What to do if your phone breaks under warranty in 2021?

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Buying a new phone is a responsible step that requires a serious approach to choice. No buyer is immune from the breakdown of a mobile device, even if it was purchased in a store. What to do if a phone that is covered by warranty breaks down? Where to go in 2021 and with what? All this will be covered within the framework of this material.

Normative base

The main regulation is the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” No. 2300-1 of 02/07/1992 (hereinafter referred to as the LPP). In Art. 18 (clause 1) states that if defects are detected in the phone, the consumer has the right to rely on repair, return or replacement.

Attention! If you have any questions, you can chat for free with a lawyer at the bottom of the screen or call Moscow; Saint Petersburg; Free call for all of Russia.

Attention

Regarding technically complex devices, the consumer may refuse to fulfill the terms of the purchase and sale agreement and request a refund of the money spent, as well as demand a replacement with a product with the same consumer properties. Their list is presented in Government Decree No. 924 of November 10, 2011.

The time frame within which it is permissible to present these claims is discussed in the following Article 19, paragraph 1 of Law No. 2300-1. The standard states that the consumer retains the right to protect his own interests during the entire warranty period or shelf life. If expiration dates for certain goods have not been established, they can be submitted for examination within two years.

The next article (Article 20) deals with the procedures for eliminating defects in product items on the part of the seller. Clause 1 states that the elimination of deficiencies occurs immediately, i.e., in compliance with the minimum deadlines. They cannot be more than 45 days. If we are talking about durable goods, such as a telephone, the manufacturer is obliged to provide the consumer with a replacement product within three days (Clause 2 of Article 20 of the ZPP Law).

Can a broken screen be repaired under warranty?

And if the defect in your phone was not associated with an impact, then you need to contact the seller and insist that the phone be accepted for repair. The seller will most likely try to refuse, because... the product has mechanical damage, in this case, insist on an examination by the seller to confirm that the defect is not related to an impact, but is of manufacturing origin. I am ready to advise in more detail on further actions if we are talking about a defect that did not arise due to an impact.

Where to go if your phone breaks under warranty in 2021?

In 2021, the first thing you need to do is “peacefully negotiate” with the phone seller. He will inspect and send the device for warranty repair, giving another unit for temporary use in return. All that is required from the consumer is to draw up a claim in two copies. One of them remains in the hands of the phone buyer, the second is transferred to the party that sold the product of inadequate quality.

IMPORTANT

If the seller ignores the consumer’s demand, the latter has the right to appeal to higher authorities (ROSPOTREBNADZOR, court).

When you cannot be denied a guarantee

If you purchased a smartphone due to poor quality assembly or the use of defective parts, the battery became swollen, as a result the case opened, and the product received mechanical damage. This is a warranty case !

There can be quite a lot of similar cases. Let's say you purchased a tablet computer and bought a SIM card to connect to the Internet. Cellular companies often make cards collapsible. If you needed to insert and remove the card repeatedly and it fell apart, then you as a customer are not responsible for such mechanical damage.

The reason is to operate the device according to its technical specifications.

For example, if you inserted a memory card into the SIM card slot, but the damage was caused by the client. If a SIM card was inserted into the SIM card slot, the damage was caused by poor assembly and during operation of the device.

Legal terms aside, you used the tablet computer as you were supposed to use it! The seller and the manufacturer made a connector for a SIM card, which means that this connector must accept and work with a SIM card of a given size! If the connector cannot do this, it means poor quality assembly and a warranty case for equipment repair!

Step-by-step instructions

If the phone breaks down during the warranty period, it must be repaired or returned. In accordance with Art. 18 clause 1 of the law on ZPP, a certain procedure for carrying out return measures for a smartphone is in effect for 15 days (if a defect is detected in the product). According to it, the consumer may not return the mobile device for repair, but simply return it with receipt of the amount of money paid, or replace it with a new device.

The phone cannot be exchanged or returned under warranty if it:

• was subjected to mechanical influence;
• software changes;
• act of cold or moisture.

Within 14 days from the date of purchase, the consumer has the right to return the phone under warranty if a defect is found in it.

Additional Information

Is it possible to return a phone to a store in 2021 if it doesn’t suit you or you don’t like it?

