Watchdog bites Apple...

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My name is Guy Sheldon, I have an Iphone 3GS on a contact with 02. Whilst i was in Brazil, one day my iphone stopped working, It was 45 degrees and with high humidity. I presumed it had overheated. However i was safe in the knowledge that my warranty ran out in june and i was due to get back in may.
Upon my return i went to 02, they sent my phone of, they phoned me up 5 days later saying that it was liquid damage and that i would have to pay £140!! I was furious!! i have never had my phone exposed to water, i have never dropped it in water, i never take it out in rain, i dont even take it into my bathroom when i have a shower. The fact that it stopped working when i was in such extremem condition surely shows it was something to do with that. When i asked them whether it could have been condensation they became sheepish and angry and even asked me "excuse me sir are you a mechanic"!?!?!
I have paid under protest and want to take this further. Can anyone help me??

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I have had this problem just recently and then found out it wasn't just me! I had multiple problems with my iPhone 3G and was brushed off as 'liquid damage' was apparently the cause of all of these.

According to the Apple Store in Birmingham's Bull Ring liquid damage can be caused by anything from having your phone in your pocket to taking it into humid areas such as the bathroom. So just using your phone like a normal person.

I was given the email steve@apple.com ("yes Steve Jobs himself will read the email" says the Bull Ring man.) Now I don't know who read it but after listing all the problems I'd had, dated with when, I recieved a phone call from the Bull Ring's 'Head Genius' just yesterday.

He has replaced my iPhone for free (rather than the £140 they actually wanted from me!) and I now have another 90 days of warranty!

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Does this only apply to iphones, as I bought my daughter an [edited] at a cost of £159. It stopped working within the 12mth guarantee. Sent if off for repair, and it was returned saying it had water damage and therefore not covered by the warranty.My daughter is in her twenties and advised it had never been near water.

[Retailer removed]- will try and wriggle out of any warranty - my daughter has a different brand but they insist that the phone has suffered water damage - i can honestly say that this is not the case. They say to 'maka a claim' if you have insurance or buy a new one. So its not just apple its just a way of not fixing an item!

i took my phone in two weeks to be repaired and it come back that it was water damaged and i havent had it an where near any kind of water they wanted me to pay £156 to fix my phone as water damage is not under warrenty, i havent paid it and i now have my phone back as i want a second oppion, karen

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I had similar problems with my iphone but the apple store in cambridge done the usual checks, said their was a problem but luckily for me replaced my iphone free of charge!!

Thanks Apple

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I also had a problem with my iPhone - it just had a black screen although it would connect to the computer and sync properly.

I took it to the Apple Store in Southampton where I was treated appallingly and was told that I must have submerged by phone - something I hadn't done. They point blank refused to do anything about it, so I turned to good old Google and found that my fault might be down to the LCD screen... a trip to eBay and £20 later, I'd opened the iPhone, the 3 remaining indicators were all white, I'd removed the old LCD screen and fitted a new one - and the phone works. Still does.

I just feel that the indicators are in ridiculous places, and while I appreciate the use of the indicator, it is just that - it should be a warning that maybe the phone has been damaged by liquid, and the internal ones need to be checked before any repairs are authorised under warranty. Instead, it's just a get out clause to "sell" you a new iPhone.

Same thing happened with my brother in laws iPhone 3G. Took it back to Carphone Warehouse who said warranty was void. He then took it to the local Apple store who agreed that the warranty was void as two water sensors were triggered even though it hadn't been near water. Asked Apple 'Genius' to check internal sensors, they were pink/red too.

They happily exchanged the old phone for a replacement 3G at a cost of £139, a lot less than it costs if buying a new one. Either the warranty is voided or it isn't. Why only charge £139?

