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Galaxy S3 suddenly stopped working - won't charge and won't turn on

  • 12-02-2013 10:40am
    #1
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭


    So I was out sick yesterday and I watched a bucket load of TV shows using BSPlayer. I turned off my phone (not really in the habbit of closing the application fully). Woke up this morning and it was off, tried to charge it for an hour - nothing, tried replacing the battery - nothing.

    I believe its broke. I have no receipt (bought online) and am wondering what I can do? Surely there is a 1 year manufacturing warranty? The range is only:
    "First released 29 May 2012; 8 months ago"


Comments

  • #2
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    How did you buy online, surely there is a paper trail? EU law says a warranty is 2 years from the manufacturer, but your initial warranty and your contract for the first year is with the place you bought it.

    The Galaxy S3's are dropping like flies, it's known as sudden death syndrome. It's a hardware fault they won't admit it. I've had the board in mine replaced twice. Samsung are replacing them with the exact same revision board that has the same fault. Instead of recalling them, they are hoping to just mop up the replacements under warranty, after all they sell millions, what's a few replacements. Their so called fix is to release a new firmware that adds an indicator to the boot screen telling if you've flashed a custom ROM, ie to save them money on RMA's, nasty stunt. This will be my last Samsung product


  • #3
    danniemcq
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,163 ✭✭✭✭danniemcq


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    so called fix is to release a new firmware that adds an indicator to the boot screen telling if you've flashed a custom ROM, ie to save them money on RMA's, nasty stunt. This will be my last Samsung product

    this doesn't matter to your warrently both rooted and custom roms are covered under warrently under EU law.

    My sudden death phone went in rooted and with cutom rom (AOKP) and replaced no questions asked.

    OP when you say you bought it online was it off private seller or was it from a proper store?


  • #4
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    Yes, but it covers them worldwide outside the EU. It doesn't stop them trying to fob you off, see this post...
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=83161325&postcount=371


  • #5
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    After some research - it seems I bought it from donedeal on the 29th June and I have no receipts. It is a vodafone phone, but I have it software unlocked to Meteor. I cannot find the ad on donedeal either.


  • #6
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    It should still be covered by warranty as it's a hardware fault. Contact Fonfix, they do the warranty repairs for Samsung
    http://www.mprc.ie/


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  • #7
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    It should still be covered by warranty as it's a hardware fault. Contact Fonfix, they do the warranty repairs for Samsung
    http://www.mprc.ie/

    Cheers I sent them an email just now.


  • #8
    listermint
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,106 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    If they wont fix it under warranty, you could try getting a loan of a battery to see if she powers up.

    Common fault with many smartphones is the USB charging weakpoint. The plastic spade in the phones charging point can be as little as micro millimeters out and it wont charge. A simple slight bend up or down depending on direction of pins will fix immediately.

    Had the same issue with my Nexus. Dont be too rough on it though, slight bend.


  • #9
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    Cheers - I will try a different battery tomorrow and see if that makes any difference. I tried a slight bend with a different charger and cable, but nothing happened


  • #10
    listermint
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,106 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Sniipe wrote: »
    Cheers - I will try a different battery tomorrow and see if that makes any difference. I tried a slight bend with a different charger and cable, but nothing happened

    Battery should be the tell. I was scratching me head for a while even opened up the phone completely to examine and simple bend it was charging straight away.

    That was 3 months ago still perfect.

    Now looking into a wireless charging upgrade looks cool for the car.


  • #11
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    so, I tried someone else's battery and it still wouldn't turn on.
    I got a reply from Fonfix and they asked me to send it to Meteor. The Meteor shop said they need proof of purchase. I'm back to square 1 again. Is there other way to get it repaired? Can I send it to samsung themselves?


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  • #12
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,346 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    I had the same problem with my s2. I just brought it in to fonemenders who simply fixed it based on the serial no showing it was within the two year warranty (they had to send it to Samsung though )


  • #13
    elderlemon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭elderlemon


    I know you're in Galway so maybe this doesn't help. I brought my S3 into fonfix and paid the €15 counter charge (for not going through my operator(voda)). They fixed it right there with no proof of purchase asked for.

    Sniipe wrote: »
    so, I tried someone else's battery and it still wouldn't turn on.
    I got a reply from Fonfix and they asked me to send it to Meteor. The Meteor shop said they need proof of purchase. I'm back to square 1 again. Is there other way to get it repaired? Can I send it to samsung themselves?


  • #14
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    I emailed Samsung, no joy with them
    Dear Rory,

    Thank you for contacting Samsung Customer Support.

