lg g4s manufactured before September have a defect

[KPMcClave]

Good luck! I went a similar route and either wanted them to give me a new G4 or a different phone. They refused and only offered the option of the refurb phone. I was even in their store and they wouldn't do anything other than have me go through customer service to process the replacement instead of getting a phone from the store. The only way out of your installment plan is to pay the remaining balance. Mine has $458 left on it and I'm not paying that due to faulty equipment. I am curious how your experience plays out.

Well, much to nobody's surprise, they didn't want to give me a new G4 instead of a refurb.

I insisted on a manager after speaking with the rep who originally took the call. Eventually the manager compromised on my original insistence that I get a new G4, since I was paying installments for one, by crediting two months worth of payments on my account.

The refurb G4 will arrive on Friday.

The combination of the two still swings Verizon's way, but I can deal with the gesture as an acknowledgement of the distinction I was making regarding payments on a new vs. refurb model.

I wouldn't say I'm thrilled, but I'm not ticked off, either.

 

[KPMcClave]

having a back-up phone is always a good idea. stuff fails

My Droid Razr Maxx HD says hi!

 

[Inders99]

My Droid Razr Maxx HD says hi!

My Sammy S3 says hi!

 

[Mooncatt]

My Sammy S3 says hi!

I had a Droid Bionic laying around somewhere ready to say hi if it were needed. Though, I'm tempted to order the Droid Mini specifically as a backup. The Bionic is showing its age pretty bad, and I can get the Mini for $8.

 

[KPMcClave]

My Sammy S3 says hi!

I just switched my daughter from the Razr Maxx HD to a GS3 or I'd be on one, too. The Razr Maxx HD was originally mine, though.

 

[mbnocx]

Where did you guys go for a backup phone? Amazon has several models right around $100. The Note 3 and similar are a little bit higher but I want to get something that is comparable (Note 3, GS5, Nexus 5, etc). Thanks!

 

[Almighty1]

I need your guys opinion regarding this issue. As I mentioned above I am having the same problem with my Verizon LG G4. It has a SN starting with 506 and I bought it in July. Verizon is sending me a replacement that will arrive tomorrow. They expect the defective device back within 14 days. I called LG and they can do a warranty repair which could take approximately two weeks. My thought is I send the original phone to LG and have them swap the motherboard. They will wipe the device and when I receive it back I can always send that device back to Verizon (or the replacement they provide me tomorrow).

My concern is that my data is on the phone and I cannot get to it. Verizon claims that they will also try to power on the phone and wipe the device. But if they can't, they basically said the phone would be sold to a third party as parts only (which still has my data). I cannot control who eventually ends up with the phone and it could be someone that replaces the motherboard and gets to the data. I am just wondering if you guys would warranty repair the old device with LG to make sure it is wiped and then send one of the phones back to Verizon after it returns? Verizon will charge a fee if the defective phone isn't returned in 14 days but they said it won't be immediate so I may have a few extra days to get them the phone.

Appreciate your suggestions!

You need to pay attention to the dates of the parts in the replacement and not what is on the label. You got the wrong information, you have 5 days to send in the defective device from the date you receive it, in reality, it's 30 days. After that, they will put the charge for the full retail price of the phone on your Verizon Wireless account.

Read this for more info, especially the "What you need to know about:" section:
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...rtified-like-new-replacements/&token=qD0_rgh0

You cannot have LG swap the motherboard because Verizon will need to receive one device back which needs to have the same IMEI number as either your original device or the one they sent you should you decide to keep the original and send the replacement back. Anything else and they will charge you the full retail value. Verizon has nothing to do with shipping or receiving the replacements. It's all shipped from and to Newbreed Logistics located in Ft Worth, TX who only do the basic checks and sends them to the manufacturers to fix. If you bought the phone with a credit card, just file a claim with the credit card company under the extended warranty benefit and they will just send you a check for the price you charged for the phone or you can pay to have it repaired and they will reimburse you with a maximum amount being what you charged.

 

[Almighty1]

I've gone a few extra days past 14 before and wasn't charged, but not sure how long/often that grace period works. I'd personally prefer to send mine to LG for repair, if only to avoid refurbish roulette. I know my specific problem should be fixed and returned, instead of receiving some random used phone that could have other issues not addressed. I've been burned way too many times on refurbs before to want to go the repair route without even thinking about the data concerns yet.

