Sony

[adirtymonkey]

Being covered by Vodafone’s insurance I recently took my Sony X1 in for repair as it had lost its external sounds. It would vibrate when ringing, and the 3.5mm socket worked with all applications including ‘ringing’.


Two weeks later I get a text message telling me my X1 was back in the shop. I’ve just collected it complete with a letter explaining water damage and how Vodafone we’re unable to repair it. With this paperwork was a picture showing the alleged affected area.

Has anyone else recently received a pictures showing alleged water damage, if so it would be interesting to compare photo’s. Without taking the X1 apart at present it is difficult to establish the whereabouts of said damage, but from what I can make out from the picture at present it seems to show the edge of the processor.

1st point. If a solder joint so close to the processor is affected by corrosion I’m pretty convinced that the phone itself would not work.

2nd point. Being all too aware of the forum chatter about water damage, and Vodafone invoking a clause in their terms. The only time my phone has experienced moisture is during a change in temperature during a process called ‘living’, for example, I go from a warm house to a cold car of a morning the temperature change is that great even my car windows steam up. So are phone manufactures producing phone that cannot stand the rigors of everyday life?


ADM

[vcx20]

My wife is very rough with phones not on purpose just careless she recently dropped her n97mini in the bath (still works) but anyways are you saying the voda insurance if she had it would not have covered her as she was thinking of taking it out on her next new contract.

[adirtymonkey]

My wife is very rough with phones not on purpose just careless she recently dropped her n97mini in the bath (still works) but anyways are you saying the voda insurance if she had it would not have covered her as she was thinking of taking it out on her next new contract.

If you have the business insurance that might be different. But on the normal Cover Me insurance water damage is not covered. If however you have one of those complicated bank accounts, mine offers me 'free' phone cover which includes water damage. Strangely its with the same LifeStyles group as Vodafone insuance.

Its worth reading their T&C's for the policy.

[vcx20]

So its worthless really worth knowing as my wife has dropped two down the toilet and as i said last week her nokia took the plunge in the bath.
I wont bother with vodas insurance thanks for the warning.

[adirtymonkey]

I've just had a sort through of the insurance paperwork I received from Vodafone when I entered into my 24 month contract in November 2008. It would appear that at some point towards the end of 2008 or the start of 2009 I received an update from Vodafone telling me that, as from February 2009 their insurers would be changing to ACE Euopean Group Ltd.

I've had a read through their Terms & Conditions and theres no mention of water or mositure not being covered in the event of a claim. It also seems that I complied with another of their terms that 'You shall take all reasonable precautions to protect your mobile and shall keep it in a proper state of repair.'

So heres a question for a Vodafone mod. Did Vodafone change their insurers between Feb 2009 and Aug 2010?

[Dave]

Hi aDirtyMonkey,

We have changed the company that handled the insurance policies recently, however the water damage clause has been in place for some time - I myself fell foul of it over 5 years ago.

If you do want to get a second opinion on the device, then you are also able to get it checked under the manufacturer's warranty, as what is void on ours is not necessarily the same on theirs as it is a completely separate policy.

DaveN

eForum Team

[adirtymonkey]

Hi aDirtyMonkey,

We have changed the company that handled the insurance policies recently, however the water damage clause has been in place for some time - I myself fell foul of it over 5 years ago.

If you do want to get a second opinion on the device, then you are also able to get it checked under the manufacturer's warranty, as what is void on ours is not necessarily the same on theirs as it is a completely separate policy.

DaveN

eForum Team

So if Vodafone failed to tell me of a material change to cover that I thought I had, ie. the leaflet telling me I was insured with ACE as of Feb 2009 who's policy does not have a liquid or mositure exemption. I think I have a claim for that point alone. I have a attached a copy here.

[daveastra]

trust me if you have insurance with vodafone directly (as in paid on your bill) then liquid/moisture damage is covered. £25 excess if on a personal insurance, thats all ya have to pay, and that gets added to ya next bill.

[adirtymonkey]

trust me if you have insurance with vodafone directly (as in paid on your bill) then liquid/moisture damage is covered. £25 excess if on a personal insurance, thats all ya have to pay, and that gets added to ya next bill.

So why have then have they given me a nice letter detailing liquid/moisture damage, saying I'm not covered along with a picture of the alleged water damage?

[daveastra]

So why have then have they given me a nice letter detailing liquid/moisture damage, saying I'm not covered along with a picture of the alleged water damage?

the letter from the repair center states (iv had one before sadly) that liquid moisture damage is not covered by your warranty, they are a warranty repair center, and not your insurance, seperate companies

[Sukhi]

Hi aDirtyMonkey

Unfortunately if that handset has water damage, this is not covered in your warranty, for more info see here.

