S7 Edge Warranty on Water Damage

[AC Question]

Hi. Is there any way I could get my warranty to work with my S7 Edge in regards to water damage? I've had my device checked at a Samsung store (from the Philippines) only to find out that my warranty does not cover the damage. They said they checked the inside of my phone and that there was water in it and said that I need to pay around $500 (Php 25,000) for the phone to be fixed. Note that they said they needed to fix the LCD and the chip inside.

I'm not entirely sure about this, since my LCD has no crack whatsoever, although its screen is unresponsive. As for the "chip", again, I'm also not sure since my phone works fine. It's just unresponsive when I touch the screen (like inputting my pin to unlock my phone, etc.). I am able to use the home key though, but its power and volume buttons don't work -- but I can soft reset my phone anytime using those buttons (I'm not sure why either). My phone also rings as it receives text messages so I guess the chip is not broken?

Should I just ask them to clean my phone? Is it really broken?

Please help me, I'm not a very techy person.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Mod Note: Moved to Galaxy S7 edge subthread for relevance.

 

[LeoRex]

If the internal water intrusion indicators are tripped, you are most likely out of luck when it comes to getting it repaired using official channels. Water can wreak absolute havoc on a phone... and it can be very selective and random. Maybe the screen stops working, or the radios.... the buttons.... you can never be sure. But it is safe to say that if Samsung sees any sort of internal water damage, it's game over.

You might be able to avoid paying that full price by going to a third party repair shop... but it might very well be that the full retail price for the needed repairs is the same whether Samsung does it or a unaffiliated repair shop.

 

[ckbo]

Thanks for the heads up, man.

Anyone else that has gone through what I have? Maybe you can give me some inputs as to how to go about this issue. Thanks!

 

[chanchan05]

The problem is many people think the S7 is water proof. It's not. It's not rated to be proof against pressure. Even water from a faucet directly to its holes (charging ports, speakers) can exert enough pressure to break through the seals.

Apart from paying up, I don't think there is anything you can do about it. AFAIK it's stated on the warranty that water damage isn't covered. This is mainly because physical damage to the phone from drops can cause the water seal to break, and physical damage isn't covered by warranty.

 

[o4liberty]

They say it's water resistant but they don't warrant water damage. When consumer affairs tested the s7 active and found it not to be water resistant at all AT&T put a one year warranty on every Active device.

 

[T48]

They say it's water resistant but they don't warrant water damage. When consumer affairs tested the s7 active and found it not to be water resistant at all AT&T put a one year warranty on every Active device.

Neither does Apple on their 7/7 plus. Both mfg's place that responsibility on the customer with the exception of the S7A you noted after that issue.

 

[ckbo]

Thanks guys! I actually sent back my phone to Samsung. Hopefully I have more luck this time. Crossing my fingers.

Anyone else here who have experienced something like this? Did Samsung fixed your phone? Or did you walked away with a dead phone :/

 

[Pauline Ramirez]

Thanks guys! I actually sent back my phone to Samsung. Hopefully I have more luck this time. Crossing my fingers.

Anyone else here who have experienced something like this? Did Samsung fixed your phone? Or did you walked away with a dead phone :/

This also happened to me after using my phone in the pool. I didn't submerge it that long, only for few secs but after that it won't turn on and I sent it back to school center and their diagnosis was to replace the screen even if their were no damages with it. Now I got it back after 2 weeks and they said they have to replace the lcd. They shouldnt have advertised it as waterproof if they wont cover the warranty for it. Now I tried soft reset and after that factory reset and it works but the issue I found is that the power button wont work and the battery is damage because it wont charge full. What's the update with your phone now??

 

[NoLove2016]

This also happened to me after using my phone in the pool. I didn't submerge it that long, only for few secs but after that it won't turn on and I sent it back to school center and their diagnosis was to replace the screen even if their were no damages with it. Now I got it back after 2 weeks and they said they have to replace the lcd. They shouldnt have advertised it as waterproof if they wont cover the warranty for it. Now I tried soft reset and after that factory reset and it works but the issue I found is that the power button wont work and the battery is damage because it wont charge full. What's the update with your phone now??

