im sick of mobile makers using the water damage excuse

markdoc_2

ive just had my 3month old galaxy s2 phone have a screen problem.
They wont repair it because of water damage?
Ive never got it wet.
If moisture has got in well it wasnt built properly then.

Same thing happened with my last HTC.

im still fighting for repair. in meantime I bought a new ZTE Skate for the same price as a Galaxy screen repair, which have to say is a good phone for the money!

But these mobile companies should not get away with using this excuse on very expensive phones

Buzby

Water damage does not mean immersion. Condensation is equally a killer, and when you think of the hostile environments a phone can find itself, it is no wonder why so many fail.

As for them making the phones 'better' - surely you should use the item that is most appropriate for the task? Ho many people have had shoes ruined in the rain, only to agree they should have got them wet?

There are handsets designed for steamy kitchens or rain-soaked anoraks. There a rubber plugs and protective cases for phones to add a bit more protection, these are needed when outdoors. But it is the user who must decide the level of protection, as only he can identify when the greatest risk will occur. My iPhone is in an OtterBox Defender - it isn't waterproof, but at least I can rest easy that it won't fill up with water in my pocket.

Users have to take some responsibility - and if it happens to you so many times, surely the penny will have dropped that as a precision instrument, they need a bit of TLC?

vuvuzela

I saw someone the other day holding their iPhone out in front of them while walking along and using it as a gps. No case or anything covering it, it was chucking it down at the time, but I guess they will also be surprised when it ends up water-damaged, as they didn't immerse it anywhere...
I agree completely with Buzby - I've had 15-20 mobiles over the last 14 or so years and the only one that was water damaged was the one that I dropped in the toilet Taking care of them isn't difficult, it's just pure common sense, which it seems from the example I gavce above is becoming less common...

easy

quite. my DS wanted to take his into the shower-room the other day, to listen to his music while he was in the shower. I stopped him, cos the shower-room gets very steamy, and it's not a good place for electronic equipment.

He often asks to borrow my iPod & speakers to listen to audio-books while in the bath. Rule is only if the ipod is the other side of the bathroom (so it can't fall in the water), and he leaves the bathroom door ajar to let out steam, so condensation doesn't get in - he's 12 BTW

thor

To redress the balance I feel I must post my experience. I had a motorola a few years ago which failed 2 days after I got it brand new. The first day I left it on recharge in my bedroom and the second I had it with me when I was out and about. The day was mild with no hint of rain, fog or anything else wet. I went nowhere near a river or swimming pool or steam bath yet when I got the fault report from motorola it came back as saying there was water damage.
I don't care how many apologists defend the manufacturers but there is no way I will trust motorola ever again.

System

op , if you have had the same issue with 2 phones then i suggest you take a close look at how + where you are using it .

Guys_Dad

Got to agree with OP. "Water damage" is an easy cop-out to avoid replacement or proper diagnosis.

Not saying in every case, of course, but seen too many threads on here where unrelated problems dismissed as water damage and have also had friends whose handsets were initially diagnosed as water damage, but subsequent independent repairers got them working.

Also, one needs to look at "fit for purpose" and the use of mobile technology. Obviously, people are going to use mobiles outside. Occasionally it's wet. People take them up mountains for emergency use, etc etc. If they can design watches to be immersion proof, then some work needs to be done on making handsets more moisture resistant - if, indeed, water damage is the real reason for so many claim rejections.