topic Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help in Android

Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 01:56:31 GMT

I have a z3c on a 2 year contract, currently about 5 months into contract. Today left phone on side all day (it was fine this morning) hasnt been moved at all, and tonight i pick up phone to check a message and find a very thin crack across the middle of the screen, which has knocked out all the touch screen functionality of the top half of the screen. I can't do anything with it. I'm wondering if this should be repaired under warranty-it's not accidental damage, I honestly can't think of anything which could have caused it except a temperature change, but surely a phone shouldn't have such a problem (it's not like its gone from a freezer to a radiator!) without some very poor materials. I think it should be obvious its not been dropped etc. the damage is very clean-a near straight hairline crack, but i've read so many things trying to figure out what could have happened about people being charged for repairs and then the same occuring later. Can't say I fancy paying out near £400 for a phone for 5 months, then having to pay again in either repairs/replacements.

I'm hoping this should be a common sense repair but if anyone could lend me the wisdom of experience I'd appreciate it.

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

Cleoriff — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 07:48:35 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

The phone is still in warranty so I would contact Sony directly. If this is a known issue you should have no problems....if not you will probably need to convince them you haven't dropped it I'm afraid..

http://support.sonymobile.com/g

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

MI5 — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 08:30:10 GMT

I echo the advice to approach Sony directly as it's your best chance of a "common sense" approach to the issue.
It's been known before but just how much of a problem it is isn't clear, however the more info Sony have, the better it will be to decide the root cause of the fault.

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 08:45:11 GMT

The screens on the Z3 compact seem to be very problematic. My partners handset developed a screen fault about 4 months into a contract (the screen just displayed random colours pixels all over the screen and unusable).

Clearly a warranty issue but you may have a hard time convincing them. Maybe grab as much evidence online as you can to help support your case.

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

viridis — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 09:36:44 GMT

Take detailed pictures of the surrounding frame to send and keep for evidence of no drop damage.

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 12:03:56 GMT

Well I've taken it to the O2 shop to be checked out. I fully expect them to tell me it's not covered and cost me-the shop staff pretty much said as much. Still, I can't really take it further if I don't follow proceedure so we'll see. If not I can also take it further, with a bit of consumer rights and the sites with all the complaint, especially the onces from which and watchdog. Maybe someone will pay attention. With luck they'll have heard of the previous history of this and actually have a proper look. End of the day I don't want to pay for a repair I shouldn't have to, only to have it go again in another 6 months because the actual problem hasn't been dealt with. From what I've read sony aren't likely to be much better. On the old Z1 they said they'd fix single hairline cracks as warranty but whether that extends to the rest of the range I don't know, and they charge a fee just for handling it. Personally I think they overheat-you cant make something air and water tight and expect it to have good cooling when under heavy use-sudden changes in temperature could cause havoc on the thin glass.

If anything I'm more annoyed that when I upgraded I specifically said I needed something that was durable. Being a chef means a lot of temperature changes (not out of the official safe operating temps btw) and I was told this was one of the best for being solid. Ha! Give me an old nokia 3310-that was a solid phone!

I just wish they'd take these issues seriously. Sure, some people will drop a phone down the stairs and claim it didn't happen, but surely the engineers are skilled enough to tell the difference between impact damage and a structual or mechanical fault. Tarring everyone with the same brush before doing any investigation just winds genuine people up, and ends up with bad publicity for the company!

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

viridis — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 12:09:25 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Well I've taken it to the O2 shop to be checked out.......!

You just wasted your time.

Every person recommended you speak to Sony for a good reason.

You will NEVER get it repaired under warranty with O2. Fact.

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

jonsie — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 12:30:23 GMT

User damage if you you take it to O2 and a bill for £100+.....take the advice offered by people who know and contact Sony direct. Maybe a bit inconvenient but that's where you should be going.

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 12:58:30 GMT

Wise people on here. Turth be told I'm fully expecting them to claim user damage but didn't want to give them the easy option of saying we cant help because we cant see it. I have called Sony and they've told me that a small hairline like mine should be covered and to send it them and they'll fix it. I hope they stand by what they said. I've read the horror stories of sony's ignorance but maybe either the phones were actually user damaged or sony has just had enough of the grief for the sake of a few mass produced screens. Heres hoping theres a decent company still out there.

While I'm here, I did do a live chat with o2 guru, to inform of sony's advice, hoping to get them to listen and just deal with it. He pretty much told me that ANY physical damage, knowingly or unknowingly inflicted voids your warranty. So basically i your phone has any kind of physical fault, which i presume at least 75% of issues are to do with the hardware its tough-that internal wire has come loose not because of bad soldering or anything, but because the user managed to drop the phone knocking internal parts loose without leaving any trace of damage outside. That is quite possibly the worst aftersales care I have ever encountered! Even ebay sellars flogging a dirt cheap DVD give better aftercare than that and this is a national company!?! Give us your money for two years whether you can use us or not.

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

viridis — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 13:03:17 GMT

O2 are not AUTHORISED to repair a phone under warranty if the phone has physical damage.
In regards to Xperias with cracks in the past (Z1), the offer of repair was only ever valid through Sony direct.
You think Sony horror stories are bad?, I suggest you google Anovo repairs.

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

Cleoriff — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 13:03:25 GMT

We have said that you have more chance of Sony listening to you than O2. I gave you the contact numbers in my first post. Give them a ring. As said it is a known issue

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:07:23 GMT

Dont get me wrong, I have no doubt that other phones will have their issues much the same as sony's. This is actually the third sony I have owned and the only one I've had any problems with. And I've already rung sony. They've told me they can fix it. Unfortunately I'd already set off to the O2 shop before any of this advice came in. A rough night knowing I was in for a bit of a battle with O2-I just wanted to get it done with so went first thing. Patience being a virtue and all that. At least now I know where things are should anything like this happen again. Still, standard sale of goods and consumer rights acs do say that it is the retailers responsibility to do as much as possible to solve issues like this, not the manufacturer. Even if that meant just sending it back to sony anyway. If they can't fix it because they're not authorised to repair under warranty, but they know sony can then surely the correct course of action is to send it there, not claim that the warranty is invalad and charge hundreds for a repair that they must know can and should be fixed for free. It shouldn't be up to the customer to have to go straight to the manufacturer themselves. Not everyone gets the "call Sony!" drilled in quite so hard and truth be told, had I not been encouraged on here I would have probably left it owing to hearing it would be pretty much fobbed of, with a fee thrown in for good measure. So, thanks for the tough love...:smileywink:

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

Cleoriff — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:22:47 GMT

@Anonymous We know this is an issue with O2 and Anova the repairers they use. It is only from seeing so many unhappy customers that we have now started to say 'back to the manufacturer'. It's simply a case of not liking to see people having to jump through hoops...:smileysad:

Re: Self cracking z3c screen? Any help

jonsie — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:44:00 GMT

Lenovo....as soon as they see damage they will not even look at the phone let alone open it in case they make the damage worse. Sony will give a completely unbiased diagnosis. It's well documented on the internet and on the community. There should be an inoculation on the NHS for Anovo, antidepressants and a psychoanalyst thrown in for good measure.