yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[HTC One X] dj_destruction:
After reading this thread I gave htc a call as my one x is due to be sent for repair on friday for the yellow blotches on the screen and i had unlocked the bootloader via htcdev, and was worried they would try and stitch me up for the cost of the repair by saying my warrenty was void. I had it confirmed that if the bootloader was unlocked and the engineer could prove that the hboot or radio was changed or the fact i had used illegal/custom software the warrenty would be void but if the software, radio and hboot were all original it SHOULD be fine. I think this is still a very grey area and they would still possibly argue the fact that my warrenty is void! It turns out that htc have an agreement in place for retailers to exchange devices with faulty screens within the 30 days of getting the device. (good news if true). I am currently trying to get hold of t-mobile customer services to get my exchange sorted, as the guy at htc told me that they could contact htc and get this authorised.

So i have just come off the phone from t-mobile customer services, been told to go to the store where i got the phone as it would need to be sent off?!?!? god they havent got a clue. My next move is to go to the store tomorrow and get them to call htc direct and get this sorted out, I guess if htc are willing to accept an exchange and suggest the store calls htc direct to authorise it the store cant really say no?!? Im ready for a bloody battle any way as this has been dragging on for a couple of weeks for me and i have had enough plus i only got 3 days left before my 30 days is up lol. i will keep u posted. :p
[HTC One X] KrisPerry:
Interested to know how this pans out
[HTC One X] dj_destruction:
same here lol. its gonna be a up hill battle i guess!
[HTC One X] drew071:
Just because you apply for the boatload unlock file doesn't mean that you used it! So surely wiping you phone and returning s-on is enough to get a warranty repair ad they can't prove u used the file.

Drew071
[HTC One X] Basil3:
They shouldn't be ambiguous. If it has now been confirmed that you WILL lose your warranty, then I assume this is now what HTCdev says. They wouldn't want to mislead consumers and damage customer relations, would they? Hmmm.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
Listen fella, I just asked them for clarification. I'm unhappy with the approach they're taking.

I have not as yet unlocked my bootloader for this very reason.

I'm still unhappy with their (unlikey to stand up in court) approach.

You're not, you think it's fine. Great, enjoy your phone.
[HTC One X] lukeyboymac:
Me too. I'm in the same boat with flickering screen. On T-Mobile who say they will only exchange in 7 days and after that is sent for repair.
[HTC One X] KrisPerry:
Can the phone be returned to s-on
[HTC One X] Fruktsallad:
Yet, that's exactly what they did! I would NEVER have unlocked my bootloader if HTCdev would have said that it would void the warranty completely! What a f*cking load of bollocks! GRRRRRRR!
[HTC One X] Andy:
I know you asked for clarification, I read & understood your posts.

I'm not trying to argue, troll or otherwise wind you up. So please don't view what I had posted as such.

HTC will do everything they can to limit their liability. As any responsible company would. And HTC offering users a choice, one which may lead to no warranty, its up to the user to decide.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
I think you should go direct to HTC tomorrow, explaining the clarification and insisting they send you a new phone.

This is a spectacularly poor position for HTC to have put themselves in and I imagine there are a whole bunch of people who would not have unlocked their bootloader on this basis.
[HTC One X] tkolev:
And if you by some kind of mirracle happen to survive, you can sue them for promissing you a certain death :D.

You can't act surprised if someone tells you something may happen and then it actually happens.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
Of course, but see the post above yours. People expect that "may" means that if the hardware fails it's fine, if they brick the phone it's their own fault.

There will be any number of people who would not have unlocked their bootloader if the statement had been "will".

Never mind the "we're developer friendly - ah, no, we're not" shenanigans.
[HTC One X] abc27:
If HTC said... "If you unlock your bootloader we MAY be entitled to assassinate you" that doesn't make them assassinating you legal.

Regardless of what HTC say, the law stands firm.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
If you install linux on your laptop you may void your warranty.

