Develop Bugs

[Q] May of hard bricked my phone?

Hey guy today I was planning on updating my gio to ics via galaxyics.com but before I did that I tried to backup my rom via rom manager and it went all wrong. After I hit the OK button my phone turned off and would not turn on via power button or charging (even removed the battery for 15minutes) I can't get it on at all. So if my knowledge is correct is this not hard bricking and how could I fix it. I no it won't be easy but what if I flashed my phones internal memory somehow and reloaded android to it. Would that work? Other options please help. If nothing works btw how much do you think i could get for it on eBay or something (maybe as parts)?

Take it to service center, they will fix it for free as long as you say you didn't root it. Sorry man, but this is the same hard brick i got a couple of months ago
Sent from my GT-S5660

If you own a Gio, don't install ROM Manager on it - you have a better chance bricking your phone than doing anything useful with it.

iok1 said:
Take it to service center, they will fix it for free as long as you say you didn't root it. Sorry man, but this is the same hard brick i got a couple of months ago
Sent from my GT-S5660
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Click to collapse
What do you mean by service center I bought my phone off of kijiji so its not under warranty or anything to that effect?

alpacino2368 said:
What do you mean by service center I bought my phone off of kijiji so its not under warranty or anything to that effect?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then, try to get into download mode. If you are not able to, you have to pay in service
Na szczęście jest TapaTalk

wojte267 said:
Then, try to get into download mode. If you are not able to, you have to pay in service
Na szczęście jest TapaTalk
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Click to collapse
Ya I'm gonna try to get it into download again when I get home but I wasn't having any luck prior but what would they do if I sent it away in comparison to what I can do at home.

Last time i used rom manager nothing worked, downloadmode, recovery, booting. Give up this thing needs to be repaired there is nothing you can do.
Sent from my GT-S5660

Alpacino: they would in all likelihood change the motherboard.
If you're in the Montreal area there is an authorized Samsung service centre near the 40 and Cavendish, it's called Service Absolut. I would suggest you take your phone there. You might even be able to wait while they repair it.
As per my experience and this thread you will need some proof of purchase though to get warranty service.
Good luck,
Darkshado

Got the same brick. It worked only after they've changed its motherboard!

Darkshado said:
Alpacino: they would in all likelihood change the motherboard.
If you're in the Montreal area there is an authorized Samsung service centre near the 40 and Cavendish, it's called Service Absolut. I would suggest you take your phone there. You might even be able to wait while they repair it.
As per my experience and this thread you will need some proof of purchase though to get warranty service.
Good luck,
Darkshado
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately I'm about 12 hours from Quebec but on the up side I found full schematics for tthe phone last night. Now I am curious to why you say the mother board as I assumed the boot pprocedures where stored on the internal memory of the phone hence why they got damaged not in the bios of the motherboard.How much you think a new board will run me?

Nothing with a bit of luck
Sent from my GT-S5660 using xda premium

The thread I linked to also has a Samsung phone number worth trying to get a shipping label for the service center (be it the one in Montreal or another, they have a few). And they shouldn't really care who your carrier is as long as you have a proof of purchase (even something with the original seller's name on it and note of some sort might work).

Wrong Rom: A Cautionary Tale

I'd like to share with you all my tale of rom flashing gone horribly wrong. It's really only important for 2 pieces of misinformation that I've seen kicking around the forums. First, the story.
I had already rooted my Telus Galaxy S3 (SGH-i747M), but was still running stock. I started looking around for compatible roms running JB, but didn't have much luck (finding ones that support the Canadian version is not easy). At the same time, I had to update and reset my old Galaxy S2 for a relative who was taking it off my hands. I found a JB rom that was available for both the S2 and S3, from the same dev. I decided to try both out, downloaded them and copied the respective files to the S2 and S3, but quickly realized that the S3 version didn't support my Canadian phone. No problem, I'll leave the S3 as rooted stock.
I proceeded to flash and install the rom on my S2. Everything seemed to be going fine until the first reboot after flashing. The phone appeared to be completely dead. I tried putting the phone into download mode but it was completely dead and would not even show signs that it was plugged into a power outlet. Then, horror. Both my S2 and S3 are in Otterbox Commuter cases. They look very similar. At 1 in the morning in a dimly lit room, they look identical.
Yes. Like an idiot, I had installed the incompatible S3 rom to my Canadian S3. I had, in fact, hard bricked my phone. I set aside my grief for 10 minutes and got the S2 done, as that was the original goal of this adventure. That worked fine. Of course.
For the next several hours and most of the following day, I searched and searched. I ended up on the posts talking about QHSUSB_DLOAD and how I'd screwed myself. No hope. Only option is either JTAG service or, and this brings me to misinformation #1, sending it back to Samsung. Why send a rooted and screwed phone back to Samsung? Well, the argument was that in all likeliness they wouldn't be able to tell and would probably just get it up and running anyway, perhaps with some nominal fee. Also, and here comes misinformation #2, there was a good chance that they would have to fix the problem in order to verify it.
Thankfully, in my only intelligent move in the last year, I had opted to choose the extra device protection offered by my carrier. Which meant, if it wasn't covered under warranty, I could get a brand new phone at a significantly reduced rate. But it did mean I had to send it in to Samsung first. And so, I walked into a carrier store and simply stated that it wouldn't power up. I neglected to mention the whole "I'm an idiot and accidentally installed an incompatible rom at 1AM". At the end of the day, they don't care anyway.
So I waited for almost 3 weeks before getting an update from my carrier. Samsung had looked at it and had a quote. I called the store to find out the cost. The phone needs a new mainboard. $350+ (I remember it being more than $350 but less than $400). Ah, no thank you. I politely declined and contacted the company providing the device protection. No problem, phone would be in my hands in 2-3 business days. I just need to send the damaged phone back when I get it from Samsung.
When the phone did get back from Samsung (within 24 hours, I might add), it came with a note to the carrier indicating that the phone had been rooted. The store manager actually made a good point too. If they were able to get it up and running to figure out it was rooted, why did it need a new mainboard? In all likeliness, they just wanted to teach me a $350+ lesson in voiding the warranty. So, what did I learn from this experience?
1) If you are rooting multiple phones, don't leave them all laying around in identical cases in a dimly lit room at 1AM.
2) Don't root phones in a dimly lit room at 1AM.
3) If you royally mess up your bootloader and it won't boot up, Samsung can still boot up that phone.
4) If that same phone is rooted, Samsung can not only tell, but ensure that the phone remains in it's screwed state for return.
5) They might just try and teach you a $350+ lesson; my guess is this ultimately depends on who looks at it (just like walking into an Apple store and walking out with a replacement, prior to Applecare+).
If anyone is curious why I didn't JTAG service the phone, it's simply because I can't afford to wait that long without a phone and the cost difference between JTAG and my device protection plan is not significant.

