Am I Entitled to a Replacement on A Tempered Glass Screen Protector?

BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 16:27
Last edited 29/09/2016 - 18:18 by 1 other user

Hi,

I don't want to reveal details so the store will be referred to as 'STORE'.

Approximately 11 weeks ago I bought a tempered glass screen protector and applied it to my phone 9 weeks ago. About 3 weeks ago I noticed that there was a crack on the protector. I've been in contact with the STORE and they said it was probably due to coins and keys (I always keep my phone by itself in a pocket). They've said they will not give me a replacement or refund, but have agreed to a discount of 10%. That's approximately $2. Am I entitled to a refund or replacement? What do you think?

Cheers,
Bobby

EDIT: Jeez, looks like I was off my rocker. After reading and replying to the comments I've now understood that the glass worked like it was supposed to and I should get cheaper protectors next time. Thanks for all the feedback!

Mobile

Comments

  • battler on 27/09/2016 - 16:30
    +57

    1) you shouldn't have paid $20 for a tempered glass screen protector
    2) they aren't as indestructible as their marketing suggests.

    ebay, buy 5 for <$10 delivered, move on.

      • battler on 27/09/2016 - 16:42
        +15

        buy 1 for a dollar then. worth the gamble versus $20.

        • PVA on 27/09/2016 - 18:22
          +1

          @Diji1: i have bought $4.95 ebay ones and they fit perfect, come in the same retail pack as stores.
          and have saved a G3's screen after dropping (the screens break easy), sony c4 (5.5 inch screen) dropped on tiled floor - protectors cracked, screen didnt.
          last ones I got were from sellers called re_definition and ezydigital , protectors were NuGlas.

        • shuckeru on 29/09/2016 - 12:23

          @Diji1: please hand in your OzB badge. tbh, i bought this: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/111970767280 and its perfect. i mean for less than $10 you can have 2 perfectly cut out and curved correctly making a perfect overlay on my screen shipped from Australia itself. as others have said. learn to ebay. i didn't need any "forum" to tell me what to buy.

        • cameldownunder on 29/09/2016 - 16:01
          +8

          Buy 3: The first to fail. I always fail the first. The second to put on correctly.
          Why the third then, you might wonder. The third is to take the pressure of the second being my last chance.

    • blindingshadowz on 28/09/2016 - 16:52

      Would love to know where on eBay I could get 5 for less than $10 delivered.

    • Japius on 29/09/2016 - 11:38

      agreed. Personally I always buy a few from DX etc they always come in the same retail packaging I see hanging in a lot of stores, its easy to see the cutouts etc and theres reviews on all these online sites anyway. But if someone wants to overpay thats their choice I guess

    • supersabroso on 29/09/2016 - 15:38

      I'm not sure what your expectations were, but the $5 ones from aliexpress do the same job. Their function is to be the sacrificial layer when you drop your phone, reducing shock to the actual phone screen. They are not indestructible by any means what so ever, their design is to be the opposite. If it does not shatter, your phone screen will.

    • rodinthink on 30/09/2016 - 17:30

      How about the Top-rated & Most-Helpful-Review-Recommendation brand like Nilkin / Spigen with the cheapish tempered glass?
      I reckon there should at least a difference in term of the anti-glare and touchey feel even though its un-noticeable for most people.

      If theres not much difference, than amazon's rating & how many item sold is the new way to hypnotize / trick people to buy over-priced items.

    • Skinnerr on 30/09/2016 - 21:54

      Hey question - How do you go about removing the tempered screen without damaging the phone itself's screen? Mine has a crack in it and its jammed on pretty damn well…

  • Diji1 on 27/09/2016 - 16:44

    I don't know - how are you going to provide evidence that it's a defective product? The description "crack"
    sounds like it ~could~ have been caused by force applied through the device in a twisting motion or a blow. The keys/coins "reason" makes it sound like it's a scratch, not a crack.

    • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 17:07

      I'm not sure how to describe it. But, the protector has a small chip (diameter 5mm) on the side and a crack protruding from it that goes across the screen.

      • captobvious on 28/09/2016 - 23:24
        +4

        That is normal for tempered glass protectors.

  • Mikinoz on 27/09/2016 - 16:46
    +8

    Just be happy you don't have a broken screen

    • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 16:48

      Yea, I guess. But it didn't crack because I dropped it. I just took it out of my pocket and it was like that.

      • magic8ballgag on 28/09/2016 - 08:35
        +7

        You don't have to drop your phone to crack it's screen, sometimes all it takes is a slight knock in the right spot to produce a chip that you've described.

