BIG WARNING before you buy an Asus android devices

[alvinma]

Long story short:
If you UNLOCK BOOTLOADER of your device, you FULLY VOID the WARRANTY of the device.
Yes, defective screens, batteries....your warranty is not covering anything once you unlock your device using Asus's official unlock app.
You may wonder why Asus designed an app to unlock the bootloader of your device? Because when you unlock it, the app connects to Asus's server on internet, submit your device's serial number, and Asus knows that a device with such serial number is not under warranty anymore.
End of story. I learned it the hard way.

Want a good rooted device?
Go Samsung, Google Nexus, HTC
Google and HTC have clearly stated that unless the damage on the android device is caused by unlocking the bootloader, the device will be under warranty.
From my searches online you can re-lock your Samsung devices and you get your warranty.
My new Oneplus One phone even offers 1 time first year accidental screen replacement just like htc m8 in the US.
As of tablets, the Nexus series are always the best choices.
---------------------------------------------
Now, if you live in a region where there're laws enforcing hardware warranty of bootloader unlocked devices, you might have a chance to fight it back, but consider what you might need to go through I'd ask why not buy a better device with better warranty?

 

[berndblb]

Why did that come as a surprise????
It's stated clearly when you run the unlock tool and BEFORE you hit "I agree".....

 

[Danforth]

It seems like every ROM and kernel thread for Asus tablets on XDA warns you about this, so I don't know how you missed it.

The latest Samsung tablets like the Galaxy Tab S will also present a warranty problem, because depending upon which model you get there currently may be no way to root them or flash a new ROM without tripping Samsung's annoying Knox counter, which will void your warranty.

I know because I recently had problems booting my TF701T -- out of warranty because I had unlocked it -- and researched the other 10 inch tablets out there. Nexus tablets don't have SD card slots, which is a deal-breaker for me. HTC doesn't make its own brand tablets anymore, so I don't know why you mentioned them -- the only tablet they make right now is the Nexus 9.

I wasn't impressed with the offerings from Lenovo and Sony either, not after using a high DPI device like the TF701T. So I was pretty relieved when I got my Asus tablet working again and didn't have to buy another one.

You don't mention why you needed warranty service, or why you unlocked your bootloader.

 

[alvinma]

Why did that come as a surprise????
It's stated clearly when you run the unlock tool and BEFORE you hit "I agree".....

Not before I purchaseed the product.....

 

[alvinma]

It seems like every ROM and kernel thread for Asus tablets on XDA warns you about this, so I don't know how you missed it.

The latest Samsung tablets like the Galaxy Tab S will also present a warranty problem, because depending upon which model you get there currently may be no way to root them or flash a new ROM without tripping Samsung's annoying Knox counter, which will void your warranty.

I know because I recently had problems booting my TF701T -- out of warranty because I had unlocked it -- and researched the other 10 inch tablets out there. Nexus tablets don't have SD card slots, which is a deal-breaker for me. HTC doesn't make its own brand tablets anymore, so I don't know why you mentioned them -- the only tablet they make right now is the Nexus 9.

I wasn't impressed with the offerings from Lenovo and Sony either, not after using a high DPI device like the TF701T. So I was pretty relieved when I got my Asus tablet working again and didn't have to buy another one.

You don't mention why you needed warranty service, or why you unlocked your bootloader.

Got a defective screen......but then I used HTC, nexus, and apple devices before, and none voids your hardware warranty for unlock bootloader/jailbreaking....... and you don't ask why ppl unlock bootloader on xda?

 

[Danforth]

Got a defective screen......but then I used HTC, nexus, and apple devices before, and none voids your hardware warranty for unlock bootloader/jailbreaking....... and you don't ask why ppl unlock bootloader on xda?

I asked why because I am wondering how you avoided reading any of the warnings in all of the Asus ROM and kernel threads. Pretty much all the instruction posts include the warning. I thought perhaps you had decided to unlock without first deciding on a particular ROM. But then, as berndblb mentioned above, there's that final warning when you run the unlock tool...

Given all the complaints about defective docks, I made sure to use my TF701T for more than a month before unlocking, to give time for any hardware flaws to show up. I also always read up about what is involved in rooting/replacing the ROM for any device BEFORE I even buy it, which is why I ruled out getting a new Samsung Galaxy Tab S.

Sorry to sound so unsympathetic -- it does suck that your display crapped out AFTER you unlocked it -- but I guess you'll just have to consider this a lesson hard-learned.

EDIT: I wanted to add that, not only does Samsung have Knox -- meaning you can potentially void your warranty just by rooting it -- Apple also reserves the right to refuse warranty repairs if your device is jailbroken. That means that you can get screwed if your device ends up in a state where you can't remove the jailbreak, even if the jailbreak had nothing to do with the problem.

 

[dape16]

To be honest I agree with OP. I have had so many devices through the years, HTC, Sony, Motorola, Samsung, Apple... I have always been into unlocking and rooting.
In EVERY rom thread for EVERY device you can read that you will loose warranty etc if you flash! So there is no difference here at the Asus forums of course.