I think the are full of it.. I bet they did not even boot it up.

It would be possible for them to boot into download mode using a JTAG device, flash a working bootloader and at the very least load up a recovery environment terminal to check for root access. This is assuming of course they couldn't do this directly from their JTAG skipping having to fix the bootloader. Even so whats to stop them flashing a non working bootloader back to the device after they found what they are looking for. Not only would this not take very long, for the chance at turning 350 bucks work of profit vs a warranty fix im sure the techs are required to do this. This of course doesn't justify the obvious fact that a replacement motherboard is completely ridiculous. I'm of the opinion that it isn't right to cheat the manufacturers by getting warranty replacements on user created errors, however if they are attempting to gouge the end user instead of just charge them to fix the problem then i say all's fair. Lets face it, its not as if they don't take these warranty devices, especially the hard bricked ones, and simply fix the software, repackage and sell them again.

Exactly. I sent it in and fully expected some kind of charge, like labor, to get it working again. But not almost $400.

Yea, that is pretty lame. Its no different than a damaged led lens, which they charge the full LED assembly price of $175 instead of just fixing the problem. I just did this today on my phone for $20 and an hour or so of my time.

Wow that sucks. At least your other phone still works.
sent from my rooted galaxy 3.6

Noob question:
Did you use Triangle Away? If they can just boot up the device and find if you have root access, is the point of Triangle Away just aesthetics?

I think that is more or less an easy give away the uneducated rep at the sales counter can look for.

i must confess i've rooted my phone dozens of times, and i can say that over 80% of those were in the dark after midnight.

Yeah, me too. It only takes one mistake though ...

yes rooting is such another .apk on the phone and certainly does not void the hardware warranty... Obviouisly they should charge you for software issues which you did.. did you get the phone back and have someone else jtag and fix it?

No. I have to send it back in to the company I have device protection through. But I have a new S3 already. JTAG would probably work, but it would take too long and isn't much cheaper than getting the new one.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

And yeah your full of it lmao. I had a galaxy s3 that just stopped working after being left in charger a night. Took it.to a rsi (Samsung official customer service and service center here in dallas Texas) and they said the motherboard was ruined. And it was stock non rooted. And it was covered under warranty and they had to create a new imei for the phone. So $350? Yeah right
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

Sorry, I'm full of it? Your phone is non rooted, so your point is completely moot. Your phone legitimately died. Mine was screwed because of my own fault of flashing the wrong rom. There was and is nothing wrong with the motherboard on this phone. They were just trying to teach me a $350 lesson in rooting/voiding my warranty. But thanks for your insightful comment.

JTAG
bionemesis said:
Sorry, I'm full of it? Your phone is non rooted, so your point is completely moot. Your phone legitimately died. Mine was screwed because of my own fault of flashing the wrong rom. There was and is nothing wrong with the motherboard on this phone. They were just trying to teach me a $350 lesson in rooting/voiding my warranty. But thanks for your insightful comment.
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Click to collapse
happened to be last night,only option was to JTAG it so sent it to MTV Mobile Tech Videos,sucks ass....will se how long i am in Texas and sent it to Bryan Texas.Hopefully Get it back albeit in one piece by Wednesday Meanwhile i have no Phone.

This is not to offend anyone or cause a flamme war.
But I don't think people should be lying to Samsung or any carrier, that 1. Your phone isn't bricked/rooted and 2. That you have no idea of what's going on and it just wouldn't turn on.
You as a user should hold all responsibility for a bricked device. Should they charge you 400$? Damn right they should.
That's one of the many reasons why Samsung and many other carriers either ship their devices with locked bootloaders or don't release source code. And don't say the whole "I played 500$ for my phone I get to do what I want," yeah you're completely right. But let's say you're changing your cars oil and the person being the n00b that they are decides to mix synthetic oil and convention oil in the engine. Oh no you're screwed. You dont take your car to the dealership saying "I don't know what happened the engine just won't turn on," THEYRE GOING TO KNOW lol, and expect to get a free car or not get charged for your miss hap. C'mon. If you screw up at least be responsible to pay some kind of fee to get it fixed. I despise folks who "try to play the system" because of them phones will be locked down in the near future. Now its illegal to carrier unlock your device unless its paid for because of folks like that. I understand the OPs mistake. Yeah I've done it. But I paid to fix my mistake. Be responsible people. We're grown ups here. Same with flashing stuff. Do a little reading before you start a thread on how you "bricked your phone" but its really stuck in a boot loop.
Just my 2¢
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

I couldn't read all of that I must have a terrible attention span these days.
But I did read that you were with telus, not at&t; but of course its morally wrong to lie to at&t but the way I see it is I pay them $2000+ over the course of my contract for this phone and if I want to take advantage of their warranty system to save $300-400 (a small fraction of what they're making off of 1 customer) and try my best to get a free replacement you can bet your ass I will.

