Waterproof device unrepairable due to water damage

dasmi

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Apr 18, 2014
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So ... a few months ago I called Samsung to arrange a repair for a Gear S3 Frontier that suffered from a 15 minute battery life. No matter how long i left it on the charger, it would go from 100% to 0% in 15 minutes. I also told them that I should not have to pay a repair fee, because although it was out of warranty, my $300+ smartwatch should have a better battery life then 15 minutes.

They agreed. Received the watch. Told me they fixed it (no charge) and I would have it back in 5 business days. Three days later I received it, dead as a doornail, with a note that said "Could not be repaired due to water damage." WTF???

I completely understand that IP68 doesn't mean waterproof, but it's never been wet ... EVER. I don't sleep with it, don't swim with it and take it off to do dishes. Even when I called them to get clarification, each person reiterated the same message. Water Damage!

Besides abandoning Samsung all together (which I wont do), what other steps should I take? Anyone have any similar experience?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

D.
 

chanchan05

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Nov 22, 2014
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Well it depends. I remember a case in the UK where the Samsung local repairs was handled by a local company who apaprently had some history of unscrupulous stuff (basically they claim water damage on EVERYTHING). The person contacted Samsung directly through their website, and they gave him a way to send them the device directly and found that there was no water damage, and instead of repairing his device, gave him a brand new one and some goodies for the trouble. This was around 2 years ago (it was an S7 Edge if I remember correctly).
I don't know where you are, so that could be an option. In a number of areas, Samsung repairs aren't actually Samsung themselves but a local company who partnered with Samsung so that they can be labeled as the "official" support in that country.
 

B. Diddy

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Welcome to Android Central! That sounds frustrating. Is the watch ever in the bathroom while you're taking a shower? If enough water vapor gets in the air, it could potentially get into the watch, with the subsequent condensation causing damage.
 

dasmi

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Thank you both for the feedback. I am in California. I believe it was sent directly to Samsung so I dont think there may be a middle man repair group to blame.

I also understand the water vapor issue. All of my smart watches are good and far away from any water source including vapor and I live inland, so the moisture in the normal air isn't elevated. This is indeed puzzling and disappointing.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts.

D.
 

B. Diddy

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How about sweat? Do you wear it when you exercise? It's conceivable that if there had been some minor trauma (or a minor defect) that introduced a break in the integrity of the watch on the side that rests against your skin, sweat could get in. Liquids full of mineral (like saltwater and sweat) are much worse than plain water in terms of damage potential. Still doesn't make the issue any better, but just trying to figure out what might have led to this.