The difference is that no other manufacturer that I know really use the serial number this way and deny you the hardware warranty after unlocking bootloader!

Software warranty would be understandable since you modify the software.

I have sent so many different devices for repairs, everyone unlocked and/or rooted and I have never had a problem. Sony, Samsung, HTC, Motorola... No problem at all.

I thought this would be the case with Asus too, but when I have been in contact with their technical support they clearly states that after unlocking the bootloader you will loose the complete original warranty, inclunding for hardware faults.

 

[YayYouFixedIt]

Its a good product. A good buy once safely rooted.
However I agree if you don't really find out without researching.

It shouldn't be difficult for Asus to stand behind the product with good service at least of all things.
Maybe it sounds crazy, but they should say "You root you void your warranty, but we fix it anyway?!"
"What on earth have you got to be kidding. We dont pull those stunts."

And maybe some places do fix it anyway. But as a result these things dont sell.

 

[Sleeepy2]

I'll throw in my 2 cents also.
Most of the other manufactures also state that if you unlock/root your warranty is void. The difference is, most of them do not provide a way for you to do it.
For most of the others the only way to root was with an exploit and then you could either unroot for warranty or mess it up so bad that they couldn't tell that it had been rooted.
I agree with the Asus policy, you mess around with it anyway then it's your problem.
It is clearly stated on their website that it voids warranty, if your complaint is that you didn't know before you bought it then that is your fault. Did you do any research on their website before you bought it, did you look at any threads here on xda? If you bought it so that you could root it you should have know, if you bought it because you liked it and then you read all the warnings and rooted it because you could after, then it's your own fault. Sorry
I could make analogies to other things about how it is similar but the bottom line is their warranty specifically says that if you rooted it your warranty is gone. It is clearly stated and you ignored it.

 

[dape16]

STILL, there is a big difference between Asus and other manufacturers!

Sony also provides unlocking tool, says unlocking MAY void warranty, but issues such as known hardware problems is still covered.
HTC also provides unlocking tool, says unlocking MAY void warranty and hardware problems non-related to unlocking seems to still be covered.
Samsung uses it's KNOX system which does not register the serial number when unlocking but make a flag in the phones bootloader. Samsung handles this different in different countries but generally it seems to be no problem to still get the phone repaired under warranty.

So when Asus register your serial number when you unlock the bootloader and then denies ALL warranty claims is not "something every manufacturer does".
And with the TF701 which has some big quality issues, like keyboard dock, loose glass, why would these not be covered by warranty just because the software is modified? It does not make sense.

 

[badwiring]

I bought an unlocked TF701T on ebay. It was unusable with lots of phantom touches. I chatted with Asus service and explicitly stated that the device was rooted and unlocked. They said it was under warranty and gave me an RMA number. A week after I shipped it the tablet came back repaired. I was quite pleased with their service.
Sorry, I know that's like gasoline on the fire if someone had a bad experience. But they did well and I have to give them credit.

 

[dape16]

That's good to hear! In which country do you live?

 

[babelina]

Do NOT buy ASUS ever !!! this tablet is piece of s***.... sorry but it is the truth

hi guys,

I can only confirm what other users have stated about bad experience with asus tf701t , on paper it looks very nice, but the reality is very different ! do not waste your money on a company that is looking for one shot users.

I bought mine from amazon, and from the very beginning i had problem with screen sensitivity, sometimes there are phantom zones, means when i touch the screen nothing happens, like at the top when trying to roll out the android menu. (middle top part of the screen)
So since i am a very loyal asus customer, (laptop ROG, motherboards, asus infinity 700,) i was used to 'ok' quality, so i was not suspecting hardware. I thought my issue was software related. So i flashed and updated my rom.

Unfortunately it DID NOT resolve my problem, so that proved me that the problem is hardware related. So i write ASUS customer support, and they refused to repair their piece of crap they sold me. Hidding behind the warranty policy...very lame !
They refused to face the facts. I wrote a second time kindly to ask them to reconsider, since i am a good customer and i am asking for the first time the support that i deserved, since my tablet is just 6months old, and problems started from day 1 !!

ASUS told me i could send the tablet and so a check to see what needs to be replaced for EUR 75 , and only then a quote could be made about how much more I would need to pay for the repair... GIVE ME A BREAK !
First they sell me untested hardware...because if it would have been gone through proper quality test it would have ended in the garbage can and not on shelves.

The quality and success through time of a company comes not only from what you build but the support you give to your customers, and also know to admit when you build and publish crap on the market !

Sorry to be so hard, but honestly between the way i have been treated and the way I describe it to you, i am polite.

I will NEVER ever in this life BUY Asus again. Farewell to asus and burn in hell...

So think twice give before you buy asus. I hope this review will give you also a preview of what this Asus tablet is.