Heisenberg420 said:
I couldn't read all of that I must have a terrible attention span these days.
But I did read that you were with telus, not at&t; but of course its morally wrong to lie to at&t but the way I see it is I pay them $2000+ over the course of my contract for this phone and if I want to take advantage of their warranty system to save $300-400 (a small fraction of what they're making off of 1 customer) and try my best to get a free replacement you can bet your ass I will.
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Click to collapse
I see were you're getting at but you pay ATT for a service, not a phone. Those 300-400$ are for Samsung, which is different. They're kind of giving you a discount. Phone cost 700$ but they'll kindly replace it for 300$ they're being lenient about it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

bionemesis said:
If anyone is curious why I didn't JTAG service the phone, it's simply because I can't afford to wait that long without a phone and the cost difference between JTAG and my device protection plan is not significant.
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Click to collapse
JTAG costs $50 and has a two day return.

Did you try a jig to force the phone into download mode.?

[Q] The truth about being rooted and taking phone back to sprint for replacement.

I know the general consensus is that sprint wont help with bricks or replace a phone due to rooting/Modding issues... but are there any sprint employees on here who know of a loophole? I've heard some say that it is still covered in warranty. Any insight from those who have had experiences with this?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

mrush said:
I know the general consensus is that sprint wont help with bricks or replace a phone due to rooting/Modding issues... but are there any sprint employees on here who know of a loophole? I've heard some say that it is still covered in warranty. Any insight from those who have had experiences with this?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
They should not hold it against you. They are supposed to treat it as if it were stock, and follow the same procedure as any other phone that is having issues. Some techs / service centers think they are the " Gods of Stock phones" and may try to make a big deal of your "rooted" or "tampered" with device. If they do give you a hard time, just leave with your device and go to another repair center. I think in the grand scheme of things, the percentage of customers who actually root and mod their devices is very small. It would be wise of you to at least have the service and repair coverage on your phone before you go in for replacement though. If you need it added PM me for more info...

I have had great experience with Sprint Tech's some of which are very familiar with rooting and the XDA forum. So did you brick your phone? Maybe it can be saved. I soft bricked mine but was able to boot into recovery and flash a stock unrooted rom and was able to re-root.
Sent from the best phone on the planet, Apple take Note............

Next1776 said:
They should not hold it against you. They are supposed to treat it as if it were stock, and follow the same procedure as any other phone that is having issues. Some techs / service centers think they are the " Gods of Stock phones" and may try to make a big deal of your "rooted" or "tampered" with device. If they do give you a hard time, just leave with your device and go to another repair center. I think in the grand scheme of things, the percentage of customers who actually root and mod their devices is very small. It would be wise of you to at least have the service and repair coverage on your phone before you go in for replacement though. If you need it added PM me for more info...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^this
corporate policy states rooted phones are covered.
keep in mind this may not be the case at third party retailers and that any store manager can use their discretion to protect the company.....I.e. repeated hard bricks etc
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app

Next1776 said:
They should not hold it against you. They are supposed to treat it as if it were stock, and follow the same procedure as any other phone that is having issues. Some techs / service centers think they are the " Gods of Stock phones" and may try to make a big deal of your "rooted" or "tampered" with device. If they do give you a hard time, just leave with your device and go to another repair center. I think in the grand scheme of things, the percentage of customers who actually root and mod their devices is very small. It would be wise of you to at least have the service and repair coverage on your phone before you go in for replacement though. If you need it added PM me for more info...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't work too well if you only have one repair center for miles.
I usually just bring it back to them stock as that's all my repair center knows how to do anyways.
Sent from a little old Note 2

digiblur said:
Doesn't work too well if you only have one repair center for miles.
I usually just bring it back to them stock as that's all my repair center knows how to do anyways.
Sent from a little old Note 2
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if you have insurance and you know that they are going to give you a problem then your better off just smashing it, or run it over with your car. I bought my last phone at best buy and didn't have root on it just adw (Evo LTE). When the screen broke I brought it in and they gave me a hard time telling me that it was rooted and they don't cover rooted phones. He went out of his way to tell me that they do cover jail broke iphones though.. I then had to get his supervisor over and show her that it was not rooted and asked her if it was store policy to get there customers a hard time. 30 f n days later I got my phone back with a new screen.

ProCision said:
if you have insurance and you know that they are going to give you a problem then your better off just smashing it, or run it over with your car. I bought my last phone at best buy and didn't have root on it just adw (Evo LTE). When the screen broke I brought it in and they gave me a hard time telling me that it was rooted and they don't cover rooted phones. He went out of his way to tell me that they do cover jail broke iphones though.. I then had to get his supervisor over and show her that it was not rooted and asked her if it was store policy to get there customers a hard time. 30 f n days later I got my phone back with a new screen.
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Click to collapse
The insurance is very helpful, I've done this on multiple occasions. I just dont like to deal with them giving me a hard time
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

Nowadays when you deal with a broken phone you can just go online to Asurion cause they are the Insurance provider and they will ship you a refurbished phone and when you receive it you call them on the phone switch your IED # (or what ever it's called for Sprint since we dont have removable SIM cards) and then drop your busted one in the return shipping envelope and by then its done and you have your phone and it will just be shipped back to them to be disassembled. Then they will just try and salvage any parts they can for another refurbished device for another customer.

If its bricked ( as in won't boot up or similar) most techs won't know why, or how it got that way, so they should swap it out without a problem. Stock phones get bricked too. Recovering a bricked device can be time consuming and most likely a service center will not want, or have the knowledge, to take the time to save a device instead of exchanging it.
Running over or physically breaking your device and then doing an insurance claim through Sprints insurance provider (Asurion) is kind a silly thing to do (unless physical damage makes it necessary ) because you will be paying a deductible. A bricked non physically damaged unit can be swapped out at no charge if you have the Service and Repair coverage or TEP coverage.
JMHO...