        • BobbyJ on 28/09/2016 - 11:54
          +2

          Yea you're right.

      • Cyphar on 28/09/2016 - 19:36
        +1

        If you didn't have the glass protector on, it would've been your phone's screen instead. Consider that the protector thus did it's job and it was $20 well spent. Better than the $200+ it would've cost if you didn't have it on!

        • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 07:52
          -1

          As I've said time and time again. The protector did not break because I dropped it. Therefore the protector in no way, shape, or form saved my screen.

        • Cyphar on 29/09/2016 - 11:59
          +1

          @BobbyJ: Regardless of what happened to it, it happened to the protector and not the phone. Thus it did it's job. How do you not get that?

        • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 12:00

          @Cyphar:
          I get that.

        • Cyphar on 29/09/2016 - 12:01

          @BobbyJ: Good. The cover you have, and it's an awesome cover as I have it for mine too, is what protects the phone from drops & the like. The screen protector is there to stop scratches, dints, etc. It just serves as another layer of the screen that can be removed & replaced easily

        • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 12:57

          @Cyphar:
          Does the TPU part get a bit yellowish? Do you have any tips on how to keep it clean?

      • supersabroso on 29/09/2016 - 15:40

        My wife completely cracked her screen by putting it in her bag. She must have ground it against some other hard glass object. You don't need to drop your phone to ruin it.

        • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 16:05

          And so I've learnt.

  • activ8newbs on 27/09/2016 - 16:48
    +3

    Agreed with @battler

  • outlander on 27/09/2016 - 17:04
    -2

    I would expect a screen protector to last a year at least. They protect the screen against scratches, not things hard enough to crack it. The fact that it has cracked, suggests a defect. Verdict: Replacement

    • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 17:08
      +1

      That's what I was thinking. It shouldn't crack so easily.

    • supnigs super skids on 27/09/2016 - 18:01
      +6

      Reads better with circus music playing..

      • outlander on 27/09/2016 - 19:13
        +3

        Working in the circus, you are probably unfamiliar with how tempered glass works. The whole structure is under enormous pressure. If there is a defect in the glass, all it takes is a slight pressure at the right spot, a moment of minor torsion, or a temperature change, and the defect causes the whole house of cards to fall. Or in your case, a human pyramid where one clown has a weak wrist. Under normal circumstances its unlikely the glass would crack from being in a pocket.

        • supnigs super skids on 27/09/2016 - 19:34
          +6

          1mm thin piece of glass cracks. Cries it was defective and shouldnt happen like that.

        • dealman on 29/09/2016 - 16:47

          @supnigs:

          Most glass 0.3 mm thick

  • loke on 27/09/2016 - 17:07
    +2

    I got my Note 4 screen protectors for 3.85USD about ~$4-5.

    I cracked my first one as I was carrying my phone and a sandwich board sign and pushed up my phone's right edge against the sign. (edit: cracked)

    2nd one I applied must've dinged up against something near the top edge with the speaker cutout somehow and cracked a little.

    All of these are with a case on but they are fragile at the edges if you don't have a bumper/lip on a phone case to absorb some force. (edit: bumper/lip on a phone case)

    If you keep it in your pants pocket it's possible that you could've banged it up against something at the same height, chair/table etc. I know the left edge of the bezel/housing on the phone's camera is dented from something.

    • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 18:00
      +1

      Yup, I've got a bumper case. It's the Spigen Nexus 6P Case Neo Hybrid EX.

      • loke on 28/09/2016 - 12:32
        +3

        Just to clarify I was using a Spigen "Ultra Hybrid Soft Bumper+Hard Case" for the 1st around and a Speck Candyshell Grip in the 2nd. The 2nd time it also resided within my pocket before i observed a chip upon withdrawing it from said pocket.

        Once a chip developed on the side in the first case (edges being the most fragile) I could use my finger to press on the small crack which easily made the crack go across the screen. Sometimes the crack pattern doesn't spread and is localised in a small area and it's still fine as long as the adhesive backing on the back holds. I passed a screen protector to a colleague who promptly caused it to crack in this pattern on the right edge when he pulled of his case and put it back kn.

        Simply buy another one and move on as it's more than likely your phone while in your pocket met with enogih force against something with the edge of your screen protector.

        • BobbyJ on 28/09/2016 - 12:45
          +4

          Thanks for the detailed response. You're right. I should just move on.

  • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 18:01
    +1

    Is this covered under the Australian Consumer Law (in regards to the lifetime of a product)?
    Is there anyway I can push for a replacement?
    Should I just call it a day and move on?

