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Hi, I 'm waiting my 4th tilt2 covered for a year warranty from manufacturer.
Yesterday when I claimed for my broken phone the guy from at&t told me that the replacement phone will be a refurbished like the previous that was changed last Friday. Why the warranty is covered by refurbished phones? thanks
If I understand your questions, it seems like something you should be asking AT&T. That said, most electronics & computer warranty policies are like that these days.
seaker said:
If I understand your questions, it seems like something you should be asking AT&T. That said, most electronics & computer warranty policies are like that these days.
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I called to at&t today , they said that HTC send refurbished replacement phones .
At this point I would believe HTC is no longer producing new versions of the Touch Pro 2 models. AT&T has been trying to empty the shelves even so far as giving away the Tilt for 1 cent back at the beginning of August with a 2 year contract of course. But as said earlier most electronics manufacturers in the warranty clause generally send out refurbushed devices and not new devices for warranty replacements these days. Pretty much a standard industry practice.
CrimsonCadillac
Currently Using HTC Tilt 2 for AT&T
AT&T's warranty replacement phones are almost always refurbs. The one exception is if a phone model has just been released and they don't have any refurbished ones yet. In that case you may get a new one as a replacement. Usually the refurbs are indistinguishable from new phones.
I'm on my 3rd Tilt 2. The touchscreen on the first one (bought new in December) just stopped working about two months ago. The replacement phone began powering off whenever the keyboard was slid out or closed. The third phone seems OK so far after a couple of weeks of use.
If and when the GSM model becomes available for sale in the US, what will the experience be if I need to do a warranty exchange through Samsung US? Would it be much easier and quicker than purchasing it through grey market? (ie. Expansys, Negri, etc) I assume with both instances, if something were to happen with my device, it would take many weeks to get it back from repair. If something did happen, I could also go with a local phone repair shop I suppose.
Also, if the GSM model became available in the US through Best Buy, would their black tie warranty service be better than the above options?
I guess Im just used to T-Mobile service where they send you a warranty replacement before you send in your defective device!
Thanks!
If Best Buy starts carrying the GSM model I would get it there. Not that I like the place much (used to work there and couldn't wait to get out) but they honor the manufacturers warranty. This gives you a storefront to take the phone to in case it needs repair. Also they do offer a warranty that covers accidents due to drops and spills but if I recall correctly it cost too much and if you are careful or have it in a case you should be fine.
Bigsam411 said:
If Best Buy starts carrying the GSM model I would get it there. Not that I like the place much (used to work there and couldn't wait to get out) but they honor the manufacturers warranty. This gives you a storefront to take the phone to in case it needs repair. Also they do offer a warranty that covers accidents due to drops and spills but if I recall correctly it cost too much and if you are careful or have it in a case you should be fine.
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Thanks, yeah I wouldn't need accidental coverage, Im usually very good with phones. After a year of use on a phone I barely have any scratches on it. I just have had bad luck in the past with hardware defects, overheating etc.
mstyle88 said:
Thanks, yeah I wouldn't need accidental coverage, Im usually very good with phones. After a year of use on a phone I barely have any scratches on it. I just have had bad luck in the past with hardware defects, overheating etc.
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I hear you. I've had two HTC phones, and both had parts fail on me. So I'm looking for a warranty as well.
I don't want to wait for a US release. Who knows when the GSM will be released. I haven't heard any rumors, so it could be awhile. I'm going to wait for the Canadian release (Dec 8th). Supposedly, you'll be able to buy it off contract for $650. And if anything happens to it, the wait time won't be as bad as shipping it back across the Atlantic.
Man_Utd said:
I hear you. I've had two HTC phones, and both had parts fail on me. So I'm looking for a warranty as well.
I don't want to wait for a US release. Who knows when the GSM will be released. I haven't heard any rumors, so it could be awhile. I'm going to wait for the Canadian release (Dec 8th). Supposedly, you'll be able to buy it off contract for $650. And if anything happens to it, the wait time won't be as bad as shipping it back across the Atlantic.
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I was thinking of the same plan of getting the Canadian version of the phone. But there is one little bitty set back, the two carriers getting it on the 8th (one if you count one is a MVNO) is Bell and Virgin. Both use CDMA. So that one is a no go. The Rodgers one coming next month will work however.
Lil Jones said:
I was thinking of the same plan of getting the Canadian version of the phone. But there is one little bitty set back, the two carriers getting it on the 8th (one if you count one is a MVNO) is Bell and Virgin. Both use CDMA. So that one is a no go. The Rodgers one coming next month will work however.
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I checked out Bell and Virgin. Both have specs of the phone and they both have the frequencies necessary for Tmo US. Check it out (I would post the link but I'm too new).
I remember someone saying Canada ditched CDMA awhile ago.
I emailed Squaretrade and while I didnt get an exact answer, it sounds like if you are a UK customer buying from one of these establishments then you can buy a warranty and be covered. I didnt ask about US stores like Negri or Expansys. I'll send the question to them and report back.
Negri said when it first launched that they will honor the year warranty for you.
but i emailed them and asked about unlocking the bootloader and getting the warranty still and they said it's up to samsung UK.
so just remember, if you unlock the bootloader and you imported you may be screwed.
