Vodacom(care)'s "Liquid / Water Damage" excuse

S

SDR

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Seems to be a pretty common one, with almost everyone possible being fobbed off at some point trying to legitimately claim a repair under the "Vodacom 2 year warranty" on handsets on contract.

After experiencing this recently myself, after having someone still joke about it beforehand, I'm pretty peeved. As part of a group of us involved in collecting the stories, some pretty decent "inside info", but most importantly real life experiences to expose this excuse, I thought I'd post here to get a few more.

Research shows this is pretty common on sites like Hello Peter (simple search), other consumer forums, newspaper articles like Argus Action, etc. Another interesting link: http://www.carforums.co.za/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3762 for more information, and related story: http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=30793.msg576871#msg576871

Please post your info here, as the deadline for this to all be put together is mid next-week. Going to be most interesting once it's all brought together!!
 
I had a phone that was hardly ever used, sat in my desk draw for a year and I needed it eventually when my main was jacked. For some reason the hash button wasn't working on it, and being an iMate the hash is the space button, so sms were *** hard to type out.

Took the phone in and I was told that its water damaged and can't be repaired. I'd NEVER spilt water on the phone and the draw was not humid but a bone dry area. Opened the phone myself when I got it back form them and...water damage...from god knows where... But it was the same phone I handed in, same serials etc. So...**** happens....life goes on...

Open the phone yourself and see for yourself. Vodacom would never risk a MAJOR class action lawsuit on a crappy little phone. And the franchises that do the repairs get paid per repair...so why the hell would they reject the repair? Hmmm?
 
I had a samsuck on MTN that had "water damage", which they refused to repair. A google search revealed that is was a common problem with the specific model. In other countries, the operators exchanged the phones for a different model; in SA, the consumer gets screwed!

I will never buy any samsuck product again!
 
dracolusus said:
I had a phone that was hardly ever used, sat in my desk draw for a year and I needed it eventually when my main was jacked. For some reason the hash button wasn't working on it, and being an iMate the hash is the space button, so sms were *** hard to type out.

Took the phone in and I was told that its water damaged and can't be repaired. I'd NEVER spilt water on the phone and the draw was not humid but a bone dry area. Opened the phone myself when I got it back form them and...water damage...from god knows where... But it was the same phone I handed in, same serials etc. So...**** happens....life goes on...

Open the phone yourself and see for yourself. Vodacom would never risk a MAJOR class action lawsuit on a crappy little phone. And the franchises that do the repairs get paid per repair...so why the hell would they reject the repair? Hmmm?
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I've been advised that they do it to save money and to cover themselves when they break an expensive part during the repair. Makes sense.

We need someone to go undercover with a pre-prepared old phone and catch them in the act.
 
Try this on for size, brand new phone out the box. Opened by the "sales" person at a Vodacom store, he wants to show its working, it's doesn't start up correct, and he says... wait for it... "Hmmm, must be water damage!" :D
 
SDR said:
Seems to be a pretty common one, with almost everyone possible being fobbed off at some point trying to legitimately claim a repair under the "Vodacom 2 year warranty" on handsets on contract.

After experiencing this recently myself, after having someone still joke about it beforehand, I'm pretty peeved. As part of a group of us involved in collecting the stories, some pretty decent "inside info", but most importantly real life experiences to expose this excuse, I thought I'd post here to get a few more.

Research shows this is pretty common on sites like Hello Peter (simple search), other consumer forums, newspaper articles like Argus Action, etc. Another interesting link: http://www.carforums.co.za/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3762 for more information, and related story: http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=30793.msg576871#msg576871

Please post your info here, as the deadline for this to all be put together is mid next-week. Going to be most interesting once it's all brought together!!
Click to expand...

I'll get the exact details but my understanding is as follows:

The manufacturers have moisture sensors in the handsets. These apparently change colour in the presence of moisture.

If these indicate that there was moisture in the phone, then you'll get the 'moisture damage' line as dictated by the manufacturer.