Next1776 said:
If its bricked ( as in won't boot up or similar) most techs won't know why, or how it got that way, so they should swap it out without a problem. Stock phones get bricked too. Recovering a bricked device can be time consuming and most likely a service center will not want, or have the knowledge, to take the time to save a device instead of exchanging it.
Running over or physically breaking your device and then doing an insurance claim through Sprints insurance provider (Asurion) is kind a silly thing to do (unless physical damage makes it necessary ) because you will be paying a deductible. A bricked non physically damaged unit can be swapped out at no charge if you have the Service and Repair coverage or TEP coverage.
JMHO...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't recommending physically breaking it either. I was just saying that if you aren't a good talker and are afraid of facing someone and don't want to do a face to face then go through asurion. I wouldn't have a problem doing so, 85% of people who work in customer service either don't have the know how or the balls to tell someone they are wrong. You would be amazed what you can get from people with confidence.

Tw1sted247 said:
I wasn't recommending physically breaking it either. I was just saying that if you aren't a good talker and are afraid of facing someone and don't want to do a face to face then go through asurion. I wouldn't have a problem doing so, 85% of people who work in customer service either don't have the know how or the balls to tell someone they are wrong. You would be amazed what you can get from people with confidence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the problem I have with this is that physical damage claims through assurion require a deductable now. a hefty one on this phone.
when in doubt back up and unroot. it takes all of 5 minutes to do.
but as for the question at hand...they are supposed to be covered.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app

When I go into sprint I just simply unroot.. I did that with my epic 4G touch when I took it in.. Im trying to think how did the Rep even get my phone lol.. I just went in to get a note 2..But rooting came up and She was going on and on with how they don't cover rooted phones.. I was laughing inside due to the phone she was holding has been rooted so many times and it would be no way to tell
-TeaM VeNuM Like A Boss
-Galaxy Note II Edition

Direct from sprints Methods and Procedures
If the jailbreaking and modification are so extensive that the device cannot be used or triaged by the normal processes, then the device must be flagged as Red (Not Repairable) and are therefore not eligible for exchange.
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Click to collapse
Basically meaning that if you come in with a totally bricked non bootable device and the boot loader shows device as modified we aren't allowed to do anything.
If the device works and is just having issues they are supposed to flash the stock software back to the phone as a resolution before doing an exchange.

Darkendvoid88 said:
Direct from sprints Methods and Procedures
Basically meaning that if you come in with a totally bricked non bootable device and the boot loader shows device as modified we aren't allowed to do anything.
If the device works and is just having issues they are supposed to flash the stock software back to the phone as a resolution before doing an exchange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
interesting. I dont recall seeing that part previously.
of course though if a device doesn't boot...there really is no way to tell if it was rooted
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app

00mred00 said:
interesting. I dont recall seeing that part previously.
of course though if a device doesn't boot...there really is no way to tell if it was rooted
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe maybe not...it seems we may have spyware on our vanillaish devices...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2015149
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

00mred00 said:
the problem I have with this is that physical damage claims through assurion require a deductable now. a hefty one on this phone.
when in doubt back up and unroot. it takes all of 5 minutes to do.
but as for the question at hand...they are supposed to be covered.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just asking did you even read THE VERY FIRST sentence of the post you quoted? I stated that I was NOT recommending to physically break it. Then you proceed to quote the post and say the problem you have with the stated method is physical damage claims have a deductible... ?

I've taken obviously rooted phones for repair and never had any issues. Matter of fact on a couple of occasions I was asked for help with rooting.
Sent from my NOTEworthy smartphone

Sprint will not provide support for phones that are rooted or running 3rd party software (roms). That is to say that if you are having issues with data, apps or such and running a rooted rom you will be required to return the phone to stock before any is performed. They Justdon't havethe resources to support every software variety out there. That's not to say that mechanical failure is no longer covered. I do still recommend returning a phone to stock before bringing it into a repair center regardless of the issue. If this seems like too much trouble then perhaps rooting and customizing is not for you.
iPhones are a whole different animal however and any jail broken iPhone is no longer covered and employees have been instructed to flag the device. This is due to Apple.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

ProCision said:
if you have insurance and you know that they are going to give you a problem then your better off just smashing it, or run it over with your car. I bought my last phone at best buy and didn't have root on it just adw (Evo LTE). When the screen broke I brought it in and they gave me a hard time telling me that it was rooted and they don't cover rooted phones. He went out of his way to tell me that they do cover jail broke iphones though.. I then had to get his supervisor over and show her that it was not rooted and asked her if it was store policy to get there customers a hard time. 30 f n days later I got my phone back with a new screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best who? Never... Oh wait. That's the store, the mobile dept specifically, that I have vowed to never spend another dime in. Treated like trash twice... Not again.
Sent from a little old Note 2

Tw1sted247 said:
Just asking did you even read THE VERY FIRST sentence of the post you quoted? I stated that I was NOT recommending to physically break it. Then you proceed to quote the post and say the problem you have with the stated method is physical damage claims have a deductible... ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you made reference to a broken screen and to asurion ...deductible applies
all I am saying
schale01....the information you are posting is incorrect in regards to corporate repair stores. the policy was chamged last year to cover rooted phones
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Getting screwed by Samsung. What are my options?

I bought a Note 2 off eBay. It was in perfect condition, it had no problems. Lately my phone has been getting really really hot. One day I had it charging overnight, that night the weather dropped and when I picked it up the next day I noticed a line across the top of the screen. I didn't understand how this could of happened since I never drop my phone and I usually keep it in the case and holder combo. I could only assume the overheating caused it.
I contacted Samsung Support and told the rep what happened. He said that it was probably the battery that caused it and said an overheating issue would allow it to be repaired under warranty. I sent it in and never received any status alerts (like I was told I would) about the phone. I checked today and it said it's been on hold because "Customer didn't acceept the payment". I was furious. Payment for what??? "PHONE IS OOW BY CONDITION, THE LCD IS DAMAGED, NEEDS PAYMENT."
I called to see what's going on and the agent kept giving me the same scripted response of "the phone was damaged, any damage voids the warranty". I told him the issue and he kept telling me "I can't speculate on the condition of your phone sir. It is not in front of me. Your warranty is voided. It will cost $191.60 to repair your phone". I told him I wanted to speak with his supervisor. He said "He will say the same thing sir. Your warranty is voided. It will cost $191.60 to repair your phone". I said "Ok, I still want to speak with your supervisor". He said Ok, then put me on hold for 15 mins. Then the line went dead.
Is there anything else I can do, or am I SOL?

when you buy cheap used phones on Ebay, you never know what is really going on with them; obviously, yours had issues that didnt show up right away..
I dont think Samsungs warranty extends to subsequent users after the original owner...
Dont expect perfection when you buy used phones on ebay..

