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tayloner182

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 6, 2008
36
0
Ok, so I went to sleep last night and set my iPhone on my dresser as I always do. When I woke up in the morning and went to grab my phone, I realized it was soaking wet. The weird part is, which I've been trying to figure out all morning, is that on my dresser there is water underneath everything, but no where else on the drawer. Everything that was sitting there had water directly under it, but every where else was completely dry.

So now, my iPhone won't turn on, of course. The camera lense is like fogged up, so water obviously got inside the phone somehow.

So what should I do? I was thinking about just going to the Apple store and telling them it just won't turn on, in hopes of them replacing it. However, the fogged up lense might tip them off about the water damage.

I bought my phone on July 11th like most 3G owners. If I have to replace it, should I buy AppleCare before I go try to get my iPhone replaced, that way its cheaper when I will inevitably have to buy a new iPhone 3G?

How would you guys handle this situation?
 

Iron Chef

macrumors member
Mar 11, 2008
92
0
I wouldn't try to fool them. I actually work at Starbucks and dropped my original iphone into a venti cup that had 5 pumps of vanilla syrup at the bottom of it. The syrup got inside the earphone jack which really hurt the sound quality. I took it to the Apple store, explained what happened, and they just laughed and said they'd help me out because I wasn't trying to be shady about it. They gave me a refurb and sent me on my way.
 

EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,725
267
San Francisco, CA
The iPhone contains water indicators which turn red when exposed to moisture. In other words, they'll know you're lying.

You're really just out of luck. :(
 

tayloner182

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 6, 2008
36
0
The iPhone contains water indicators which turn red when exposed to moisture. In other words, they'll know you're lying.

You're really just out of luck. :(

That's the thing, inside the headphone jack at the bottom, it still appears white, the same as it did before. Is that still the indicator?
 

tayloner182

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 6, 2008
36
0
What if I just went into the Apple store and said some random person spilled a beer all over me and some got on my phone that was in my hand. Think they'll have any sympathy?
 

Van Wildonher

macrumors 6502a
Apr 29, 2008
655
0
What if I just went into the Apple store and said some random person spilled a beer all over me and some got on my phone that was in my hand. Think they'll have any sympathy?

I hope not because lying about things like this is for losers, but what goes around comes around. So do what you like.
 

Julien

macrumors G4
Jun 30, 2007
11,835
5,430
Atlanta
What if I just went into the Apple store and said some random person spilled a beer all over me and some got on my phone that was in my hand. Think they'll have any sympathy?

Apple is not responsoble for YOUR accidents. What if you actualy told the truth? You would actually become a better person by doing this regardless of the consequences.
 

ec51

macrumors 6502
Jun 28, 2008
462
5
I bought my phone on July 11th like most 3G owners. If I have to replace it, should I buy AppleCare before I go try to get my iPhone replaced, that way its cheaper when I will inevitably have to buy a new iPhone 3G?

How would you guys handle this situation?


Why would AppleCare make anything cheaper? AppleCare just adds two years to your existing one year warranty...



Id also be wondering about the mysterious water on my dresser...
 

extraextra

macrumors 68000
Jun 29, 2006
1,758
0
California
Put the phone in dry rice and let it dry out for a few days. It might come back to life.

I've never understood why whenever people drop something in water they first try to turn it on? That's going to kill the device if it wasn't already dead. Electrical stuff + water = don't turn it on!
 

TechJunky

macrumors regular
Jul 25, 2008
158
0
Put the phone in dry rice and let it dry out for a few days. It might come back to life.

I just read a post the other day where someone put their iphone through the wash. They put it in a bag of rice and silica packets, and left it in a hot car for a week. The phone works fine now.
 

tayloner182

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 6, 2008
36
0
Apple is not responsoble for YOUR accidents. What if you actualy told the truth? You would actually become a better person by doing this regardless of the consequences.

Wasn't so concerned with becoming a better person, more just worried about my phone. However, in the end, I actually took your advice because all the scenarios that were running through my head didn't seem any better than what actually happened. So I went into Apple, told them what happened, they determined there was no serious water damage to the phone because the indicator had not turned pink, and I get to pick up of my brand new iPhone in 3 to 5 days :)

Ahh I love good karma.
 

KittyToy

macrumors 6502
Sep 6, 2007
441
23
Davenport
Wasn't so concerned with becoming a better person, more just worried about my phone. However, in the end, I actually took your advice because all the scenarios that were running through my head didn't seem any better than what actually happened. So I went into Apple, told them what happened, they determined there was no serious water damage to the phone because the indicator had not turned pink, and I get to pick up of my brand new iPhone in 3 to 5 days :)

Ahh I love good karma.

well good for you, sometimes it's better to just tell the truth
 

desenso

macrumors 6502a
May 25, 2005
797
1
ATTACK OF THE MORALITY POLICE! YOU'RE AN EVIL PERSON!

Although the extent to which you were planning this fraud is a little disturbing.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
<snipped useless crap>

So what should I do? I was thinking about just going to the Apple store and telling them it just won't turn on, in hopes of them replacing it. However, the fogged up lense might tip them off about the water damage.

