Original Issue:
+ I brought the device in with a defective…read moreUSB port and paid for a board replacement
The Results:
+ After bringing it in three times, the USB port works again
- The frame holding the device together is now broken in several places
- The LED (after two replacements) still does not function correctly
- The original screws "went missing" and longer non-standard screws were inserted, which have now compromised the screen
- The plastic screw-holders holding the board to the frame were completely stripped
- The phone was returned to me with a broken vibration function
- The back cover no longer stays on by itself due to the broken frame
- The OEM screen, which has lasted the entire life of the device, cracked without any impact during normal use, due to the longer screws and broken frame
- I can no longer remove the the back cover (a standard feature of this phone)
- Tape is now holding the entire device together, courtesy of Cell Clinic
Explanation:
The device brought into Cell Clinic had a defective IC on the charge port board, which was causing issues with other hardware in the phone. USB charging and data transfer were not working. The solution offered by Cell Clinic was to replace the board containing the IC. After the work was done and receiving my phone, I was disappointed to discover that the replacement board had a defective LED.
With a new problem, I had to I bring the device back to Cell Clinic, and explain the new defect in the hardware that had been installed by the technician. After the tech provided me with information about several unrelated issues with Apple product serials (my device is not Apple hardware, and does not require hardware with proprietary serials), the tech offered to replace the defective board as per the replacement policy. The second board that was installed is semi-functional, but still has an LED that does not function correctly. The phone was returned to me with a non-functional vibration function.
Additionally, in replacing the board twice, the technician broke the plastic frame of my phone in several places, and stripped the plastic screw holders securing the frame to the main control board and other hardware.
This broken frame with stripped screw holders was not replaced or repaired, and when I received the device from the tech after the second repair, the vibration function of my phone was no longer working. More than six screws were also missing from inside of the device.
The fact that the hardware was returned to me with missing screws and a broken frame seems unprofessional and dishonest. The missing hardware is my personal property, and the frame should have been replaced when the tech broke it.
Instead, the device was returned to me in such a condition that the technician taped the insides together, informing me that I can no longer open the device from the back, which I had no problems doing prior to Cell Clinic servicing my device. This also impacts the thermal properties of the hardware and battery, as the CPU heats up more quickly. According to the tech, the device will no longer stay closed without the tape.
Three days after receiving the device with a broken frame, the screen has now cracked. This was not due to an impact, but due to the normal use: operating the screen while it was in a phone holder.
In the three years I've owned the phone, the screen has survived multiple hiking trips, phone holders, tripods, and other adventures. Simply using it while in a tripod or a phone holder has never been enough to crack the screen, but with the frame broken and non-standard screws longer than the originals holding inserted, it's apparent that the screen cracked during normal operation because it's lacking structural support, the screws went in too far, and they caused the screen to crack during normal use.
So a rather simple board replacement has snowballed into a completely broken device with an incorrectly functioning LED, a cracked frame, and a cracked screen, held together by tape, which cannot be opened.
This is the level of service that I received. None of these were problems before I brought the device into Cell Clinic. All I needed was a functional replacement board. I didn't need more issues.
If you're wondering whether you should bring your device to this location, consider how many additional problems you can handle.
In my case, the quality of the replacement parts and the level of service that I have received have been unsatisfactory so far, as my device is in far worse shape than it was before I brought it in.
That being said, I will bring the device back to see if Cell Clinic will be willing to correct their errors. If the device is restored to its original state, with a stable frame, a properly functioning LED, properly-fitted screws, and fitted back cover that doesn't require adhesive to stay shut, then I will update this review accordingly.
I hope your experience is better. Now I need a new phone.