wrote:
Nice little scam the mobile phone suppliers have going. My son's
Samsung E900 developed a fault after 5 months. Phoned Phones4U...went
through a well rehearsed ( no doubt scripted) conversation where the
caveats were explained in detail. I agreed to go ahead and was sent a
pre-paid envelope with yet more explanation on caveats. Sent the phone
off, phoned them 2 weeks later for a status check. " Your phone has
suffered liquid damage and deemed beyond economical repair". I can
understand the phone being beyond economical repair due to the fault
as we live in a throw-away society, but they say the warranty is
invalidated due to the liquid damage and are refusing the claim. I pay
£17.35 and have the phone returned and a "technical report". They
won't say what the report will contain, they don't allow you to speak
to anyone more senior and give a different phone number/email contact
for complaints.
Seems phones have little dots that turn red when immersed in water OR
when moisture has been present at some stage ie the last few weeks
when the UK has been soaking. They seem to be using the red dots as a
warranty get-out.There are likely millions of phones with dots that
have turned red and still work normally, but as soon as your phone
develops a fault they have a ready made warranty escape
I'd like to take the issue further and ask for evidence of the liquid
damage eg photo's of the corrosion or damage to the components, but I
suspect me paying the £17.35 will only get me a standard letter saying
there's evidence of liquid damage and maybe showing the red dot. Any
advice on wording or the line to take when writing my complaint would
be gratefully received

I wonder if the dot turns red if the phone is in a humid room (eg a
bathroom after someone has had a shower) or a humid pocket of a shirt
when someone has been sweating a lot.

If your son is sure that he did not submerge the phone in water or leave
it out in the rain, then I think you should insist on a refund from the
supplier. I'd just buy another one, and claim the purchase cost of the
old one from them by (if necessary, and after a suitable ultimatum)
suing using Money Claim Online.