Lil Jones said:
I was thinking of the same plan of getting the Canadian version of the phone. But there is one little bitty set back, the two carriers getting it on the 8th (one if you count one is a MVNO) is Bell and Virgin. Both use CDMA. So that one is a no go. The Rodgers one coming next month will work however.
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That statement is incorrect, bell and virgin are no longer using CDMA, i am a customer with bell and all new phones now use sim cards on the gsm network.
neok44 said:
Negri said when it first launched that they will honor the year warranty for you.
but i emailed them and asked about unlocking the bootloader and getting the warranty still and they said it's up to samsung UK.
so just remember, if you unlock the bootloader and you imported you may be screwed.
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I've read that people have already confirmed that fastboot oem lock works fine on the Galaxy Nexus, so it really shouldn't be a problem.
From what I've heard if you purchased your phone from expansys-usa then all you need to do is send your phone to them and they will send it to Samsung for repairs. That's the reason I bought it from them.
If you check the "Expansys USA Now Shipping" forum, you'll see quite a bit of information on the Warranty situation. Just search the thread for Warranty.
OP: should you move the Warranty parts of that thread to this one so it is consolidated and easier to find?
If you bought from Handtec, they also said that you can send the phone back to them and they'll take care of the warranty process w/ Samsung UK as well, although it's obviously a little more costly to send to them than to Expansys-USA.
wrayrb said:
If you check the "Expansys USA Now Shipping" forum, you'll see quite a bit of information on the Warranty situation. Just search the thread for Warranty.
OP: should you move the Warranty parts of that thread to this one so it is consolidated and easier to find?
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Good idea, I'll try compiling what I find either this afternoon or the weekend.
I bought mine from Expansys USA and they honor the one year Samsung manufacturer warranty. Just send it to them if there is an issue and they will send it to Samsung for repairs or warranty replacement. Yes, you may have to wait longer to get the phone back, but you still have a year warranty, and it's better to have this lovely device in my hands now than to wait until who knows when for the US to stock this officially somewhere. Go with Expansys, they shipped out right away and they know their products. Just my two cents.
nyijedi said:
I've read that people have already confirmed that fastboot oem lock works fine on the Galaxy Nexus, so it really shouldn't be a problem.
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well thats good. i remember when i first got my Nexus One and the devs made it very clear that once you unlocked there was no going back, at the time.
If you buy "Grey Market" it is a roll of the dice---NO Warranty
mstyle88 said:
If and when the GSM model becomes available for sale in the US, what will the experience be if I need to do a warranty exchange through Samsung US? Would it be much easier and quicker than purchasing it through grey market? (ie. Expansys, Negri, etc) I assume with both instances, if something were to happen with my device, it would take many weeks to get it back from repair. If something did happen, I could also go with a local phone repair shop I suppose.
Also, if the GSM model became available in the US through Best Buy, would their black tie warranty service be better than the above options?
I guess Im just used to T-Mobile service where they send you a warranty replacement before you send in your defective device!
Thanks!
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If you happen to buy a Samsung product from a Grey market dealer they will give you nothing but a cold shoulder...period. I bought a S5 2 months ago on EBay and it shot craps and the seller (some jerks in Houston Texas just say screw you) and when I called Samsung USA they basiically were nice until they found out it wasn't and "official" USA import. I now own a $600 brick. The "international warranty is in Farsi, so you can imagine I won't be sending it back to Iran for service.
Greets all,
Just wanted to make some people aware in case no one wasnt about the HTC support with has left a extremely bad taste. Let me explain in short:
I bought the HOX international version and I live in the US, I wanted the quad core instead of the dual core. Long story short the screen got smashed cause I had lost my balance, so I called HTC and wanted to send it to them to replace the screen instead of me doing it. Mind you it has a 1 year warranty. So they took my info and then gave me an RMA to send it off, so far no problem. I packed up the phone sent it off to them and for a month I kept hearing when I would check up by calling, "we are waiting for the part to ship". I figured how hard is it to get a screen for their own phone. Well I got the phone call today and this is what they tell me:
We cant repair your phone because its an international phone based off the UK, and you are in the US, and because of the ITC court ruling in favor of Apple, we are not allowed to repair and send you back your phone. We have two options we can provide for you: 1) Replace the phone with a US ATT version unlocked, 2) or we can send the phone back to you unrepaired.
I told them why would I want a sub-version of the HOX with a dual core when I bought a quad core. I told them I'll buy the screen and send it to them and they can fix it, they said no they couldnt do that. So I told them, so your telling me that I have to buy the screen, replace it myself, which then voids my warranty instantly because I repaired it myself? They said basically yes.
So now I have to go find a complete screen replacement for the International HOX, replace it myself, and basically kill my warranty thanks to a BS ruling in favor of Apple. I cant believe instead of making a customer happy which was going to Pay for the repair, they wont touch it. I would have thought that it would be they couldnt sell the phone or something, not repair it!
So I would suggest to people who have the international phone in the US to beware of HTC, seems they wont fix the phone if its in the US.
