I bought a pair of fairbuds in june this year. They started having issues charging sometimes recently and sometimes would just die in my ear for no reason.
The reason the official repair partner of fairphone (cordon group) gives is “Generalized oxidation on the entire device.”
I didn’t see any oxidation anywhere on the buds. and it’s not like they landed in the washing machine or something… sure, i used them while cycling and sometimes it rains (i always have a hood on)… they’re IP54 rated right?!
And now I get an email from Cordon asking me if I want to pay 149 euro’s which… checks notes is the price of a new pair… the full price of a new pair… how what?!
Sorry if it feels like i’m being a karen. I rarely complain about companies or services.
But i’m posting here because frankly fairphone support is too slow sometimes.
I LOVE fairphone, i really do. I have bought 6 fairphones for me and the rest of our small business. I love the mission and i want to love the company… but this is not ok…
OK, I’m no lawyer, but I think this should fall under warranty. Are you sure Cordon is aware they are still under warranty?
Maybe it’s just a huge misunderstanding: You should immediately contact Fairphone about that–after checking your warranty’s fine print for clauses which might nullify the warranty in your specific case.
If you’re in France, check with “UFC Que Choisir”, they can give you free legal counsel and assistance.
I’ve already contacted fairphone about this but sometimes their support is slow and i only have a limited amount of time to respond to the email from Cordon. So I don’t want to risk having the ticket take too long.
Also Cordon’s email said
This device may not benefit from the manufacturer’s warranty for the following reason: Generalized oxidation on the entire device.
You will therefore find enclosed our repair quote.
Well posting here will not help with this issue. I suggest you contact support via their online chat.
Also it seems Cordon suggests that water entered into the buds thus for them it seem to be clearly not a warranty case. IP54 isnt really water resistant, not sure what other buds have?
Anyone know if there was ever any finding/trace/report of humidity sensors (i.e. little spots that turn red when water hits them) in the Fairbuds?
It’s known that the FP3 has at least two of these, and I would assume both the FP4 and FP5 have them, but I have no clue if those are in the Fairbuds (or if any other earbuds have ever included such).
I understand. Like @yvmuell said, try their chat line. I’m afraid you’ll be confronted with some stupid chatbot, but there is a chance it will allow you to escalate the issue, and get to speak to a real certified human.
The questions are simple: Is this covered? And if yes, why doesn’t Cordon know about it?
@Thibaultmol fingers crossed you will be able to contact FP via chat as it might fasten the process
On the warranty though, I am afraid I do not have such good news
Under what is not covered section for FP4, FP5 and fairbuds you might find the following:
4.3 The Fairphone Warranties do not cover damages that are the result of the following:
(…) 4.3.7 Some nasty things such as (…) exposure to liquid, moisture or dampness.
Perhaps though you could argue that IP54 and the weatherproof description of fairbuds should mean your usage was typical and claim the oxidation is a result of a product malfunction?
Edited to add the information on the IP rating from the website (not including fairbuds though)
IP54 Sweat and Water Resistance
It always rains in Amsterdam - so of course these had to be weatherproof. That also makes them great for working out.
They have not been in the washing machine or in a pool.
I used them outside occasionally and sure… sometimes it rained… i had a hood over my head like any normal person would. They should have lasted their rating…
It’s conflicting yeah. The buds experienced more than rain. which is what they’re rated for. So yeah
I would agree. The question is: who per law is responisble to proof, you as consumer or Fairphone. I would check this. And keep us posted about the outcome.
There are indeed liquid ingress detectors inside of both the case and each bud. So I guess from a legal standpoint this is indeed not covered by warranty.
When it comes to the earbuds, a guess to how water ingressed seems more obvious to me (the silicone ring might not have provided enough “sealing”) than with regard to the charging case (which interestingly Cordon does not regard as necessary to replace despite the pink sensor )
Hi thanks for checking
you mentioned you did not see any signs of oxidation before
so have you received them already back from Cordon or had these pictures been taken prior to the service?
On the IP rating website I referred, they talk about FP 4 (the same IP54 rating) that you could use it in rain but also if the water indicators are up, it voids the warranty.
Fairphone 4 has several liquid contact indicators (LCI) inside its frame. Before performing any warranty repair, we check the integrity of these indicators along with other signs of clear oxidation which can help determine the presence of water damage.
If any exposure to liquid, moisture or dampness is detected, it will void your warranty.
Interestingly enough, the question arises - what if exposure to rain leads to water indicators being activated, who is responsible - as @yvmuell mentioned
These were the pics from Cordon. I’m awaiting fairphone’s response.
Honestly i hadn’t even considered it being water ingress to being the cause. if i knew that, i would have tried to dry them ( i guess?) myself first to see if it fixed the issue.
Still not ok that the water ingress happened with normal use, but yeah. We’ll see what fairphone’s response it. i’ll keep this thread updated
Has Cordon given you a deadline for you to decide? If yes, I would email them and advise that you are awaiting a response from Fairphone customer service regarding terms of your warranty. I’d ask that they store your buds and charger free of charge until your dialogue with customer service has been exhausted. That may take some time.
I’d ask Cordon if they believe the devices (2 buds and charger) are truly IP54 compliant by design. For example where are the seals on the battery compartment? IP54 should accept splashes from any direction and therefore have seals to protect likely places of ingress. How sensitive are the (now) red ingress dots? Could perspiration while stored in your pocket cause the dots to react?
I think if Cordon refuse to wait (assuming there is a deadline), I’d pay for them to send it back as is. That way you have the evidence needed to prove the device is not as advertised (ie. splash / rain proof), just in case you decide to take it further using your local laws and advertising regulators.
You say you love Fairphone? Hmmm If you start to get the feeling your relationship is a bit one way and abusive, I can pass on the number of my therapist
Just a thought.
Following on what @TW8punk mentioned, if the case is not weatherproof and the IP rating concerns only fairbuds (the fixit teardown showed clearly some glue in the fairbuds) , would it be possible that the case got wet in your pocket and fairbuds got damaged not because of the rain but because of the case?
Like charging might have been impacted then…
I hope you get your fairbuds and the case(!) repaired for free but it could also lead to some more precise usage guidance.
While that’s right posting here gives people thinking to buy something from Fairphone the chance to see how they behave after sales or how is the quality level of Fairphone devices.