    • supnigs super skids on 27/09/2016 - 18:04
      +1

      Was it broken when you got it?

      Did you somehow damage it by dropping your phone?

      • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 18:06
        +1

        It wasn't broken when I got it.

        I don't think I dropped my phone. It was fine one morning. Pulled it out of my pocket a few hours later and saw a chip on the side and crack going along the glass. This all happened approximately 6 weeks after applying the protector to my phone.

        • supnigs super skids on 27/09/2016 - 18:12
          +2

          Once it chips. It would crack with pressure from a press.

          You must of chipped it.

          Chase it up if you want. Depends on the seller.

        • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 21:24
          +1

          @supnigs:

          Yea, saw the chip and a slight crack. The crack completely developed by the afternoon. I'm trying to talk to the seller but they're saying I can only get a 10% discount on my next purchase.

    • ShiKu on 29/09/2016 - 17:41

      Might be an unpopular opinion, but I'd take it as a lesson and move on if I were you. I've bought expensive screen protectors in the past (i know, take away my OzB badge), and I've bought cheap as chips protectors from eBay. Both imo work the same. Invest in some glass protectors from eBay and call it a day. Bad luck about it cracking though.

      • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 18:17
        -1

        Thanks for the insight. Definitely time to move on :)

  • Ughhh on 27/09/2016 - 19:08
    +1

    Isn't this like complaining and demanding a refund because the helmet broke when you fell off your bike?

    • outlander on 27/09/2016 - 19:14
      +3

      It would be like that, yes. Helmets should deform not break.

    • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 21:14
      +1

      No. It's not like that. It's like demanding a refund because the helmet was dented when you took it off your head. As I've explained, I did not drop the phone. I took it out of my pocket and saw the crack and chip.

      • Ughhh on 27/09/2016 - 21:45
        +2

        I don't think I dropped my phone

        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/267969#comment-4039348

        You weren't so sure before

        You don't have to drop the phone to cause a small crack, just like you don't have to deliberately bend an iphone …to bend it.

        Isn't the purpose of these screens is to absorb the force so that your phone screen doesn't ?

        • BobbyJ on 27/09/2016 - 21:54
          +2

          I said 'think' to give you the benefit of doubt. But, I know for sure that I didn't drop the phone. Yes, I agree it's supposed to absorb the force, but I am bewildered at the fact that it can just randomly crack without agitation and "that's how it's supposed to work."

  • [Deactivated] on 27/09/2016 - 23:27
    +1

    They probably aren't giving you a replacement as a matter of principle. Considering the cost of one glass protector is likely less than 50c.

    If everyone drops the phone and cracked the protector goes back to them and get free ones (considering there's no way to know), it's not really a business anymore but charity.

    • BobbyJ on 28/09/2016 - 07:45
      +1

      Yea, I see what you mean. Even though I didn't drop it they have no way of knowing if I'm telling the truth or not. So you reckon I should just give up on the replacement?

      • magic8ballgag on 28/09/2016 - 08:38
        +1

        Yes, if the crack isn't too big I would just continue using it.

  • minas01 on 28/09/2016 - 09:48
    +2

    This is a joke right?? Think of the protector as a consumable and move on. Plenty of reputable brand screen protectors on ebay for less than $10 (search NuGlas).
    I think you're lucky to be getting a 10% discount.

    • BobbyJ on 28/09/2016 - 12:01

      I don't understand why you think it's a joke though. Maybe I expect too much of the protector. I'm just surprised and bewildered at the fact that it broke without agitation. But, others have said that it worked as it was supposed to and I guess it has :/.

  • urzu on 28/09/2016 - 14:06

    Would you complain to your car manufacturer if the airbag deployed and became unusable after a crash? - A screen protector's sole purpose is to protect your phone's screen. If it is cracked, it did its job after it took a hit (as intended) and protected your phone.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 07:54
      +1

      No, but I would complain to the car manufacturer if the airbag deployed when the car was parked and not in use. You may have missed the part in this thread when I said the phone was never dropped.

      • Ughhh on 29/09/2016 - 11:20

        You may have missed the part when people have said you don't need to drop it to cause a crack, could be other reasons you don't even realise when it was in your pocket.

        • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 13:00
          +2

          Nah, I didn't miss that part. I did say multiple times in the thread that it could've been due to other reasons (i.e. temperature). My reply to urzu was to say his analogy was slightly incorrect.

  • Domingo on 28/09/2016 - 14:10

    I have a chip on the edge of my protector with a crack coming out of it running across the protector. It happened when I threw my phone in a compartment of my bag with keys in it. If you put your keys in the same phone as your pocket, this is likely the culprit.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 07:54
      -1

      Yea, I don't think any object caused the crack to happen (my phone is always by itself if it's in a pocket). It might've been environmental (temperature etc.).