Sukhi
eForum Team

[adirtymonkey]

Hi aDirtyMonkey

Unfortunately if that handset has water damage, this is not covered in your warranty, for more info see here.

Sukhi
eForum Team

Ok all seems some what clearer, a normal warranty claim would fail for liquid/moisture. But if you have Vodafone insurance you're covered.

[Blighty76]

I just got caught out by a massive rainstorm today in which I got drenched and my HTC Legend is stone dead, presumably from water damage. I have Vodafone Cover Me insurance - taken out with the monthly contract in May so it's with ACE.

However after reading through a series of horror stories I'm getting a sinking feeling that the insurance I bought might be a "pig in a poke", and I'm becoming apprehensive about taking it into my local Vodafone store on Monday if it doesn't dry out and come back to life before then. Do I need to worry?

I just realised this is the Sony section, apologies. Please move the post if necessary.

[daveastra]

I just realised this is the Sony section, apologies. Please move the post if necessary.

water damage is covered by your insurance, so your ok, best to bell vf and let them know as soon as ya can, and dont forget to have a new sim card when ur in the store, as they also dont like water.

[Blighty76]

 OK that's put my mind at ease a little. Thanks.

[adirtymonkey]

I just realised this is the Sony section, apologies. Please move the post if necessary.

My insurance is the Cover me insurance from Vodafone. My main gripe with Vodafone here is two fold. A week before I got my original X1 back from Vodafone I had received a phone call from the service centre telling me that they could not repair my phone, AND that I was covered by insurance. So i duly followed up with their reference and a replacement phone was agreed on as they no longer carried Sony X1. I went for a Galaxy S which arrived the following day thank you. So yes my insurance worked, at that time though I had no idea they had cited liquid/moisture as the non repair issue.

At that point I was not expecting to see my X1 again and duly took my 'loan brick' back to the Vodafone store. A week later I received a text message saying my X1 was ready for collection so accordingly I collected it along with the covering letter and moisture damage picture. Thats when I started asking questions as to how their service and insurance worked. My conclusions thus far have not been favourable towards Vodafone's service centre one little bit. Obviously they have taken the dead X1 apart, it had been in as it had lost all external sound. The picture they showed pointed to an area which indicated a area of circuit board that was of a different texture to the rest. Their cover letter stated 'the fault has been caused by liquid/moisture damage'.

However on further investigation the fault has not been caused by moisture/liquid. On initial strip down of the phone one of first parts of the phone to be detached is the speaker housing. Which, even with normal eyesight it was apparent that the contact terminal from that housing was broken and was indeed trapped in the housing itself. Attached is a picture showing the trapped contact in the housing. On inspecting the main board of the X1 yellow identity arrows were found pointing to a finger print on a RF shield and one towards the contact as shown in the photograph from the service centre. It is understood that the contact indentified is part of the diagnostics/test port of the X1 and did not effect the functioning of the X1 itself.

However there was no mention to any of the THREE MOISTURE INDICATOR strips attached to the main board, which to me would have been sufficient to say there had been mositure ingress to the X1. Sony are not the only manufactures to place these strips within their phones. HTC are currently under fire for placing one adjacent to the battery externally on the phone, which is of course, is going to turn pink in time with the just taking out the sim card or the battery.

I think its safe to say that I have no confidence in Vodafones repair ability. Admittedly it was going to be slim they would still have an X1 lurking around, so to receive a new phone was a relief. I'm not sure if Vodafone insurers will monitor the number of 'liquid/moisture' claims they have paid out on, but you can bet the premium will rise at some point.

[James]

Hey Guys,

I understand your frustrations however all manufacturers put these indicators in the handsets and once they show any sign of damage it means they repair centre can't repair it under the warranty.

I have had this myself in the pat however this is one more reason why its always worth having insurance on your phone.

James
eFroum Team

[adirtymonkey]

Hey Guys,

I understand your frustrations however all manufacturers put these indicators in the handsets and once they show any sign of damage it means they repair centre can't repair it under the warranty.

I have had this myself in the pat however this is one more reason why its always worth having insurance on your phone.

James
eFroum Team

All very well but they didn't even mention them AND they missed the cause of the fault!!!

[Blighty76]

OK well my phone has gone into the Leamington store where a friendly lad gave me a 360 H1 as replacement (much better phone than I expected to get even if does feel a bit tacky compared to my beloved Legend). He said that most likely it will be replaced so here's hoping the worst of my troubles is the loss of most of my contacts.