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Streak 5 - USB/Charger port failure not covered under Dell's warranty
I have been a big Dell Streak 5 fan all along, but today I lost my faith in Dell...
Over the weekend, the USB/Charger (PDMI) port on my Dell Streak failed: the two plastic tabs that protect the metal pins gave away.
The fragile construction of it had worried me from the beginning, but charging at least once a day is a must, and what I had feared happened despite careful use.
Without the plastic, it is not possible to insert the connector without the risk of bending and shorting the pins...
(See picture below)
I called Dell Mobility Support, hoping for a repair or replacement offer, given the remaining 3 months of warranty, and failure during normal use.
However, I was told quite rapidly, that this is not covered under normal warranty, and that a replacement would be $249.
My insistance that failure under normal use must be covered under normal warranty, towards my customer satisfaction, did not change Dell's position.
Given the absurd offer, I am left to my own devices. As a workaround, I will look into external chargers or glueing the adapter permanently.
I welcome additional suggestions!
Unless this post will lead to a satisfactory solution (Dell, anyone?), I am walking away both as a Streak-5 fan and as an ex-Dell customer... :emotion-6:
jimRogers52
1 Message
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October 28th, 2011 22:00
I had a similar failure with one of my streaks about 3 weeks ago, but when I called I was sent a new phone and returned the defective one.
powderbomber
1 Message
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November 20th, 2011 19:00
i also had this problem around 6 months ago, but have been rejected twice by Optus (Australia) for warranty repair as they insist it is physical damage from misuse on my part. I KNOW this is not the case, however optus have been utterly useless and not interested in any discussion around the matter at all. In desperation I called Dell and was completely brushed off, they have absolutely no interest in supporting streak in Australia, and passed the buck back to optus. Big mistake Dell, offloading the reputation of your brand and products to another companys mediocre customer service... Very unhappy Dell and Optus customer, perhaps soon to be ex customer.
behindthebeat
2 Posts
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November 26th, 2011 06:00
Just yesterday these plastics pieces just broke on me again for the third time. I bought my phone at Best Buy and thank God I picked up their Black Tie warranty plan. This design is a big FAIL. I've never busted any type plugs/connectors/pins before. I got alot of grief for carrying such a large phone, but my support for the phone is starting to fade.
Here's an update...
With both plastic pieces broken off, I carefully straightened the pins and plugged the cable in. Things are charging, so I'll have to decide if I should take it back to Best Buy and wait 3-4 days for a new one or just live with what i got.
David - Streak 5
9 Posts
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November 26th, 2011 10:00
_workaround_ (not a fully satisfying solution!):
I have applied Scotch tape on both sides of the PDMI charger connector, starting on the inside, and then folding to the outside. This protects the pins from touching the GND. Together with even more careful insertion than normally, I hope to be able to use my beloved Dell Streak 5 for a bit longer, until buying a competitor's device replacement...
behindthebeat
2 Posts
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November 26th, 2011 19:00
can you post pics?
David - Streak 5
9 Posts
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November 27th, 2011 08:00
Scotch tape (cut to the right width), wrapped around the metal sides, starting on the inside (where it will shield the Streak's pins from touching the connector ground. I added a permanent-marker dot to easily tell which side goes up (the triagle is hard to see in low light).
Than you for all your reactions, all proof towards a design flaw: I would have expected the fragile pins/strips to sit on the cable side, not on the device side, to enable cheap replacements.
Viren143
2 Posts
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January 3rd, 2012 23:00
i have the same problem but only upper chip came out with plug ...pl suggest what to do ??
Viren143
2 Posts
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January 3rd, 2012 23:00
is that free of cost ??
David - Streak 5
9 Posts
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January 7th, 2012 14:00
remove loose chip from plug, and do like I did with the tape as a workaround (incl. not to expect Dell to be of any help)
fbotha6490
4 Posts
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January 7th, 2012 20:00
Hi,
I just bought 3 new ports on Ebay for 6$ each and the shipping is free internationally!!
csanderson
1 Message
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January 12th, 2012 08:00
Do you know if these are the same ports that are in the dell streak 7 tablet??
David - Streak 5
9 Posts
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January 12th, 2012 15:00
@fbotha6490: Can you be more specific, please, and keep us posted if and how you fixed your Dell Streak PDMI port?
fbotha6490
4 Posts
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January 18th, 2012 00:00
Just got these ports today and will keep you posted as to the installation.
tutis_2002
3 Posts
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January 29th, 2012 08:00
Hello all,
I'm from Spain, and something similar happens, I wonder if you have already been solved.
I have 2 dell streak 7 tablets
These are the photos of the connectors
The red does not load and the PC does not detect the balnaca for now all Ok, but it seems more damaged.
What can be done
thanks
tutis_2002
3 Posts
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January 29th, 2012 08:00
Look at my post