This is not just I-phones. I have had 2 phoned from [removed] that have gone back whilst under guarantee. Both were said to have water damage. To get these phones back to get them checked by an independent would have cost around £20! when I insisted that there was no way it could have had water damage I was told perspiration form hands was enough to cause water damage! [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]

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I have an apple [product] which i have just found out today from apple that it has water damaged, even though i have not been anywhere near water, so i was very interested in the story tonight, does anyone have any ideas on what to do next, apple want to charge me 20 pound to have a look at fixing it although this doesnt guarantee repair.

[product removed] stop working ,no water damage went shop had buy a new [product removed] for a cut price

why do apple sell marine navigation soft ware for use at sea if the phone can not be used for this

I think Apple is obviously making money out of 'repairing' iPhones.

About two months ago my iPhone stopped playing sound through the speaker and earpiece. The phone was sent back to Apple and they responded with a claim of water damage, despite the phone only ever being used in a dry office environment. For the privilege of this I was charged £140 to replace a 6 month old phone which should have been covered by the warranty.

My new iPhone turns up and within a month, it is getting no wifi or 3G signal. Once again I took the phone back to my O2 store to send back to Apple but this time I made the O2 employee visually confirm that both of the external sensors were still white. Seeing how easily the sensors appear to be tripped, there is not even a guarantee that the sensors can be tripped during transit between myself and Apple.

Apple are obviously making money hand over fist on the iPhone, especially seeing as 20% are having to have their phones replaced when they should be in warranty. Unfortunately it seems to be a case of buy Apple, buy twice...

Now, I’m going to happily admit to being a fan of Apple products.

But this does come over as poor customer service … !

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my wife has an i-phone3g on contract with 3 since february 2010 the home button doesn't work we took it to our local apple store and was told by a staff memberon the genius centre liquid damage he only looked into the charge port going to take back and demand they strip down the phone and repair as the phone has never been in contact with water

i dont have an iphone, but the [product removed]. i took my first one too a local store in salisbury that sell apple products but is not an apple store. i took it there as it had stopped working. they took it off me and replaced it for me. however my 2nd [product removed] in less than a year has now stopped working again. im concerned over your comments about condensation, as i use my [product removed] when i go running in an apple brought product to attach it to my arm! could this mean through their bad design ive got condensation from the sweat on my arm in the phone!

surely this is covered ?

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I find this subject interesting as I currently have a [edited] of which I have had no problems with at all but I'm looking at changing it to an iphone but not sure if I should now does anyone have any positive comments about the iPhone??? Also on a slightly similar note it appears that Apple are not the only company saying phones have moisture problems as I'm currently in talks with trading standards over a major uk company taking a phone for inspection and coming out with two different faults within the space of eight days between reports.When it appears all that is wrong with it is a sim card fault!!!!!!!

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I have had three iPhones since December my first was with the wifi not workin and they said this was due to the water damage, my second had the same problem and neither of them had been near water, and they were only weeks old and yhe one I have now [comment edited] I phone iPhone support and all they have said to me is that we have tested this and it is within legal limits for health and safety and that I either use the hands free or get a new phone.

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i bought an apple [edited] about 2 years ago, put my music on it then only used it a handful of times. i never used it in the rain or spilt anything on it. i used it a few times then it was just left in my clothes drawer. a few months later i went 2 switch it on, and it wouldnt work at all so i sent it 2 apple as it was still under warranty and recieved it back saying it was water damaged. there was no way it could have been but didnt know to take it further. i still have the [edited] is there anyway i can still get my money back or repaired or is it too late?

My friend has only just got an i phone and his one was triped too. Could this possabley meen that iphones that have been in storage for some time may also be affected?

its not just 'apple' who hide behind 'water damage' get out of warranty claim!!

Hello Guy, I am Sam and my problem is a bit similar to yours. I've had problems with Bluetooth, wireless and also crackly calls. I took my phone into the 02 shop. About 10 days later I get a call saying they have found water on the circuit board. I am very careful with my phone. They said it could be rain. They said I could buy new phone at £330 or get a reconditioned one for £139. I asked what was a reconditioned phone and they said it was one that would have been returned because someone didn't like the phone. I went ahead and paid for this. I did ask for my old phone back to ensure data was wiped etc but they would not give it back even though my property. I collected my phone and saw that the box said it was replacement circuit board so I think they have just fixed my old phone and returned it. The fact that Bluetooth not working makes me think it is my old one. I think they are just trying to make money. I'm not happy!