It's always been like this with International phones. Warranties aren't valid in the U.S.. This is why you purchase 3rd party coverage like SquareTrade.
And, if you look near you, I am sure you can find cell phone shops that can repair your screen for well under $100. We have them here in Delaware.
AngelDeath said:
Greets all,
Just wanted to make some people aware in case no one wasnt about the HTC support with has left a extremely bad taste. Let me explain in short:
I bought the HOX international version and I live in the US, I wanted the quad core instead of the dual core. Long story short the screen got smashed cause I had lost my balance, so I called HTC and wanted to send it to them to replace the screen instead of me doing it. Mind you it has a 1 year warranty. So they took my info and then gave me an RMA to send it off, so far no problem. I packed up the phone sent it off to them and for a month I kept hearing when I would check up by calling, "we are waiting for the part to ship". I figured how hard is it to get a screen for their own phone. Well I got the phone call today and this is what they tell me:
We cant repair your phone because its an international phone based off the UK, and you are in the US, and because of the ITC court ruling in favor of Apple, we are not allowed to repair and send you back your phone. We have two options we can provide for you: 1) Replace the phone with a US ATT version unlocked, 2) or we can send the phone back to you unrepaired.
I told them why would I want a sub-version of the HOX with a dual core when I bought a quad core. I told them I'll buy the screen and send it to them and they can fix it, they said no they couldnt do that. So I told them, so your telling me that I have to buy the screen, replace it myself, which then voids my warranty instantly because I repaired it myself? They said basically yes.
So now I have to go find a complete screen replacement for the International HOX, replace it myself, and basically kill my warranty thanks to a BS ruling in favor of Apple. I cant believe instead of making a customer happy which was going to Pay for the repair, they wont touch it. I would have thought that it would be they couldnt sell the phone or something, not repair it!
So I would suggest to people who have the international phone in the US to beware of HTC, seems they wont fix the phone if its in the US.
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Blame Apple. Sounds like HTC is jammed up by a court decision, not because they want to piss you off.
Before the rage begins, I think offering to swap it with an ATT unit was a really good gesture. HTC US deal with the ATT model, and it makes sense that's what they offer!
Baldilocks said:
It's always been like this with International phones. Warranties aren't valid in the U.S.. This is why you purchase 3rd party coverage like SquareTrade.
And, if you look near you, I am sure you can find cell phone shops that can repair your screen for well under $100. We have them here in Delaware.
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That isn't entirely true. HTC has a global warranty so it doesn't matter which country you are in.
blackalice said:
Before the rage begins, I think offering to swap it with an ATT unit was a really good gesture. HTC US deal with the ATT model, and it makes sense that's what they offer!
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I thought it was better than them just telling him that he was completely screwed. Sure it isn't the same phone but in some circumstances it is better than no phone.
The problem here is its not a warranty issue, this is a out of warranty repair, this is like buying a BMW over seas, bringing it here and then something goes wrong and you needed it fixed, BMW here says sorry we cant touch it cause Ford wont allow it. A global warranty or even a out of warranty repair shouldnt be held subject to Crapple. I understand they cant offer the phone here in the states, but repairing? you got to be kidding!
Plus I'm not out of a phone, I have a second HOX international I got it after this one got smashed. But now I have to fix the white one when it comes in and fix it myself, but its wrong that my fixing it voids all warranties, I'd even accept if it was a warranty repair and it couldnt be fixed and they offered the US version as an alternative dur to the restrictions, but this is like going to a service repair shop and they wont fix it. It's BS.
Baldilocks said:
It's always been like this with International phones. Warranties aren't valid in the U.S.
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Actually, up until the Apple litigation, they did repair international phones in the U.S. (unlike Samsung). The problem is that they aren't permitted to reload the international s/w here in the U.S. because it contains features that have been banned. The U.S. XL for example doesn't have the traditional Android app picker; it's been replaced by a tabled menu. Anyone importing an international phone in to the U.S. really needs to fully investigate the down sides before making a purchase. And HTC U.S. deserves kudos for offering a One XL as replacement for a phone not even purchased in the U.S.
Dear Barry,
I understand you have some questions about the Bootloader unlock tool and the warranty for your device. I know how important it is for you to receive correct information and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Unlocking the bootloader means that you now have the ability to customize software on your device. Barry, please note that changing your bootloader can cause significant issues with your device and once you have unlocked your device, you have agreed to the disclaimer that states a change in warranty status such that in the event you render your device unusable, you are responsible for the recovery of your device, whether by repair or by other means. The final decision about what is covered under the warranty (and the cost) is up to the repair technicians if you have your device repaired.
As for the warranty, your device does have Global Warranty so if you ever need your device repaired, we can do so here in the United States. Again, the final decision about what is covered under the warranty (and the cost) is up to the repair technicians if you have your device repaired.
To set up a repair ticket, you will need to speak to the HTC America Warranty & Repair Center. Their contact information is 1-888-617-1113 from 8 A.M. – 8 P.M. ET, 7 days a week. Barry, they will be able to answer any questions you have about the warranty and repair process.