Hopefully this will help you in the future.
Saiyan26 said:
I bought a Note 2 off eBay. It was in perfect condition, it had no problems. Lately my phone has been getting really really hot. One day I had it charging overnight, that night the weather dropped and when I picked it up the next day I noticed a line across the top of the screen. I didn't understand how this could of happened since I never drop my phone and I usually keep it in the case and holder combo. I could only assume the overheating caused it.
I contacted Samsung Support and told the rep what happened. He said that it was probably the battery that caused it and said an overheating issue would allow it to be repaired under warranty. I sent it in and never received any status alerts (like I was told I would) about the phone. I checked today and it said it's been on hold because "Customer didn't acceept the payment". I was furious. Payment for what??? "PHONE IS OOW BY CONDITION, THE LCD IS DAMAGED, NEEDS PAYMENT."
I called to see what's going on and the agent kept giving me the same scripted response of "the phone was damaged, any damage voids the warranty". I told him the issue and he kept telling me "I can't speculate on the condition of your phone sir. It is not in front of me. Your warranty is voided. It will cost $191.60 to repair your phone". I told him I wanted to speak with his supervisor. He said "He will say the same thing sir. Your warranty is voided. It will cost $191.60 to repair your phone". I said "Ok, I still want to speak with your supervisor". He said Ok, then put me on hold for 15 mins. Then the line went dead.
Is there anything else I can do, or am I SOL?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be SOL this time. Next time you ship anything to anyone for repair, take extensive photographs of the items before shipment. I had a rep from Seagate try to tell me that a drive I pulled from a server for RMA replacement was void because "all of the screws" were missing. This was of course complete BS, and when I sent them the photos of the drive before I shipped it and when they sent it back unrepaired, they changed their tune. They sent me a prepaid box to ship the drive back to them and replaced it without further question.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone dropped your phone or damaged it in shipping and now they are passing the costs onto you. Ask for photos of the alleged "LCD damage".
Good luck,
Mike

mcapozzi said:
You may be SOL this time. Next time you ship anything to anyone for repair, take extensive photographs of the items before shipment. I had a rep from Seagate try to tell me that a drive I pulled from a server for RMA replacement was void because "all of the screws" were missing. This was of course complete BS, and when I sent them the photos of the drive before I shipped it and when they sent it back unrepaired, they changed their tune. They sent me a prepaid box to ship the drive back to them and replaced it without further question.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone dropped your phone or damaged it in shipping and now they are passing the costs onto you. Ask for photos of the alleged "LCD damage".
Good luck,
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I actually did take photos of the screen. How would I request them to take photos? I have no contact info for this "repair center". They never contacted me, if I didn't call the call center I wouldn't have even known where my phone was. I think my biggest problem with this is that I've been given zero information about my phone and I just have to take this outsourced rep's word that I broke my phone and I need to pay them.
wase4711 said:
when you buy cheap used phones on Ebay, you never know what is really going on with them; obviously, yours had issues that didnt show up right away..
I dont think Samsungs warranty extends to subsequent users after the original owner...
Dont expect perfection when you buy used phones on ebay..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone was basically new. Samsung told me the warranty started the month I got it. It wasn't registered to anyone, I didn't even register it until I first called.

From my experience from working for customer care for the mobile industry; dont ever count on warranty to fix your issue. Insurance works better, but they can screw you over with that as well. Even if its not damaged...

Samsung said:
the phone was damaged, any damage voids the warranty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So basicly that means there is no warranty...

I have called samsung in the past also and had issues with there customer service for mobile devices over the stupied usb plug that just pops out, that i just ended up throwing away and buying my own. Sorry to hear about your issues but I would request if they could just ship the phone back to you and you'll fix your self because all there going to do is fix the screen and not do anything with the overheating.

Regardless of the outcome. ..the story holds true. ..
Samsung gets bad or broken devices pushed to them every second of every day. ..
These devices are turned in under warranty and are clearly "NOT" a warranty issue. ..
Then people get mad for having to pay in getting the device fixed..
Now don't get me wrong. ..I'm no sammy fanboy....and absolutely sympathize with your situation. ..but honestly. ..
Those techs know what to look for when finding damaged device's. ..
And when they put the device through it's paces on the test bench. ..the truth pops up...
Battery was clearly not the issue. ..and the display was...
And it's very likely that the person selling the phone on ebay knew it too...
You are a victim of a shady deal. ..
And yes. ..you have an option. ..sadly it's $191 and change to exercise it...
Not your fault. ..and not Samsung either. ..
The rip off that sold you a bad device is to blame. ..and owes you about $200 as I see it. ..
Buyer beware. ...g
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using XDA Premium HD app

gregsarg said:
Regardless of the outcome. ..the story holds true. ..
Samsung gets bad or broken devices pushed to them every second of every day. ..
These devices are turned in under warranty and are clearly "NOT" a warranty issue. ..
Then people get mad for having to pay in getting the device fixed..
Now don't get me wrong. ..I'm no sammy fanboy....and absolutely sympathize with your situation. ..but honestly. ..
Those techs know what to look for when finding damaged device's. ..
And when they put the device through it's paces on the test bench. ..the truth pops up...
Battery was clearly not the issue. ..and the display was...
And it's very likely that the person selling the phone on ebay knew it too...
You are a victim of a shady deal. ..
And yes. ..you have an option. ..sadly it's $191 and change to exercise it...
Not your fault. ..and not Samsung either. ..
The rip off that sold you a bad device is to blame. ..and owes you about $200 as I see it. ..
Buyer beware. ...g
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok let try some productive help. How long have you had the phone? Ebay covers the buyer for a period of time. Read there terms and conditions. So does paypal. Contact the seller dependi g on how long you had your phone. I sell used phones on ebay and I back my stuff I sell. So try those avenues of help. At the very least it doesnt hurt to try. Also you can pay the 191 then sell it online as refurbished or just sell it online for parts and buy a different phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll just call and have it sent back to me. Hopefully it doesn't comeback with more damage...

