Help Wired headset with mic, not working...

[Mallissa]

I looked back a few months and didn't see anything, so if this has been posted before then please point me in that direction.
My husband's wired headset works to hear out of, but not when he tries to talk through the mic. He can hear me perfectly, but if he slides the phone in his pocket I can't hear him, takes it out and I can. He had the phone replaced twice for good measure, and it cant be every phone, right? It's not a pair for the iPhone, but a knockoff pair. It's pushed in all the way, it's just the mic part that isn't working. Is this an issue, should he try another pair? He's driving me nuts because he doesn't want to look. Bugs me any further and he won't need a phone.

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

I would try another pair. Mine works great and I love'm. They do need to be pushed in hard (until the icon in the status bar has not only the headphones, but also the mic)
See the top of this image:

Does it show it up on his phone like that?

 

[Mallissa]

Actually, it doesn't look like that. Very interesting. I appreciate this picture reference, and will show him when I get home. Thanks for your help!

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

Sometimes the rubber or plastic housing of the headphone jack can be shaped in such a way it prevents the jack from getting all the way in. This can also be caused by a phone case that interferes with the jack being inserted.
I have used an exacto knife to remove plastic from headphone jack plugs before.

The only other thing I could imagine (assuming the phone is stock, not rooted and running a custom rom) is a faulty headset.