In accordance with the List of non-food products of good quality that are not subject to exchange or return (Government Decree No. 55 of January 19, 1998), phones are complex technical goods that are not subject to exchange or return. This is confirmed by Art. 25 of the law on ZPP. This category includes multifunctional devices equipped with touch screens. That is, we are talking about smartphones and tablets. Return them according to Art. 25 within 14 days is not allowed.

But the question related to classic push-button phones remains open. The fact is that from the point of view of jurisprudence, the belonging of this product group to items of complex equipment cannot be proven 100%. Therefore, products with buttons can be returned and exchanged within 14 days after purchase.

Instructions for action if problems occur with the phone after 15 days of use are as follows:

• If a breakdown is detected, you should study the warranty card. It is not uncommon for a seller to offer a primary and secondary warranty for the phone that covers the same set of rights.
• Go to the seller, taking the broken product and everything that came with it. Write a request for marriage.
• If the warranty period for the phone has not expired, and the breakdown occurred due to the fault of the manufacturer, the seller is obliged to accept the smartphone for repair or offer the buyer other options (replacement, return, proportionate reduction in cost).
• The duration of repair activities in 2021 cannot exceed 45 days, otherwise the buyer reserves the right to file a complaint with ROSPOTREBNADZOR.
• Having taken the phone for repair, the seller undertakes to: - conduct an examination in order to identify the cause of the breakdown (this is done at the seller’s expense - Article 18, paragraph 5); — hand over the appropriate act with a detailed description of the problem; — provide a replacement model with the same set of options (Article 20, paragraph 2).

Please note:
The Consumer has the right to be present during the examination of the goods. If he does not agree with its results, in 2021 he has the right to create a request for an examination of the phone from an independent specialist.

• If the seller refused to repair the phone under warranty, you should go to ROSPOTREBNADZOR with a corresponding complaint against him. If serious conflicts arise, filing a claim in court is permissible.

What are the dangers of broken glass for your phone?

Broken glass is dangerous for several reasons, they are as follows:

• the display does not respond to touch, the module stops working and reads finger touches, so you cannot use the phone for its intended purpose;
• broken glass particles can damage the internal equipment of the phone; replacing microcircuits and other parts sometimes costs more than the gadget itself;
• Moisture gets inside the case, broken glass breaks the seal of the device, due to which it can no longer contain dust and moisture, a short circuit may occur and the phone can no longer be helped.

In any case, even if the damage is minor, it is recommended to immediately take the smartphone for repair. Replacing the glass will allow you to continue to use the functions of the device without worrying about its operation.

Consumer rights

After detecting faults in a mobile device, the consumer, in accordance with the law on STDs, has several options for action (clause 1 of Article 18):

• exchanging the phone for an analogue or another brand with subsequent recalculation of the payment amount;
• returning the smartphone to the seller and receiving money back (usually this happens within 3 days);
• use of the right to receive warranty repairs;
• reduction in purchase price in proportion to defects.

Attention
The phone must be returned for repair under warranty in the same configuration as it was at the time of purchase. However, the absence of a receipt and box does not serve as a reason for refusal on the part of the seller (Article 18, paragraph 5).

Features of warranty repairs

If the store accepted the phone for repair, it must give the buyer another one for the period of restoration work (Part 2 of Article 20 of the Law of the Russian Federation).

It is important to consider that this is done only at the request of the consumer and within 3 days after the request.

Deadlines

According to Part 1 of Art. 20 of the Law on Regulations, the time allotted to eliminate the malfunction is determined by the parties and recorded in writing. The maximum period for repairs is 45 days, but it can be increased if necessary and strictly by agreement with the buyer.

It is important to take into account that the lack of spare parts, parts for repairs and other similar reasons are not grounds for providing additional time and do not relieve liability for violation of established deadlines.

Guarantees

When accepting a phone for repair, the seller undertakes to return the product to the buyer in good condition.

The calculation of the warranty period for the period of restoration work is stopped and resumed from the moment the repaired gadget is handed over to the consumer (Part 3 of Article 10 of the Law of the Russian Federation). To comply with this requirement, the store provides the buyer with written information about the date:

• requesting troubleshooting;
• handing over the phone for repair;
• elimination of defects with a description of the work performed and parts replaced;
• issuing a working phone to the buyer.

According to Part 4 of Art. 20 of the ZoPP, if new parts and components were used for repairs, a new warranty period of the same duration is established for them. If the parts and components were simply repaired, the warranty period is renewed from the moment the goods are delivered to the buyer.