I hope this was helpful and that I have answered all of your questions. If you ever have any questions, Barry, please do not hesitate to send us another email. We will be more than happy to answer any questions you have about your device. Thank you for taking the time to contact us and I hope you have a great week!
Let me know if I have successfully answered your question, please click here to complete this.
To send a reply to this message, please click here.
Sincerely,
Kathleen
HTC
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If you want to keep the tegra one x i suggest sending it to a friend/family member in europe and get them to get it repaired.
Or, like I suggested, take it to a local cell phone repair shop. They can fix it fairly quickly, usually while you wait.
I'm confused why you are unhappy with HTC. You bought a phone from them and they offered you international warranty. In the meanwhile, the law of the land changed and the warranty is invalidated as a result. HTC recognizes this and offers you something within the purview of the law because you are their customer and want to keep you as their customer. I agree that this is actually a thumbs up for HTC to offer you an One XL in exchange for something which is not at all their fault.
Also you prolly are just another one caught up in the whole Apple, Samsung, HTC, etc patent-licensing bit and if the judgement was put out a little later, HTC would have repaired the phone. HTC warranty also states that you open the hardware without us being involved, we ain't gonna touch it, which IMHO is fair. Somebody buys my product, messes up the internals, bring it back to me to fix for free (or something close). So i do, since i promised on good faith and next thing i know, everybody around here doing exchanges.
The best thing is to send it outside the US where it can be fixed, hell, send it to India and i'll send it in for fixing and ship it back to you when its done. Or do what Baldilocks^^^ just suggested.
Baldilocks said:
Or, like I suggested, take it to a local cell phone repair shop. They can fix it fairly quickly, usually while you wait.
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akhileshp said:
The best thing is to send it outside the US where it can be fixed, hell, send it to India and i'll send it in for fixing and ship it back to you when its done. Or do what Baldilocks^^^ just suggested.
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won't both these methods still invalidate the warranty though?
But, it will be fixed.
Baldilocks said:
Or, like I suggested, take it to a local cell phone repair shop. They can fix it fairly quickly, usually while you wait.
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Got the name of the place in Deleware? And the problem with local shops is not all of them know what they are doing even if they say they do, remember alot just see dollar signs, so its hard to find a shop that actually knows what they are doing. Plus this being an international version, the other problem is finding the right screen that fits and is original, most will just take the cheapest they find and charge you double plus labor.
akhileshp said:
I'm confused why you are unhappy with HTC. You bought a phone from them and they offered you international warranty. In the meanwhile, the law of the land changed and the warranty is invalidated as a result. HTC recognizes this and offers you something within the purview of the law because you are their customer and want to keep you as their customer. I agree that this is actually a thumbs up for HTC to offer you an One XL in exchange for something which is not at all their fault.
Also you prolly are just another one caught up in the whole Apple, Samsung, HTC, etc patent-licensing bit and if the judgement was put out a little later, HTC would have repaired the phone. HTC warranty also states that you open the hardware without us being involved, we ain't gonna touch it, which IMHO is fair. Somebody buys my product, messes up the internals, bring it back to me to fix for free (or something close). So i do, since i promised on good faith and next thing i know, everybody around here doing exchanges.
The best thing is to send it outside the US where it can be fixed, hell, send it to India and i'll send it in for fixing and ship it back to you when its done. Or do what Baldilocks^^^ just suggested.
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The problem here is very simple, again I understand about not selling the phone in the states based on the ruling, but when you already OWN the phone whether its before the ruling or after, should NOT apply to repairs. Hence my example of BMW and Ford. Repairs of a phone isnt the same thing as buying or HTC attempting to sell the phone in the US defying the ruling. Its basic customer support and relations.
Its the same for example, you unlock the bootloader and leave the stock rom, or you flash a custom rom, then you break your screen, you call HTC for an out of warranty repair, and they tell you they cant fix it cause you unlocked the bootloader when the cracked screen has nothing to do with the unlocked bootloader. Or if there is a know defect in the phone and they wont fix it because of the ruling, or cause its unlocked. Once a phone is purchased the ruling should have no effect or implications to repairs, and I havent read the ruling, but I would be HIGHLY surprised if the ruling did include repairs, I can almost guarantee the ruling has to do with selling in the states.
lawrence750 said:
won't both these methods still invalidate the warranty though?
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Sending it to someone outside of the US and having them call HTC for repair no will not void the warranty, because you are having HTC do the repairs. Opening it yourself and doing the repair yes will. But when you dont know anyone overseas to send it to you have no choice, its either have a useless phone, or fix it yourself, and how many are going to let a $550 phone thats fairly new sit that way?
Baldilocks said:
But, it will be fixed.
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Agreed.
https://plus.google.com/112648899669966964704/about?gl=us&hl=en
There is a link to their Google+ page. Complete with address and phone number.
Deleted.
You sent your "not for USA, not sold in USA" phone for an OUT of WARRANTY repair, yet they offered you an ATT replacement because of Legal issues. That is called GREAT customer service!
By the way, read the warranty booklet, it clearly states that warranty is applicable only in countries where the phone is sold in, and the Tegra3 HOX is NOT sold in USA.
