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Scratches (working) vs Cracks (damage)
Scratches are not considered “damage” unless they hinder usability, but even small cracks are considered damage as they will spread and require screen replacement to be viable on the secondary market.
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Rule of Thumbnail...
If your fingernail gets caught in the scratch, then it is a crack.
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Cracked Screen Examples (damage)
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Lifted Screens (damage)
Screens start separating from the casing, typically due to age or battery-swelling.
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Glue Separation (damage)
Sometimes when device is left in direct sunlight for a long time, the glue starts to melt away from the glass. It can also be a sign of a bad screen or glass replacement. This can be caused by age but usually these devices also have other signs of physical damage like cracks to the housing.
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LCD Distortion (damage)
LCD Distortion (ripples of color distortion like an oil slick) can be an indicator for multiple sources of damage.
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If you run your finger along the edge (i.e. left edge with iPhone) and see LCD distortion, this is an indicator of battery-swelling.
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LCD Distortion without applied pressure may be the result of a bent housing or water damage.
- LCD Distortion upon applying pressure is typical of old screens.
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Screen Bruising (damage)
Similar to LCD Distortion, these are persistent blotch areas on the screen where the displayed image colors are incorrectly darker or lighter. This is most often an indicator of water damage.
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Screen Speckling (damage)
These are persistent speckled bright spots on the LCD screen caused by water damage.
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Screen Burn-In (damage)
Screen burn-in, image burn-in or ghost image, colloquially known as screen burn, is a permanent discoloration of areas caused by cumulative non-uniform usage of the pixels.
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Broken or Missing Components (damage)
Some examples include: inoperable or missing buttons, missing battery cover, missing charging port cover.
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Normal Wear & Tear
Scuffs, Scratches.
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Oops! The specific inspection tip was not found.
Sorry for the inconvenience, our engineers will look into the issue.
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Simple 4-Point Inspection
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POWER UP + SOFTWARE CHECK
Power up your device and check that the operating system and software operates correctly.
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CHECK THE SCREEN + CAMERA
Scratches vs Cracks: Scratches on the screen are normal wear and tear, but cracks on the screen or camera are considered damage. If you run your fingernail across the area applying pressure and your fingernail catches, it is a crack, otherwise it’s likely just a scratch.
Screen malfunction: Damaged screens may display only a single color, distorted colors, or flicker.
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CHECK THE BUTTONS or KEYBOARD & TRACKPAD
Look for broken or missing keys. Check that all keys and buttons are functional and that the trackpad is responsive.
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HOUSING
Minor scratches are considered normal wear and tear, but cracks and severe dents to the housing are considered damage.
