Rewrite the physics books, rain is NOT a liquid...

[draggar]

SR: Sales rep
SC: Sucky customer

SR: I'm sorry sir, we don't be able to replace your phone, it has liquid damage inside it.
SC: It never got wet.
SR: Well, the techs found a large amount of corrosion inside the phone.
SC: It cannot be liquid damage. I only got wet in the rain. Rain will not damage these phones.
SR: Rain is a liquid and you shouldn't use the phone unprotected in a rain storm.
SC: Why? Rain doesn't cauee liquid damage since it is not a liquid?
SR: If you were sitting there using your laptop and it started to rain, would you continue to use it?
SC: NO! I would turn it off and put it away, but this is different, that is a computer.
(BTW - the guy had a "smart" phone)

SC: You know who
ME: You know who

Me: I'm sorry mam, we can't exchange your phone, there is a large amount of corrosion on the main board and inside the dataport. Plus, there appears to be something like old ice cream or frosting inside the dataport.
SC: THAT IS YOGURT!!
Me: OK, it's yogurt. We still can't exchange it.
SC: Figures, you guys never stand behind your products (Um, we don't make the phones).

Me: I'm sorry sir, we cannot exchange your phone. The board has extensive corrosion in it (shows it to the customer).
SC: That's not liquid damage. I'm an airline mechanic, I know all about corrosion.
(conversation went on for over 30 minutes including 3 sales reps and 2 managers plus a call to customer service).

Me: It seems that there is lquid inside the display.
SC: Yeah, I just dropped it in the toilet.
Me (handing the phone back to them) we can't look at it. And if you insist, let me go wash my hands and get a pair of gloves on.

Me: We cannot exchange your phone, there is corrosion on the main baord.
SC: Yes, I know, that's form the broken display.
Me: Excuse me?
SC: It's a LIQUID crystal display. That caused all the corrosion.
Me: That's impossible. One, the cracked LCD is on the different part of the flip than where the corrosion is. Two, the liquid crystal does not leak. It's crystallized liquid meaning it won't flow like a regular liquid.
SC: Stop lying to me and give me a new phone.

Of course, we always have a line of people with wet phones after the airshow. I see it, people wait to chest deep (some deeper) in the ocean taking pictures of the planes flying by. Luckily, salt water will show corrosion within 24-36 hours.

[Argabarga]

Bad ..... .physics... making.... head hurt.....

[angelicafire]

You know, on another message board I visit, someone asked for suggestions about how to fix their Razr because they dropped it into a sinkful of water. Someone suggested putting it in a bowl of rice and pray for the best. Because you know, having rice starch stick all over the electronic parts must be better than water. I just thought I would share.

[draggar]

You know, on another message board I visit, someone asked for suggestions about how to fix their Razr because they dropped it into a sinkful of water. Someone suggested putting it in a bowl of rice and pray for the best. Because you know, having rice starch stick all over the electronic parts must be better than water. I just thought I would share.

That's actually a new one. I don't see the point (unless they think the rice is going to absorb all the moisture?)

Best thing to do is (obviously take it out of the water first) remove the battery for a day or two (to let it completely dry out) then try to power it on.

Most people try to power it on right away while it is still wet which instantly shorts (fries) the board inside it. After that, the phone is dead. Letting it dry out will give you some extra time with it (possibly to get the phonebook and pictures out of it). Also, get the phone replaced, it will eventually die out. It's not a question of if, but when.

[Polenicus]

SR: Sales rep
SC: Sucky customer

SR: I'm sorry sir, we don't be able to replace your phone, it has liquid damage inside it.
SC: It never got wet.
SR: Well, the techs found a large amount of corrosion inside the phone.
SC: It cannot be liquid damage. I only got wet in the rain. Rain will not damage these phones.
SR: Rain is a liquid and you shouldn't use the phone unprotected in a rain storm.
SC: Why? Rain doesn't cauee liquid damage since it is not a liquid?
SR: If you were sitting there using your laptop and it started to rain, would you continue to use it?
SC: NO! I would turn it off and put it away, but this is different, that is a computer.
(BTW - the guy had a "smart" phone)

This is an example of the Dynamic Expediency Readjusted Reality, or DERR Principal.

Basically, it states that where the customer knows and understands the policies regarding the action he/she is trying to undertake, instead of attempting to circumvent or change the policy, they will surmise that it is easier to alter reality around them through a carefully constructed lattice of faulty logic, intentional misunderstandings and pure stubbornness.

What scares me is that having someone come into your store and claim that rain isn't wet isn't considered all that extreme as far as the DERR principal goes.

SC: You know who
ME: You know who

Me: I'm sorry mam, we can't exchange your phone, there is a large amount of corrosion on the main board and inside the dataport. Plus, there appears to be something like old ice cream or frosting inside the dataport.
SC: THAT IS YOGURT!!
Me: OK, it's yogurt. We still can't exchange it.
SC: Figures, you guys never stand behind your products (Um, we don't make the phones).

So, in other words, she dropped her phone in her tub of yogurt, then instead of inquiring the proper course of action, or even admitting her mistake, she probably ran the thing under the tap and scrubbed it off.

Y'know, I think we need a new law passed outlawing making electronics for public use water-resistant for a period of at least 20 years, so we can re-introduce the concept of WATER + ELECTRONICS = BAD!!!