  • wombok2 on 28/09/2016 - 16:13
    +1

    You are not entitled for a replacement, you said there was no damage upon receiving the product.

    Normal wear and tear(as others have suggested keys, coins, etc) would've caused the chip hence the crack.

    I used to work for a 'brand' repair center and I would have to hold my laugh whenever a customer said the screen 'cracked on its own'.

    I'm no SME but I believe only excessive force, temperature and improper handling only cause glass to break.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 07:57

      Fair enough. I guess as you mentioned it must've been temperature that caused the issue. Also, the reason I asked if I was entitled to a replacement was because I was under the assumption that the tempered glass hadn't lived its expected lifetime.

  • h3h3 on 28/09/2016 - 17:46
    +1

    i think what a lot of people are missing here is that it may have a 1, year 2 year or even lifetime replacement on cracks (even accidental), i know the ones at Optus have this and my partner has had hers replaced for free when she dropped her phone not long ago

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 07:58

      I just had another look at the tempered glass's packaging. It doesn't say that it has any replacement on cracks. But thanks for the idea.

  • Charity on 28/09/2016 - 18:56
    +2

    Am I Entitled

    Yes.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 08:09
      -1

      Am I Entitled to a Replacement on A Tempered Glass Screen Protector Which Cracked Spontaneously Without Physical Agitation?

      That's what I'm here to find out.

      • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2016 - 11:24
        -2

        Self entitled

        • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 12:58

          I didn't say I was entitled. I asked if I was entitled.

        • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2016 - 13:42

          @BobbyJ: You most certainly are not. Leave it at that and stop wasting, electrons and valuable breathing air with this topic.

        • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 14:26
          -1

          @faceman54:
          Roger, roger!

  • msmhw on 28/09/2016 - 19:31

    If you received it in good condition I don't believe you entitled for replacementor refund. The point of these glasses to protect your phone against any damages. You don't know, your phone may got hit somehow and cracked the glass. If it was me I will take the $2 and just buy any cheap glass in eBay, it shouldn't cost you more. And consider this as a replacement. If these glass not crackable the phone manufacturers will include it on the phone in the first place.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 07:59

      The $2 is a discount on my next purchase. :/

  • BradH13 on 28/09/2016 - 19:36
    +2

    Why are people trying to claim replacements on consumables lately? You use it until it breaks, then you buy a new one. I've been through about 7 on various devices. They're alot easier to crack/chip than you think. Only two of those breaks was from a drop. The rest were all random. One cracked when I tapped on something toward the edge, for example.

    You paid too much for a start. Nuglass and Tagg make great protectors that fit perfect and are cheap. Tagg for Nexus 6P (also my device) are two for $11 on eBay and are great. I got 10 months out of my first one and just put on the second the other day. Nice smudge free coating on them too.

    I've never smashed a screen on a phone so they must work. Be happy your screen didn't smash and move on. :)

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 08:01

      I'm kind of new to the tempered glass game. The reason I thought I should be entitled to a replacement is because the protector wasn't agitated (dropped, hit etc.) - therefore didn't live out its expected lifetime. But, others have mentioned that it could've been due to temperature or other reasons.

  • dbun1 on 28/09/2016 - 20:32
    +2

    geez, just when you think you've seen them all

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 08:03

      Don't see what's wrong with my post :/ …

      Wouldn't you ask for a replacement airbag if it deployed while your car was parked?
      Wouldn't you ask for a replacement pen if it ran out of ink without being used?

  • garetz on 28/09/2016 - 20:38
    +1

    its a consumable, so propably not, if it was a defect, then you would of noticed it much earlier when you got it, so it obviously did its job, and protected your phone from damage of some sort.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 08:04

      Yea it didn't have a defect when I bought it.

  • Tech5 on 28/09/2016 - 20:58
    +1

    You know the point of a tempered glass protector is that it will crack instead of your phone screen right?…

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 08:04

      Yes. But, I didn't know that it could crack spontaneously without agitation.

  • wheretobuychocettes on 28/09/2016 - 22:13

    Fairly sure the entire plan of tempered glass screen protectors, from the manufacturer's/seller's point of view is: they are far weaker than your phone's screen, almost designed to break. People obviously break them regularly, and think "gee whiz, sure glad I had that sticker on my phone that saved the screen" and will buy another to replace the cracked one. In reality, the sticker had about as good of a chance as protecting your glass from cracking/shattering (due to a drop) as a tissue covering the screen.

