Sigh... it's going to be one of those weeks... =( (1 Viewer)

[Moe Maishlish]

I have a feeling this week is going to suck.
I got home today from the gym, and decided to do my laundry (26 yr. old single guys generally seem to produce a lot of laundry). Separating the darks from the lights, I throw everything (including the carpenter jeans I'm wearing) into the hamper and take my soiled's down to the laundry room.
I always check my pockets for change, wallets, cards, receipts, or anything else that might be in there that shouldn't get washed. Of course, I didn't realize that I had left my cell-phone in one of the leg-pokets of the carpenter pants....
You get where I'm going with this...

I'm emptying out the laundry from the wash, and lo-and-behold, there's my cell-phone.
Won't turn on. Looks broke to me.
I'm drying the thing out now as we speak, with the slim yet hopeful chance that it may miraculously work again.
It's not so much that I'm probably going to have to go out and spend a couple of hundred dollars on a new phone. It's the fact that I lost all my phone numbers. Every last one. I've got numbers in there for people I don't speak with very often, yet I plan on keeping in contact with. And no - I don't have backups. :frowning:
If I want to get a new cell for cheap, I'm going to have to sign-up for a contract term with my cellular provider (Telus in Canada) for a term of about 3 years. I'm hesitant, as I hate the idea of commiting to a contract for cellular service. Oy!
I'm dreading the next 5 days...
Moe.

 

[Philip_G]

what kind of phone is it?
if it saves the phone numbers on the SIM card you might be OK

 

[NickSo]

Telus has a horrible plan imho. By the end of three years, your phone's gonna be old and ratty and obsolete... My dad went on a 3 year plan with his motorola star-tac style phone. First the antenna broke, now the reception's so bad it frequently disconects him...

go for what my mom and I use, Fido... 3 month contract, free Nokia 3390 phone... Happily used them for more than two years...

Anyways, hang in there, its only 5 days :p)

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Philip,

It's a Sanyo SCP-4000. I don't know of any SIM cards that can be removed from the phone - assuming that if it's got one, it hasn't been destroyed by the water damage.

NickSO,

Yeah, that's one of my concerns - ending up with a broken POS phone, on a contract that I can't get out of for another year. Catch 22 on this one.

But I won't be going on FIDO. I've got friends who have had a FIDO phone & service, and whoaboy... not for me!

The idea is that I don't want to have to change my phone number (as everyone has it), and I'd like to avoid having to pay a subscription/activiation fee again.

We'll see what happens tomorrow, but I've got a bad feeling that the phone is toast.

Moe.

 

[Cam S]

I'm sure you could take the phone to a repairman of some sorts and get it to work, ya never know till you try everything.

 

[Rob_J]

You would see the sim card, or a slot for it on the back of the phone under the battery if it has one. If you're afraid of a contract, go with fido. I got a good plan and a free phone with them, and there's no contract. It's month-to-month. Plus, on top of that, I'm pretty sure all the phones they carry use sim cards. So even if you make the same mistake again, at least you'll have your phone numbers.

 

[Philip_G]

I think that's a PCS phone? I'm not sure if they use SIM cards or not, if you don't see one I guess they don't. SIM card looks like a little plastic thing well, shit here, it looks like this


it'll be a few before I upload the image.

 

[McPaul]

There wont be any removable SIM cards, TELUS uses CDMA, not GSM. You're best bet was mentioned above and see if a tech can do anything to get it to work. When you do sign onto a contract with telus you get a new phone every 3 years. Fido tends not to work very well in big cities downtown. no contracts, however no free phone in 3 years time.

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Philip - thanks for the help!!!

I checked, and as Paul mentioned, there's no SIM card in the phone.

I'm not expecting the Technician to be able to do much... I'm pretty much expecting the phone to be a writeoff.

I'm going to see what I can do about buying a second hand phone - I don't really need something amazing - I just don't want to sign a 3 year contract with Telus (and lose some of my current benefits) to get a cheap phone that might break in a year and leave me SOL.

Moe.

 

[PatrickM]

Moe, I know this is kind of after the fact but the first thing you should have done when you find that your phone has been dunked is not turn it on. Let it dry out first and then have a tech look at it. Once you try to turn it on is when it causes damage through shorts. The water on the board usually doesn't damage anything if no electricity is flowing. Many circuit boards including the one in your phone are actually washed after they are manufactured.

Good luck on the phone.

Patrick

 

[Philip_G]

ya might check ebay, usually phones are pretty cheap used.

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Surprise Surprise!!!
I left the cellphone on the dash of my car yesterday, to dry out in the sun...
When I got to my car after work, the phone appeared to have totally dried off (the haze on the screen had evaporated). I turned it on, and IT WORKS!!!
I'm impressed with my little phone, and more than happy that I don't need to replace the thing, and research all the phone numbers that I would have lost!
Needless to say, I'll be checking my pockets WAY more thoroughly next time I do my laundry.
Thanks for your help everyone!
Moe.