If you still want to repair it through HTC, check from where you baught the phone, many UK online retailers (not sure of other EU) will gladly handle the repair of the phones they sell through HTC.
is tmobile just replacing all t999 phones for any issue? I was having battery issue and customer service just decided to replace the phone no questions asked and i would receive it within 3-5 days, has anybody had there phone replaced recently since the t999l came out?
Hmm so they gave you the LTE version of the phone, no questions asked? Might have to give tmobile a call lol
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
reypowers said:
is tmobile just replacing all t999 phones for any issue? I was having battery issue and customer service just decided to replace the phone no questions asked and i would receive it within 3-5 days, has anybody had there phone replaced recently since the t999l came out?
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I highly doubt they're going to send you a T999L - that would be a BNIB phone. You'll most likely end up with a refurb T999 with more issues than you can count.
if its not the t999l im just sending it back i dont need a refub phone since its just battery i just needed my battery replaced but ill keep everyone posted
reypowers said:
if its not the t999l im just sending it back i dont need a refub phone since its just battery i just needed my battery replaced but ill keep everyone posted
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Please do because I'm ready to go off on T-Mobile for all the lies about LTE support on my current S3.
Dude I doubt they will send the t999l the only way they will do it is if they run out of t999 refurbish ones.
reypowers said:
is tmobile just replacing all t999 phones for any issue? I was having battery issue and customer service just decided to replace the phone no questions asked and i would receive it within 3-5 days, has anybody had there phone replaced recently since the t999l came out?
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Question, how you guys do warranty exchange? From below after 14 days (CA 30 days).
they will charge handling for the phone under manufacturer warranty and restock fee
If you recently purchased a new T-Mobile phone
You have 14 calendar days for discounted purchases with an annual plan at retail stores (30 in CA), 20 calendar days for online purchases via t-mobile.com, and 30 calendar days for full price purchases from the date of purchase, to return purchased equipment to the point of purchase.
Equipment must be in good working condition with original contents and packaging to be eligible for a refund of the purchase price. This return policy applies to the purchase of new equipment from T-Mobile or its authorized dealers. Proof of purchase is required.
We may charge a restocking fee. A different return period may apply to accessory purchases. Prepaid cards, software, or games are not refundable.
If your phone is defective and still under the manufacturer warranty
If your phone is defective and still under manufacturer warranty, you can return it directly to the manufacturer. T-Mobile can assist you by providing you with a replacement phone and submitting your phone to the manufacturer for you. This is a service that T-Mobile provides as a supplement to the manufacturer warranty that may come with your phone.
T-Mobile charges a processing fee for this service. If you would like T-Mobile to provide you with a replacement phone and to send your defective phone to the manufacturer for you, contact Customer Care to order a replacement. Please note that when you call, Customer Care will first attempt to troubleshoot your phone issues. For this reason, please make your initial call to Customer Care from a different phone or you may limit the ability to troubleshoot.
I recently had warranty service on my Note 4 through AT&T. The process turned out to be considerably more difficult - and potentially financially risky - than I expected. There are a lot of things that I know now, that I wish I had known at the beginning of the process. Therefore, I'm writing this summary to help prepare other AT&T customers who need service for their Samsung (and probably other) products.
If you don't care about the back story, just scan for the bolded TAKEAWAY lines below, or skip to the SUMMARY section at the end.
THE ISSUE
I bought a new (not refurbished) Note 4 a few months ago. From the moment I got it home, away from the blazing fluorescent lights and full screen brightness in the AT&T store, I noticed the dreaded pink tinted screen issue. The effect was minor at first, but grew in intensity over the subsequent weeks. It was bad enough within just a couple of days that I couldn't see the right-most digit of my alarm clock app at all when I had the brightness turned way down for nighttime (this would be at the top of the screen, they way it sits horizontally on my stand).
Having had a similar, but more severe, screen issue that rendered my Galaxy S4 unusable, I was particularly sensitive to screen quality and resolved to get this fixed.
MY OPTIONS
I had two primary options for fixing the problem (probably in addition to purchase protection on my business credit card):
1. Samsung warranty: Covers manufacturer defects for one year
2. AT&T insurance policy (well, 3rd party policy that AT&T sells): Covers virtually any kind of defect, damage, or loss, after paying the deductible
I decided to pursue Option 1, for two reasons. Firstly, the problem was clearly (to me, at least) a manufacturing defect. Secondly, the insurance policy had a $200 deductible. So, I stopped by the AT&T store in my local mall to get the phone fixed under warranty. No problem, right? I mean, my parents have had like a half-dozen iPhones fixed or replaced at the Apple store in their mall just by walking in off the street...
AT&T'S PROCESS
I learned my first lesson in the threshold of the door to the AT&T store:
TAKEAWAY 1: AT&T RETAIL STORES DON'T PROVIDE WARRANTY SERVICE FOR THE DEVICES THEY SELL
Huh? Given the aforementioned problem with my S4, I was shrewd enough to ask about the warranty before buying the Note 4. The AT&T person told me that it had a 1-year, manufacturer warranty. This was entirely correct. My mistake was interpreting this to mean that I could go back to the store where I had just bought the phone a few weeks prior and have it fixed under warranty. That's not the case. Instead, the person at the store handed me a business card with the toll-free number for AT&T Wireless support.
