Please help - "liquid damage"???

[Anonymous]

I recently took my Sony Xperia S into an O2 store and had it sent off to the repair centre in order to fix a defective external speaker. Apart from the speaker not working, the phone was working fine.

When I collected the phone from the store I asked if it had been repaired and was told by the staff member "Yes, everything is fine" and he waved me off...I think they were busy. When I got home I tried to turn on my "repaired" phone but to no avail. The letter in the repair box says that "our engineer has found it's got liquid damage" and basically says there is nothing they can do about it, I have to go through my insurance.

I've read a lot of posts about "liquid damage" and how it can happen even if it's in a bathroom while someone's having a bath etc. My problem is that my "liquid damaged" phone was working fine before I sent it away (bar the external speaker) and now it won't even turn on. If I knew this was going to happen I'd have never sent it off in the first place and just used headphones. In my opinion, the phone has been broken/made worse in the care of the repair company and I don't think I should have to be the one to compensate for it? Especially after being told negligently in the shop when I picked it up that "everything was fine"

Has anyone else had this problem or have any advice please? I'm thinking of making a complaint but I wanted to see if anyone else has come across a similar situation.

Many Thanks.

[MI5]

Search the forum. I'm afraid you are just 1 of many....

[Anonymous]

I've looked at loads regarding water damage but couldn't be sure if they also had phones that had completely stopped working upon return from the repair centre, when they had been fine before.

[MI5]

O2's repairers are notorious for blagging water damage when it's not and for attempting to con people out of money for fictitious repairs. The company concerned does not appear to trade ethically and I for one would not touch them with a barge pole! Your case is just another example of the shoddy tactics employed. I suggest you complain at the highest level to O2 until they replace your phone for you.

[version7point0 · Accepted solution]

Send it off again, this time with no display and ask them to add notes saying it was working order before they touched it.

I recently sent of my brother-in-laws device which came back once saying it had been physically damaged, same condition as what you descirbed, after sending it off again it was replaced.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Thanky you for your advice, I  just wanted to make sure I had grounds to take this further. I've heard this also as a tactic from Vodafone. I will go back to the shop today and speak to a manager and see if that helps. If they refuse me again I will then take it to a higher level.

[MI5]

Unfortunately all the networks use the same repair company so you will hear similar reports from all of them.....

[Anonymous]

You can do a quick test to see if it is 'Water Damaged' by taking off the back cover and looking at the test point. If the 'card' is still white there is no water damage. If it is red then there is.

I'm by no means suggesting that it was but that is the visual test for yourself. I always advise taking photos of the condition of the phone before it is sent off so that this 'Rip Off' cannot occur.

unfortunately as explained above this is more than common place.

Complain and take it to the highest level and I hope all resolves.