Irritated yet?
[HTC One X] tkolev:
Actually plainly stating that the mere act of unlocking the bootloader voids your warranty makes them legally vulnerable. As HTC states if an engineer says the damage is caused by installing a non-approved software, the warranty is off. If he says that it's a manufacturing defect, it's still valid. Guess what HTC's engineer will say?
[HTC One X] dj_destruction:
The problem is all the info we are getting on this whole warranty regards to an unlocked bootloader is different from case to case or info being confirmed person to person, My advice would be that if you have a faulty unit in which you have some kind of screen fault get your butt to your retailer and push for an exchange as in my previous post htc have said they have agreed 30 days on faulty screens to exchange your device at the retailer where u bought/upgraded. If you have unlocked your bootloader and have a fault free device just be extra careful with it until we know for sure u still have a warranty still covering at least hardware faults. and if you havent unlocked your bootloader read this thread carefully as you may not wish too just yet.
[HTC One X] tkolev:
Being an adult I can make that decision for myself.
[HTC One X] tkolev:
+1
[HTC One X] Andy:
What HTC have done is not illegal. You can waiver your rights. Motorola sold a Developer Edition recently, that did not come with any warranty, that was made clear at the time of purchase. Yes, I wholeheartedly agree that the "MAY" is a big grey word. But now from HTC you have it clarified.

To quote tkolev,
[HTC One X] Basil3:
It's true you can't act surprised if someone tells you something may happen and then it does actually happen, but I would like to think that if something "may" happen, this means there is also a possibility that it "may not ". This doesn't seem to be the case.
[HTC One X] ninja.rogue:
This is exactly what has happened to me today

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1631466
[HTC One X] tkolev:
But it is possible! If a HTC's engineer says that it's not your fault but HTC's. I can totally see that happening! Saying that unlocking the bootloader will void the warranty puts them in a weaker position than saying it may void it.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
No need to be rude mate.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
Exactly. And while there are many people who have already unlocked, likely in the expectation that their warranty will be honoured how it used to be, then those people should have their warranty honoured because of the ambiguity. An ambiguity that clearly has never existed.

Motorola looked to sell a developer edition with no warranty, great, but for no warranty the minimum I would expect is s-off and a catalogued driver set.
[HTC One X] evo1rs:
This is the response I got when enquiring about using sixaxis on my phone.

It gave me the confidence to unlock the bootloader but if I've lost warranty then so be it. I haven't had any of the problems listed on xda anyway, fingers crossed I'll never need it like with my hd2.

It does make me wonder though, what they think rooting means.

I see it as simply flashing cwm and then su to gain root access. No major harm done there unless you oc. Can always flash stock recovery back too.

They seem to think it means s-off to allow access to hboot and radio.

--------------

Thank you for contacting HTC regarding your HTC One X.

My name is ***** and I am a Technical Support Agent for the HTC Written Team.

I understand that you are inquiring about unlocking your Bootloader to pair a PS3 controller.

First of all let me explain the difference between rooting your phone and simply unlocking the Bootloader.

Rooting your phone is a complete installation of every aspect of the software, whereas unlocking the Bootloader grants you access to apply things such as custom ROMs, but keeps certain aspects safe, such as the radio package.

These have two differing conclusion to the warranty:

- Rooting your phone will void the warranty completely and utterly.

- Unlocking the Bootloader, will void most, possibly all depending the the situation.

Generally hardware issues will still be covered by your warranty after unlocking your Bootloader, however you are likely to be charged for us to reinstall the official ROM at the repair centre, the reason for this is that to carry out a warranty repair the phone must be in a warranty condition and this includes the software being as it was intended.

Additionally, if our technicians determine the cause of the hardware fault to be a direct cause of the software changes, then this will be out of warranty and chargeable also.

OTA updates can only install on a specific software version and any changes away from the standard version is likely to affect this and prevent you from installing OTA updates, until the official ROM is re-installed without changes.

I would discourage anyone form unlocking their Bootloader if they are not 100% aware and willing to accept the consequences.