I bought my phone on July 11th like most 3G owners. If I have to replace it, should I buy AppleCare before I go try to get my iPhone replaced, that way its cheaper when I will inevitably have to buy a new iPhone 3G?

How would you guys handle this situation?
I would handle this situation with an ounce of dignity. I would not lie and I would see what it took to get it repaired. I would not wander around with a deep sense of entitlement to lie and steal from a company due to my carelessness. Regardless of your ability or inablity to explain how or why things happened trying to take it in and tell them you can't get it to work is wrong.

I however am not the moral police. You live with your own decisions and I am sure that regardless of what we say around here your moral compass isn't going to change direction. Can't wait to see the next thread about how you either screwed Apple over or how you hate their customer service, depending upon the outcome.

Take better care of your stuff kid.

Wasn't so concerned with becoming a better person, more just worried about my phone.

Ahh I love good karma.
I laughed at this. You don't care about becoming a better person and yet you love karma.

I hope I'm never on a plane with you.
 

eplchamps0304

macrumors 6502a
Jan 31, 2008
991
0
Dude do what you want. Big companies shaft regular folks all the time. Years ago I had some stuff in storage that was stolen. The freaking insurance company denied my claim because I could not produce the broken lock, to proove to them that I actaully locked the facility.
 

pflau

macrumors 6502
Sep 17, 2007
407
45
Please follow these advice so you can make the best of the situation and not do something you regret.

First thing first, DO NOTHING, before you make the situation worse.

Now you can take the iPhone back to Apple and try to get a replacement. But considering that they are really really short they might not have one to give you. Also, you need to set up an appointment with the genius bar first so you are looking at spending some time between you and your iPhone anyway.

SECOND, look at the camera, you see water, or do you see fog? If you see fog, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT, it WILL go away as the phone dries. Even if you see water, water evaporates. It will evaporate through where it got in.

THIRD, take out the SIM card to facilitate the drying of the interior. Before the interior is completely dry, your phone will operate erratically, it will do all sorts of strange things. It does NOT mean your phone is broke, it means the moisture is short circuiting something.

Circuit boards are extrememly resistant to moisture

The most vulnerable part of the iPhone is the LCD screen.

When the iPhone actually turns on (if the iPhone does not eventually turn on after most of the water has evaporated there is something else happened to the phone that you do not know), check the screen.

If the screen is A-OK, you are home free, you just need to wait for the phone to dry completely.

If the screen looks blotchy, then some moisture has seeped into the LCD. In that case, take a picture of the screen so you remember how it looks, WAIT TWO DAYS, and check on the screen to see if it has improved. If it has the moisture will eventually go away.

If you are BRAVE, you can try opening up the touch screen top to facilitate the drying of the phone. Check youtube for instruction. You remove the two tiny screws and you use a very strong double sided mounting tape (Scotch makes a super strong outdoor version with red backing you can get from Home Depot) to lift the top up by the bottom. Using double sided tape guarantees you won't scratch your phone. You don't need any opening tool that might mess up the bezel.

Be extremely careful not to disconnect anything (not that they cannot be reconnected, but why go through the hassle?) between the touch screen/LCD top and the main circuit board. Do it on your bed in case you mess up and drop the phone.

Once your phone is compelte dries, unless the water is really filthy, the phone should work like new

Or you can try getting a replacement. But keep it mind they might give you a refub with scratches on the back or a new one with dead pixel or other build quality issue. Getting the one you have to work should be your first priority.

Any question, just ask.
 

pflau

macrumors 6502
Sep 17, 2007
407
45
Wasn't so concerned with becoming a better person, more just worried about my phone. However, in the end, I actually took your advice because all the scenarios that were running through my head didn't seem any better than what actually happened. So I went into Apple, told them what happened, they determined there was no serious water damage to the phone because the indicator had not turned pink, and I get to pick up of my brand new iPhone in 3 to 5 days :)

Ahh I love good karma.

Darn it I didn't read this before I posted my last post. Hope you get a good one!!!
 

gentlegiantcrai

macrumors regular
Sep 25, 2007
202
8
Ok, so I went to sleep last night and set my iPhone on my dresser as I always do. When I woke up in the morning and went to grab my phone, I realized it was soaking wet. The weird part is, which I've been trying to figure out all morning, is that on my dresser there is water underneath everything, but no where else on the drawer. Everything that was sitting there had water directly under it, but every where else was completely dry.

So now, my iPhone won't turn on, of course. The camera lense is like fogged up, so water obviously got inside the phone somehow.

So what should I do? I was thinking about just going to the Apple store and telling them it just won't turn on, in hopes of them replacing it. However, the fogged up lense might tip them off about the water damage.

I bought my phone on July 11th like most 3G owners. If I have to replace it, should I buy AppleCare before I go try to get my iPhone replaced, that way its cheaper when I will inevitably have to buy a new iPhone 3G?

How would you guys handle this situation?


couldn't you pay a restocking fee, and ask for a exchange, maybe a different color, and just return it?
 

SBG88

macrumors regular
Feb 19, 2003
158
38
You lucked out. Since the indicator was still white you should have said it just didn't turn on. Never tell the truth if you can avoid it.
 
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