Need Advice | Issues with Samsung S8 | Camera Focus and Now Custom ROM after Repair

LPowerbot on 28/04/2018 - 14:28
Last edited 28/04/2018 - 15:06 by 1 other user

Hi All,

I need your advice/thoughts. Last year (about 9 months back), I took an Optus S8 Plan from Harvey Norman (during the offer where they were giving a $200 gift card).

On day one I noticed that the camera had focus issue (it would click blurry images). A quick Google shows its a known problem with some of the sets and is intermittent. Mostly will happen when you open the camera. Nothing would make it focus and only if you shake or tab with a hand it would fix it for that particular moment.

I went back to Harvey Norman may be on 3rd or 4th day. and they said they can't do anything else except take the phone and send it for repair or even better you go to Samsung repair centre. (As it is a minor issue, software issue and that they can't give me a new set.)

I contacted Samsung Support and they say that it could be a minor software issue and factory reset would fix it. So they would make me factory reset my phone (I have already done that couple of times). It would fix the problem for a while and come back again.

I have been lazy all this while, as in not wanting a factory reset and going through the whole process of setting up the phone again and then using a backup phone in the meanwhile. Finally, I gave the phone to Samsung repair (Olympic Park centre) and after the repair they said it was a manufacturing defect and have replaced the camera kit. I lost all my phone data as they do a factory reset. I was aware of it. but it's very annoying do keep doing it again and again.

Now, after i got the phone back from repair, I can't find the Netflix app. And then also noticed that Google Pay would not launch giving a warning that my phone might be rooted or have a custom ROM installed.

After reaching out to Samsung support, they are saying it's not rooted, from the software version or so and that I have to submit the phone for checking again and I have to backup my data. And that's the whole problem I am having. Not Again.

I don't want to do that, its a lot of problem and effort wasted and why can't they understand. I was actually happy using my phone with that camera fault but not able to use Google Pay, Netflix is too much of trouble but I don't want to give my phone back for them to factory reset again.

Your thoughts please on if it is OK and normal? I am exaggerating it? Was I eligible for a replacement when I first reported the issue. Are there any other options that I can try now.

Thanks

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  trustnoone on 28/04/2018 - 15:01

  +1

  Are you sure they gave you the same phone back? It kind of sounds like they gave you a refurbished phone thats been rooted? You can probably check with a rootchecker app or something from the store.

  If you know what you're doing you can probably reflash the device with stock and unrooted (which should fix android pay) but I'd probably return anyway as it may have tripped knox, might be easier to take to a Samsung center to show them incase you can get away with not having to do the full return and reset.

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  Powerbot on 28/04/2018 - 15:34

  I am pretty sure they gave me my phone, it had a small mark on screen and it was there :-).

  I don't know much on that reflash etc… So it is out of my scope. I can think of learning or looking for it but would be worried it the camera issue would come back or it would void me of my warranty. Something the vendors use it for their advantage.

  I don't know why, but am kind of supper annoyed with this kind of service from Samsung. I'll see if we have some other opinions or may be have to take it back to them. And live with their standard statement, data may be lost.

  Thanks for your help.

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  Randxyz123 on 28/04/2018 - 16:23

  +1

  I’d take it back and ask for a new phone.
  Annoying yes but what do you expect them to do?

  I’d push for less than 1 day turn around as it’s the second repair.

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  bobbified on 28/04/2018 - 21:36

  …not wanting a factory reset and going through the whole process of setting up the phone again and then using a backup phone in the meanwhile.

  I really hate setting up my phone as well. Previously, it was a super long and tedious process. But I found that there's an app by Samsung called Smartswitch. When I got my new Samsung phone a few months ago, I used that app to bring everything from my old Samsung phone to my new one. The phones were connected wirelessly to each other. The result was 95% or so the way I had it in my old phone, including all my apps and the icon layouts on the home screens/settings, etc.

  I haven't tried it between PC and phone though, but the app has that backup/restore functionality. Im expecting it to do the same or very similar to the above.

  Give that a try before handing your phone off again. Might save you a lot of time!

  Here's the link: http://www.samsung.com/au/apps/smartswitch/

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  Powerbot on 06/06/2018 - 09:53

  Thanks all. I'll have a look