    I've owned smart phones (mostly iPhones) since 2009 and used all but my first phone without a case or screen protector and have broken zero smart phones in any way.

    A little surprised by the amount of people here that seem to buy into the tempered glass protector thing. There's no denying it's the nicest to touch of all screen protectors, but in my opinion this only protects them from scratches from keys, etc.

    If tempered glass was so darn special, wouldn't they make phones out of it, or coat screens in it straight from factory?

    • Tech5 on 29/09/2016 - 07:59
      +1

      They are indeed designed to break. That is the point. Impact to a screen will deliver a finite amount of force. If some of that force is absorbed by the tempered glass cracking, then there will be less force to crack the screen itself.

      The phone might not have cracked when you dropped it, but that doesn't prove that the tempered glass does nothing.

  • Krish on 29/09/2016 - 07:44

    Would you prefer to have a broken screen?

    You probably dropped it or banged it against somewhere to be honest,

    Going to them and claiming a crack after a lengthy period of time makes it look suspicious on your end, on top of that you're claiming you didn't drop it? Gotta let this one go friend

    Get the $2 and put it towards a new screen protector or 7

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 08:05

      Yea, I guess it's not worth the time or effort.

  • bs0 on 29/09/2016 - 08:09

    Am clumsy, dropped my Note 4 a number of times, but like you, I have a spigen case with bumpers and my phone has survived.
    Did crack the glass protector once by walking into a table corner with the Note 4 in my jeans pocket.
    Left the cracked glass on for ages before I got a new one. When I took the old one off, the note 4 screen was perfectly fine. Put on a new $4 glass protector from ebay and its good as new.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 08:09

      Sweet, might look into getting the NuGlass, TAGG or other protectors that people have mentioned.

      • bs0 on 29/09/2016 - 08:54

        are those expensive branded ones? IMO the unbranded ones feel the same, just different packaging

        • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 11:57

          Those are the cheaper branded ones.

  • inittobinit on 29/09/2016 - 09:09
    +6

    No you are not entitled.

    Been using tempered glass for over 2 years and this shit just happens sometimes.

    Yes, you may never have dropped it but i GUARANTEE you've done something to cause it to chip whether you want to realize it or not.

    Brushing against a table, dropping keys on it, putting it in a bag and the bag getting knocked, or putting the bag down on a hard surface when the phone was on the bottom.

    It isn't just going to spontaneously break on its own just like it isn't about to spontaneously combust.

    I know which store you're talking about and they wont do you a favor because:

    • This is the nature of screen protectors (i.e thin layers of fragile glass).
    • They do this for you they have to do it for everyone.
    • Do you know how many people come in saying 'oh i didn't do it, it broke on its own' for all kinds of products. These business' stand firm in situations where there's no hard evidence against their favor, otherwise there are way too many scumbags out there who will just abuse the system.

    Moral of the story, wise up as a consumer and shop from ebay to get the exact same product for literally less than 1/10th of the cost, so when the same thing happens again you'll only be salty that you lost $2 not $20.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 11:59

      Straight forward and gets the point across. You're right. I should just get cheaper ones next time.

  • plmko on 29/09/2016 - 10:44
    +1

    Contrary to what every says here, I would never recommend cheap glass protectors unless you aren't fussy or don't intend for them to last long. I YOLO dropped $50 on a Japanese Overlay brand one and it was night and day with low priced Ebay alternatives, the differences being: accurate cut around sensors/camera, much more exact fit to the edge, 0.02mm instead of 0.03mm, Oleophobic coating that really lasts and way more resistant to edge cracking. The end result on using it on my Xperia Z2 for 2 years is the front (overlay) had no cracks and continues to be finger print free where as the rear (cheap Ebay ones) I've replaced twice and lived with cracks.

    Price does not correlate to quality and I would say 99% of the Ebay ones are repacked stuff, but if you check on Amazon.co.jp they have the good stuff worth the price IMO.

  • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2016 - 10:45
    +3

    learn to ebay noob
    gg get gud

    • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2016 - 11:26

      I agree, he is nub.

      I installed a screen protector on my phone, dropped it that afternoon… This guy '11 weeks'…

      • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2016 - 14:40

        At least you can choose to buy/ship from australia and it'll still be cheaper. You can also complain it's damaged in shipping as well.

  • JimmyF on 29/09/2016 - 13:21

    Nope…. You got 9 weeks or 2 months use out of it. It is GLASS, they do BREAK, CHIP and CRACK.

    • BobbyJ on 29/09/2016 - 13:22
      +1

      Yea, you're right.

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