[Q] Is it illegal? - Wildfire Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Is it illegal to change your ROM, recovery, root your phone and such? Can you get in jail or fined for doing it?

lol not at all, Android is open source, which let's you do whatever you want with it.

Quick answer is nope. A lot of Americans took this issue to court with apple over jailbreaking there iPhone's. courts ruled that since we buy our phones we fully own them can put on what we like, as long as we own it. eg, android is open source so we can port and flash all the roms we like. But, we couldn't port apple os or windows phone as you need a license to own and use it. understand?
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using Tapatalk 2

So if I bring my phone at a repair centre they won't mind that its rooted?

Georgi166 said:
So if I bring my phone at a repair centre they won't mind that its rooted?
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If your phone was under warranty then they wont let you claim it,it was already void since you rooted your phone.just that,they wont mind except that.

You certainly will lose your warranty nothing more
Sent from my HTC Desire S using xda app-developers app

If it was illegal then the whole of xda would have been banned. The only thing that happens is the warranty is void.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Related

Need a repair but I unlocked the bootloader

Hello,
I need a repair for my HTC One X but I've unlocked the bootloader. So my.repair will not be under warranty. Any solutions to fix it? Thnx.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
Anybody?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
Depends on what the problem is. They may determine it was caused by whatever you did.
My USB port stopped working for charging or anything else and I had an unlocked bootloader with a custom rom and they didn't say anything to me about it.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
What kind of repair? I guess if it's hardware related, you should get it repaired for free, although you might need to raise your voice a little.
My WiFi is not working and the case is cracking. So do i have to relock it?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
Good luck if you are in the UK... I tried sending mine back for repair but was sent straight back to me due to it being relocked. After a few heated conversations and the issue being esculated I was told that "even if the volume button fell off, it would be out of warranty" because "illegal software" had been installed. Absolutely ridiculous I know and I'm sure not even legal, (against statuary rights).. I have to read up get some info and advice before confronting them again...
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda app-developers app
stout0_0 said:
Good luck if you are in the UK... I tried sending mine back for repair but was sent straight back to me due to it being relocked. After a few heated conversations and the issue being esculated I was told that "even if the volume button fell off, it would be out of warranty" because "illegal software" had been installed. Absolutely ridiculous I know and I'm sure not even legal, (against statuary rights).. I have to read up get some info and advice before confronting them again...
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda app-developers app
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So, if you unlock it but it is clean, wiped every software you added, there would be no problem?
Nope, that is exactly what I did.. cleaned wiped fresh official stock ruu installed.. intact if I'm not mistaken its not possible to relock without stock Rom cleanly installed..
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda app-developers app
stout0_0 said:
Nope, that is exactly what I did.. cleaned wiped fresh official stock ruu installed.. intact if I'm not mistaken its not possible to relock without stock Rom cleanly installed..
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda app-developers app
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So if the law says that you lost your guarantee because you installed illegal software and HTC uses that to deny you the guarantee, but they can't prove it, you would win in the court.
That's the thing, I was told that because I used third party software to unlock it (they class HTCdev as third party) that voided the warranty.. when they say "illegal" software it isn't actually illegal in the eyes of the law, just htc call it illegal because HTC will void the warranty...
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda app-developers app
The minute that you go onto HTCDev, click the agreement and then flash it as per instructions is where you waive your rights to any repair within the warranty period. It seems that sometimes they will still repair it regardless (depending on the actual problem) but I'm not prepared to make that gamble just yet. I had a Desire prior to my One X and regularly flashed rom's on this since almost day 1 of getting as I knew that it could be returned to the state that I bought it in for warranty purposes. I'm not going to attempt to root the One X until I'm close to the end of its warranty period as I'm seeing far too many people having problems with them
stout0_0 said:
Good luck if you are in the UK... I tried sending mine back for repair but was sent straight back to me due to it being relocked. After a few heated conversations and the issue being esculated I was told that "even if the volume button fell off, it would be out of warranty" because "illegal software" had been installed. Absolutely ridiculous I know and I'm sure not even legal, (against statuary rights).. I have to read up get some info and advice before confronting them again...
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Click to collapse
Consumer rights are very strong in the UK, HTC are perfectly within their right to deny you warranty, but on top of that, you have statutory rights. Those rights are with the retailer, not HTC.

rooting then unrooting

So i got my phone today and i was talking to this well known worker at sprint and i asked him if i were to root my phone and then unroot it will my warranty be voided or it wouldn't? he told me something and i forgot it but i dont remeber so does it or not?
No it does not. Sprint cannot deny you warranty if u rooted your phone. Its always better though to unroot before u take it in though
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
musclehead84 said:
No it does not. Sprint cannot deny you warranty if u rooted your phone. Its always better though to unroot before u take it in though
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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so even if im paying 11 extra buks they cant right? and thnks ima doo that root and then unroot if anything happens