I feel we should start a class action against Samsung for the nearly deceptive advertising scheme aired nationwide for months, suggestive of the S7 Egde being, in some manner, "water-resistant". This is an illegal act, in violation of standards set by the FTC. There are strict marketing policies and guidelines which must be followed unilaterally by any and all companies and/or corporations running ad displays (whether it's magazine prints, newspaper side-bars, billboard paintings, television commercials, aired radio promotions, etc...).

I've composed a preemptive action to offer Samsung prior to taking further measures in the form of immediately undergoing legal proceedings, which will effectively allow those also "jipped" by Samsung's suggestive marketing strategies (which probably misled you to believe it's safe to take your phone with you in the pool because, "If Lil Wayne can pour champagne on it, it must be waterproof..."), to sue Samsung for the full cost of the device, in addition to asking the judge presiding to also award injunctive relief to all plaintiffs, to compensate for the "loss of potential" to our funds, (meaning - had we invested said amount, it would gain potential to vastly increase by collecting interest at any rate), while finally demanding that Samsung refrain from using any unofficial suggestivity within their future ad campaigns.

I firmly believe Samsung was wrong in their misleading, and despite my love of Samsung products, with their superiority to other brands of all departments and categories, I feel we as consumers deserve compensation to say the least.

Let me know what you guys think, and if you have any real qualifications and/or knowledge in pursuing a class action of this sort against an international corporate entity, please feel free to contact me. I will provide my contact info upon request, including: cell 1, cell 2, home, and my personal e-mail address, so that we may more effectively network to regain our losses brought on by Samsung's inability to anticipate the potentially deceptive nature of broadcasting ads which display extreme, unnecessary conditions being induced deliberately unto a product that still functions afterwards, while, in all actuality, the S7 Edge can't function from "within a filled aquarium", as shown on one commercial ran on networks in my viewing area.

I believe we can achieve a mutually agreeable solution amongst ourselves and Samsung if we apply the right amount of pressure in the right places, and with a network of consumers cooperating and communicating to achieve the common goal; either repairs/replacements, along with a sufficient amount of credit for use toward other Samsung products (an amount deemed appropriate, in pursuance to the total amount sought by the plaintiffs in the class action), offered as an apologetic offering for wrongful actions, or full refunds, along with injunctive relief awarded for possible loss in opportunity for financial advancement using said lost amount.

Respectfully Submitted,
-Caleb B. Lamb

 

[missjackiekim]

Caleb, I am experiencing the same issues as you had with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Despite it being advertised as water-resistant (up to 1m of water for 30 minutes), my phone sustained water damage after being dipped in a couple inches of water for less than a minute. Samsung Warranty won't cover the damage, saying that because the LDI was triggered and the damage was due to water, my product is out of warranty. They then told me I should file a claim with my insurance. If this phone wasn't advertised as being water-resistant, I never would have been comfortable getting my phone wet in the first place. The phone broke while I was doing exactly what it was being advertised to be able to withstand...and yet Samsung won't stand behind their warranty if damage is caused by liquid. This screams false-advertisement to me.

I am also interested in pursuing a class action lawsuit against Samsung. Have you started this process at all?

 

[Gisella Sarmiento]

I also have the same issue, I took my phone to the repair center of Samsung and told me I had to pay $700 it fix my phone due to "liquid damage". Both the front and back camera don't work due to this and neither does the speaker when I make calls. I have called the 1800 number 4 times now to be told that this is not their problem as it is not covered under warranty for any physical or liquid damage and that my warranty has expired as well even though I've only had it for 5 months now. I too wish I could do something about this in order for Samsung to repair or replace my phone because why have a phone when one of the main reasons why we all have Smartphones now is so we can take pictures but I can no longer do that.

I explained how this is a defect on the phone because how can it be water damaged if it is supposed to be water resistant but somehow water got inside from simple splashes. I am so angry and upset that I am in this situation and I want Samsung to pay for it.

I am also into pursuing any sort of action against Samsung! especially because every Customer Rep I spoke to pretty much insulted me and blamed me for their default products and false adverstisement

 

[Yevgeniy Palomino Tkachenko]

Hi Gissella, I had the same issue, my S7 is bought in Australia, Samsung wants me to buy a new phone after phone got overheated and I put it in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. Disgusting attitude towards me from their team and refuse to replace my device. Planning to go to ACCC and complain on social media.

 

[chanchan05]

Hi Gissella, I had the same issue, my S7 is bought in Australia, Samsung wants me to buy a new phone after phone got overheated and I put it in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. Disgusting attitude towards me from their team and refuse to replace my device. Planning to go to ACCC and complain on social media.

