Water Indicator on 17 day old phone

Hello peeps,

I live in Darwin Australia and on the 13 February this year I bought a shiney new 32gb 3gs. I was stoked with it and loved the new toy. On the 1st of March the backlight stopped, and a few days I took it to the store to be repaired. Then 10 (yes ten) weeks later I get a call telling me that it was water damaged and the repair is $300.

Well I am both annoyed and flabbergasted as the phone has never been near water?!? I got my phone back (unrepaired) and sure enough the docking port has a pink tinge but the headphone port is white.

I work at the local public hospital and I ran around and looked at 5 3GS iphones I could find (that are working) and ALL 5 have the pink indicator in the bottom port, and white headphone port. While I cannot vouch for the history of these 5 "samples" I think that is a bit rich, and that I can see a case forming.

A bit of background, Darwin has just come out of the "Wet" (monsoon season for the last 4 Months) I imagine that all the phones that have been inside then outside (my glasses fog EVERY time I go outside) then all phones are going to be affected.

As I see it there are 2 issues: 1 I didnt get the phone wet. period! and secondly If I get a large proportion with an indicator failure and the phones function for a year, the indicator is flawed as a detector.

Anyone else from a tropical location got a water indicated phone? (and pretty confident the phone wasnt immersed?)

I am a very disappointed IPhone user that will go back to nokia :-(

Regards

Brett

They screwed me too. Said my phone was wet and it NEVER was. Apple sucks in this department. Like they don't make enough already, they are screwing people left and right on iPhone repairs.

unfortunately this has been a widespread problem since day one, Those external water sensors are so easily triggered. Did they say it was only the bottom exterior sensor ? Because in my opinion the water sensors they should be concerned with are on the inside on the logic board if those are pink then you have obvious water damage.


Have contacted Apple customer care to file a complaint?

Thanks for the comments fellas.

Ive since done a little seraching, and its abvious Apple wont budge because of a few uneducated Australian folk in a place called Darwin.

But I will simple vote with my dollar and buy something else. Because the service Dept breached their contract with me (weeks over the max period) Ive a case for some recource (no fault of apple!).

However I will use the link you provided thanks bargsbeer!

Its a pity because it such a good product.

Regards

Brett (A happy Apple cusomer for 2 weeks....)

Oh and BTW Im just off to buy a new laptop as the old lenovo has seen 3 "Wets" and is still going, but aging. A few mates have bought the apple equivalent, and they love them, but get no satisfaction from apple service. So that spells the end of my flurtation with he dark side :-(