I went back home and called the number on the card. The person who helped me was prompt and professional. She logged the details of my issue, and explained the next steps to me as follows:
AT&T sends a new phone body
I swap my battery, SIM card, S Pen, and back cover to the new phone
I repackage my old phone body in the same box and mail it back to AT&T, postage pre-paid
So far, so good. But...
An AT&T person receives and evaluates the old phone
If the problem is deemed to be a manufacturer defect, the process ends for me here, and AT&T ships the broken unit back to Samsung
If the problem is deemed to be caused by physical damage, AT&T ships the old phone back to me, charges me the full retail price of the replacement phone, and I keep both phones!
Say what?! I asked what would happen in the unlikely case that the phone left my hands undamaged, but was damaged during shipping. She confirmed that AT&T would send the broken phone back to me and that I'd be stuck with both the old and new phones - and would have to pay for the new phone.
Dumbfounded, I asked for a way to mitigate the risk of my getting stuck with two phones. She recommended that I go back to my local store and have an AT&T employee inspect the phone, and add notes to my account stating that the phone is not physically damaged. Then, if it arrived damaged at the warranty center, they'd know that it had to have been damaged in shipping. She said that she'd leave my case open in her computer system, and that the next person I spoke with could complete the process after I returned from the store.
That sounded reasonable (enough). So, I went back to the retail store, an AT&T person looked at the phone, concluded that it was not physically damaged, and annotated my account accordingly.
I returned home, called the toll-free number again, and picked up where I left off. The person I spoke with this time reiterated the process to me, and confirmed that if the old phone arrived damaged, AT&T would send it back to me and I'd be stuck with it, stuck with the new phone, and charged for the new phone. "Except in this case", I added, "because the notes in my account said that the phone isn't damaged, right?"
Wrong.
If the old phone arrives damaged, I own both phones. "Why did I just go to the [email protected]#$ing store then?" He said that I shouldn't have, and that the previous customer service rep shouldn't have told me to do so. He said that I might damage the phone after leaving the store, before I ship it back to them, and therefore that the notes in my account meant nothing. He's right, of course.
After a spirited discussion, he made another good point - the warranty is from Samsung, not AT&T. AT&T provides warranty service as a "courtesy" to its customers. For phones with defects, AT&T can send them back to Samsung and get reimbursed. For physical damage, though, Samsung won't accept the phone under warranty. Therefore, AT&T needs some way to guard against getting stuck with a broken phone. Before proceeding, let's pause for another takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 2: AT&T DOES NOT WARRANTY SAMSUNG PHONES, SAMSUNG WARRANTIES SAMSUNG PHONES
This makes perfect sense, and I definitely see the problem from AT&T's point of view. Still, the original unresolved issue persists. So, I asked the guy what I could do to protect myself against the possibility of the old phone getting damaged in shipping. He offered that perhaps the manager at my local AT&T retail store could pack and ship the old phone for me. I agreed to that, and asked what would happen if it arrived broken due to shipping damage. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before.
Flabbergasted, I stated that I was willing to assume the risk of damage during shipping, and changed topics.
Next I asked what would happen if the phone arrived at the AT&T service center intact, but that the person assessing the problem concluded that the pink screen problem was due to damage, rather than a manufacturing defect. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before.
I asked how to determine, definitively, whether the issue was manufacturing-related or damage-related, prior to sending the phone back to the AT&T service center and starting the inexorable process that may lead to me getting stuck with two phones. After all, the person in the retail store who annotated my account said that it was a manufacturing defect? He said that AT&T retail employees are not qualified to distinguish between manufacturer defects and physical damage. Another takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 3: AT&T RETAIL STORE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT QUALIFIED/TRAINED/AUTHORIZED TO ASSESS WARRANTY-RELATED ISSUES
(Makes all you AT&T store employees out there feel valued by your employer, eh?)
Fortunately, the guy on the phone was trained to make these types of assessments. Based on our call so far - and never having seen my phone in person - he says that the pink screen was most likely due to physical damage. With steam coming out of my ears, I told him that I wasn't even going to debate whether the issue with the handset was a defect or damage, but rather would stick to trying to understand the Kafkaesque service process.
Specifically, I said that the previous phone rep who I spoke to said that she thought the issue was due to a defect. So, regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the dilemma is that two different AT&T people made two different assessments about the root cause of my phone's problem. In one case, I could get it fixed for free. In another case, I end up spending over $1,500 for two phones, one of which is broken.
Naturally, I asked what my recourse was if the AT&T warranty center person determined that the issue was due to physical damage, but that I still thought it was a defect. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before. I asked if there was an appeals process. No, there isn't. Next takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 4: IF AT&T SENDS YOU A NEW PHONE UNDER WARRANTY AND YOU SEND THE OLD ONE BACK TO THEM, THE PROCESS WILL RESULT IN ONE OF TWO OUTCOMES, AT AT&T'S SOLE DISCRETION:
A) AT&T DETERMINES THE ISSUE TO BE A DEFECT, AND YOU KEEP THE REPLACEMENT PHONE FOR FREE
B) AT&T DETERMINES THE ISSUE IS DUE TO DAMAGE, THEY SEND YOU YOUR OLD PHONE BACK, CHARGE YOU FOR THE NEW PHONE, AND YOU KEEP BOTH.