Putting a hot phone in a bowl of water is one of the worst things you can do (I so want to use a different word to describe it). It's perfectly correct for Samsung to tell you to get a new phone. Not only will the excessive heat be compromising the sealants used for water protection (they can melt or decrease in integrity while in a hot state), the phone being made of glass means that when going from heat to cold in a very short span of time would cause the glass to contract and may have let water in.

This isn't a case of Samsung having bad service. It's about you destroying your phone. What you did is no different from asking Samsung to replace a screen because you smashed it with a hammer to test how tough it is.

Complaining on social media would just get you laughed at and called various less appealing synomyms to the word 'daft'.

Then again you can complain to your previous schools for not teaching you physics properly.

 

[anon(5719825)]

What I always understood the water resistant rating was that it was meant for accidents only and not for people to actually use in water as in swimming pools and beaches.

I have owned my S7 Edge for over 10 months now and would never ever think about putting my phone anywhere near water, it's not intended for being dunked in water.

Remember the commercials? They showed the phone being dropped in a fish tank and having a bottle of wine or champagne accidentally spilled on it, not someone swimming with it.

 

[chanchan05]

What I always understood the water resistant rating was that it was meant for accidents only and not for people to actually use in water as in swimming pools and beaches.

I have owned my S7 Edge for over 10 months now and would never ever think about putting my phone anywhere near water, it's not intended for being dunked in water.

Remember the commercials? They showed the phone being dropped in a fish tank and having a bottle of wine or champagne accidentally spilled on it, not someone swimming with it.

I did rinse my phone once. Being I can be in contact with varying types if bodily discharges throughout the day it seems very likely I'll need to do that at least once. I just made sure that the water was low pressure from the faucet, about similar to pouring water carefully from a glass, and made sure it fell in the middle of screen and back, solid glass. I just let the water slide off onto the different areas if the phone and wiped it off with diluted disinfectant. Lol.

 

[anon(5719825)]

I did rinse my phone once. Being I can be in contact with varying types if bodily discharges throughout the day it seems very likely I'll need to do that at least once. I just made sure that the water was low pressure from the faucet, about similar to pouring water carefully from a glass, and made sure it fell in the middle of screen and back, solid glass. I just let the water slide off onto the different areas if the phone and wiped it off with diluted disinfectant. Lol.

I'm sure that's fine because it is different than swimming or taking it to the beach and going into the water. Samsung does say it's OK to rinse the phone under water.

 

[Gary02468]

Within a few days of buying any IP68-rated device, I turn it on and immerse it in a transparent pitcher of water for several minutes while making a video of the procedure using a separate camera. That way, if the water resistance is grossly defective and the device fails, I can document that it wasn't treated improperly, and get an immediate exchange or refund.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

What I always understood the water resistant rating was that it was meant for accidents only and not for people to actually use in water as in swimming pools and beaches.

I have owned my S7 Edge for over 10 months now and would never ever think about putting my phone anywhere near water, it's not intended for being dunked in water.

Remember the commercials? They showed the phone being dropped in a fish tank and having a bottle of wine or champagne accidentally spilled on it, not someone swimming with it.

Same here. I view water resistant as an extra layer of protection. If you get pushed in the pool with the phone in your pocket, gets spilled on, or just knocked into water somehow, hopefully the water resistant will protect the phone. It's not meant to take under water pictures. If I do get my phone wet and the phone gets ruined I will be dissapointed that the extra protection didn't work, but I also understand its not a covered warranty from Samsung.

Samsung says water resistant... That means just that, it's not guaranteed to be water proof, it should resist water, but could let water intrude. It's an extra protection that hopefully works if your phone gets wet.

 

[suesteel]

My S7 was bought directly from Samsung in the UK in February. On Christmas Eve it overheated while charging and melted the Home button and the connector on the charger cable. I returned it to the Samsung approved repairer for the UK and have now been told it's not covered under warranty due to ingress of liquid. It's never been wet!! As I have refused to accept their verdict Samsung says the phone is being returned to me unrepaired. I've been told I can register a complaint and they have given me the address to complain to. Guess what? I will be complaining. Meanwhile my very expensive phone is useless as I wouldn't dare to try to charge it again - always presuming it arrives back in one piece.