Dust on the screen

[Guest Confused Stu]

CHeers dshaugney - wow! My first "feedback" :)/

That is THE most difficult part of the whole thing. Once that's done, you're pretty much home and dry. Initially you need to pull the windows logo-ed cover slightly upwards (i.e. the same direction as you'd insert the USB charger into the port at the bottom) and then away from the power button to unclip the two hooks (one by power button, one by IR port). They won't want to come, but keep at it calmly - like I said, it takes me up to 20 minutes - and they will eventually just pop off suddenly. Then gently unhook the lower clips (by the camera) and it should lift off.

I personally used my nails because I was desperate not to damage the cover - as happened a little with my original SPV prior to me spray painting it! You can use a blunt knife if you can get it into a gap in the top, but I really wouldn't advise it unless you're REALLY slow and careful about the case.

Good luck, and if anyone knows of a better way to get the logo-ed cover off - PLEASE TELL US!!!! :(

[Guest Confused Stu]

OOPS! Sorry Dshaugney - took so long to type my reply that you'd already got there and done that! :oops:

Note to self - learn to type faster!

[Guest dshaugney]

Hi Stu. Thanks for your reply. I originally sent my phone to HTC for worranty repair to get the dust problem fixed. I'd say they fixed 80% of it cos the dust is still coming in but alot slower now. The reason I had to open up the logo cover is that I started hearing some rattling noise yesterday...figured someone forgot to tighten up a screw as it came undone. I was right.

[Guest stevewooding]

Hi Folks,

Just to add my 2p's worth - I have a new SPV C500 (2 weeks old) so I thought the dust problem would've been sorted. However, it's happened to my phone too. I called Orange this evening and got the 'cosmetic fault' story as well.

However, I'm writing to the Orange customer services dept (which oddly doesn't have a publicly accessible phone number or email address - anyone else find it strange that a 'customer services' dept has no phone number or email address for the customers they're supposed to service to contact them on?) with my complaint, pointing out the following

- this is a know and widely reported problem

- I bought the phone from Orange, therefore my contract under the 'Sale of Goods' act is with them, not HTC

- I'm also within my 28 day 'no quibble' period

- the problem is only going to get worse and since seeing the screen is a necessity to use a smartphone for its smart functions, it's not fit for the purpose for which it was sold

Is there anything else that you guys (who might know more about consumer law or might have some names to drop) can help with (other that suggestions to hoover the phone regularly!)

Steve

[Guest CB-Dave]

I've just noticed a bit of dust in my just-under-a-month-old c500 too...

it's a bit ott going on about the sale of goods act - I work in a large retail environment and the #1 thing that is guaranteed to get my back up is people who start spouting off the sale of goods act to try and make themselves sound more authoritative and important.

orange don't fix the phones - they would simply send them to htc to be refurbed or repaired, so it's pointless wailing on at orange to say "fix my phone" - we sell satellite navigation at work but we don't repair it - once the sale is complete we are out of the loop with regard to repairs and aftersales care. The unit comes with a *manufacturers* warranty and not a *retaillers* warranty - the retailler has nothing to do with problems.

Orange is the retailler in this case, HTC is the manufacturer - hardware problems (and yes, dust can be called a hardware problem as the sealing has broken down) goes to HTC not Orange.

That is not to say orange don't have a duty of care in this respect - but they are (in a roundabout fashion) trying to get you to deal with HTC rather than themselves as all that would end up happening is you would send your phone to orange, who would send it to HTC, who would fix it and send it back to orange, who would send it back to you - it would be quicker for orange to say "talk to HTC" and you send it direct to them - cutting out the middleman.

I've got phones from years back that have got bad dust problems - you pocket the phone you get dust... it's as definate as night follows day...

[Guest stevewooding]

Unfortunately the Sale of Good Act is one of the few tools consumers have to get retailers to live up to their responsibilities - too many try to sidestep the issue by passing the buck to anyone they can blame. If I buy goods and they are not 'fit for the purpose for which they are sold', the problem must be rectified by the RETAILER, not the manufacturer since that is who the buyers contract of sale is with. It is the retailers responsibility to make sure they sell decent goods and any problems that arise are between the retailer and the manufacturer.

