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Help Phone Shutting off randomly?

1. Forget what's moral or right in this case. There's one thing to be said about playing with yourself - you don't have to look your best.

2. If the phone randomly shuts down - even once - exchange it. Again and again until you're satisfied that your device is unaffected. I've written this for months. Any home-grown efforts to work around the issue are simply Band-Aids.

3. If you're within the first 30 days of purchase your replacement will (should) be new.

4. If you're beyond the initial 30 days of purchase your replacement will be refurbished. This may not be bad. The unit may be better than new as it could reflect the latest factory modifications.

5. Don't be a victim. Don't settle.

That's it in a nutshell, because...

"At Samsung, we breed disappointment."
 
Mine stopped shutting down when I turned this off:
Settings > Sound and Display > Power Saving Mode
Hope this helps someone.
 
Jack45 said:
1. Forget what's moral or right in this case. There's one thing to be said about playing with yourself - you don't have to look your best.

2. If the phone randomly shuts down - even once - exchange it. Again and again until you're satisfied that your device is unaffected. I've written this for months. Any home-grown efforts to work around the issue are simply Band-Aids.

3. If you're within the first 30 days of purchase your replacement will (should) be new.

4. If you're beyond the initial 30 days of purchase your replacement will be refurbished. This may not be bad. The unit may be better than new as it could reflect the latest factory modifications.

5. Don't be a victim. Don't settle.

That's it in a nutshell, because...

"At Samsung, we breed disappointment."
Click to expand...

Aren't you sick of saying it yet? Because it's painfully obvious that some people don't want to hear it.

Outside of a 20 minute drive and 10 minutes while they did their thing, the exchange was completely painless. THEY made sure all my data was backed up (made easier with an SD card.) Yeah, I have to customize my UI again, but so what. Totally worth it to have a functioning device.

BTW, 3 days and 1 recharge and no shutdowns. I don't know what they are doing to the refurbs (I have a refurb I am guessing, from the IMEI and mfg date of Aug '10), but still have fingers crossed.
 
I got my new battery. Well, surprise, surprise it looks exactly like the old one with a manufacture date a couple weeks later. The chances are high that this is NOT a viable long term fix. While it is possible a new battery could fix an issue if the HW is improperly charging or discharging the battery, this battery certainly doesn't seem any different than my last. It therefore will probably work for a few weeks, then start up with the same BS.

I guess 'try the cheapest option first' is their motto. When they call back, I'll have put this thring through the wringer and I bet that I DO see that shutdown and I will request a new device this time. I just went with what they told me.

I concur with everyone else, a new device is the only way to go. That said, we'll see if this battery makes any difference -- but it may be weeks before the problem is seen again (as was the initial case). Like I said, I'm going to try to run this thing through serious stress tests to see if I can make any errata manifest more quickly.

Jack45: Keep saying it. People will keep coming. We need to tell them that the battery replacements (or any other tricks) don't work in the long run. I'll give it time, since I know a battery replacement does work for a little while, but I'm definitely not gonna settle. I can't have a phone that progressively gets worse and worse at random shut downs (as is the case).
 
LOL, the first shut down has already occurred with the new battery they sent me. Now we'll see if the tone changes, of if they just send me a new freaking phone. I don't understand the stories of driving to a store and getting a new phone, they gave me a 1800 number at the store. Maybe my store has no warranty department.
 
I already called them about it, was half asleep. This time the Android department was closed (missed by 12 mins), and the guy I talked to clearly knew nothing. He also spoke very bad English or had poor reception. I am terrible with accents, I just can't understand them to save my life. Oh well. So, I call back tomorrow. He said no replacement was available, but I'm assuming they'll tell me otherwise - as I sure can't just live with it.

I mean, when a problem grows so bad that somebody writes an app as a hacked way to work around it... well, it does really exist.
 
I hate to mix topics, but for those who were experiencing random shutdowns and subsequently rooted and flashed another ROM - did that resolve the problem for you?
 
Timberline said:
I hate to mix topics, but for those who were experiencing random shutdowns and subsequently rooted and flashed another ROM - did that resolve the problem for you?
Click to expand...

I asked this same question and found a resolving, resolute, unwaivering NO was the answer. You can trust me on this. Now, maybe AT&T will have a magical fix in their official update, whenever it comes (if ever).

At this point I am getting kind of pissed. I should just wait for the Jan 3 call back, but it is annoying as hell.
 
jcollake said:
I already called them about it, was half asleep. This time the Android department was closed (missed by 12 mins), and the guy I talked to clearly knew nothing. He also spoke very bad English or had poor reception. I am terrible with accents, I just can't understand them to save my life. Oh well. So, I call back tomorrow. He said no replacement was available, but I'm assuming they'll tell me otherwise - as I sure can't just live with it.