    I’m sorry you are experiencing problems with your device. I can understand your frustration about this.

    Please note that the warranty on your device is not transferable, which means that purchases through a private seller and do not have a valid proof of purchase, do not have warranty cover with us.

    You can read more information about our warranty policy at the following link:

    http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/warranty/warrantyInformation.do?page=POLICY.WARRANTY

    Please contact our service centre below in order to obtain a quote for the repair of your device.

    http://fonemenders.ie/repair+centres+ireland.html

    If there is anything else we can help with, please let us know.

    I asked fonfix if I could send it to them directly - I'm waiting for a reply.

    I will email fonemenders as per the samsung email + elderlemon's post


  • #15
    danniemcq
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,163 ✭✭✭✭danniemcq


    wait did you tell them you bought it second hand?

    or just say lost the receipt?


  • #16
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    danniemcq wrote: »
    wait did you tell them you bought it second hand?

    or just say lost the receipt?
    both...


  • #17
    danniemcq
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,163 ✭✭✭✭danniemcq


    i woulda kept one of those secrets quiet....

    can you contact them again with a differnet name? only claim the second one? the imie number should be enough to show its covered


  • #18
    _Whimsical_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,958 ✭✭✭_Whimsical_


    Sniipe wrote: »
    both...

    This sucks. I hope you get some joy. I'm in a similar position as i have one bought second hand but no receipt.

    Is there anyway you could maybe go to a vodafone store and tell them you bought it but lost the receipt and see if they could trace the purchase via the IMEI on their system and give you a copy of the receipt?

    You'd have to pretend to be the original owner as there's a data protection issue with looking for details on someone elses purchases. It might be worth a shot if you're feeling brave though and willing to make up some story about how you can't remember what shop you got it in. You could ask over on the vodafone forum actually.

    Let us know how you get on though whatever you decide to do. Good luck.


  • #19
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    I got a reply from fonfix and they are going to accept it if I post it to them. Delighted. I will update this thread when I know more info and why the phone failed and what they did to fix it.

    Thanks all.

    Thanks danniemcq for the suggestion, thankfully I didn't need to do that. _Whimsical_ I hope you get yours sorted. According to the guys in the meteor shop I would have to find the store that sold the phone in the first place in order for them to trace the imei number. Its a shame they don't have a centralised system (perhaps data protection issues).

    I blame myself for not ensuring I got the receipt. I think at the time the guy said he would post it onto me but I guess he never did. My next step was to go through my phone records to see if I rang him on that day. Typically Meteor online records only go back 4 months. I am going to get onto them about that.


  • #20
    Shlippery
    Registered Users Posts: 2,261 ✭✭✭Shlippery


    Exact same thing happened me last week. Phone killed itself. No warning. Battery was 40%~. Screen went off. Didn't go back on. Bought it new in November. Carphone Warhouse shipped it off under manufacturers thing.

    Just got it back today. Fonfix envelope, they replaced the logic board, installed meteor firmware. I had it rooted beforehand, but said nothin, didn't make a difference. Phone's grand now...just a pain in the arse trying to sort out my contacts from the backup..
    Wouldn't mind if I had been horsin the phone around the place, but I looked after it pretty well...nothin more sickenin than it dyin without warning!


  • #21
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    I just got my phone back from fonfix. Wow that was some service. It seems my "logic board" had to be replaced.
    I paid for the registered post to An Post and they posted it back to me. They also had a great website which allowed me to track the progress of the phone.

    I lost all settings and applications on the phone. The board I got back appears to be unlocked... I'm not really sure tho. 5/5 for fonfix.


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  • #22
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    Course you lost all settings, the logic board is the motherboard.

    Glad to see you got it sorted. Update it as soon as possible in case it hasn't the latest software with the fix


  • #23
    Sniipe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,932 ✭✭✭Sniipe


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    Course you lost all settings, the logic board is the motherboard.
    yea, but I didn't know for certain that the logic board would need replacing.just pointing it out. Yea I'm happy to have my S3 back.


  • #24
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    Sniipe wrote: »
    yea, but I didn't know for certain that the logic board would need replacing.just pointing it out. Yea I'm happy to have my S3 back.

    Yeah, but when this happens nobody gets time to backup. Back up people, it could happen tomorrow, I'm unlucky that it happened me twice, I was backed up though and all my contacts are in Google


  • #25
    Ste-
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,751 ✭✭✭Ste-


    If possible get a MicroSd and point your backups to that. So that if the phone does go belly up your backups are stored nice and safe on the MicroSd.


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