Refurbished or repair check?

[YellowWhatever]

I'm wanting to buy a z3c, as they can be had for cheap nowadays and it seems like a pretty neat little device for the price. (and for the price, there's nothing really else like it on the market)

Though Sony assured me that if I managed to find a new z3c, that it'll be covered under warranty. Now, what qualifies a new D5803 to not be covered under warranty? I doubt that I'll get any warranty off a 'new' device from ebay, but I'm curious as to what qualifies a device to be covered if, in fact, new.

And now the main point, is there a way to check if a device has ever been repaired, opened, refurbished, or tampered with? If they're selling it to me 'new', I'd like to at least know, that if it's just a second hand device, that it was cared for and they didn't have to go about replacing half of the phone.

I know of the pressure check, but that can be hit or miss, as I've seen some people repair their device and seal edges and stuff to help it keep being water proof.

[NeoBeum]

First thing is check the Security keys.
Dial:


*#*#SERVICE#*#*


Then go to

Service Tests»Security


If everything there says OK and Provisioned, then the DRM/OEM Keys are intact, and not missing.


When my XCover 2 died, I bought a Z3C from an eBay listing. It was the first time I bought tech 2nd hand. I was busy with school and didn't want to fork out for a top tier phone, because I am after the dust, shock and water resistant features for phones.

When I got the Z3C, the pristine display had been replaced just by visual comparison to the thrashed out abused chasis.

It booted up, and calling worked. Except the microphone was dead.

I wasn't disappointed, because I was using it as a test to see how 2nd hand phones go, as I usually buy all my tech brand new.

Within an hour of receipt of the ebay parcel, I was at the shopping centre and the Z3C was on its way back to the seller.

Coincidentally, that same day was the day that Z5C launched in Australia.

I was more livid at the fact that Telstra weren't selling the Z3C anymore and so I forked out more cash than I wanted to buying the Z5C, and I was the first person to get one at the store... The Point of Sale code at the service counter hadn't even been entered in for the Z5C they got in stock.

Moral of the story is: Uninstall Facebook.

[YellowWhatever]

So, checking the security keys like that will tell me if the device had been tampered with or not, from a hardware perspective?

[NeoBeum]

Sort of... It will tell you if the previous owner was a pleb and didn't know the correct procedures to retaining the security keys. If they're not there you lose alot of OEM function

[NeoBeum]

While you're in the service menu, just test everything. Especially Touch Display.... Doodle on the screen like an instant scratchy

[YellowWhatever]

So, I got the phone the other day, but maintainance on the site was making this site very wonky until now.

Anyways, the phone was purchased in 'new' condition, and if it was refurbished, it was done fairly decently, as it's visually flawless.

After toying with it, I checked the certifiicates and all of them were OK, I then tried to pressure test, and that failed.

Also, when the upper middle part of the screen is pressed, it makes a click kind of sound, which, through googling, seemed to be a not so uncommon issue.

Another thing that doesn't bode well for it is that the IMEI number on the box and the one on the phone differ by a number, I don't know if it's a newly printed lable or something they messed up a number or something else.

And lastly, It's missing it's IMEI tag that's supposed to be under the SIM flap. That had got me very suspicious of it.

But after 2 days of using it, it seems to handle well, everything in it seems new, running original software, battery is getting like life span it's supposed to get out of the box, etc.

Also, last thing, is the back glass supposed to be so soft and scratchable? It's not a fake plastic back or anything, it's glass, but being in an empty, clean pocket and after setting it on a few, clean tables and not even sliding it around, after half a day on campus, it's got 2 notably deep scratches in the back glass, and knowing certain phones and scratched glass, I'm worried about spontainious cracking from the scratches.

The front glass and plastic frame are still perfect though, which has me confused as to why the glass on the back scratched so easily.

[YellowWhatever]

Yea, after using it for a few days and seeing the quirks with this device in particular, I assume this is a refurbished device, with the water proofing gone, IMEI tags missing and and not matching, rattley vibrator motor, box having bulk items instead of the normal packaging that they're supposed to have, no paperwork, etc.

[YellowWhatever]

I noticed something while watching unboxings and things alike, is that the film on the screen of a new device were almost always clear/lightly frosted looking, whereas the ones for refurbished devices had a thing on the protector that instructs to on how to insert a sim and to charge before powering on.

The one I got had the film that has the instructions on it. Would that indicate this thing being refurbished? The seller denies anything wrong with it though it's missing IMEI tags and things alike.

Because one of the main reasons why I wanted one of these is because it's waterproof, and it fails the pressure test, which leads me to believe that they replaced something on it.

[YoGem]

You should return it, sorry if I ask.. How much did you pay for it and did you try to search on Amazon?

[YellowWhatever]

 I payed just over $180 for it, which, for what it is, isn't bad, i just wish it wasn't so choppy in terms of the quality of it.
Also noted, the screen's coming off. Googled it and it seems to be a somewhat common issue. The separation amount is so much that i could see myself opening it easily to replace the adhesive, but it doesn't seem like something I'd have to do on a phone.