Seller rights in 2021

In the event of a phone breakdown, warranty rights and disputes are available not only to the consumer, but also to the seller. Their list is also prescribed in the legislation on consumer protection.

1. In Art.
   18 clause 5 states that the seller is obliged to accept product items for inspection. IMPORTANT If, as a result of the examination, it is established and proven that the defects arose through the fault of the user, the latter will be obliged to reimburse all costs associated with checking, storing and transporting the product item. The seller has every right to demand this money.
2. In 2021, the seller has the right to refuse to accept a phone for examination and repair if the expiration date or warranty period has expired.
3. The seller does not consider the claim even if the consumer tries to return a product that is not covered by warranty services.
4. In Art.
   20 clause 1 states that in a number of situations the seller has the right to delay the repair of the goods. For your information, if during the repair work it becomes obvious that it will not be possible to eliminate them in the allotted time (45 days), a new deadline is set. However, the lack of necessary spare parts and components on site does not allow it to be formed anew.

Insurance

Typically, sellers offer insurance more often than other products.

3.1. What is this

Insurance is similar to an additional warranty, but there are a few differences:

• An additional warranty protects equipment from manufacturing defects, insurance - from manufacturing defects, breakdowns due to the fault of the buyer, robbery, theft, fire, lightning, power surge or flooding. This list depends on the insurance conditions.
• Additional guarantees are sold by equipment manufacturers and retail chains, and insurance is sold by insurance companies.
• For repairs under an additional warranty, no additional documents are required; for repairs under insurance, you do. For example, if the equipment burns down, you will be asked for the following list:
• Insurance companies make decisions on each case individually. This means that the equipment will not be repaired immediately, but only after the insurance company reviews your application. On average, insurance companies process an application within 20 business days. Under the additional warranty, the equipment will be taken in for repair immediately.

3.2. Conditions

There can be a lot of clauses in insurance terms and conditions. For example, under the terms of insurance, equipment is protected from water damage:

But below there is a large list of exceptions when insurance will not work.

This means that if you leave your insured laptop by an open window, go for a walk, and suddenly it starts to rain, the laptop gets wet and breaks - it will not be repaired under insurance, you will have to do it at your own expense.

We have compared some conditions across several insurance companies in the table below*:

3.3. Where is it sold?

In large retail chains, online stores, insurance companies.

When can I get my money back for a phone under warranty?

According to the provisions of the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”, money can be returned in 2021 for a phone of inadequate quality only if the following conditions are met:

• if the warranty period for the product is extended;
• it has not expired;
• the product is subject to exchange and return;
• the breakdown occurred due to the fault of the manufacturer/seller;
• The product was provided for repair in the same configuration that was included when purchased.

In Art. 24 (clause 1) of the law on ZPP states that if a product item of inadequate quality is replaced with a product of the same brand and model, the price will not be recalculated. Clause 2 states that if the replacement is made with a product of a different model, the difference is paid by:

• consumer, if the price of the new product is higher;
• seller if its value is lower.

IMPORTANT
Clause 6 states that if the phone was purchased using credit resources, in 2021 the seller remains obligated to return not only the amount paid for the smartphone, but also interest and other payments in accordance with the loan agreement.

If you break your phone, is the electric power warranty still valid? - Lawyers

• After filing a claim, the seller must take your phone for examination at the store’s expense, with the help of which the cause of the breakdown will be determined.

If the established reason indicates that the cause of the breakdown is your carelessness, then they will charge you money for the examination.

• If the examination shows that the cause of the phone breakdown was a manufacturing defect, then your phone will be sent to the repair service.

Important

Or just buy a new one. This is the real state of affairs.

The battery is considered a separate part and has nothing to do with the phone's shortcomings. Conclusion If your mobile phone is broken and is under warranty, do not rush to send it in for repair. After all, it will most likely take a long time to wait for it to end. Also, do not rush to return the device for paid repairs or sell it as faulty. You have every right to replace the device with a new one. Or get money. It only takes a little time to do this.

To do this, you just need to know your rights and use them wisely.

Attention

I hope the tips presented in this article will help you with this.