T-Mobile Warranty and how to not void it

I called T-Mobile asking what voids a warranty and the lady told me that I can do anything I want to my phone and it doesn't void the warranty! As long as it isn't physical or liquid damage.
I think that's pretty cool because from what I've read, doing anything like that to your phone voids your warranty.
Diumlol said:
I called T-Mobile asking what voids a warranty and the lady told me that I can do anything I want to my phone and it doesn't void the warranty! As long as it isn't physical or liquid damage.
I think that's pretty cool because from what I've read, doing anything like that to your phone voids your warranty.
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Well, she may had not been aware, but rooting your phone and installing custom roms also voids your warranty
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
yeah, probably.
too good to be true hehe
Custom ROMs.. rooting voids warranty... physical damage, lost, stolen, water damage is all covered
Under warranty.. I believe $130.. since assurion handles those this now.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
Warranty covers only things that are defective, like screen dieing or speakers going out things like that...
Damage and water damage cracked screen and things like that are covered ONLY if you pay for insurance .. and its a 130$
Rooting will VOID your warranty but won't affect insurance ..
Also, don't listen to T-Mobile reps... they don't know much and will steer you wrong.
PJcastaldo said:
Warranty covers only things that are defective, like screen dieing or speakers going out things like that...
Damage and water damage cracked screen and things like that are covered ONLY if you pay for insurance .. and its a 130$
Rooting will VOID your warranty but won't affect insurance ..
Also, don't listen to T-Mobile reps... they don't know much and will steer you wrong.
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I thought there was something on XDA TV about how these big companies wanna act like rooting voids your warranty but if call them and know what your talking about then they would have to complete a warranty repair. It's a episode from a few months back. Look it up. Good stuff.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
This is true. I bricked my phone because of a custom ROM that was not built correctly. I luckily had warranty still on it and they sent me a brand new one FREE OF CHARGE!!
if you get the 8 dollar plan, physical damage and water damage is eh. I think it's an amazing deal, does anyone not agree?
If you have that plan and do mess something up, you could always run it over with your car (or something a little more civil)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
tickerman said:
This is true. I bricked my phone because of a custom ROM that was not built correctly. I luckily had warranty still on it and they sent me a brand new one FREE OF CHARGE!!
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Do you have an insurance, or just a regular warranty. Did you call Tmobile or samsung?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
or just 15 sec in microwave.
tickerman said:
This is true. I bricked my phone because of a custom ROM that was not built correctly. I luckily had warranty still on it and they sent me a brand new one FREE OF CHARGE!!
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+1.
Bad kernel flash bricked my phone and got a full warranty replacement.
sirdowski said:
+1.
Bad kernel flash bricked my phone and got a full warranty replacement.
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Same here. I flashed a custom ROM. Don't know how I bricked it. Can't get into download mode with the three button methods. The phone just started and then get into boot loop right away. Brought it to T-mobile store and play dump a little bit. The guy at the store order my replacement for $20 processing fee. Got my new phone last week. They received my return this Monday. Have not hear from them so I asummed it is okay. I got lucky because my phone will be out of warranty on October 24th.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
I heard T-Mobile is warranty replacing our sII's with ones S's lol.
Any one get one?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
tdizzle404 said:
I heard T-Mobile is warranty replacing our sII's with ones S's lol.
Any one get one?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
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Why would they do that?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
Just a future reference for anyone. Always go straight to the manufacturer or third party when possible. T-mobile F-ing charges you BS fees for everything.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
blackangst said:
Why would they do that?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
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When you do a warranty on the Black Galaxy S II right now, they give you the option of another Black S II or an HTC One S. It's been that way for a week or two. The reason they are doing that is because of low replacement inventory for the Black S II. If you choose the S II, your replacement will be on back order instead of the usual next day delivery. The HTC One S can be sent next day. The White S II does not have this option. Not sure why they are not offering the White S II as a replacement for the Black S II, except that they may be trying to conserve inventory on it, as it outsold the One S.
jonb39 said:
When you do a warranty on the Black Galaxy S II right now, they give you the option of another Black S II or an HTC One S. It's been that way for a week or two. The reason they are doing that is because of low replacement inventory for the Black S II. If you choose the S II, your replacement will be on back order instead of the usual next day delivery. The HTC One S can be sent next day. The White S II does not have this option. Not sure why they are not offering the White S II as a replacement for the Black S II, except that they may be trying to conserve inventory on it, as it outsold the One S.
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I dont have php insurance. Can i get that option for a regular warranty
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
I tend to buy all of my phones brand new, sometimes lightly used and unsubsidized. TMo is great since they charge a decent price if you don't want the phone subsidy. I usually stick with the manufacturers warranty.
All I will say is if you brick your phone, make sure you hard brick it if you are going to a T-Mobile and getting it replaced. I hard bricked mine the first time I tried installing a I-9100 rom on my T989 because I thought "Galaxy S2" meant all of them on the CyanogenMod website (yes, my first time flashing a rom). They replaced it since it was under the 20 day complete return (if its under 20 days they will replace it with a BRAND NEW one instead of a refurbished) and it came overnighted (unfortunately I bricked it friday and talked with them so I had to wait til monday because they were closed on weekends. If not under the 20 days they will give you a 20$ processing fee and a refurbished phone that may look new but it certainly isnt.