Period. End of story. No appeal. No recourse. Just roll the dice and pray that the AT&T warranty person who you've never met and never get to talk to ends up looking at the phone and coming to the same conclusion as you.
Unconvinced that a company as big and mature as AT&T didn't have some reasonable solution, I inquired, yet again, about options. There were two remaining:
1. Send the phone to Samsung for warranty service by mail
2. Take the phone to an AT&T Device Support Center for in-person service
The first option would leave me without a phone for a week or two. But, Samsung wouldn't stick me with an extra phone the way AT&T would.
TAKEAWAY 5: YOU CAN SEND YOUR PHONE DIRECTLY TO SAMSUNG FOR WARRANTY SERVICE, WITHOUT INVOLVING AT&T IN THE PROCESS
I don't know how easy or hard it is do work with Samsung, or what their process is if you think there's a defect and they think there's damage, etc... I'll leave that for someone else to explain.
But, this second option sounds good - an AT&T Device Service Center. As it turns out, this is what I was looking for all along! It's a real building, with real AT&T employees, who are qualified to assess warranty issues, and able to repair/replace defective phones. Perfect! The closest one to me is 225 miles away (which took the phone rep 10 minutes to find, because their system is only set up to offer this option if the Center is within 50 miles), but I GLADLY drove down there to get my phone fixed. The person there looked at my phone, immediately judged the issue to be a defect that was covered by warranty, and in 2 minutes had me set up on another Note 4 with a spectacular screen. So:
TAKEAWAY 6: YOU CAN TAKE YOUR PHONE TO AN AT&T DEVICE SERVICE CENTER FOR IN-PERSON WARRANTY SERVICE
TAKEAWAY 7: THERE ARE VERY FEW AT&T DEVICE SERVICE CENTERS, SO YOU MAY NEED TO TRAVEL A LONG DISTANCE TO GET TO ONE
SUMMARY
To summarize the preceding dissertation, AT&T customers with Samsung (and possibly other) phones who need warranty service should know:
The phone's warranty is from Samsung, not AT&T
AT&T provides in-person warranty service, on behalf of Samsung, through Device Service Centers only, not through retail stores
AT&T Device Service Centers are few and far between, so be prepared to travel
Warranty service by mail through AT&T is not a viable option, because you can get stuck paying for two phones, at AT&T's sole discretion, and have no recourse
Oh, and two more:
The pink screen issue is for real - and really obvious when it happens; folks who are adamant that it's imaginary, that we're looking at our screens crookedly, or that we're otherwise obsessing over something minor are just lucky enough to have units with good screens
A good Note 4 screen is AMAZINGLY good - if you have the pink screen issue, go through the hassle to get it replaced; you won't regret it
Some AT&T stores do provide warranty right on sight, for instance I work at one that doesn't have warranty on site but two hours away there is another AT&T that handles all warranty in store. And a one year manufactures warranty is just that, the manufacturer is responsible for the warranty, so you can go through samsung or you can go through att except for Apple products, anything past the 4s is handled by Apple exclusively. With that being said as long as you don't send a device with signs of phisical or water damage you won't be charged for warranty by either company. The nice thing if you're close to a service center is you can get a new phone same day, regardless of which way you go, att or sammy, if you mail it out expect to wait for a phone. Just remember, manufacturer does not mean att, verizon, sprint and t mobile are responsible for the issue, they will do an exchange by mail as a courtesy, not because they promise the device will work with no hardware faults. The only phones att takes responsibility for are the unbranded att phones we sell l, but again that's not in store, unless it's a service center, otherwise there is too much overhead to hold that much inventory reserved for warranty issues.
Here is a link where you can find device service centers for AT&T, its near lower down on the page and will list places by state http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB91429
It will download a pdf with the locations
thanitos said:
Some AT&T stores do provide warranty right on sight, for instance I work at one that doesn't have warranty on site but two hours away there is another AT&T that handles all warranty in store.
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QUESTION: Is this second store considered a "Device Service Center", or is it just a regular, retail AT&T storefront?
According to 1) the guy at my retail store 2) the first customer service phone rep and 3) the second customer service phone rep, only the Device Service Centers are able to do warranty service. Perhaps some are co-located with retail stores, but they were pretty clear to me that retail stores, per se, couldn't service warranty issues.
thanitos said:
Just remember, manufacturer does not mean att, verizon, sprint and t mobile are responsible for the issue, they will do an exchange by mail as a courtesy, not because they promise the device will work with no hardware faults.
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Understood. But, when I buy a drill from Home Depot, they don't send me to Hitachi for service when it breaks. They don't make me drive three states away to an authorized Home Depot service center to have it fixed. I go to the store where I bought it, with my receipt, and they fix or replace it. Same with my tablet from Best Buy, auto recall at the car dealer, rotten fruit from the grocery store, everything I buy from Amazon, even stuff from eBay where I haven't reached an amicable settlement with the seller. They all honor the manufacturers' warranties in-house, or provide equivalent service for the products they sell in the infrequent cases that they prove to be defective.