nthknd said:
Ok let try some productive help. How long have you had the phone? Ebay covers the buyer for a period of time. Read there terms and conditions. So does paypal. Contact the seller dependi g on how long you had your phone. I sell used phones on ebay and I back my stuff I sell. So try those avenues of help. At the very least it doesnt hurt to try. Also you can pay the 191 then sell it online as refurbished or just sell it online for parts and buy a different phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought in January. I just checked my eBay account, and surprise surprise now he's "No longer a registered user".

Saiyan26 said:
I bought in January. I just checked my eBay account, and surprise surprise now he's "No longer a registered user".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just an update:
I called my bank and I was told I could "possibly" be refunded due to the issue. I'm not really counting on it though. I also contacted Samsung again and was connected to a nice rep. He decided to escalate my issue to "advance technical support". The ATS rep said any LCD damage still voids the warranty, but because of the bad info I was originally given and the "unacceptable" lack of updates he could reduce the fee. He said he could drop it to $70, expedite the service, and also include a motherboard, processor, and battery replacement for free. It sounds like a good offer, but I'm wondering if they'd just say they replaced the parts, but really never touched them...

Saiyan26 said:
Just an update:
I called my bank and I was told I could "possibly" be refunded due to the issue. I'm not really counting on it though. I also contacted Samsung again and was connected to a nice rep. He decided to escalate my issue to "advance technical support". The ATS rep said any LCD damage still voids the warranty, but because of the bad info I was originally given and the "unacceptable" lack of updates he could reduce the fee. He said he could drop it to $70, expedite the service, and also include a motherboard, processor, and battery replacement for free. It sounds like a good offer, but I'm wondering if they'd just say they replaced the parts, but really never touched them...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a good deal take Samsung up on offer fast

sling said:
Thats a good deal take Samsung up on offer fast
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 take them on their offer. Oh ya another thing check your paypal account for the address of the filthy scum who sold you the phone, take matters into your own hands, I would HUNT him DOWN!

Knight-Rider said:
+1 take them on their offer. Oh ya another thing check your paypal account for the address of the filthy scum who sold you the phone, take matters into your own hands, I would HUNT him DOWN!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ARGH!!!!
I just called Samsung again and asked to speak to ATS so I can pay for the repair. I told the woman the issue and she read all the notes from the beginning. Now she is telling me this is definitely a warranty issue regardless of LCD damage. She said when phones arrive first they take them apart before they do any investigations into the problems. Apparently it was written off as "out of warranty" because of the LCD damage without even looking for the cause. She told me not pay for repairs and that she added extra notes to escalate this to the warranty department. Unfortunately it was closed, so she told me to call back on Monday and they will transfer me there.

Good lord sammy sucks. How is it that companies can achieve these marvelous pieces of engineering every couple of years yet they can't give you the same story when you call them on the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

The plot thickens....
Companies get so big they become ineffective...at doing anything well...g
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using XDA Premium HD app

So I called today and explained again what happened. This time I was told there is no warranty department and that ATS is capable of solving my problem. He told me because I sent it in expecting it to be a free repair, I was never given any status updates, I was given misinformation several times, and this has been such a long drawn out ordeal, he waived the $70. So now they're expediting the repair, replacing the screen, motherboard, processor and battery free of charge. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that this will be the end of it. I'll update once my phone is back in my hands.

I wouldn't count on it. They prolly just want you off the phone

And when it comes back repaired you will have a warranty on their work.

Story of my S3's Broken Power Button

Copying from my post on reddit, need to vent this out.
I woke up after a nap one day and noticed that my S3 was turned off. I turned it back on and went back to sleep, but woke again to notice that it still wasn't on. I tried going into recovery and doing a factory reset, but it had trouble turning on. When I finally was able to, and get it to turn on, it'd turn off again. After a bunch of troubleshooting, I realized that the power button was faulty, and wasn't physically stuck, but sometimes acted as if it was depressed. After a few taps with a pen, it sort of got better. Now, the button was just very sensitive. Just a light touch on the power button would translate into a press, but still sometimes stayed in a non-physical depressed state.
And here's where I made my mistake:
I opened the phone to look at the power button.
I sent it in for repair because it was still covered under warranty, and when talking to a representative to request a repair, they told me
We will bring the handset in for evaluation, and the repair technician will determine if the cause of damage is due to defect or an external source. If a defect is found due to external source, you will receive an email with the option to pay for repair. If the damage is not caused by external source, the device will be repaired Under Warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if it's not covered under warranty, they'll ask if I wanna pay, right? That's what I took from it. In the end, a technician concluded that the phone needed a replaced component (which the representatives and I concluded would be the power button) but discovered that my phone had been opened because a pad was lifted from the I/F connector, so they shipped it back. No e-mail or anything. I would've liked to pay for the repair, but they didn't allow me to. I talked to a representative and she said that if the device was opened by me, that they wouldn't repair it. I guess if a repair isn't covered under warranty, I can pay, UNLESS I opened the device myself. So now, I'm unfortunately phoneless and can't afford a new phone. Bummer :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Contacted the live chat again today and they told me that the cost of the repair would exceed the value of the device. It's a power button replacement, which I'm sure others have had performed by Samsung; they didn't just get a new device. Going to call voice support and see if I can convince them to let me pay for a repair.
Update: 11/12/13 Device came back with the power button repaired but the charger port isn't working
Update: 11/13/13 On hold for a supervisor. The representative was telling me it's a problem that may be the result that appears after damage.
Update: Later 11/13/13 After 1 hour and 36 minutes of working my way up the ranks, I was able to get to the Executive supervisor and they lifted the "unrepairable" status on my device, and asked me to send it in for a motherboard replacement. The repair service is gonna be expedited to a 3-day repair too, so hopefully I'll be up and running again soon. Everything went better than expected, and the supervisors were really helpful.
As of now consider my issue solved!