For more information please visit the FAQ on our website, following the link below.

http://htcdev.com/bootloader/faq
[HTC One X] BarryH_GEG:
When HTC first started unlocking their bootloaders, there was no precedent to follow. Since then Asus has eliminated the ambiguity by saying if you unlock the bootloader you totally give up your warranty - h/w, s/w, and anything in between. As someone said, Motorola took a different approach and offers no warranty in the first place.

From a response to a request for repair someone else posted, at least HTC will honor the h/w portion of the warranty if you unlock but don't flash third party ROM's.

It sucks but it appears as the OEMs get bolder their using unlocking as a way of limiting their warranty expenses. Not just those limited to customer induced damage. I agree that if “may” was historically applied differently HTC should be clear about introducing a new interpretation.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
This is the crux of the matter for me.

They have simply done this in an attempt to circumvent statutory consumer rights.

Official bootloader unlocking is not supporting developers, it's penalising them, and is simply a device to track "developed" handsets and deny warranty under any circumstance.

They should have the balls to do it explicitly.
[HTC One X] treebill:
the legal principle is ambiguity in a contract benefits the party that did not draft it.

the use of "may" falls nicely into the above statement.
[HTC One X] JSLEnterprises:
If the screen goes dead, or the speakers or buttons stop working... even though I have an unlocked bootloader, and it's been flagged as "tampered"

if the hardware issue has nothing to do with the software, the it should still be covered by warranty... that is a defect by all definition of the term.

I had an issue with my old DHD (9192) where i was adb pushing the weather.apk to the device (for about the 16th time), then it froze, and died... and had the 'qload' error (equivallent to qualcomm hardware engineering level)... the hardware simply died (possibly the emmc controller)

suffice to say, they repaired it under warranty, even though I told them, it was s-off'ed and rooted (SHIP s-off'd not ENG)

There should still be covereage for hardware defects regardless of whether the 'software' of the device has been tampered with... ESPECIALLY if its been proven its not caused by the software to begin with (eg: hardware problem persisting with full stock, straight from the RUU, software)

... the best is to communicate well with htc, and have proof that the defect is indeed hardware based and was not caused by anything you've done. They're more willing to work with you - from my past experience with them anyways.
[HTC One X] jmpmjmpm:
What kind of bs statement is this? HTC cannot change their statement AFTER the fact. In any case in many countries including the UK their disclaimer is NOT worth the paper its written on. This is because a manufacturer or dealer CANNOT disclaim its statutory obligation under consumer law to provide goods free from manufacturing defects and fit for purpose! I for one will be more than happy to teach HTC a lesson in consumer law should the need arise.

In short if you live in the UK the HTC warranty is irrelevant, granted it will enable a speedy repair but after a quick court action that costs £50 (which is recoverable from HTC when they lose) they will be ordered by the court to effect a repair. I cannot wait for someone to do this and shove it down their throat.

Many large companies have quickily found out that in Europe they do what they are told (microsoft, google, apple, etc) HTC is no different.
[HTC One X] tkolev:
Read what evo1rs has posted. They will repair your faulty screen under warranty but to do so, they will restore your phone to warranty condition (which is a fancy way of saying that you'll have to pay for a new motherboard).
[HTC One X] tkolev:
I'm not being rude. We are all adults and as such we should take responsibility for our actions. Unfortunately this whole conversation is begining to look like "why didn't they told me I sholdn't dry my cat in the microwave? Arrrrgh I'm so angry, I'll sue them!"