Warranty Really Void?

So I've been looking at all of the ROMs and rooting guides available and they all say that the warranty is void after flashing/following them.
In my pursuit to find out exactly why, I found this: http://youtu.be/9YcIHaajda8
Thoughts?
Very interesting indeed
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
Your warranty is only void if you brick the phone as a result of the software modifications you make. And I think that's a legitimate claim for manufacturers to make. Most of the time, though, they will still fix it with no questions. If there's a hardware failure and you just happened to be running a 3rd party rom, they still have to fix or replace your phone.
Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2
Malnilion said:
Your warranty is only void if you brick the phone as a result of the software modifications you make. And I think that's a legitimate claim for manufacturers to make. Most of the time, though, they will still fix it with no questions. If there's a hardware failure and you just happened to be running a 3rd party rom, they still have to fix or replace your phone.
Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2
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I think that is just for US customers. Not sure about other countries.
Sent from my LG-SU640 using xda app-developers app

if i root the s3

i have a tmobile galaxy s3 if i root it will i lose the insurance that i have on my phone ?? i know is a stupid question i just want to be 100 percent sure
Yes
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Depends on the insurance. Need more info. Also a diff between rooting and being caught rooting. If it is working enough for them to tell you rooted on a claim it is working enough to reverse before you send it in. Some insurance don't care either way.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I believe you can always unroot it/use triangle away and it will seem as if you did nothing to it. Just don't be stupid and hard brick it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
If your able to restore stock whitout trouble you can !
:thumbup:
Sent from my SGH-T999V using xda app-developers app
If you shatter your phone and they replace it I don't think they will have a problem replacing it if its rooted.
Besides, if your really paranoid just tell them you dropped it in a lake, (It happened to me once).
um I have asurion as insurance i dont know if by more info this is what you meant.
SOLGarion said:
Depends on the insurance. Need more info. Also a diff between rooting and being caught rooting. If it is working enough for them to tell you rooted on a claim it is working enough to reverse before you send it in. Some insurance don't care either way.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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thank you all for your replies. I am really a noob when it comes to rooting any phone i once manage to root a g2x with alot of videos lol but yeah i wish to root my galaxy so i can use the siaxis app but i dont want to lose my insurance
Warranty yes, insurance no. Rooting voids your warranty, not your insurance. Insurance covers physical damage, so if you hard brick your phone, just to be safe you "accidentally" dropped it in the bathtub.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
thank you very much
Towle said:
Warranty yes, insurance no. Rooting voids your warranty, not your insurance. Insurance covers physical damage, so if you hard brick your phone, just to be safe you "accidentally" dropped it in the bathtub.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
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I think you'd win in small claims if Samsung denied you warranty because you rooted your device, assuming there is a product defect.
To be honest there's also a choice DONT ROOT. It seems like it's all new to you, and believe me Samsung phones are way easier to brick than LG or HTC if you don't read carefully. Look if it's worth the risk playing a android game with a ps3 controller or loosing your phone for a period of time. If you go ahead and do it make sure you BACK UP YOUR EMEI, many times that gets overlooked when it's really the most important thing in your phone.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
psykhotic said:
I think you'd win in small claims if Samsung denied you warranty because you rooted your device, assuming there is a product defect.
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thank you
daxecutioner24 said:
To be honest there's also a choice DONT ROOT. It seems like it's all new to you, and believe me Samsung phones are way easier to brick than LG or HTC if you don't read carefully. Look if it's worth the risk playing a android game with a ps3 controller or loosing your phone for a period of time. If you go ahead and do it make sure you BACK UP YOUR EMEI, many times that gets overlooked when it's really the most important thing in your phone.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
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thank you.... im scared to root my phone so im still thinking
Georican said:
thank you.... im scared to root my phone so im still thinking
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Just read, read, read. Then read some more. Make sure you fully understand every possible thing that can go wrong (I.e. Losing imei) and how to fix it. If you know what can happen, and how it happens, you will know how to avoid those things. Never have the "I will cross that bridge when I get there" attitude. Almost everything that can go wrong is 100% preventable/curable if you know about it ahead of time. If you don't feel like you can explain to someone else how to root or fix their phone, you're not ready yet.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Georican said:
thank you.... im scared to root my phone so im still thinking
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No problem haven't rooted mine and I rooted every other phone I have. I just feel android is android it all looks the same. Not much difference between roms apart from the speed with build props and bloatware free. While you can always prepared yourself 100 percent there's always that random encounter that you can get with electronics that is not your fault and just happens.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

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