My concern with AT&T is that they don't have my back - especially as a small business owner. I buy a new phone - the most expensive phone that they had in the store, mind you - and as soon as they swipe my card, that store is out of the picture. Subsequently, I have to follow this Rube Goldberg process to fix the problem if something goes wrong 5 minutes later.
I re-read the insurance policy during this whole process, as well, and I have the same concerns there. I haven't been through the insurance claim process, so I can't say first-hand whether it's easy or hard. But, the language definitely doesn't give me the impression that I can just walk into the store where I bought the phone, pay my deductible, and walk out with a new one. Maybe I'm wrong; if you know how the insurance claim process works, I'd be interested in hearing about your first-hand experiences as an AT&T employee.
To conclude, don't take my preceding comments the wrong way. I'm not some hater; on the contrary, I've been an outspoken advocate of AT&T because they've treated me so well. I've had generally excellent experiences with AT&T over the years and, consequently, I've recommended AT&T to many, many friends, family, and colleagues. Based on this experience, though, I'm looking at switching carriers - certainly when my current AT&T NEXT term is up, and possibly before (U.S. Cellular has a deal right now where they'll pay off my existing contract. I had them previously and loved them as a carrier). Having a cool new phone and lots of LTE coverage is great, but what's most important to me is the security of knowing that when something goes wrong, it'll get fixed promptly. That wasn't the case this time, and I don't have confidence that AT&T will be there for me the next time.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to provide some feedback. Have a good day.
If you need to file a claim for insurance, it is done online or over the phone. You do not do in person at an att store.
I've done lots of warranty exchanges by mail with att over the last 13 years and I've never had an issue.
Honestly, I have AT&T and have had my a Note 4 replaced 2 times already. One due to charging just stopping at 35% and the other was a combo of the pink tinted screen and dead pixel in the top left. I went directly through Samsung. Their support is amazing. I went out and picked up a cheap ass Go Phone and activated that while Samsung had my devices. They even offer over night shipping if you want to pay for it. AT&T is just a horrible provider and I've only stuck with them since they were Cingular because they ALWAYS got the top brand phones. Now it seems T-Mobile and Sprint are getting the top brand phones more and more now so after this contract its time to say goodbye.
TL;DL
Always use Samsung warranty over AT&T warranty. More professional and less phonecalls/headaches.
DamageSource said:
I went directly through Samsung. Their support is amazing...Always use Samsung warranty over AT&T warranty. More professional and less phonecalls/headaches.
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I'm glad to hear that Samsung is this good about supporting their hardware. They're definitely not interested in hearing what customers have to say about their software (I have a thread on that topic somewhere around here). If this new Note 4 needs warranty service, I'll definitely call Samsung, in addition to AT&T, to see who has the better support option at that point in time. Honestly, I didn't even really consider calling Samsung for support this time around, because the phone was so new and I just assumed that AT&T would support the products that they sold in their stores.
From looking at the Samsung support site, they only have seven service centers in the whole U.S. I thought AT&T Device Support Centers were sparse, but I'd have to get on a plane to get to a Samsung one. All else being equal, I'd prefer to have in-person service for my devices. Especially for something like the pink screen issue - which drove me crazy, but that my wife could care less about - I think it's important to be able to demonstrate the problem to the service person face-to-face and explain how/why it impacts me. To that end:
QUESTION: Has anyone bought a phone from somewhere like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Costco, etc. and been able to get in-store warranty service/replacement?
I'm asking about service per the manufacturer warranty, not the type of paid extended warranty that Best Buy typically offers on their electronics (though the latter might be an alternative to the AT&T insurance). I'd actually stopped by the local BB to shop for the Note 4, but they said that they couldn't add it to my AT&T business account (despite my having called BB customer service first and confirming that my local store did service AT&T business accounts. Sigh...). Back to the point, I'd be interested in buying from a real store, with real product in-stock, who is willing to provide warranty service right from the retail location.
Anyway, I'm going to be upgrading another phone on this account soon, and I'm open to recommendations about where to buy the hardware (even if it means switching carriers). It probably won't be another Samsung, given the quality control issues I've had with both of my Galaxy products. But it might be. I'm open to alternatives. Thanks for your feedback.
mcmannion said:
QUESTION: Has anyone bought a phone from somewhere like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Costco, etc. and been able to get in-store warranty service/replacement?
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My brother only buys from Best Buy and he says that they replace the unit in store right there if it's in stock and if not you can go to an alternative location and pick it up if it's close by for you.
it is done online or over the phone. You do not do in person at an att store.
I can tell you from experience that Costco does replace phones. It is a 3rd party company that runs the phone kiosks in Costco warehouses and Costco themselves paid for a phone exchange for me because when I exchanged my S3 it was not on sale at the price it was on a Black Friday when I purchased it.
I have had AT&T phones for over 10 years & have exchanged defective units by phone/mail through AT&T too & never had a problem. AT&T normally sends a refurb rather than a new unit but as long as it works I'm satisfied.