMA shipping, and cancel the credit-card hold as soon as the defective product is received and verified.
For an expensive new phone that dies within three weeks, anything less than that is a ripoff.
---------- Post added at 12:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:39 PM ----------
Zeblade said:
Lol[,] gee what did they ever do before they had phones[?]
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Click to collapse
Before phones, people didn't organize their social and commercial activity in a manner that depends on phones--and the cost to productivity was staggering.

Honestly, I always keep a spare phone now exactly for this reason and just make sure the SIM size is the same as my current phone. Kept an HTC One M8 as my backup for a while. Better than being forced to A ) be without a phone or B ) be between a rock and a hard place with paying full price immediately to get a new phone so I can get phone calls. With the backup, I can C ) go through insurance, swappa, or w/e I choose patiently.

mcdanielvzw said:
Honestly, I always keep a spare phone now exactly for this reason and just make sure the SIM size is the same as my current phone. Kept an HTC One M8 as my backup for a while. Better than being forced to A ) be without a phone or B ) be between a rock and a hard place with paying full price immediately to get a new phone so I can get phone calls. With the backup, I can C ) go through insurance, swappa, or w/e I choose patiently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true!

Gary02468 said:
I think it's horrible. Samsung should offer the option of shipping a new replacement phone immediately for overnight delivery, if OP provides a credit-card number for the value of the phone until the old one is returned. Then Samsung should immediately email a return label for RMA shipping, and cancel the credit-card hold as soon as the defective product is received and verified.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would indeed be phenomenal service, but it also sounds like an expensive change that would likely be passed on to consumers via increased pricing. It's expensive enough as it is! I think most of us can manage without overnight delivery, but some sort of middle ground would be reasonable and certainly welcome.

sefrcoko said:
That would indeed be phenomenal service, but it also sounds like an expensive change that would likely be passed on to consumers via increased pricing. It's expensive enough as it is! I think most of us can manage without overnight delivery, but some sort of middle ground would be reasonable and certainly welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only a noticeable expense if a large fraction of their phones fail quickly. And the overnight (as opposed to two-day) shipping isn't all that important. Most of the benefit from the process I described would come from its other aspects, which would have little or no cost compared to their weeks-slower process.

Samsung just protecting themselves from people claiming the phone just broke on its own when it's actually water damage or physical damage. Nothing wrong with them looking over your phone before they issue out a new one.
If you watered service you should have bought it from a carrier or bought an iPhone.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

shook187 said:
Samsung just protecting themselves from people claiming the phone just broke on its own when it's actually water damage or physical damage. Nothing wrong with them looking over your phone before they issue out a new one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, but if they have your credit-card number before they send the replacement phone, then if they find that the original phone was not really defective, they can insist that the replacement be returned in new condition (and subject to a standard restocking fee), or else charge the customer for a second phone. So they're fully protected.
If you watered service you should have bought it from a carrier or bought an iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why? Any vendor who sells someone a product that turns out to be defective has an obligation to replace it without an unnecessary, punitive delay.