I was on a call on my iphone, when it suddenly just switched off. I tried charging and connecting it to my laptop but it just would not register! I took it to 02, whom i still have a contract with, who took it away for repair. 5 days later they called me saying my phone had water damage! I have NEVER taken my iphone near water or around water! it is impossible! They want a repair charge of 140! This is outrageous! It is just a joke how such a big company like apple can rob you like this! Just make it out as if its your fault! WATCHDOG PLEASEEEEE HELPPPP!

I believe the beeb have made a pretty obvious error here.

Putting the i in front of the word phone describes a mobile phone developed by Apple Inc, yet the descriptions of tonights show cover almost every phone by every manufacturer in the past few years.

I'd hate to think that the BBC, a body who is supposed to represent the voice of the great british public would be naive and unguided enough to actually air such a show on the belief that only Apple use litmus paper, and that only Apple's warranty is void if the handset has come in to ANY contact with liquid.

Of course, if the BBC were to act in a professional manner expected of any national media body they would not be biased towards any one company if other companies actively participated in the same terms of service.

The BBC would also mention the fact that other phone manufactures will prompt you to purchase a new phone at full price in light of liquid damage, however, only Apple offer an "Out of warranty price" of £139 to replace any iPhone in the event of liquid damage.

All these points would have been covered on tonights show of course, if the BBC hadn't decided to be so biased and one sided.

Almost makes me ashamed to be British - Come on BBC, you are starting to behave like FOX.

I wonder if this will get published.. - if not it'd be nice to get a response of some kind.

In total I'm on my fourth 3gs since July
last year, all replaced under warranty with no probs
due to random issues ie call failed,apps constant crashing
crack on the back and by docking port. But they have always checked
for water damage and been fine and Iv used my phone
when it's rained. Must just be Lucky

I thought after watching the show I’d better grab my iPhone and take a look - 'lo and behold' it's pink! And the same story; mines never been submerged, never been anywhere out of the ordinary. I knew it had sensors on the exterior and was very unusual for a phone to have them, but presumed to take care of this they wouldn't be so sensitive. Apple needs to check internal one's before deeming that it's no longer covered by warrantee.

Does it only affect apples I phone or does it affect the I pad or I pod touch aswell

I think that this problem is present in other Apple products, specifically the Mac Boook, which I purchased for my son while he completes his studies at university. To protect myself during his education, I purchased the care plan for 3 year cover. The Macbook has failed and willnot turn on,checking various blogs it would appear that the logic board has failed, so I returned the unit to an authorised repair centre, who advised that the liquid indicators had turned red and therefore was not covered under warranty.The laptop has not had any liquid spilt on it, which I stated to them, but to no avail. The estimated cost of repair is as much as a new Macbook!!,so I sent it off to an independant repair centre, who confirmed that the logic board is at fault and although the internal indicators had turned,in their opinion this was not due to direct water/liquid damage.I again contacted Apple, but no joy, I have requested technical specification of the liquid indicators to see why they would change, but they will not release this information to me. And now the new IPAD has been launched and the TV adverts show users using the product outside - I think Apple have an major issue that they should respond to and I would welcome any advice from other users as now the only way in which my son can access his files is by purchasing another Apple PC.

After watching the report on the iPhone, I checked mine and the litmus indicator is red - however my phone has not had any contact with water and it works fine!