They charge a little over day 30 and the charge will be on your account which will be part of your bill... Refurb can actually mean a new phone since they can't claim it is new for warranty replacements. Whenever you get a replacement, you should test it first. If there are problems, call VZW Level 2 tech support directly. They will send you another replacement while you have the original and the replacement in hand. When you receive replacement #2, test it and then call again if there are problems. At the end, you can go through 20 replacements like I did in 3 weeks and then keep either the original or one of the replacement(s) and then ship whichever one you don't want. What they are looking for is the same model device with the IMEI number, either your original defective one or the one that they shipped you. In the mid-1990s, I had a Motorola StarTAC shipped to Motorola by the dealer. The phone came back with warranty void because they claimed it was liquid damaged. The phone was flooded with oil all the way to the keypad which was something Motorola put in after they received the repair. The dealer told me to goto GTE MobilNet which was what Verizon Wireless was known before to a store that has a technician. The technician wrote that I dropped the phone as I had the insurance so that it would be replaced under insurance instead. Remember your LG G4 is made in Korea, a US Service Center is not going to fix it as well as a new one. A Certified Like New Replacement is actually better as it's supposedly checked as they will replace the display with a new one from my experience and only have cosmetic issues because of how they ship the phone as the phone is basically between a plastic wrap and cardboard so if the phone moves around while shipping, it will get scratched on on the back.

Certified Like-New Replacement devices have been thoroughly inspected and refurbished to like-new condition. The devices go through:
A complete 100+ point checklist to ensure every area measures up to our standards of excellence
Visual cosmetic inspection
Advanced functional, manual and electronic inspections
Latest software and hardware upgrades

 

[mbnocx]

I get it. Newbreed. Great, thanks for pointing that out in several posts. It doesn't matter who gets the phone, replaces the parts, etc. If you knew everything you would know that LG has a warranty repair process and you get the exact same phone back as you send them, with the same IMEI. Who cares about the motherboard and where it comes from. If they fix it great, Verizon get's that one back which is what they are expecting. If they don't Verizon gets that phone back which is what they are expecting. You can mention Newbreed all day long but I did not call Newbreed and Verizon is certainly not going to disclose their third party providers. Again, we all get it that you know the ins and outs of these processes. Doesn't change a single thing I have posted or my feelings about whether or not I'd trust Verizon or their third party to properly wipe my old phone.

 

[Almighty1]

You didn't call Verizon Wireless either. You only called a call center that is operated by a third party. In any case, I wouldn't trust anyone other than yourself when it comes to wiping any data as you never really know where it goes. Verizon doesn't have to disclose it as you will see Newbreed mentioned on the packing slip in very small print and also take a close look at the address it comes and ships to and google it. I did over 40 replacements on a Motorola Droid RAZR HD Maxx in the last 2 years, it was 4 separate original replacements. and the last one wasn't for a replacement but rather, they provided a First Class Package Return label which is good for only 13 ounces which the USPS won't take. Had to complain all the way to Executive Escalations before they resolved it.

 

[Almighty1]

What I'm saying is regardless who does the fixing, always test the device(s) thoroughly for problems.

 

[Im Broken]

Oh...The back button has got me. I just don't want to be stuck again like I was over Christmas. I may just have to get a cheap back-up.

Slick deals had a decent price on the nexus 5. I loved that damn phone so much. Plus you get MM on it. I think it was $149

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Mooncatt]

They charge a little over day 30 and the charge will be on your account which will be part of your bill... Refurb can actually mean a new phone since they can't claim it is new for warranty replacements. Whenever you get a replacement, you should test it first. If there are problems, call VZW Level 2 tech support directly. They will send you another replacement while you have the original and the replacement in hand. When you receive replacement #2, test it and then call again if there are problems. At the end, you can go through 20 replacements like I did in 3 weeks and then keep either the original or one of the replacement(s) and then ship whichever one you don't want. What they are looking for is the same model device with the IMEI number, either your original defective one or the one that they shipped you. In the mid-1990s, I had a Motorola StarTAC shipped to Motorola by the dealer. The phone came back with warranty void because they claimed it was liquid damaged. The phone was flooded with oil all the way to the keypad which was something Motorola put in after they received the repair. The dealer told me to goto GTE MobilNet which was what Verizon Wireless was known before to a store that has a technician. The technician wrote that I dropped the phone as I had the insurance so that it would be replaced under insurance instead. Remember your LG G4 is made in Korea, a US Service Center is not going to fix it as well as a new one. A Certified Like New Replacement is actually better as it's supposedly checked as they will replace the display with a new one from my experience and only have cosmetic issues because of how they ship the phone as the phone is basically between a plastic wrap and cardboard so if the phone moves around while shipping, it will get scratched on on the back.