I would suggest that if you get told this, ask (insist) to see the sensor for yourself.

I'll see if I can get the official policy from the manufacturers, but I suspect the above is pretty much on the ball.

My own phones often spend time in or near the shower or bath and I've never had a problem, but then I've received packages shipped by couriers with water inside the packages.

So I don't think there is a easy way to know if water damage will affect your phone, but the manufacturers will have policies of some sort and I guess this is one of them.
 
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Thanks V3G for that clarification. Kind of equalizes with what I heard from inside.
Its up to each and every consumer to do the checking and confirmation for themselves before flaming out. Ive been accused of water damage before, and I blame myself for just saying "oh, ok" and paying up :(
 
Benn doing repairs before and water is most common problem. A little rain water falls on it and after a week or 2, one button doesnt work, then speaker, ringer, etc. Then the phone just dies and thats when the REAL trouble starts as the water starts to corrode the metal on the circuit board.
Most common form of water damage was not rain water, it was sweat from the tannies' bosoms. They keep everything there.
 
Vodacom water damage excuse

me too. Blackberry curve 8310 - they won't repair it because it has water damage which is impossible. I was even asked if I hadn't put it in my bra while I was sweating. Oh hell darlin, yes I do that all the time! I finally just dumped my phone in the ziploc bag at the blackberry store at Vodaworld. I'm so ticked!
 
Waterproof the damn things! It's about time someone figured out how to protect circuitry from water.

Is "water damage" covered by insurance?
 
mbvdl said:
Thanks V3G for that clarification. Kind of equalizes with what I heard from inside.
Its up to each and every consumer to do the checking and confirmation for themselves before flaming out. Ive been accused of water damage before, and I blame myself for just saying "oh, ok" and paying up :(
Click to expand...
This scam is hard to defend against because we are not holding all the cards. It's a bit like the networks saying we subscribed to a premium service when we know we didn't. How to prove it?
It must be saving them a fortune in repair costs every year. If you've seen the repair manuals for Nokias, for example, you would know that the repair guy can EASILY break something. I'd like to see the stats for own-breakages. I bet it's near NIL.
 
I had the 'water damage' (and asociated extra charge) excuse thrown at me. I checked the indicators. They were all still white. I opened the phone and removed the crumb that was causing the problem (difficult to push key) myself. 5 minute job for someone who had never even opened a phone before.

The problem is that they are too lazy/stupid/incompetent to figure out what the problem is. It is not some sinister scheme.
 
vodacom3g said:
I'll get the exact details but my understanding is as follows:

The manufacturers have moisture sensors in the handsets. These apparently change colour in the presence of moisture.

If these indicate that there was moisture in the phone, then you'll get the 'moisture damage' line as dictated by the manufacturer.

I would suggest that if you get told this, ask (insist) to see the sensor for yourself.

I'll see if I can get the official policy from the manufacturers, but I suspect the above is pretty much on the ball.

My own phones often spend time in or near the shower or bath and I've never had a problem, but then I've received packages shipped by couriers with water inside the packages.

So I don't think there is a easy way to know iw water damage will affect your phone, but the manufacturers will have policies of some sort and I guess this is one of them.
Click to expand...

The sensor is a small white sticker that turns purple or red when it gets moist. The thing is that they are very sensitive. Just breathing on them will change their colour. My phone is three weeks old and after opening it up myself a few days ago the sticker had already change colour. Without the phone ever coming near a bit of moisture. It stayed in my room all the time. So yes the water damage excuse is commen but leggitemit. It's not vodacom who adds these stickers to the phones but the manufactures themselves. But clearly a better way to determine water damage is to look for early signs of corrosion or rust. If it's not present a good wipe out of the phone should prevent it. But then again i'm not that sure about how sensitive the diodes and transistors are i always presume they are pretty sensitive. That being said i've oppened and self serviced a few phones already and never managed to blow them even working with a heavy hand. So i see vodacom's side but too many people experienced the wrong end of this.
 
anyone have a pic of a open phone showing the moisture sensor???
 
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