My 14 year old son bought an [product removed] from [edited] last August. In Feb the middle button started sticking and so we returned it to [edited] for repair. They then sent it to Apple repairers who said that it was water damage. We disputed this at the time but [edited] would not take it any further. The [product removed] had not been water damaged by ourselves and we were very suspicious of the reasoning because a few months earlier we returned a phone to [edited] which was still under warrenty they refused to repair that also - due to water damage. This phone also hadnt been water damaged by us. It seems to me that this is just an easy way out of repairing items and once because they have to be sent away for repairs and not taken into stores, they are out of aour hands and anything could be said or done. With regard to his [product removed] we refused to pay the very high price of repair the Apple were charging and went to a local phone repair shop who charged £30. We still do not believe it was water damage. What can we do now?

i know that it seems harsh - it's not good if they are not taking the phone appart to check internally - but I've had quite a few phones i havn't had exposed to water but have been damaged by liquid internally - condensation is the most common reason for it. it's the reason why insurance is there - so i don't see what the problem is really. . .

Does this issue just relate to the iPhone??? I bought my son an [product removed] for Christmas last year. about 2 months ago the WiFi and Bluetooth stopped working, I made an appointment at the Aplle store in Meadowhall, Sheffield. I was told that the [product removed] had been water damaged and I would have to pay £70 for a 'replacement' model. Although an initial investigation was undertook by the Apple employee no internal investigation happened.

Can anyone advise???

@Guy Sheldon (number 3 above)

You'll be unlikely to get any further with this. You say yourself that you were using the iPhone in extreme conditions and that you thought it had overheated. The safe operating temperature stated on Apple's iPhone tech spec page is between 0 and 35 degrees. The limit of the safe non-operating temperature (i.e. device should be safe provided it is not turned on) is 45 degrees, so you would have been just on the limit even if you weren't using it when it stopped working. Sorry. :-(

I have had the same issue with Apple's after care service who deamed my [edited] water damaged - even thought Both me and my mother checked the liquid indicator before i sent it to them which showed no liquid contact but when i recived it back the indicator was red

I feel lucky that I didn't realise how much damage the moist can give it to my iphone. I sometimes listening Youtube or Radio on my iPhone while taking a shower. After watching the tv, I checked with my water sensor,it hasn't turned red yet. I've been having my phone for 2 years

apple are doing exactly the same thing with the pod touch! my son apparently has water damaged his £55 to repair. god bless argos though the lady there saw about your article advertised on last weeks show and they are replacing it with a new one free of charge. GOD BLESS THEM! and apple you lose.

What concerns me that one of these sensors is at the bottom of the phone. Apple provides an App call Ocarina which needs you to blow into the bottom of the phone surely this may cause the sensor to turn red ?

I have just got an iphone and I love it but this litmus issue worries me. I live near the sea and the atmosphere is often humid. Why don't apple provide bungs to protect the headphone jack and the charging jack then if there is real water damage it will show up rather than a false reading

My son purchased an apple [edited] with his birthday money in January 2009. In July 2009 the [edited] stopped working completely. Having contacted apple and returned the [edited] to them I was informed that the [edited] had been immersed in water and was not repairable under warranty. We have contacted another company who has offered to look and 'dry out' the [edited] for a cost of £30. We have been reluctant to do this as we are not sure whether this will work.
My son is extremely disappointed.
I am interested to see if others have experienced similar problems with the [edited].

Just want to comment on a very similar situation I have at the minute, not with an iPhone but with my young daughters [brand removed] phone and mores the [retailer removed], we sent our phone in for no signal problem, the phone was working fine, just taking many tries to send txts or even calls, they even noted it down when in the store.

However we got the very same message when told to pickup , water damage , and this so called sensor, what's worse, many many angry calls by me, telling them basically the phone came back with a different problem than when it went in with.
All to no avail, we have had to go and buy another [edited] today in order for my daughter to be safe.

Whats even worse, on getting the phone back today, I have checked, that 2 keys on the keypad are no longer working, again proving further damage they caused.

Now why I'm even more angry is, I'm on disability, the cost of this phone is way more than we can afford, again they just were not interested.

I'm sick that they can literally say the phone is broke, and we could do nothing about it.

