Ask LH: If I’ve Dropped My Phone, Does That Void Subsequent Warranty Repairs?

Hey Lifehacker, I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active with a cracked screen and its earphone jack recently broke. I’ve been told that because the screen is broken the warranty is void and they refuse to repair the earphone jack. Is the warranty really void? Thanks, Smash It Up

Dear SIU,

As we’ve noted in the past, getting a damaged phone repaired for an unrelated warranty issue can be tricky. You’ll need to demonstrate that the faulty earphone jack isn’t a consequence of the screen breaking (consumer guarantees don’t cover damage that has been caused by the owner.) In other words, you can’t expect the supplier to simply take your word for it.

Unless you happen to be a smartphone engineer, proving that the two issues are unrelated is going to be difficult. Unfortunately, the fact that the earphone jack stopped working at a later date doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t damaged in the fall. Instead, it could have been a delayed failure.

One option is to get the cracked screen fixed by a mobile repair shop. This won’t be cheap but it certainly beats forking out for a brand new phone. Once it has been repaired, contact the original supplier about the phone jack issue (while obviously keeping mum about the screen replacement.)

Just be mindful that the new screen probably won’t escape detection when you send it in for repair. If you’re lucky, they won’t bother to question it but you’re going to be taking a bit of a gamble here. If any readers have alternative suggestions, let SIU know in the comments section below.

Cheers
Lifehacker

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