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Too often have we heard stories of users from Samsung’s camp experiencing phones that spontaneously combust or overheat to the point where it looks like someone took a match to it. Here, here and here are just a handful of stories that we’ve covered in the past. But one particular case seems to have caught the interest of an HTC product manager who wants to help convert the user to #TeamHTC (their words). User JetLeigh on Reddit responded to one poster’s story with the following comment:
Looks like you’re in luck, buddy. I happen to be the HTC Product Manager on the AT&T account. I appreciate the feedback and civil discussion you’ve generated on reddit while avoiding the ‘bashing’. I think any OEM or company would appreciate that!
I would like to offer you a brand new HTC One m8. What do you say?
The deal is if Samsung does eventually figure out how to get you a new device or offers that you please donate that to charity or sell it and please donate the funds to an organization of your choice. Honors system here, and no way I can really know but just leaving that simple request here as these devices don’t grow on trees and are worth a good chunk of money even to the OEM who makes them!
Bottom line we want to move you over to #TeamHTC
It’s important to know the fully story. The original Reddit post from a month ago can be read here, but here’s the gist of it: the phone burned up, and Samsung said they’d be sending the user a new smartphone in a box. He would then ship the damaged smartphone back to them.
The issue is they never sent the phone in the first place and instead shipped him an empty box (according to his claims, anyway), and countless attempts to get in contact with Samsung about the lack of a replacement have gone largely ignored. Surely Samsung would have sent a replacement had he shipped his off, but for some people it’s not easy finding a replacement smartphone at a moment’s notice, and going without a smartphone for who knows how long could be pretty miserable (note: the smartphone still functioned fine so long as he could find a way to fit a USB cable into the deformed charging port).
And that nightmare of an experience is probably what moved this sympathetic HTC representative to reach out and offer a route of recourse. It’s a pretty noble move, though no doubt a play for positive press without having to spend much more than a dime. Also worth noting is the suggestion to donate a possible replacement phone from Samsung to charity. That ought to satisfy the army of folks who don’t fancy throwing away a perfectly good smartphone.
PS: Yes, claims of burnt smartphones have seen an uptick on Reddit since this episode. Whether they’re legit or not is up to you to decide, but we’d advise our lovely readership to steer clear of using false claims and reports or intentional damage to try and get a free smartphone. It’s not just dishonest, it’s stupid — there’s a good chance no one will give an owl’s hoot.
that nightmare of an experience is probably what moved this sympathetic HTC representative to reach out and offer a route of recourse. It’s a pretty noble move, though no doubt a play for positive press without having to spend much more than a dime http://moourl.com/z2gt1
Well if you look at the pictures, you can see that first: It’s not the original S4 charging cable, so he uses a 2A charger with a cable thats not suited for that current. And if you look even closer you can see that it is the cable that is really burnt, so my guess would be that it is his cable that burned out his phone……
That looks to be an OEM Samsung cable, with the asymmetrical layout.
Yea it looks like the cable i used for the S2, but that defo wasnt rated for 2A charging current. Thats the problem they all fight against, people plug everything into that connector if it fits. It has been in the media so many times now, that very few havent heard that you should use only the cable and charger that comes with the phone.
I hope the uptick isn’t from dishonest reports… that eats into the companies bottom line, which is then passed on to the consumer. Just like folks sending back bricked devices because they failed at rooting it correctly (popular in the early days like with the OG Moto Droid). It’s not cool.
Companies like Samsung will heavily look into the cause for it when it is in their hands. They won’t easily just be out $600+ because someone was dumb enough to use a 3rd party accessory like a cable or put it in a microwave.
Now maybe people are going to burn their S4 intentionally for the free exchange. This offers may backfire, in terms of environment friendliness.
A teen had one set her pillow on fire, was on one of the morning news shows.
I watched the video a few days ago. That teen was stupid for smothering her device.
Most of the time this happens us because of using knock off chargers or bad battery replacements that were made in China. I can’t think of a case where one of of those variables weren’t in play.
+1 I had this happen to me using a $10 extended battery on a Galaxy S2, the cord was Burt and the phone was damaged, Sprint replaced the phone for free.
You DO realize where the OEM stuff is made, right?
Looks like arching on the charger end, not the phone.
I’m curious as to where the charger came from. Was it a cheap one he bought or did it come packaged with the phone?
By the looks of it it’s an OEM Samsung charger.
Yet they still won’t exchange my m8 that has a warped volume rocket smh
HTC is pathetic …
But if Samsung would have done it, it would have been a smart move right?
No. It would have been just as pathetic.
HTC offers the guy a free smart phone, and then tells him to donatesales price to charity. How is that pathetic? When have you ever done anything good in your life? I bet the occurrences could be counted on one hand.
Desperate move to aquire (almost) free publicity.
So if your in this situation and HTC offers you a free device? Is that pathetic or do you take the device? Because if you do then you’re basically a shill. And how’s this “free” publicity someone has to pay for the device.
Pathetic or not it was still a nice gesture, regardless of intent.
Should likely be noted he was a product rep – most likely acting on his own behalf. Everyone is just attaching HTC to this giving the company the credit.
Get your facts straight! Samsung had already offered the family a new S4. Or you should attach the word “Rumor” to the article’s heading.
This is the kind of thoughtful service that makes me look forward to picking up an HTC One (M8). I’m not an AT&T customer but it still was an insanely nice gesture from an HTC product manager.