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Australia's top five ways to accidentally damage mobile phones
It's official. Australians are finding increasingly new and more bizarre ways to accidentally damage their mobile phones, including the most common reported cause of damage in 2007 - driving off with the handset left on the car roof.
With an estimated 20 million mobile phone services now in Australia, Telstra customer service consultants are now taking an ever growing number of calls about mobile handsets damaged in unusual ways that may void their warranty.
According to Telstra customer service consultants, the five most commonly reported ways to accidentally damage a mobile phone are:
- Driving off with a mobile left on the car roof
- Damaged by water - including dropping it in the toilet and taking calls when in the rain
- Sitting on the handset
- Dropping a phone - most often on the footpath
- Throwing a mobile - either on a desk, in a drawer, or to a friend
"Telstra research shows that mobile phones, along with keys and wallets, are one of the items that Australians typically won't leave home without, so it's little wonder that customers are finding new ways to accidentally damage their handsets in a variety of settings," said Telstra spokesman, Peter Taylor.
"We've even heard from a customer who retrieved their Next G™ handset after losing it when back burning a sugar cane field. Incredibly the handset still worked, even though it was a little scorched and melted in places.
"And the popularity of leather cases for mobile phones has seen a surprisingly high number of reports of phones being gnawed by the family pooch."
With the ever increasing sophistication of mobile devices, it is becoming more important to carefully maintain the device and keep the technology in good working order. All handsets sold by Telstra have a 12 month manufacturer's warranty, which Telstra manages for the customer. Customers can also purchase warranties for an extra 12 months at the time of purchase from a Telstra Shop.
"It's important customers understand that warranties only cover a fault of the phone, they do not cover misuse or accidents caused by a customer.
"Some easy to remember tips about mobile phone care include always storing your handset in the same place, using belt clips or pouches to secure the device, and letting the call go through to MessageBank when caught in a tricky position.
"New mobile phones, particularly Telstra's latest Next G™ devices, are packed with the latest technology so you need to treat them with respect, as you would a computer or a fine bottle of wine.
"The good news is that if you need a more robust mobile for outdoor conditions, then Telstra also has Next G™ handsets that are protected in rubber casing and are dust, shock and liquid resistant. These handsets offer far more protection than early generation handsets such as the old CDMA mobiles," Mr Taylor said.
Reference Number: 281/2007
