S7 screen issues

[Tortuga]

Last week my wife bought a Samsung galaxy S7 from ebay, the seller said it was new and unused, still in the box. Several days later the screen started acting up, it would split vertically and one side would freeze up. Sometimes the whole screen would freeze up except for a small area about the size on an icon. It started doing it once or twice a day and then was doing it constantly.

 

I did some internet research and found several possible cures. I uninstalled the last few apps I had installed, I tried several methods of rebooting, however nothing resolved the problem. I took the phone to a repair shop and they confirmed that it was most likely a hardware issue and we would need to replace the screen. We decided to switch service back to her old phone and send the new phone back. 

 

It was very difficult for me to retrieve the text messages and some information from her new phone because half of the screen was either frozen or blank, then I remembered that I had read that some people were able to correct the problem by squeezing or banging on the screen. Since I had nothing to lose, I tried it. I smacked the front and back of the phone against the heel of my palm several times and the screen corrected itself. That gave me enough time to retrieve the information that I needed from the phone.

 

Here's the problem. Now the phone is working fine, it hasn't failed yet. That makes me think there was a loose connection and I fixed it when I smacked the phone around (that sounds bad, I am not a phone beater). However I don't trust the phone and I think we will still attempt to return it.

 

Has anyone had this type of problem with a phone or tablet?

[Alexa]

Good thing it didnt crack open the screen. No, when i would do that my parent will get angry i buy off something

Edited August 1, 2018 by rlyem

[Qapla]

If it helps any ....

 

My daughter has a 7 Edge and my wife has a 7 and neither of them has had any problems with the screen.

 

Sending it back is the direction I would take - as long as you got a warranty/return with the purchase

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Hi Richard,

I agree with Qapla, I would definitely return that phone. Even if you get it working for a while, it may start having problems again very soon. 

EBAY can have some real good deals, but for electronics I am hesitant to buy as some sellers don't disclose the full truth about their product. Sorry you are having issues with this "new" phone .