Certified Like-New Replacement devices have been thoroughly inspected and refurbished to like-new condition. The devices go through:
A complete 100+ point checklist to ensure every area measures up to our standards of excellence
Visual cosmetic inspection
Advanced functional, manual and electronic inspections
Latest software and hardware upgrades

It's been my experience that more often than not, the refurbs and certified like new (certified used would be more accurate) have problems right out of the box. I know they claim such extensive testing, but I question the quality of the tests.

I've had problems from several manufactures and even when on Sprint, so this is an across the board issue for me. This is why I coined the "warranty roulette" phrase. Any time I have a problem, I now decide if it's something I can live with or risk the exchange before making a claim. Sure, there's a chance of getting a new phone as a replacement, but it's a slim chance at best. I'm not a betting man, especially when the odds favor the house.

 

[Almighty1]

It's been my experience that more often than not, the refurbs and certified like new (certified used would be more accurate) have problems right out of the box. I know they claim such extensive testing, but I question the quality of the tests.

I've had problems from several manufactures and even when on Sprint, so this is an across the board issue for me. This is why I coined the "warranty roulette" phrase. Any time I have a problem, I now decide if it's something I can live with or risk the exchange before making a claim. Sure, there's a chance of getting a new phone as a replacement, but it's a slim chance at best. I'm not a betting man, especially when the odds favor the house.

I never got that far because the reason I had to call for a exchange every 7 months since October 2013 was that on the Motorola Droid RAZR HD Maxx for a phone bought on November 1, 2012, the battery keeps getting swollen that it was knocking the sealed back off and ofcourse the replacements they sent have newer software so I can't do the bootloader unlock so basically they send a replacement and I would go through every part inside that is removable which is the front display with electronics, the backside with electronics, the camera, the battery and the backside. I never changed the circuit board since the phone is still working. On all the exchanges in 2015, they no longer carried the Motorola Droid RAZR HD Maxx so they sent a new Motorola Droid Maxx instead except it's 16GB internal storage, mines was 32GB and the Droid Maxx while a better phone lacks the MicroSD which I need I basically waited a few months to see if they had the Droid RAZR HD Maxx and they didn't as I kept getting the new Droid Maxx which is new because it comes with the charger cable, charger and even the retail box. So my original phone still has the same motherboard as my original purchase. The front side were 90% of the time new because I do 5-7 exchanges and I always open the phone to look at those parts individually, I never changed the camera since I don't have a problem with the camera but always try to get the latest dated battery as well as the back side as it usually will have marks on it but some are newer than others. The display seems to always be replaced as it has the actual blue tape around it and you can tell it's recent from the stamped date. That's why I said to look on the inside than the outside. The LG G4 is a easy phone to swap the parts but what I don't know is that since it has a removeable battery, if they will send the replacements with or without the battery but I do know that if you claim you have a battery problem, they will just order you a new battery with the packaging and basically they will charge you for the order and then credit the account for the same amount. I always call Level 2 tech support because Level 1 will always tell you to go to the store to do a inspection of the phone and the store would have problems even finding the phone in their database so they cannot order the replacement as every IMEI they have ever shipped within the last 2 years will be shown except the original IMEI as it's over 2 years. I have never dealt with replacements with anyone else than Verizon Wireless since 1989. I have however tried each carrier during their return policy before they had the restocking fee once in awhile to test their networks. So even though I may have done 5-7 exchanges for each time I call to do the original exchange order every 7 months, I ended up sending all the replacements back as some one them had broken rubber screw cushions for example. They all booted up fine but I never activated the phones to know if it works or not as I'm not going to swap the motherboard unless I was able to unlock the bootloader. I have Total Equipment Coverage so I can do replacement anytime I want and it always get shipped overnight. One thing that is weird is on every first replacement, they will ship FedEx overnight but will require a signature. All additional replacement orders that get sent are just left at the door. What I mean by original order is that I can call in December 2014 for example and then do 5-7 exchanges on that one, the 1st one they send out is the only one they require a signature on delivery, the other 6 will be left at the door each time they ship. There is no need to bet since no one said you had to keep what they sent you so they can ship all they want since I'm sure sending 5 phones will cost them a fortune in overnight shipping and remember they pay for the return shipping too so all you really lose is the cost of the packaging tape. I always disassemble everything they send and swap the parts around and usually what they get back is not what they send other than the motherboard and the back. I always had to use super glue on the back of the first one I sent back since the swollen battery broke the seal. You would think that they would check everything before shipping when the shipping is costing them but with the RAZR HD Maxx, most of the time the problem is there are marks on the backside which unlike other phones, even a small mark is visible on the kevlar back as it's like rubber. Even if you send back to the manufacturer, they will not do the best fix they can since the warranty is limited, they want the phone to break down after the warranty expires so you will either have to get a new phone then or you will have to send it to them for warranty repairs which will then cost you. That's why I said if you bought by credit card, you have 90 days for accidental damage or theft anyways, it's far easier to claim accidental damage and getting 100% of your money back and just go buy whatever phone you want. LG sucks in service when it comes to phones. With the 65" UltraHD 4K OLED TV's like the one I have which had no problems, others who had problems basically were in contact with VIP Customer Service at LG and they would do 1 repair on-site at your house as there are problems like banding or vignetting which is known and then regardless of how long it is, they will give you a full refund as in $6k-$10k if you choose after the 1st repair so many people were buying the new model after it came out a few months later.

