02 Water Warranty Scam, could you be affected

[Anonymous]

Hi all

I wanted to post this as I think its really serious.

Last week my 4 month old Samsung Note 2 died, I'm a computer tech, so I tried everything I could to bring it back alive, after much searching it looked like a pcb fault. 

Not a problem phone is still under manufacture warranty, so  I contact 02 who arranged a repair.

Monday came, I looked at the repair log and it said the tech has dismantled and diagnosed a fault in under 22 min, I assumed then that they had come to the same conclusion as me and put it down to a dead PCB, so I rung 02 to confirm this, I then got a shock as they said there not repairing the phone its had water damage?, thus voiding the warranty

I was shocked its never been near water, I argued and requested evidence, this is what they sent 

no time stamp, no series number. The picture you see is what is under the battery?. The circuit isn't from this phone its a random circuit put there to make it look like its been dismantled (found a pic of a dimantled note 2 on the Internet and it doesn't match. The picture is also blurry, and doesn't show anything.

Now all new phones have a water indicator, this covers the manufacture, it cant be bypassed, any liquid it triggers, that's its design. 

So I requested the phone back, and when I got it, the water indicator (which is there to cover samsung and 02) hasn't tripped, and the warranty sticker is still on there. Yet 02 claim the tech dismantled the phone and water damage. 

I told 02 this and basically there not interested, go to the manufacture, and tell them.

So 02 have lied, and there de frauding me as they wont give me a new handset, yet they still want me to pay for a the contract?

Im still arguing with 02 at the moment, they say that they go on the tech report, yet ive sent them evidence to contradict this water damage claim, and they don't care, not there problem not happy go to the manufacture and pay them to check it. 

So I wanted to let everyone know about this, 02 are refusing to repair my phone even thought ive provided evidence showing another samsung galaxy s3 (mine is a note 2, but there basically the same) showing the water indicator that hasn't tripped, and the technical report from the repair company claiming water damage,

ive goggle this and it looks like a lot of people are getting de frauded. In my case how can a phone have water damage, yet the thing that tells the tech there's water damage, hasn't tripped? Cant be done.

I would like to hear if anyone else has had this issue, I think this is one of the most serious cases of fraud a mobile company has done? And if 02 are reading this post some reasons as to what your doing, (funny enough I did some research into the repair company 02 uses and there being investigated for doing exactly what I put above). 

Let us know, and ill keep you all posted on what 02 are going to do, this could be black day for 02!!!

[Anonymous]

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@perksie wrote:

They do seem to be involved in "Repair avoidance", anyone know what that means?

http://www.regenersis.com/sectors/mobile-communication

How can a phone that's been "examined" have the guarantee seal still in place?

Something very funny going on here.

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avoidance is the operative word

[Anonymous]

ha ha ha i quote

"Our technical excellence is backed through our test development, repair and refurbishment, and call centre services located in key markets throughout the world"

Urm what technical?

Im working on a website its gonna take a bit of effort to get up, but im gonna put on there important info regarding the water indicators etc, for those interested, if you have a samsung s3, note 2, take the battery out, under the connector, top left there is a white strip with purple x on it, as far as im aware thats the sensor, (this means the tech doesnt have to dismantle the phone the idea is to protect the manufacture)

[perksie]

Raise a formal complaint if they won't look at this again:

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref%28User%29:str%28Mob...

[Anonymous]

Guys, I have been dealing with warranty for years, albeit in the motor trade, but basically the same thing. Here's my advice - before you send your handset for repair (O2, Samsung or whoever) take some images of the phone with your driving license in the frame - in particular the phones serial number - to give you evidence of the condition etc. and e-mail them to the repairer, asking that they acknowledge receipt of the device and the condition of it in relation to your images. The chances of being conned will reduce dramatically.

[perksie]

That sounds very good advice.

[Anonymous]

sound advice but it wouldnt stop them from doing away with the email evidence & still doing what they were doing before

[Anonymous]

Ps, make sure you cc the manufacturer/carrier/you friendly local brief .....

[Anonymous]

*your* - stupid keyboard/large rum

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

*your* - stupid keyboard/large rum

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thats usually my excuse

[Anonymous]

i saw that, exactly my case, the tech has xray vision, wish id thought it 

I do plan on raising a formal complaint, but i think it worrying how many people are getting this scam, what im trying to also get my head round is what the repair company is benifiting out of it? yes time, but thats neither here nor there the tech still has to do a 8-5 job (example). I can only think that they get a bonus for spotting so called "dodgy customer" those who claim for faults they did deleberate, but again far fetched, still be interesting to find out 2moz what 02 are planning to do, but also how far i can raise this, think its a pretty dodgy dealing