Is it possible to replace a phone under warranty if the screen is broken?

articles:

• What rights does the consumer have?
• What rights does the consumer have if the purchased phone becomes unusable?
• What to do if your phone breaks almost immediately after purchase
• What to do if your phone breaks under warranty
• What can you do with a broken phone in a store?
• What should you do if the store refuses to return a phone that is broken under warranty?
• Sample claim

What rights does the consumer have? According to the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights” you have the following privileges:

• You can return even a working phone back to the store if it does not meet some criteria: the gadget is the wrong size, color, has an awkward shape, or the seller told you about components that were not in the box.

What to do if your phone is broken under warranty?

It doesn’t matter who you bought this device for: yourself, your girlfriend or boyfriend, child, mom, dad... It’s important that you keep the sales receipt and, in general, all those pieces of paper that the seller gave you upon purchase.

Phone exchange and money back

Procedures for replacing a phone of inadequate quality under warranty are regulated under Art. 21 of the law on STDs. Clause 1 states that the replacement must be carried out within 7 days from the date of presentation of the corresponding request. If an examination is necessary, this period is extended to 20 days. The calculation of the warranty period due to replacement starts anew (Article 21, paragraph 2).

You can exchange your phone for warranty in 2021 in the following situations:

1. Discovery of a serious defect requiring expensive repairs, the price of which exceeds the cost of the mobile device.
2. Long (protracted) phone repair work (over 45 days).
3. The need for regular repair of the smartphone, i.e. during each year of the warranty period for a total of more than 30 days due to repeated elimination of various defects of the phone. (Article 18, paragraph 1).

To exchange a phone under warranty, a claim must be made in two copies, the period during which the return is made is 7 days. If a new model is not in stock, the time period should not exceed 30 days.

Actions in case of refusal to repair a phone under warranty

If you are denied repair work under warranty, you must proceed as follows:

• demand a written refusal of warranty repair of the phone and a report on the work that was carried out (remember, they can refuse you only in accordance with Article 18, paragraph 6 of the ZPP law);
• send a claim to the head of the service center, attaching copies of other documents and a clear statement of the requirements;
• demand an examination at the expense of the seller (if a refusal follows, the consumer retains the right to conduct an independent independent examination, which he pays for himself, but if he wins in court, the defendant must reimburse him for all expenses incurred);
• contact higher competent services if previous actions did not lead to the desired result, and you are confident that you are right (you must send an application to ROSPOTREBNADZOR, and the most extreme measure is going to court).

You can request a phone return here.

What to do if your phone is broken

You shouldn’t immediately throw away your phone when it breaks and buy a new gadget. On the contrary, you can repair your device for a small amount by replacing the broken screen. There are several options that allow you to do this; it is recommended to use the optimal method in a particular case.

If there was an additional guarantee or insurance

Before you fix the problem yourself, you need to check whether the phone has a warranty or insurance. To do this, you need to contact the gadget manufacturer. You can also look at the warranty period in the documents for your smartphone; they usually contain all the required data.

The phone warranty lasts for different periods of time, from several months to a year. With its help, you can get free repairs or a refund if the defect was corrected at your own expense. Repairs are carried out in a store, at the manufacturer or at a service center.

Insurance is an additional service that is valid in conjunction with the warranty. Reimbursement must be obtained from the insurance company, without contacting the manufacturer. This document is valid for a year. Insurance can be different; it may include both the return of money for repairs and the repair itself.

If the screen breaks, it is recommended to use the warranty first. If it is no longer valid or the user is denied warranty repairs, insurance can be used. If both options are not valid, you will have to replace the screen at your own expense or at a specialized center.

The repair time depends on the extent of the damage. The screen can be quickly replaced directly at the service center or picked up for a week; you need to come back for the gadget after a certain period of time.

Temporarily apply protective glass or film

If the screen is damaged and there is no way to immediately contact service, you can use special methods. They will allow you to temporarily use the gadget. Of course, it is better to contact the service center as quickly as possible so that there are no complications with the phone.

You can use protective glass or film only if the screen responds to the touch of a finger and is not too damaged. If there is no image at all on the display, there are too many cracks, and the glass is crumbling into small pieces and does not respond to touch, there is no need to glue film or other glass on top, this will only damage the phone.

If the cracks are small but noticeable, protective glass is used. They can hide defects and protect the screen from further destruction or moisture penetration into the smartphone. The glass must have good adhesive that will not allow the additional protection to come off.

