Google Pixel 2 XL Phone Dead, Unrelated Cracked Screen. Warranty? Telstra?

[Deactivated] on 02/02/2019 - 09:50
Last edited 02/02/2019 - 14:02 by 1 other user

I grabbed a pixel 2 xl last year from JbHiFi on a two year Telstra plan.

A while later the screen was cracked, not a massive one, just in the corner, so was still very usable.

Sure enough a couple of days ago, it just died in my pocket, switched itself off and never came back.

It should still be under warranty but afraid I'm going to get rejected because of the cracked screen, even though the time difference between the two events would suggest its unrelated. Looking at the way the pixels are constructed it also seems unlikely the screen would degrade the phone in any way - there is a steel plate separating the phone from the screen.

Has anyone else had experience in the same scenario? I don't want to do a screen repair myself or with a third party for fear of actually voiding a warranty, especially since I can't test if it worked or not.

Also happy to pay for a new screen with Telstra, but want the phone fixed under warranty as I feel it should be.

Any feedback much appreciated.

Edit:

So I took the least popular item on the poll - or at least thats where I am headed. The screen came off easily, though i did crack it on another place - FYI, the pixel screens are impressively thin, like crazy thin.

So I am going to get another screen sent to me. After pulling the phone apart it looks like its in very good nick - no signs of any damage, water damage or otherwise, so not sure why it died. Anyway, will see how we go.

Poll Options

• 4
  Take it back, Telstra are our buds and will look after you
• 1
  Risk changing the screen yourself - they will not give you warranty
• 3
  Buy an iPhone, androids suck, I've only ever owned an iPhone.
• 9
  You are screwed bud, buy an Oppo to remind you that you made bad life decisions

• 

  DiLs on 02/02/2019 - 10:12

  +1

  I had the same issue with Telstra about 2-3 years ago when they refused to fix some issue in HTC One because the phone had dent from a fall at another time. They said it could be related that the fall caused the damage to both things. Its frustrating but I think thats in their rights. Since then, I use my mobiles with screen protector and cover.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 02/02/2019 - 10:30

    Thanks, yeah sounds like I will do a screen repair and hope for the best then.

    • 

      DiLs on 02/02/2019 - 10:32

      May be try going to another Telstra store and see what they say

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 02/02/2019 - 10:35

        Well the great thing is I bought it from JB HiFi, so I can even go there. They said they forward it to Telstra, but yeah, that was my initial plan - just roll up to a telstra store and ask about my options before giving them any details.

        • 

          hypie on 02/02/2019 - 12:58

          @[Deactivated]: Make sure you didn't sign up for Telstra's insurance policy.

          I had a similar thing happen to my outright Samsung. They made me pay for it to be repaired back to warrantable condition ($220), but I told them, if the issue is unrelated to the fall, i want that money refunded. The S8 had a motherboard failure. They refunded my $220 + the whole original purchase price of the phone since it was a major fault.

• 

  pegaxs on 02/02/2019 - 10:37

  +1

  Omg. Buy an Oppo is an option? Good lord. The OS that the phone comes with will be the last update you ever get. Wouldn’t surprise me if they are still running their own hacked version of Android 7. I have only ever owned 2 Oppo phones in my life, and both of them were returned in a month. Beautiful phones to hold, horrible phones to use. The firmware was terrible and buggy. There were bugs in ColorOS at the time that were going back almost 2 years on their forums.

  Choice between a broken Pixel and any Oppo, I would take a dead Pixel over a working Oppo any day.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 02/02/2019 - 10:48

    +2

    Yeah… I bought it as my temp solution until I dealt with this. Basically I tried to find the cheapest phone people didn't hate as it could be a while until its sorted, and I'm an app developer - so my phone pretty central to me actually being productive.

    OMG what an incredible piece of shit.

    Not once have I ever felt the need to completely pull every part of the phone out that came with it. I've now gotten pretty close - but yeah, its Android 7 and every time I use it for anything I just hate it with a burning passion. There is nothing "wrong" with it enough to return it yet, but god damn, to anyone reading this - NEVER buy an oppo unless you are a masochistic SOB.

• 

  87percent on 02/02/2019 - 11:08

  +1

  Contact Google directly, and see what they say

• 

  follow on 02/02/2019 - 11:12

  Send it directly to Telstra National Repair Centre.
  Had issues with a phone. Store refused to deal with me.
  Sent it in instead.
  Within a week had a new phone.
  Not sure if you'll be successful but give it a shot.

  • 

    Strahany on 02/02/2019 - 11:22

    +1

    If they refuse to repair under warranty, which is almost certain, then OP will be slugged with a fee for them having looked at it before they send it back. And that’s without it getting fixed; I wouldn’t advise anyone do this.

    • 

      hypie on 02/02/2019 - 13:02

      Yep I believe between $60 and $80

• 

  blindingshadowz on 02/02/2019 - 12:30

  I've actually had that crack screen issue happen to me. Not a big one, don't even know how it got there but it was a hairline crack that ran from the bottom speaker to the left side of the phone, cutting across the bottom left corner of the screen.

  Sent it back to Google as it started developing a screen issue unrelated to the crack and they replaced it under warranty. Might be a worthwhile route to take.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 02/02/2019 - 12:33

    Problem is I didn't buy it directly from them, and from what I can tell they don't want to deal with you if you got it from a reseller.

    Might be worth a try though, I had a similar issue with a nexus 5 I did buy direct from them and there was no issue with warranty.

    • 

      follow on 02/02/2019 - 12:34

      Those were the Nexus days, where it was a built by a different company.
      Now it's Google, they handle it.

• 

  blindingshadowz on 02/02/2019 - 12:37

  As long as it's a Pixel phone they'll at the very least take a look at the inquiry. If you bought it from Telstra/JB, two of Google's retail partners in Australia, I imagine you'd be safe. Hopefully it works out for you :)

• 

  ZachBlasphemy on 03/02/2019 - 11:13

  I'm on the same plan as you through JB Hi-Fi with a list of issues, currently the phone won't charge faster than 250mA using any charger including original. Tried getting the phone fixed for issues a while back through Telstra and they are so hard to deal with, even telling me to contact Google instead which they aren't even allowed to do.

  Hate this phone and I can't wait until it dies or I manage to get my contract cancelled due to this phone not being up to the quality I expected. Was $1400 at launch remember.

  Good luck dealing with Telstra, I'd like to see how it turns out for you.

• 

  ilostnemo on 03/02/2019 - 22:04

  Telstra will definitely knock it back.

  Your best bet would be to get the screen repaired professionally, then take it in and don’t mention the screen repair.

  Telstra will do a forward ship with your phone meaning the replacement will be sent immediately, ie before they receive yours.

  Just so you know it is a replacement phone (refurbished)

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 04/02/2019 - 09:57

    Yeah thats what I'm going to do. But I'm doing it myself - I used to do screen repairs when I ran a computer shop so pretty confident, plus I'm going to the extra step of making sure it all matches, like glue colours etc, that I just couldn't trust a repair shop to do.

    I'll be on top of any issues as fast as I can with the refurb phone, the warranty for this ends at the end of the month, but apparently I have 90 days to dispute the refurb if its broken. But hopefully it will all be fine…