I mean, when a problem grows so bad that somebody writes an app as a hacked way to work around it... well, it does really exist.
Click to expand...

jc,
You cannot just go to a factory store. You have to go to a warranty repair center, and I guess I am lucky that we have one locally (metroPDX.) I don't know if they have one within driving distance of you home, but if not the said that they would send a phone and packing to return my phone to them in. Only bad part is you have to move your data yourself, but check the capfaq if you need info on that.

edit - heres a link of "Device Service Centers"
 
Yes, I surmised as much. I doubt there is one within at least 40 miles, probably more. I'm so sure I won't bother looking it up. You're right, the return procedure is so convenient it doesn't matter anyway. Let's just hope I get a new phone. If I don't, I swear I am going to go on the most raging anti-AT&T campaign you've ever seen. This is only because I am SURE now that no other fix is possible at this time. Before I wasn't SURE of that so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Now I am SURE, just as everyone has told me.

I bought 2 cell phones and a Tab at AT&T, so I should be a valued customer, I would hope. If they really don't give me a new phone (that ignorant bad English speaker I talked to said No is why I say this), then you guys will hear first.
 
jcollake said:
Yes, I surmised as much. I doubt there is one within at least 40 miles, probably more. I'm so sure I won't bother looking it up. You're right, the return procedure is so convenient it doesn't matter anyway. Let's just hope I get a new phone. If I don't, I swear I am going to go on the most raging anti-AT&T campaign you've ever seen. This is only because I am SURE now that no other fix is possible at this time. Before I wasn't SURE of that so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Now I am SURE, just as everyone has told me.

I bought 2 cell phones and a Tab at AT&T, so I should be a valued customer, I would hope. If they really don't give me a new phone (that ignorant bad English speaker I talked to said No is why I say this), then you guys will hear first.
Click to expand...

1) there is no such thing as 'valued customer' or customer loyalty these days. I know there are exceptions, but for the most part this is true, so don't think just because you dropped $1500 in an ATT store they will treat you any differently. Realistic expectations mean you won't be disappointed.

2) I am surprised that they even bothered with sending you a battery. Like I said, there wasn't even a discussion when I called. Hell, I didn't even have to do a factory reset. They got my IMEI and gave me the option to do it locally or by mail. Hopefully your luck changes next time.
 
I posted this on XDA's memo thread last night:

*snip*
ATT warranty does not have new phones to replace with nor have the affected phones been removed from service. It also pays to have a copy of the memo or at least strongly (politely) nudge them towards looking it up. At first they refused to believe that such a memo existed ("if there was such a memo we'd know about it first, sir") but the floor supervisor did a little checking on their computer, called over the associate working with me, had him read something and all of a sudden things went much smoother.

I went to replace our two captivates today (Both build 1009, mine was already a refurb replacement due to shutdowns..) and was given two 1008s for replacement. I challenged the logic of replacing a known bad batch of phones with another known bad batch of phones and was told that warranty centers (or device support centers) don't control what phones they have, Samsung does. They also told me that I would have to contact Samsung if I wanted a brand new replacement handset. Within 3 hours I was back at the service center because my replacement phone had a problem holding service connections (no bars, just a null icon) and then it shut down.

Warranty center called another one about 15 miles away and they at least had a 1009 phone so we drove up there. The manager was very polite and listened to my tale of woe about being on my fourth captivate but her story was lockstep with the prior center: they don't have any newer phones to give out. Since the warranty center was attached to a retail store I asked her if she could please talk to the retail managers and explain my problem and she did agree to that. Against all my expectations they came back, apologized profusely for the phone performance and retail side issued me a brand new outta the box 1012 build phone. Wow!

And just as I was finishing up with my phone..poof, my wife's phone had shutdown in her pocket. Went right back next door and she got the 1009 phone. We'll see how that goes. Good thing that the random shutdown problem is isolated to just a small group of people...only Captivate owners!
*snip*

I was pretty hot at the three hour fail phone but fortunately my wife reminded me how I felt when customers came on with guns blazing (I refer to them as customonkeys because they just want to angrily fling poop everywhere) so I remained firm but polite while still expressing my frustration at this shutdown issue. It paid off past what I ever expected and I can't really fault the DSC for not replacing the phone with something more current if they don't have anything more current. Hopefully this experience will prove out for some of the rest of our forum members.
 
