Help Galaxy S3 issues. Samsung is trying to screw me over.

[TheHuman]

Hello. I would really appreciate some help. Especially some expertise. I have two issues with my phone.

1. Sometimes when I've been outside in the dark, the photos I've taken with the camera have been distorted with lines, especially pink ones. The problem is not constant and the camera seems to work just fine indoors. Link to a photo taken with the camera: http://goo.gl/2xv9fz

2. I have noticed that there are strange spots on the display that are usually impossible to see, but are visible in a very dark environment when the display is displaying something dark. Many others have also experienced this. It's presumably a manufacturing defect.

I contacted a Samsung service place, they examined the phone and said that the circuit board has water damage and that they will not help me, despite the fact that I have never dropped it in any liquid, spilled a liquid on it and the fact that the problems arose suddenly without any kind of connection to any accident with or without a liquid. Link to the photo Samsung sent me of my phone: http://goo.gl/AZ6vNN

It seems like Samsung is trying to screw me over. What should I do? Even if they're not lying about the mysterious water damage, I don't believe for a second that all of these problems are because of it. The problems didn't even show up at the same time. I noticed the spots first. I asked if they had encountered this problem before with this damage causing the spots on the screen, and they said yes, if the display module had been damaged, but they didn't even bother to check the display module.

It's quite obvious that they know they're lying and are trying to screw me over. I'm going to contact them directly via customer service and see what they have to say for themselves. Is it likely that this water damage caused the photos to sometimes be distorted? Why would it only be distorted in the dark?

Thank you

 

[EarlyMon]

Without seeing the phone itself, just that photo, it looks like some salts in the red areas (as would be left behind after water evaporated) or maybe some sort of corrosion.

I don't have an SGS3 but my experience with other phones with replaceable batteries is that you can usually get to the moisture indicators if you know where to look - usually without disassembly.

If you're not sure where it is, try to Google for "Samsung Galaxy S3 moisture indicator" - or maybe one of our helpful buds like @funkylogik can advise.

If the moisture indicator disagrees with the picture, you have something interesting to discuss with management.

If it's showing that it did get wet - do you use it in steamy rooms, like checking traffic or something after a shower or using it for music in the bathroom, etc etc - then even though it didn't get dunked and even though it's surprising, that would cause condensation inside that could easily accumulate to water damage.

The big question - would that water damage, if real, cause the symptoms you have - is unfortunately the wrong question.

That's NOT a personal criticism.

I agree - the symptoms are bizarre.

But the rule for service and warranty is that as soon as you have water (sufficient moisture) where there's electricity (read: all over the motherboard when in use) - then all bets are off. We're talking short circuits that range from harmless to catastrophic and everything in between.

No one has the forensic capabilities to sort out what could have been their fault from what was the water's fault.

I'm only surprised by the picture. If it had a tripped moisture sensor, so far as I know, most shops would have just stopped there. Did you have some discussion leading up to the picture that caused them to dig deeper? It's not important, I'm just curious on that.

In any case, the picture shows a LOT of contamination.

Do you live or work near hazardous materials or a place with persistent acid rain? (Not intended as dumb questions, I have been in both situations.)

Not sure if I did but I hope that this helps.

PS - welcome to the forums!

 

[EarlyMon]

Hope this helps -

 

[TheHuman]

Hello, and thank you for your reply!

The moisture indicator is purple, so I guess maybe it has been exposed to moisture, which means that this phone is fantastically sensitive! Apparently the smallest, unnoticable thing can trigger it. To answer your questions: I have not used the phone in any of the environments that you described, as far as I know I don't live or ever go to areas with hazardous materials or acid rain, and I did not have some "deep" discussion with Samsung leading up to the disassembly of the phone. I reported the problems , they checked the phone and sent me this photo when I asked for it.

You say that it's irrelevant whether the water damage caused the problems and I understand your point, but from a judicial point of view, at least in my country, this is not the case. We have fairly strong consumer protection in my country. If a consumer can, within three years of purchase, prove that the problems are a result of the manufacturer's actions, you're entitled to either have the phone repaired, receive a new phone, or receive money. This seems like great protection, but the condition that the consumer must prove that it is the manufacturer's fault usually makes it very difficult for consumers to get help, because if a product stops working it, it could be due to many different reasons.
My situation is different though, because my phone works normally for the most part. Only some elements of it are not functioning properly and I should be able to isolate the different parts of the phone.

Everything comes down to the display module. If I can get someone to examine the display module and if the conclusion is that the display module does not have moisture damage, that would be definitive proof that Samsung is wrong, that they didn't properly examine the phone (for which they charged me $32) and that I'm entitled to help.
There is a lot of compelling evidence that would seem to hold up judicially.

1. The spots on the display are of the exact same nature as the spots on many other Galaxy S3s. There seems to be a consensus that a significant number of Galaxy S3s have had this problem from the start, but it's difficult to notice normally because you have to be in an environment with no lighting at all in order to see it and the display also has to display something very dark.

2. The problems did not arise simultaneously. My e-mail correspondence with my retailer confirms this. I initially only reported the spots. This is not consistent with the hypothesis that the mysterious water damage caused the problems.

3. The display module (possibly) does not have moisture damage, which Samsung claims has to be there for the water damage to the circuit board to be the cause of the spots.

4. When I asked about the display module via e-mail, the technician who examined the phone just ignored the question several times, even after implying that the display module must have had moisture damage for the water damage to be the cause of the problems, which is going to strengthen my case that Samsung was purposefully negligent, overly dismissive and fraudulent.

5. Almost all of the features of the phone work normally, the camera is the only exception and even that works normally 100 % of the time under regular circumstances in light as well as in the dark most of the time indoors. I've taken photos in complete darkness inside with the flash on and the photos haven't been distorted. I suspect that maybe cold has something to do with it, given that the distorted photos were taken outside at night. Either way, they can't claim that I ruined the phone and that I'm just looking for a new one. Physically, there is not a scratch on the display. They can't use the standard excuse that the device isn't working and that anything could have caused it, because of all of the facts.

Also, this is going to seem strange, but I suspect that Samsung actually scratched the back cover (more than before) and and I'm certain that they removed some of the letters from the logo on the back. This is obviously something that I won't be able to prove, but it just goes to show how little they care. I want to avoid Samsung in the future. Many others have also complained about their terrible customer service. It's seemingly notorious. If I do end up getting some money for the phone, I might buy an LG G3.

Thank you for the help.

 

[EarlyMon]

Good luck, I hope you get that sorted!