As for the charging for the phone, I was trying to point out that it's not 14 days as that is the return policy only when you buy a phone at the store. Warranty replacements are always 5 days and you will keep getting emails once in awhile if you don't return the original phone and at about day 30, they will tell you they have charged your account and if they receive the phone, they will credit the account, I have never seen the actual charge yet even though I got that email but shipped the phone after that. I only held it for 1 month in late August 2015 because I was hoping they would get actual RAZR HD Maxx's in but seems like they no longer had it and the only replacement is a Droid Maxx. You can usually tell in the email what they are sending you before you even receive it and the IMEI #.

 

[Inders99]

Where did you guys go for a backup phone? Amazon has several models right around $100. The Note 3 and similar are a little bit higher but I want to get something that is comparable (Note 3, GS5, Nexus 5, etc). Thanks!

The GS3 was my last phone before the G4 and I kept it. Every time I pick it up I wish manufacturers made a similar size flagship (4.8"), it's near perfect (for me).

One thing for sure, my next phone will be as close as possible to that size (I'm not holding my breath).

 

[Jim_in_VA]

Where did you guys go for a backup phone? Amazon has several models right around $100. The Note 3 and similar are a little bit higher but I want to get something that is comparable (Note 3, GS5, Nexus 5, etc). Thanks!

 

[Jim_in_VA]

I went to https://swappa.com/?ref=mobilenations&data1=UUacUvbUpU4948978

 

[KPMcClave]

Where did you guys go for a backup phone? Amazon has several models right around $100. The Note 3 and similar are a little bit higher but I want to get something that is comparable (Note 3, GS5, Nexus 5, etc). Thanks!

Wish I could send you off in a good direction, but I just had the Razr Maxx HD in a drawer as one of my prior phones. Usually if a phone is still holding a decent value, I'd sell it on eBay. Glad I didn't' bother with the Moto.

 

[mbnocx]

Wish I could send you off in a good direction, but I just had the Razr Maxx HD in a drawer as one of my prior phones. Usually if a phone is still holding a decent value, I'd sell it on eBay. Glad I didn't' bother with the Moto.

Thanks! I'm new to Verizon from last Summer so I have no other devices. I have found some decent priced ones on Amazon and Slickdeals but they are all from their marketplace companies so it's still taking a chance that the device will not have issues or look really used.

 

[Mooncatt]

Thanks! I'm new to Verizon from last Summer so I have no other devices. I have found some decent priced ones on Amazon and Slickdeals but they are all from their marketplace companies so it's still taking a chance that the device will not have issues or look really used.

If you have an upgrade available, you can do what I'm thinking about to get the Droid Mini dirt cheap. Order one Verizon's website as an upgrade and put it on device payment plan. At checkout, use promo code "upgrade". That'll knock $100 off, bringing the price down to $8 (gives $100 on other phones too). I'd never buy one as a daily driver, but you can't beat that price on something that's just a rarely used backup phone.