Have you contacted Tmobile about this?
If you have insurance you won't have a problem exchanging it.
Powered by the SGSIII

I had the same problem with mine. Contacted their chat support and was instructed to perform a full reset. I was then told to contact their phone support if the problem persists which it did. The whole process of getting my phone RMA'd was pretty quick and they confirmed that it was a defect and indeed covered by warranty. Here's the email:
Dear,
Thank you for your patience.
Your product was shipped on 9/21/2013 at 9:00 AM EST.
Service Ticket Number:
Ship Company: UPS
Tracking Number:
Serial number:
Please view additional information below for more details.
Original Problem:
INSTALLATION - KEYPAD / SIDE KEYS / FRONT KEYS - BUTTONS NOT WORKING
Problem found:
AUTO POWER ON WITH BATTERY
Solution:
REPLACED COMPONENT
If you have any additional questions, please call us at 1-888-987-4357 and reference Ticket Number:.
Thank you.
Samsung Electronics America

I had the same problem, I shipped my phone to texas to a person on Ebay and got it back in about a week. The phone has been working perfectly since and has been about 1.5-2 months. I'll attach the link if you want to use this route, it cost $30 plus shipping both ways. He's honest and quick. He doesn't seem to have the S3 power button listed anymore but I linked the profile instead. Maybe you can message him and see if he still does it.
http://www.ebay.com/usr/nto1566

ThC23 said:
Have you contacted Tmobile about this?
If you have insurance you won't have a problem exchanging it.
Powered by the SGSIII
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have. Unfortunately, I don't have insurance and my warranty with T-Mobile has expired.
kulzboy said:
I had the same problem with mine. Contacted their chat support and was instructed to perform a full reset. I was then told to contact their phone support if the problem persists which it did. The whole process of getting my phone RMA'd was pretty quick and they confirmed that it was a defect and indeed covered by warranty. Here's the email:
Dear,
Thank you for your patience.
Your product was shipped on 9/21/2013 at 9:00 AM EST.
Service Ticket Number:
Ship Company: UPS
Tracking Number:
Serial number:
Please view additional information below for more details.
Original Problem:
INSTALLATION - KEYPAD / SIDE KEYS / FRONT KEYS - BUTTONS NOT WORKING
Problem found:
AUTO POWER ON WITH BATTERY
Solution:
REPLACED COMPONENT
If you have any additional questions, please call us at 1-888-987-4357 and reference Ticket Number:.
Thank you.
Samsung Electronics America
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thanks for that information. The repair should be covered under warranty, but because I opened the device, they won't repair it. Still working on finding out if they'll allow me to pay for a repair. Thanks for this though. They told me the repair would cost more than the device, and maybe this would be evidence that it in fact isn't.
aamir123 said:
I had the same problem, I shipped my phone to texas to a person on Ebay and got it back in about a week. The phone has been working perfectly since and has been about 1.5-2 months. I'll attach the link if you want to use this route, it cost $30 plus shipping both ways. He's honest and quick. He doesn't seem to have the S3 power button listed anymore but I linked the profile instead. Maybe you can message him and see if he still does it.
http://www.ebay.com/usr/nto1566
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That actually sounds like a really viable option. I was looking into local repair shops, but I think I may just have to give this guy a look. Really appreciate it!

Local guys usually don't do this job because it requires taking soldering off the motherboard and soldering a new piece on, very delicate work that requires expertise. If this guy doesn't do it then I would message doc holiday he referenced another more well known site that I can't recall and they charge a lil more but they will fix for sure. And they have a great reputation on xda. Keep us updated, I know the feeling it sucks. In the mean time you can tap on the power button when starting phone and that should alleviate the problem temporarily. Arty least you can get into phone this way.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

I don't know for sure if they do repairs like this or not. I had always suggested them for brick repair before KAsp3rd came along.
Mobiletechvideos.com is who it was.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

DocHoliday77 said:
I don't know for sure if they do repairs like this or not. I had always suggested them for brick repair before KAsp3rd came along.
Mobiletechvideos.com is who it was.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes they do, I checked when I was looking for a solution for my problem. It was just a lil more expensive.

Good to know, thanks! @OP, mobiletechvideos.com does have a good reputation around here. Many have used them for S3 brick repairs.
But to be fair, from what I've seen of other, similar places, they usually all will offer much the same where quality is concerned. Most of them are probably xda members, and like most of us would not intentionally provide less than great service.
These are usually very small businesses, often run by a single owner, and are just trying to make a living at what they love! Of course some may be snakes and out to defraud you, so just be vigilant in checking reviews.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

aamir123 said:
Local guys usually don't do this job because it requires taking soldering off the motherboard and soldering a new piece on, very delicate work that requires expertise. If this guy doesn't do it then I would message doc holiday he referenced another more well known site that I can't recall and they charge a lil more but they will fix for sure. And they have a great reputation on xda. Keep us updated, I know the feeling it sucks. In the mean time you can tap on the power button when starting phone and that should alleviate the problem temporarily. Arty least you can get into phone this way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually found one local repair shop that does the repair for about 50 dollars, which I was considering. Otherwise it's this other eBay seller I'm looking at, whose reviews don't seem that bad. It'd most likely be this eBay seller, or the local shop, because if I decide to go with DocHoliday's recommendation, it'd be around the same price as my local shop due to shipping.
I'll be sure to update. I've used that solution, but it's actually VERY temporary. Sometimes the button "gets stuck" in the depressed state, even with little contact, and turns off :/
DocHoliday77 said:
Good to know, thanks! @OP, mobiletechvideos.com does have a good reputation around here. Many have used them for S3 brick repairs.
But to be fair, from what I've seen of other, similar places, they usually all will offer much the same where quality is concerned. Most of them are probably xda members, and like most of us would not intentionally provide less than great service.
These are usually very small businesses, often run by a single owner, and are just trying to make a living at what they love! Of course some may be snakes and out to defraud you, so just be vigilant in checking reviews.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the recommendation. Mobiletechvideos.com seems to charge for shipping TO them, so it may add up to around the same price as a local repair shop. So I'll most likely be using the local repair shop or this other eBay seller. Money's tight for me, so I may resort to the eBay seller, who seems to have good reviews. I really appreciate the advice though.