When HTC locked the bootloader in the first place, many of us said "we know why you did that, but we feel we should be given a choice" and HTC listened. Those were the terms of the deal - unlocking the bootloader = voiding the warranty. It's our choice to make. I guess HTC made up that "you may loose your warranty" just to stay within the law. Also apparently they charge you for the restoration of your phone to factory condition not for the repair (if they are still covered by the warranty). Imagine the following situation: max operation temp of the CPU is 90 degrees. Due to the manufacturing process different units have max operational temp of 85 - 95 degrees. So to be safe nVidia made it stop at 80. HTC uses screens that have max operational temp of 75 - 85 degrees depending on the unit. So they cut the max phone temperature at 70. You flash another ROM. It doesn't stop at 70 and you are fine because you got a screen that operates well till 85 degrees and you never go that high because of the hardware failsafe inside the CPU. Then a pixel dies. HTC replaces the screen with a unit that has max temp of 75 (note that this is still within the manufacturing tolerace specified by whoever makes them). Then your custom ROM fries the screen because it operates above its max operational temp. Who is to blame?
[HTC One X] BarryH_GEG:
Great summation. I guess there's two ways of looking at this. HTC could have taken the all or nothing approach that Asus has from the beginning and probably not covered a lot of on-the-fence (was it a defect or user induced damage?) repairs they have with devices before the One X. There still would have been *****ing (why should HTC take such a hard line?) but there would have been no ambiguity. Now, they are taking a hard line.

Glass half full = people with earlier devices got a lot of potentially questionable repairs for free. Glass half empty = starting with the One's, the party's over.

In the U.S., the word "may" in a contract is a defined and recognized term. Personally, I’d never enter in to a contract with the word “may” in it unless what “may” included and excluded was explicitly defined. Otherwise, in the absence of that definition, “may” might as well be “will.” Based on that, users in the U.S. don’t have a lot of remedies available. Good luck to those of you in the rest of the world that are willing to fight the "man" for what you believe in is right. ;)
[HTC One X] mathrania:
HTC ( hereinafter referred to as "they" ) should define the word "MAY" properly on their website...they should mention what would be covered and what not after the bootloader is unlocked....else, they should clearly mention that you WILL void you warranty after unlocking the bootloader.

They have their own rules, but here they are not being clear on what they say
[HTC One X] BarryH_GEG:
The time to have questioned the lack of definition was before you clicked the "OK" button. You lose and HTC gains almost all leverage because "may" is not clearly defined. In front of a judge (at least in the U.S.), you can state what you thought “may” should mean but in the absence of definition there wouldn’t be a leg to stand on. Their attorneys didn't choose the language they did accidentally. ;)
[HTC One X] theory_87:
Easy. I'm selling my One X and going back to Samsung.
[HTC One X] treebill:
All throughout the unlocking process the word may is used implying under certain conditions the warranty would remain intact after the unlocking and this is not the case, that wouldn't bode well for HTC in court.
[HTC One X] Evil-Dragon:
Given the shambles of all this and HTC's view of customers and the ongoing issues of trying to dev on this phone. I fear this is the last HTC phone I will buy/have on contract. They'll only learn from their mistakes if you hit them hard where it hurts.. Their profits. To do that just don't buy any more phones from them.
[HTC One X] Try4Ce:
I am pretty much shocked.

1. HTC Dev states CLEARLY a "MAY VOID", not "WILL VOID". This is major.

2. Android stands for customizing and modding. Why do you think most Android phones are successful? Why do you think the Galaxy Nexus is so popular worldwide? Why do you think the Android OS slowly becomes the number one mobile OS in the world? Because you actually can do something with your phone instead of being held in a golden cage where the manufacturer tells you what to do with your effin expensive gadget.

3. HTC should really consider their sights on unlocking and rooting. Most manufacturers do give you the option freely without voiding the whole warranty. I wont just look away because HTC tells me "Too bad bro, thats how we roll!". There are enough other devices from many other good manufacturers (Google, Samsung, Huawei, Sony), where your warranty isnt completely voided if you root your device.

4. It's ridiculous to say "you can overclock your cpu with a rooted and unlocked device". First off, you need a custom kernel for that. Just an unlock and root doesnt count. Most people root to get more out of the system. I actually never overclocked my devices except for my already years old Motorola Milestone. All the other devices were kept at stock speeds. And for Tegra 3 1,5Ghz, I guess its totally not needed anymore to overclock, maybe underclock for better power management and less heat generation.