I called AT&T again today. This lady, again with a heavy Indian accent (though I could understand her), was more knowledgable than the idiot I spoke with yesterday. However, it was only AFTER I convinced her that it was a device problem, she looked up in the computer and found an ADVISARY FROM SAMSUNG ON CERTAIN UNITS OF THIS MODEL (CAPITVATE). She read it and THE ADVISARY IN AT&T'S SYSTEM RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF THE DEVICE IF THE BATCH IS ... (mine was). She made me find my old box with SKU, so here's to hoping you kept that.

Similar to the above poster's experience, you HAVE to make them go FIND the advisory, else they won't look and won't see it.

The only bad news is that if I had suffered *any* water damage, or any other kind of damage, I would be charged $459 on my next bill. All my strips are white, so I'm good there, but still -- it sucks to think that for exchanging a defective device I could be charged that much. I mean, I will want a 'reinspect' if they think my device is in any way damaged. That isn't right considering the model is known to be defective, as they've admitted. I mean, its defective, if I *had* gotten one of the strips the slightest bit wet it would have cost me that much. Wow. Knock on wood there is no moisture in the shipping process, lol.

They also care if the battery connectors are still shiny gold. I guess if they are wore, you get charged $459. Mine look shiny, but I feel like I'm in a casino taking a bet.

They did charge me for expedited shipping this time, even pushing me into it with (there may be extended delays..).

Let's HOPE this new phone works. Samsung says that is the procedure, we'll see.

These support reps apparently know VERY little. YOU have to educate them. If YOU are POLITE and GUIDE them, they will eventually FIND the relevant information. This is assuming you get someone who gives a crap. Tell them the manufacturer issued an advisory on this phone and issue. Then they can go find it. Remember, they have a job handling Support, so aren't technical experts (at least the majority aren't), and apparently their system requires them to actually look/read to see if there is a related advisory. Treat them like you were showing your Mom how to use her computer..

They do the battery replacement I think because that is the most common issue people (in general) have regarding shut downs, their battery has grown old.

Also, this Android Department I've never reached. This time I was on hold for literally 5 seconds when she came back and said they were busy.. so... did I black out? Or maybe it is a ruse, a psychological trick, making you think you're getting 'taken care of' anyway.
 
DynaBlue said:
The SKU is also located on your under-battery label with the IMEI.
Click to expand...

Since I was on the phone with her, couldn't go that route -- Of course, I had no idea it was there anyway ;o.

I'm sure my phone will be fine and they threaten that $459 charge for seriously user damaged phones. My isn't, it is in great shape. I still hate agreeing to a charge *before* I know the results of any such inspection, lol.

And, yea, I use my Garmin for GPS ;o.
 
Besides the random powering off problem, are you also experiencing long delay in the GPS locking up to satellites? Mine sometimes grabs the satellite signals within 5 secs, sometimes it takes up to 2 minutes. There doesn't seem to be any pattern that I can disconcern. My Garmin GPS, even after having been off for a month, will grab the satellite signal within 10 sec cold. My Galaxy Tab (Yes, jc, I picked one up) grabs the satellite within 5 secs of the icon blinking. My the way, Google Earth is available for the Tab (Froyo 2.2) but not for the Captivate (2.1).
 
The SKU on my replacement phone is "S5187". Not sure what to make of that since it doesn't seem like the standard numbering format.
 
sremick said:
The SKU on my replacement phone is "S5187". Not sure what to make of that since it doesn't seem like the standard numbering format.
Click to expand...

Strange, my at&t number (other sku on box) is similar and that length. In fact 4 last digits are the same... Maybe you read that wrong and it its an att device ID.

Who knows what happened to that guy. I would tell you mine, but may have to X OUT some digits. Anything manufactured before Nov is probably bad... Assuming there new ones are really fixed.
 
SamsungCaptivated said:
Besides the random powering off problem, are you also experiencing long delay in the GPS locking up to satellites? Mine sometimes grabs the satellite signals within 5 secs, sometimes it takes up to 2 minutes. There doesn't seem to be any pattern that I can disconcern. My Garmin GPS, even after having been off for a month, will grab the satellite signal within 10 sec cold. My Galaxy Tab (Yes, jc, I picked one up) grabs the satellite within 5 secs of the icon blinking. My the way, Google Earth is available for the Tab (Froyo 2.2) but not for the Captivate (2.1).
Click to expand...

I hardly leave the house, but yes I have seen extreme differences in GP fix time. For a while there was an app from Samsung called SamsungGPSFix or something like that. It partially helped, iirc.

Tab has been great, though not always so snappy in general on rare occasions. I hope we get the 2.3 update as it has better app tablet support. I will get it either way, already rooted this thing. I am a developer quickly learning the platform. That is why I needed this bigger device.
 
And I installed Google Earth on my Captivate while running 2.1, iirc.. Maybe they did not retain backwards compatibility in an update or I am wrong.
 
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