I had this problem with both my Galaxy S2's Hercules and skyrocket, using the information in this thread fixed it without having to pay. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1931310
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Idk about that seller, he has many good reviews but some bad ones as well. also actually expects an average consumer to take their motherboard out themselves and ship it to them? I would go local if I were you but your choice.

I go local as well. Easier to hold them accountable for their work. And imo is easier to trust them when you can see them face to face.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

Same problem this week
I experienced the same thing with my galaxy s3. It started in October but was not too bad because my case helped ease the problem. Anyways I called T-mobile and they are sending me a new one free of charge.

I just bought a tmo gs3 off of cl that had the depressed button problem. Take the battery out and put it back in and the phone boots without even touching the power button. I took it apart and hit the internal button with some electrical contact cleaner but it didn't help. So I took it apart again and got out the Dremel with a small fine grinding wheel. I took about 2 mm off the internal button.. Problem solved...
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

So a big update guys..
I received my phone back, and expected it to be in the same condition that I sent it in. On the repair statement in the box, it states that the phone is beyond repair and that the fail description is "GROSS ELECTROMECH DAMAGE-ABUSE". The odd thing is that my phone button works, when I thought they hadn't performed any repair at all. But now, my phone won't charge and won't be detected by the computer. I took the cable I was using and tried it with my old Samsung Moment, and it operates just fine. Before I sent it in for repairs, the USB port was operating just fine. I know this because right before I sent it in, I had to unroot it and flash it with a stock rom from Odin. The port was operating fine when I had sent it in.
Now, I'm wondering if they did perform a repair. In the repair logs, one technician says "SOLUTION: Replaced Component". This technician also notes that it came with damage on the sides.
The NEXT day, the log says that the unit did not pass the quality assurance check during the PBA inspection, that a pad was lifted on the I/F connector, and that the unit was beyond economical repair.
I feel like during the PBA inspection, they noticed that the USB port wasn't operating correctly, and then stated that it was B.E.R. I'm completely sure that the port was operating correctly prior to shipping it to them.
What's confused me this whole time was whether or not the power button was repaired or not, because the log later says it was B.E.R., so I was never sure. I plan to call them and find out, and if they DID indeed repair it, I feel as though this charging port issue was under their hands, because it was operating correctly when I shipped it.
I was happy that the power button seemingly magically cured itself, but now I'm irritated that the charging port is broken, which I feel like wasn't a fault on my end.
Here's the repair logs, with the last names censored:
*11/08/2013//14:49:43//0001773863//Telephone//ASC*
11/8/2013 1:48 PM-Selene Hxxxxxx: The unit is shipped.
*11/08/2013//12:21:44//0001773863//Telephone//ASC*
11/8/2013 11:21 AM-PBA Inspection: The unit has left the technician. SOLUTION: BER
*11/08/2013//12:19:30//0001773863//Telephone//ASC*
Pad lifted on the I/F connector
*11/08/2013//12:16:55//0001773863//Telephone//ASC*
11/8/2013 11:16 AM-PBA Inspection: The Unit did not pass Quality Assurance Check.
*11/07/2013//16:35:34//0001773863//Telephone//ASC*
Came with damage on the sides.
*11/07/2013//16:35:34//0001773863//Telephone//ASC*
11/7/2013 3:34 PM-Danny Cxxxxx: The unit has left the technician. SOLUTION: Replaced Component
*11/07/2013//12:35:36//0001773863//Telephone//ASC*
11/7/2013 11:34 AM-Karina Dxxxxxx: The unit has been received. Pack Condition: Fair Packaging (Box & Cushion)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

lilmatt429 said:
Copying from my post on reddit, need to vent this out.
Contacted the live chat again today and they told me that the cost of the repair would exceed the value of the device. It's a power button replacement, which I'm sure others have had performed by Samsung; they didn't just get a new device. Going to call voice support and see if I can convince them to let me pay for a repair.
Update: 11/12/13 Device came back with the power button repaired but the charger port isn't working
Update: 11/13/13 On hold for a supervisor. The representative was telling me it's a problem that may be the result that appears after damage.
Update: Later 11/13/13 After 1 hour and 36 minutes of working my way up the ranks, I was able to get to the Executive supervisor and they lifted the "unrepairable" status on my device, and asked me to send it in for a motherboard replacement. The repair service is gonna be expedited to a 3-day repair too, so hopefully I'll be up and running again soon. Everything went better than expected, and the supervisors were really helpful.
As of now consider my issue solved!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did You The Warranty Break Because I Got A Friend With The Same Problem

The guy I mentioned above re listed the s3, I will be using him for my friends s3
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

NitroGEEK said:
Did You The Warranty Break Because I Got A Friend With The Same Problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Warranty covered it. The device has been opened, but they didn't mention anything about it. I also reset the flash counter with TriangleAway and flashed to stock rom.

enter recovery without using power switch?
so as my S3 power switch is also damage and i flashed a fr=irmware on it, now its on boot loop and i need to do some wipe data and all that , but my power switch of my s3 is broken.... is there a way to enter recovery on bootloop witout using the power switch ?