5. Android is open source, and therefore, we should be able to mod and root it to get the most out of our mobile experience with this amazing OS. Since its open source, Manufacturers shouldn't be able or shouldn't even think about telling us how to use their goddamn phones software wise (if it stays within the same mobile system). If they want otherwise, go develop your own damn mobile OS you can control. Nobody forces you to use Googles software.

6. As already said, this could become difficult for HTC to stand up in court, if it should come this far some day. They shouldn't be able to hide behind the fact of rooting and unlocking when there are obvious manufacturing issues or problems. What do have yellow display spots, broken cameras, faulty wlan modules, cracking cases, rattling vibration motors or screen distortions on pressure for example have to do with an unlocked bootloader or a rooted android system? I can understand the argument about a damaged chipset/cpu due to overclocking, but the rest?

If HTC sticks to that policy, the HTC One X will be the last HTC device for me and go back to Samsung (or maybe I will try out the next Nexus Device). I love my One X and all, but with manufacturer-issues like that and all that legal/illegal **** it got me thinking.
[HTC One X] N3m3515:
+1 if they dont go back to a customer friendly policy i will change my prefered manufacturer
[HTC One X] jmpmjmpm:
Still wouldn't stand up in a UK court, sorry:D
[HTC One X] ewok666:
Total nonsense ! Why do some people just love to bend over for HTC and even try to justify this BS?

I have not read a single post where someone complained about bricking the phone and then HTC not repairing it under warranty . I've read plenty that ask why faulty buttons might not be replaced under warranty even if the boot loader is unlocked. The whole discussion is pointless until someone challenges HTC in court.....if it ever comes to this.

The website is ANYTHING but clear on this and that's very misleading. If they void all warranty then they could at least spell this out.

I remember the days when pc makers put stupid labels on their boxes and told you the warranty was void if you opened them ....... And we all know how that ended.

All we're asking for is for them to be reasonable. At this point they should be less concerned with a few handsets that may end up dead through rooting ( have not even heard of this happening) and focus on the large number of faults still present.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
Hardware modding in computing has always burned you warranty. Software modding never has.

All I've suggested is that HTC need to offer clarity, not flirt with the possibility of voiding your warranty.

There have been some odd responses to this thread about cats and death, so just to make it clear, I haven't unlocked my bootloader. I'm not whinging after the fact.

But I tell you, if I had, I'd be straight into HTC this morning demanding a complete refund.
[HTC One X] Nubzori:
Wait a minute, hypotechnically my screen brakes, I have unlocked bootloader, I will relock it and flash stock RUU and return my device? HTC will say you have relocked bootloader and thats why screen broke is not covered by warranty?? My god I must reinforce my pouch!
[HTC One X] Goku80:
Kinda had my doubts about the phone since when i first got it and tried to root. When finding out how the rooting process was i froze. I was like "what the hell". No cf-root, no odin i was like what to do. So i waited for this super s-off exploit and still our great devs are working on it. But the flashaholic in me got the better of me and i unlocked. Now i know the risk of the warranty but i still went ahead and done it.

So what i am trying to say here is people that we know the risk we take when we unlock it. No one is holding a gun to your head and saying that you have to unlock your phone through the site. HTC should state clearly what is voided when you unlock it. It does not give clear indication what is covered by warranty and what not. As a customer i understand most of the points in this thread but i can see the point of HTC as a business and needed to cover their backs as well with all this unlocking situation.

Probably the best thing to do is go either down Sammy route that they did with the S2 or just give the choice to the consumer on what they want to do with their handsets and state what the warranty covers and how.

But as someone else said..As much as i love my One X and will serve me greatly my next phone will be back to Sammy.
[HTC One X] f4flake:
I have just spoken to Orange, my provider and insisted that they send me assurance in writing regarding my warranty, else change my phone.

I am a small business customer so they have insisted I have a warranty, regardless of unlocking my bootloader, with them for 2 years.
[HTC One X] headart:
I wonder how this will work within australia.

I talked to another online assistant and got the same response.