 

[buda5767]

Long story short:
If you UNLOCK BOOTLOADER of your device, you FULLY VOID the WARRANTY of the device.
Yes, defective screens, batteries....your warranty is not covering anything once you unlock your device using Asus's official unlock app.
You may wonder why Asus designed an app to unlock the bootloader of your device? Because when you unlock it, the app connects to Asus's server on internet, submit your device's serial number, and Asus knows that a device with such serial number is not under warranty anymore.
End of story. I learned it the hard way.

Want a good rooted device?
Go Samsung, Google Nexus, HTC
Google and HTC have clearly stated that unless the damage on the android device is caused by unlocking the bootloader, the device will be under warranty.
From my searches online you can re-lock your Samsung devices and you get your warranty.
My new Oneplus One phone even offers 1 time first year accidental screen replacement just like htc m8 in the US.
As of tablets, the Nexus series are always the best choices.
---------------------------------------------
Now, if you live in a region where there're laws enforcing hardware warranty of bootloader unlocked devices, you might have a chance to fight it back, but consider what you might need to go through I'd ask why not buy a better device with better warranty?

With Unlock can't Asus refuse warranty in EU and CH generelly. A short letter from my adovator and Asus repair under warrenty my laudspeaker. Only defects with connection with Unlock can refuse from Asus, but ASUS must prove relation.
ASUS AGB are not allowed in EU or CH and violate law. Paper are patience and not all was wrote is true

 

[YayYouFixedIt]

It probably depends on certain issues and the extend of damage like if you dropped it or something. Edit: If ASUS DOESNT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. Unless they change their tune I wont buy another Asus thing.

 

[hurzwa]

Asus warranty

Your Asus warranty is of no use anyway. Here's my experience:

I bought the tf701 when it came out. I read a lot of reviews, watched Youtube reviews and so on.
When I received it I noticed that the tablet did not sit firmly in the keyboard dock. However there were no other problems so I did not care. After a few weeks I noticed connectivity problems between the dock and the tablet. I found out that many people had that problem and that all docks are affected from the first and second batch (not a single word about that in any reviews I watched previously). I wrote Asus and they told me to talk to the vendor where I bought it. this vendor (eGlobal) asked me to send my tablet and dock to them on my own costs, what I did. after 8 weeks or so I got it back in a worse shape than before. Not only the problem has not been fixed, one of the rubber feet was missing and the tablet had some scratches on the back side. eGlobal told me that it was Asus' fault, so I contacted Asus again. They were replying with the same message (copy&pasted), no matter what I wrote them, that I have to contact my vendor. eGlobal was likewise uncooperative blaming Asus instead. The tablet was still under warranty but all I got from it were some scratches and a missing rubber foot.
I got Asus mainboard, display and other hardware but this was definitely the last time that I bought an Asus product.

 

[HeartWare42]

You should direct your frustration against the people that deserve it - your vendor (eGlobal) as it is they that have the support. The manufacturer is not involved (at least if you are located in Europe - aren't quite sure how the laws are in other parts of the world). If you have received your goods back from repair in damaged condition, you should take it up with the vendor...

 

[dape16]

I am located in Europe. My experience with ASUS support is that they are quick to reply and I have never had a problem with getting a warranty service approved (yet). I have sent in two computers (one computer two times and the other four times) and my TF701 two times. The irritating thing is that they give you a date (but no time) when the transport company will come and pick it up which means I have to take a day off work just sitting at home waiting for the transport company. When they want to deliver it to me it's the same thing, they give you a date and you are supposed to wait at home whole day.
The most irritating thing about this is that the transport company (in my case DHL) has a service point just around the corner from my house but they will not accept that I leave the box there, they HAVE to collect it at my home. Every other company I have sent products for warranty service to have given me the option to leave it at a service point and then collect it there.
ASUS service work shop in Czech Republic where all my services have been sent seems to have problems with understanding English since they often just fix some of the problems I have had, not all of them.

 

[hurzwa]

You should direct your frustration against the people that deserve it - your vendor (eGlobal) as it is they that have the support. The manufacturer is not involved (at least if you are located in Europe - aren't quite sure how the laws are in other parts of the world). If you have received your goods back from repair in damaged condition, you should take it up with the vendor...

The faulty product comes from Asus. The repair that achieved absolute nothing was done by Asus and overall support from Asus isnt that great. Sure, I will not buy from that vendor again because their support lacks as well. Bottomline is that your warranty is worth nothing at all.

 

[tf701mega]

does op not realize that both iterations of nexus 7 tablets are made my asus? so recommending against asus, but recommending a nexus tablet is... well... dumb... Asus makes amazing products. just do a bit of research before purchasing, and especially before rooting and you will be fine. I own both a nexus 7 gen 2 and a transformer tf701 both unlocked and rooted. never had a single issue with either, and if it werent for rooting and the custom rom community my transformer would still be stuck on KK rather than able to run both LP and linux simultaniously... again, asus makes great products. I'd go asus over samsung any day... KNOX is a *****..