what is acceptable screen quality for second hand?

Legacy_user

I bought a samsung galaxy s2 from GAME and happily switched it on.
it wasn't long before i started to notice some odd horizontal bands across it.
upon further study and getting an app that displays solid colours on the screen, I discovered that this horizontal banding can be quite pronounced under certain conditions.
It['s clear to me that the screen has developed a defect and I feel like this can be classed as a faulty product.
upon speaking to the staff in game however, I was informed that this is very common that they have seen much worse and that it is within acceptable parameters.
I am of the opinion that when I buy a s2, I should be experiencing the fine display prowess of a very expensive phone.
I 'upgraded' to this from a iphone 4 and I am finding the image to be inferior. this should not be the case.
I've tried google searches for acceptable screen standards for second hand goods but I can't seem to find any information that would help.
does anyone know where exactly I stand? they don't have another phone to exchange it with they suggested that I change it for an s3 and pay the extra but i cannot afford the extra £90.

sirmosh

The screen on the Galaxy S II is known for having horrible dithering which results in bad banding sometimes. Is it just the colours or are they physical lines across the screen?

iammumtoone

I always buy my mobiles second hand. What I don't mind are scratches on the screen or cosmetic damage, this is to be expected but I would fully expect the phone to be working as it was new (unless it was pointed out)

System

sirmosh wrote: »

The screen on the Galaxy S II is known for having horrible dithering which results in bad banding sometimes. Is it just the colours or are they physical lines across the screen?

it's like actual lines. as though there is a 'screentone' placed over it.

I have noticed the dithering and that is what i thought it was at first, but then i noticed this banding is present in all scenarios and doesn't move with the graphics.

System

iammumtoone wrote: »

I always buy my mobiles second hand. What I don't mind are scratches on the screen or cosmetic damage, this is to be expected but I would fully expect the phone to be working as it was new (unless it was pointed out)

yes this is what I was thinking too. If I had bought the phone new and it was like this, I would most certainly be asking for exchange or refund.

Rusty!

Can you post a picture of the phone showing the defect?

Gold_Dust_2

How can that be considered acceptable? Did they warn you of the defect beforehand? Second-hand doesn't mean broken, might mean that there are cosmetic damages but the phone itself should still be working! Having the screen mess up that way is an obstacle to using a touch-screen phone. What are the T's and C's of buying this stuff from GAME? I wouldn't stand for it.

Orrin

You have the same rights under the Sale of Goods Act with secondhand items as you do with new. The only difference is that the standard for "satisfactory quality" may be lower. Unless the phone was priced particularly low or described as being in poor condition I wouldn't expect that kind of screen fault.

If it was me I'd push for a refund because it's not like it costs them anything to stick it straight back in the window for the same price.

I was looking at a couple of phones in my local Game today but the pricing and grading was all over the place. They had a Blackberry Z10 marked as "like new" which was covered in tiny scratches and and a "good" iPhone 4s 64GB that was more expensive than a "like new" iphone 5.

System

thanks for your feedback guys. I think the issue I have with them, is that the defect is not as pronounced in bright light environments where the screen brightness is ramped up. that's probably why they accepted it in the first place. when it's low light however, it is very noticeable and makes me feel very sad. so when I go back there, I will tell them they need to go look at it in their stock room or whatever. when they see that, they cannot deny this makes a big difference to the usage of the product. especially in cases where fine detail is necessary, like some games that require pixel judgement or something.
I'll also load a movie on there and ask them if they bought a new phone would they be happy watching a movie on that screen. I am sure they will realise what is the right thing to do.

rusty, I'm sorry i don't know how to make a picture of it. but imagine if your printer needed cleaning. that is what it is like.

mikegahan

I bought a secondhand Htc One x online from Smartphone store recently, described as "well used" Class C, and I was pleasantly surprised to see it was nearly as good as new, with only very minor markings. So high standards are there

Orrin

mikegahan wrote: »

I bought a secondhand Htc One x online from Smartphone store recently, described as "well used" Class C, and I was pleasantly surprised to see it was nearly as good as new, with only very minor markings. So high standards are there

I bought a grade B iPhone 4s from Smartfonestore and while it did have a couple of small dings around the edge, the front and back glass were scratch free. It had a fault so they sent me a prepaid returns bag and a few days after I sent it back they refunded me with no questions asked. I'd definitely recommend them.