The film is applied only if the damage is minimal. It does not have such durable properties as glass, so it will not be able to adequately protect the phone. It is only needed to keep the screen in its current condition until repairs are carried out.

Before applying glass or film, it is necessary to degrease the screen and clean it from dust. The spray can be applied to a napkin and wiped off the broken phone display. Only after this procedure can additional protection be glued.

Replace the screen yourself

You can replace a cracked screen yourself if you have certain skills. This is also the cheapest replacement method.

To repair, you will need to buy a new screen. You can find a part suitable for your phone in various online stores that specialize in this. The display must be of high quality and suitable in terms of parameters, this will allow the phone to transmit the best picture.

It must be said that a self-installed display can disrupt the operation of the microcircuits, and in this case the phone will completely fail. This will happen if the case is not carefully disassembled or the screen is placed incorrectly. In this case, you will have to spend money twice - on a new screen and on phone repair.

To replace the screen at home, the user will need the following set of tools:

• ultraviolet light bulb;
• stand;
• stencils;
• polymers;
• specialized screwdrivers;
• thin flashlight.

Other devices may also be required. This depends on the model, as well as the screen device, as they may differ from each other.

If there are no such things, you need to purchase them or take the phone to a service center for repair, since self-repair is impossible without certain tools. In the center everything will be produced with high precision.

Prices for gadget parts vary quite a bit. For a phone that was released recently, the screen will cost more than for a gadget that entered the market several years ago.

Take it to an authorized service center

If the user contacts the service center with a request to repair the screen, you need to tell the employees in detail about your problem. Specialists will analyze the extent of the damage and offer two options to choose from:

• replacement of glass only;
• replacing the entire screen.

The second option is more expensive. In addition, the price for the service greatly depends on what model of phone needs to be repaired.

The screen itself is made of a display with a touchscreen, which is also called “touch glass”. They can go either separately or together, that is, they can be glued to each other. It is possible to separate them during repairs, but this process can cause some problems.

The separation of elements entirely depends on the skill of the specialist who repairs and replaces broken glass. In this case, no master can give a guarantee, since the process is complex and incorrect movement can lead to breakage of both elements.

Such repairs cost about the same as completely replacing the entire screen. Therefore, you should find out what process will be carried out in order to calculate finances in advance.

It is recommended to replace the entire screen, as the screen wears out over time and can no longer convey a high-quality picture. Even if the glass is new, the phone may not transmit the image in the required resolution. In this case, you will have to carry out the repair again, changing the display completely.

Replacing a screen takes varying amounts of time. If the repair is carried out by a professional, the process takes up to 1.5 hours. If there is no such specialist, repair and replacement may take several days, depending on the specialist’s workload. When the operation is completed, the user will be given the phone and warranty.

Hand over to a private workshop

These screen restoration methods can be used when the user does not have the opportunity to return the phone to the manufacturer or to a specialized center. In this case, you can always go to a private workshop, which is usually found in any, even small, city.

It should be understood that a private master does not always use only original elements for phones. Therefore, if, after repairs in such a workshop, problems arise with the phone, you will not be able to contact the manufacturer. This is due to the fact that he cancels the contract if the repairs were not carried out by him.

Therefore, it is recommended to first check other options such as insurance, warranty and repair at a service center. If you have to contact local workshops, it is recommended to first find out if they have a guarantee for the work performed.

Repairs in such workshops usually take longer than in service centers. The quality of repairs may also suffer. Typically, such specialists are approached with an old model of a gadget that is no longer covered by the warranty.

The price for phone repair is usually lower from private repairmen than from specialized companies.

The phone is under warranty and the headphones are broken

In Art. 19 clause 3 states that warranty periods can be established not only for main goods, but also for components. They may be the same, or they may differ.

IMPORTANT

By default, in 2021, the warranty period for headphones is the same as for the phone, so you can request their repair, replacement and return within the same period. But if the contract specifies other conditions (for example, a shorter warranty period), the consumer no longer has the right to file a claim after its expiration.

If your phone breaks after repair

When the goods are issued, a document is issued that contains not only information about the work performed, but also the period during which the service center is responsible for the quality of the service provided. Typically this warranty period is 7-10 days.

If the phone breaks down again during this period, a claim is submitted to the service center for poor quality service provided. If the defect appears later - to the seller for low-quality goods.

If you did not hand over the phone directly to the service, but acted through the store, the claim is in any case sent to the seller.