Moto X Backs Peeling?

[Geodude074]

Where do you get replacement backs from? It's probably a really simple thing to do if you can get hold of a replacement back. Even so, the principal of the thing would kinda eat away at me if it was me. Why the hell should someone have to rip their phone apart and stick it back together again? Motorola should send him one with a plastic back if that's what he wants now

Posted via the Android Central App

Amazon or eBay.

It's not difficult to replace the back, just take it off and put on a new one. Why waste so much time with 5+ RMAs because of a peeling back when you can just change the back yourself? 5 minutes and you're done.

 

[Andre Light]

Where do you get replacement backs from? It's probably a really simple thing to do if you can get hold of a replacement back. Even so, the principal of the thing would kinda eat away at me if it was me. Why the hell should someone have to rip their phone apart and stick it back together again? Motorola should send him one with a plastic back if that's what he wants now

Posted via the Android Central App

I couldn't have said it better. I know this forum has many skilled DIYers, but I'm not one of them; plus, taking apart a phone typically requires special tools and sometimes luck. I wouldn't take the risk of disassembling a phone that's still under warranty; if it wasn't under warranty, I probably wouldn't have posted and eventually would have taken that risk.

 

[Andre Light]

After the 5th RMA, I was finally able to go beyond the repair division supervisor (I should have tried that after the 3rd RMA), but it clearly wasn't easy to get there. Here are the steps I had to take to get a replacement phone with a resin back:

1. Go through several RMAs (I went through 5, but your limit should be 3).
2. Repeatedly tell the repair support agent, and then the supervisor, that I'm not OK with receiving yet another identical replacement device.
3. The supervisor put together a case/proposal for sending me a device with a different back and took that to his supervisor (supposedly the last resort). That proposal was rejected because Motorola has a rigid policy of replacing "like with like." I continued to complain, indicating that it was unacceptable. I asked to speak with the person who denied the replacement proposal.
4. That person confirmed that my only option was to replace "like with like" because that's Motorola's policy. I asked that person if he made the policy; he said no, so I asked "Who makes the policies?"
5. The customer service rep gave me an email address to which I could voice my concerns (I won't provide that here because I don't want it to be abused--you can follow the steps above to get it if you're going through the same support issue I've gone through). I wrote the following email:
   --
   Motorola Executive Team:
   
   I'm an extremely frustrated customer at this point because, after five repair/exchange cycles over the course of 2 months, I still don't have a replacement Moto X (2nd Gen. Pure Edition 32 GB). The problem: the bamboo back cover on my phone (and all five replacements) does not seal completely, i.e. there's a rough edge when sliding a finger from the metal edge of the phone to cover. That will allow more moisture and dirt to make its way inside the phone, and it's not the level of polish most people would expect from a $600 device (unfortunately, I purchased it around the launch date, hence the inflated cost; but I wouldn't expect that from a $400 device either...it's just a poor technical design choice).
   
   Here are my 5 RMA numbers:
   [...list all RMA numbers...]
   
   Apparently, the problem with the bamboo back covers is common, and the following forum threads prove that I'm not the only one:
   Peeling wood: htt p:// forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x-2014/help/peeling-wood-t2893328 (255 posts)
   Moto X Backs Peeling?: htt p:// forums.androidcentral.com/moto-x-2014/444575-moto-x-backs-peeling.html (36 posts, including my two posts)
   Video: Moto X 2nd Gen Bamboo Back Panel Coming Off Problem: htt ps:// youtu.be/h37neU2HJsI
   
   Considering all of the above, why is your policy to replace "like for like" so inflexible, especially when the product is defective? That's a strong disincentive to purchase any future Motorola product (I was going to buy the Moto X 3rd generation--with a plastic back, of course--but not if you can't send me a non-defective replacement), and a strong incentive to contact the tech media about Motorola's poor product quality and, especially, poor customer service so I can save others from this unacceptable hassle.
   
   Please do the right thing: stand by your product and allow your repair department to send me the same phone, but with a plastic back instead of bamboo.
   
   I look forward to your response.
   
   Sincerely,
   Andre Light
   --
   
6. Send picture of the peeling back to the Motorola executive customer service team, and anything else them might request. It might be difficult, but be patient and polite to increase your chances of a satisfactory outcome.

(Sorry about the broken links above; I haven't made 10 posts to this forum yet, so it won't allow me to post links.)

In the end, Motorola sent me a new Moto X 2014 with a resin back, so it was worth the effort. I will buy the third generation Moto X in a year or two unless competitors create a phone with even better value, but I'll wait until the price drops to half of the launch price (or less), I won't design it with a wooden or leather back, and if I detect any issues upon receipt, I will return it within the 14 day easy return window instead of waiting.

I hope this helps others. I also hope Motorola improves their customer service and changes their policies.

 

[Geodude074]

OEM Motorola Moto X 2014 2nd Gen Back Door Battery Cover Replacement Bamboo

$23 for bamboo back cover, or...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorola-Moto-X-2nd-Generation-2014-Battery-Back-Door-Cover-Housing-Lot-B-/261697988818?var=560565152846&hash=item3cee6a68d2:m:m2BufXZSzLlhGrmY-mlJ0oA

$13 for plastic back cover.

http://www.amazon.com/Telephone-Repair-Opening-Plastic-Spudger/dp/B00GYUQTKA/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1447299536&sr=8-10&keywords=phone+spudgers

$3 for a set of plastic spudgers, the only tool you need to take off the back of your phone (actually you don't even need a spudger if you have a thin hard piece of plastic, like a credit card).

$16 and 5 minutes of your time and you can easily replace the back yourself.

Sure it goes against the principle of Motorola shipping out a flawless device. But I'd rather spend $16 and 5 minutes of my time and fix this issue, than having it RMA'd 6+ times and wasting more of my time.

I switched out the back cover of my Moto X a few days after I bought it. It's seriously not hard. It's as easy as peeling off a back cover.