I do take your point that it must get annoying having people quote the Act to you (and yes, there are plenty of people out there who quote it inappropriately). However, in this case I do feel it's justified as a build-up of dust to the extent that one or two have reported here that obscures the screen so as to make it unreadable in places is a serious fault and not a 'cosmetic' problem.

As for the inevitability of dust, this is the 1st phone I've ever had the problem with - my wife and I have had around 12 phones and 4 Pocket PC's between us over the last 6 years or so and all have had suitable seals around the screen and no dust problems.

[Guest Lyger]

Just thought id let you know that if you dismantle your phone do it on a board in the BATHROOM fill the bath up so plenty of steam builds up then empty the bath take your board, tools, phone into the bathroom, This in effect makes a dust free enviroment but becarefull what you wear as fluff can drop from your clothing try maybe a wetsuit!!! :D

[Guest sikhcentral]

anyone got any ideas on how to actually seal the screen off properly rather than keep opening the phone each time dust accumulates? i aint read the whole topic so sorry if someone already posted something :roll:

[Guest bluesmudge]

Just a message to dave above regarding his post above (too much to quote) - Where do you work? i want to avoid it!

-I work in customer services in the worst area possible Tesco (im a student worker so no jokes about the job) Im sorry mate the Sale of goods act is there to help people like us with, and therefore is desgined for us to quote it.

Ok Orange don't manufacture the C500, but they do brand it as their own - AND its in a contract which THEY drew up to have it replaced should something go wrong. If you have no problem with dust - don't tell people who do that they don't deserve replacements -

Oh and have you had your phone replaced by orange before? They send you a new one and take yours away to be refurbished under orange we should have no contact with HTC. ITs only becuase the dust problem threatens to over stretch their replacement system and they'll end up loosing alot of money that they are reluctant to do this. (not definatly but hey when you think about it, its a sensible answer)

Oh and where the hell are we ment to keep out phones if not our pocket? - on our belts where every mugger can see them? or should i stick it to my head? then start a new thread complaining the phone isn't water proof.

- if you don't have a problem with dust - don't bother us about it

**** major edit - wow didn't realise how old his post was

Im sorry mate your post got my back up.

Edited March 21, 2005 by bluesmudge

[Guest jbrare]

Mine has dust..... BAD DUST!!!. I think it is Orange's resposability to replace them. Maybe they should hassle HTC to sort it out. It was happening in the first SPV back in 2002, why are they still having this problem? Why don't they check the seal around the screen is effective?

My C500 had a little dust in it after a week when I bought the fone (November). Sent it to HTC, got it back 2 weeks later. Dust came back after 4 days and now is major dusty under the screen!!

JB

[Guest Confused Stu]

Things have moved on alot since the last time this topic was front page material. Stevewooding has spent a lot of time and effort working with Orange and HTC and has got them to:

- Admit the dust is a real issue

- Work out how to correct the screen's seal so it doesn't happen again (called 3rd generation C500's)

- Accept C500's with dust as a warranty issue

Some people are still reporting that some Orange Customer Service Operators are having problems with the warranty bit, but if you go up the line to supervisors then it will get sorted.

Obviously, as it's my guide for stripping the phone I've already voided my warranty and hence buggered myself before Steve sorted this all out. Oh well, I knew what I was doing at the time! :D

[Guest tudor]

- Work out how to correct the screen's seal so it doesn't happen again (called 3rd generation C500's)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

While speaking to OCS, I've mentioned the "3rd generation SPV C500" and the lady mixed things up with the "3G", which is a third generation too :D

[Guest Confused Stu]

A MoDaCo member by the name of Specialised has just posted instructions for stripping the C500 that are better than mine! The thread in question is here:

http://www.modaco.com/index.php?showtopic=...73entry568073

So check it out.

[Guest travisb]

Rang OCS this morning about the dust issue and they denied all knowledge that they were replacing handsets with this problem.

[Guest tha_oli]

my left softkey has acne, or its not closed up tightlly, some1 plz make a tut on how to open the c500 without damaging it to much so we can all remove dust

[Guest gpcarreon (MVP)]

my left softkey has acne, or its not closed up tightlly, some1 plz make a tut on how to open the c500 without damaging it to much so we can all remove dust

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here:

http://www.digimission.com/?page_id=25