Samsung Galaxy SII liquid damage scam

Magic_Sponge

I've had my Samsung Galaxy SII since January this year. Right from day one there seemed to be an issue of the screen occasionally freezing up whenever I plugged in the headphone jack. Also, often when I took the headphones out, the phone would often think they were still in, so there were lots of silent phone calls.

I was advised in the Three shop that it might be because I was running old software so I upgraded to the Ice Cream operating system. When the problem persisted I took the phone back to the shop and it was sent off to be repaired (Sept by this time).

The phone came back with a note from the engineers saying it had been repaired, a number of parts had been replaced and it had been sucessfully tested. It gave a 90 day guarantee of those repairs.

After a few days though it was clear the same thing was happening with the headphones, so I took it back to the shop and off it went away for repair again. I got a crappy olsd HTC Desire as a loan phone.

I've just heard from Three today that the phone is 'beyond economical repair' because of liquid damage. They've sent the phone back to the Three shop for me to pick up and my options seem to be a) buy a new handset at a cost of £400 or b) cancel the contract and pay a penalty fee of, er, £400.

Not happy. I can just FEEL that they're trying to pull a fast one.

I'm thinking of hanging onto the loan phone and fighting this on the basis that the phone went back for a headphone jack repair (which they've admitted in writing needed to be carried out) and came back with no mention at all of liquid damage. It then went back with exactly the same fault and now somehow it's a liquid damage issue - intimating that I've done something.

Any thoughts or advice greatly appreciated here. I'm going down swinging on this one but would appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks

chanz4

Magic_Sponge wrote: »

I've had my Samsung Galaxy SII since January this year. Right from day one there seemed to be an issue of the screen occasionally freezing up whenever I plugged in the headphone jack. Also, often when I took the headphones out, the phone would often think they were still in, so there were lots of silent phone calls.

I was advised in the Three shop that it might be because I was running old software so I upgraded to the Ice Cream operating system. When the problem persisted I took the phone back to the shop and it was sent off to be repaired (Sept by this time).

The phone came back with a note from the engineers saying it had been repaired, a number of parts had been replaced and it had been sucessfully tested. It gave a 90 day guarantee of those repairs.

After a few days though it was clear the same thing was happening with the headphones, so I took it back to the shop and off it went away for repair again. I got a crappy olsd HTC Desire as a loan phone.

I've just heard from Three today that the phone is 'beyond economical repair' because of liquid damage. They've sent the phone back to the Three shop for me to pick up and my options seem to be a) buy a new handset at a cost of £400 or b) cancel the contract and pay a penalty fee of, er, £400.

Not happy. I can just FEEL that they're trying to pull a fast one.

I'm thinking of hanging onto the loan phone and fighting this on the basis that the phone went back for a headphone jack repair (which they've admitted in writing needed to be carried out) and came back with no mention at all of liquid damage. It then went back with exactly the same fault and now somehow it's a liquid damage issue - intimating that I've done something.

Any thoughts or advice greatly appreciated here. I'm going down swinging on this one but would appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks

If you try to keep the loan phone, and they ask for it back and you dont give its theft

thatsean

This is simple enough, the phone will either have liquid damage indicators that are activated - or there will be sings of corrosion on the circuit board. Ask to see evidence from the repair centre. Can't see that holding their property hostage is going to get you any goodwill.

Magic_Sponge

Thanks. I'm not holding it hostage as such, I just know that if I go to pick up the broken phone I'll have to return the loan phone and be left phoneless while it gets sorted out.

My issue really is not whether it's liquid damaged or not. It's that as it was liquid damage free when repaired in September and then had damage when it was repaired for the same fault in October, how do I know it wasn't caused when they had it in bits?

visidigi

how do they know you haven't got it wet since you had it back?

That's the issue, its all about proof, ask for evidence of the issue from the repair center, they should have photos.

Guys_Dad

Has Samsung got its own repair centre that you can try, with a copy of your explanation?

Alternatively, any independent repair centres?

If either or them get it working, sue 3 for any costs you incur.