But then again, it shouldn't have failed. Yogurt isn't a liquid :P

Me: We cannot exchange your phone, there is corrosion on the main baord.
SC: Yes, I know, that's form the broken display.
Me: Excuse me?
SC: It's a LIQUID crystal display. That caused all the corrosion.
Me: That's impossible. One, the cracked LCD is on the different part of the flip than where the corrosion is. Two, the liquid crystal does not leak. It's crystallized liquid meaning it won't flow like a regular liquid.
SC: Stop lying to me and give me a new phone.

Of course, because the SC knows how it works better than someone who makes a living repairing these things. After all, he reads. It says LIQUID.

So, for the record:

- Airline mechanics are the foremost experts on what constitutes corrosion on a circuit board

- Rain is not a liquid

- Yogurt is not a liquid

- Whatever is in the toilet bowl you dropped the phone into is not a liquid

- Crystals ARE a liquid

[FuzzyKitten99]

either the phones must have sat in water for some time (except the salt water, I know that can speed things up) or are just super-cheaply made. I have dropped my phone in my backyard pond (complete with mud), hosed it off, and it still works (this is after the 15ft fall onto concrete) the same as the day I bought it. I have never shut it off, either.

[Dreamstalker]

That's actually a new one. I don't see the point (unless they think the rice is going to absorb all the moisture?)

Well, I've heard of putting uncooked rice in a salt dish to absorb moisture...maybe they made some leap of logic based on that?

A friend of mine killed his phone that way... He was in the shower while talking to me, and thought that hanging his head out of the tub area would prevent it from getting wet That's a new one. And no, I have no idea what he was thinking to even consider that as a good idea (I'm sorry, but no phone call is so important that you can't wait until finishing a shower).

Far as I can figure, he microwaved the thing for a few seconds to dry it. Didn't remove the battery or anything. It worked long enough for him to make one fairly pointless call to me (ending in an auditory witness to phone-death-by-drowning...that was interesting). Of course, all address book etc. info was lost, which I got complained at for (wtf).

Back when Motorola made phones the size and weight of a brick, my mom dropped said phone in a pedicure basin. After drying out the battery, it worked perfectly until it finally did die for an unrelated reason. I dropped a more recent Motorola phone down the (metal) back hall stairs; the only real damage was a few more scratches and the battery came out.

[digilight]

I dropped my old phone in some water once. Grabbed it out real quick like. I think the biggest difference between what I did and what most of your customers did was that I used common sense, I know what a concept huh . Like dragger said, I pulled the battery out and the sim card. Let them dry out for a day, and it worked fine after that. The display was darker then before, and the volume was a tad lower then before, but it still made and recieved calls. And I used it for about a year after that.

[Becks]

Oh, holy biscuit. The stupidity is taking over the earth!!!!!!!!

[wagegoth]

My Nokia 6800 is finally giving up the ghost (dropped it on concrete too many times). I am very bummed.

My son left his Firefly in his pants, which went through the wash, including the dryer. It actually still works most of the time; I was quite impressed.

What is so hard about just opening the phone and removing the battery and sim card to let it dry out? Years ago I dropped my watch in a swimming pool, took the back off, pulled out the battery, and set it at a slight angle so it would dry. It worked just fine for a long time after.

[cinema guy]

I've dropped a hearing aid in the sink. I opened it up and let it dry out and it was fine.

[scruff]

A friend has, a couple of times, run his phone though the washing machine.
Both times, after getting a new battery, it's been fine.

(Yes, after being absent-minded enough to put the phone though the wash in his jeans once, you'd have thought he'd have learned..)

[draggar]

either the phones must have sat in water for some time (except the salt water, I know that can speed things up) or are just super-cheaply made. I have dropped my phone in my backyard pond (complete with mud), hosed it off, and it still works (this is after the 15ft fall onto concrete) the same as the day I bought it. I have never shut it off, either.

A lot of it is how it falls into the liquid, how long it is in the liquid, what direction, speed and what not. Plus, some parts might get shorted / burned out but the phone still may work, what appears to be, perfectly for a very long time.

Most phones can be dropped into a glass of water and if taken out quick enough (less than a second) they'll work fine. The longer in the liquid, the more chance of it failing for good. Once liquid gets inside the phone and shorts out some main components, then it's gone for good.

I've seen phones survive a drop off a motorcycle at 100+ MpH on the highway while others shatter into millions of pieces from a drop off the hip. We used to do "drop tests" (more like toss them up to the 25" high ceiling and see what happens when they land). I was very suprised at some of the results.

Plus, now some phones are coming out built to military specifications.

[Hon'ya-chan]

Me: I'm sorry sir, we cannot exchange your phone. The board has extensive corrosion in it (shows it to the customer).
SC: That's not liquid damage. I'm an airline mechanic, I know all about corrosion.
(conversation went on for over 30 minutes including 3 sales reps and 2 managers plus a call to customer service).

Please tell me you got the place of his employment, I would wish to avoid said airline.

[draggar]

Please tell me you got the place of his employment, I would wish to avoid said airline.

He didn't have a corporate discount, so he didn't work for any of the major manufacturers, carriers, or airports. I think he worked at a local executive airport (you know, the ones with inflated egos).