The [retailer removed] stinks to me, and they are clearly up to nasty service, it is clear they are breaking phones, with a problem that does not fall in there warranty , pathetic disgusting service.

surely there is technology out there that can make these products water proof, in fact i know there is! so why cant they make these waterproof!

its just a money making scheme and if me using it while im running sets it off (in a provided armband holder), or any other expected activity then it hasnt been tested properly for public use and shouldnt haven been released till it faluts and bugs had been solved!!!

Hello, my name is Curtis. I have had the iPhone 3G for just over a year now and i have a contract with O2. This is my third iPhone in one year. :/ the first one was "water damaged" according to O2, which i payed, i think about £120. The second had a fault as it was not a new one but someone elses faulty iPhone they had "fixed" and given to me. After having to go to O2 again they gave me another, unsure if it was new or not, i never let it go by water or rain. So the iPhone i have now the wifi broadband is not working so i went to O2 and like in your programme they dont open it up to see, they just look if it has turned red/pink inside the headphone thing and it has, how? please someone help? I DONT WANT TO PAY ANOTHER £120 FOR MY FOURTH IPHONE IN ONE YEAR. THANK YOU :)

I got a new iphone 16g 3gs a week ago and am already having problems with the phone (screen and freezing) I know for a fact it has been no where near water, do I send it back?

As a family we have always had phones from 02, when my son was 16 a phone he had was faulty we returned it only to get a letter back saying 'water damage' we let it go as he had been caught in heavy rain a couple of months earlier but the phone carried on working. In March this year my 20 year old daughter's [brand removed] stopped scrolling (with three months left on the contract)they sent it away for repair and she got a call on the phone they lent her to say that it couldn't be repaired under guarantee as it was 'water damaged'. The phone had never been anywhere near water but they wouldn't budge on their decission, and it took them a month before it was returned. I think its just as an excuse to get more money from customers so they get to keep phones they can easily refurbish. She chose to buy out her contract and go to another company. My son, now 18, has just had a refurbished iphone which he only had for two days before it develped a fault, they were quite happy to send him out another refubished one in exchange, judging by the above comments they probably have plenty.

My iPhone stopped working whilst I was driving using it as a SatNav. I took it back to the [retailer removed] and they sent it of to Apple. It came back with the response "Water Damage" but it has never been wet. Under Protest I claimed under my [retailer removed] Insurance but insisted they send me a full report on what they had discovered. They haven't and are now saying that as I claimed under insurance I have no Consumer rights. I feel cheated!

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I got the iPhone on the day it came out. I took it to Glatonbury and it got soaked. My sons phone also got wet. His stopped working, mine didn't. - he didn't have an iphone. I have continued to use apple ever since. I have called their support number twice and both times they were excellent. My daughter also has an iPhone and has had no issues and this year, my son is taking an iPhone to Glastonbury because they are so resilient.

My comment has been in moderation now for over 20 hours. Why?

I am surprised that neither the Watchdog reporter, nor any of the comments, mention the Sale of Goods Act, which overrides any manufacturer's 'warranty'. To quote "Which?" magazine "... When you buy goods you enter into a contract with the seller of those goods. Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 goods must be:
* 'as described',
* 'of satisfactory quality', and
* 'fit for purpose' – this means both their everyday purpose, and also any specific purpose that you agreed with the seller ..."

It sounds to me that in many of the situations above the goods would be considered not fit for purpose. Again from "Which?: "... If your claim is about a problem that arises within six months of buying the product, it's up to the retailer to prove that the goods were fit for purpose – or 'as described' – when it sold them. .."

Don't be fooled into paying unnecessarily for a replacement - make the retailer step up to the law.

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I got a reconditioned 3g iphone in November, guaranteed for 1 year on an [network removed] contract. In January, I took it to Mexico, where the weather was humid. The phone stopped charging and when it was sent for repair on my return, I was told it had been subject to water damage. Looking on the internet - where there are 1,720,000 results to a Google search for 'iphone water damage' - I learnt that the water sensing paper is so sensitive that a humid climate is likely to cause it to change colour. Neither [network removed] nor their repairers would accept me saying that the phone had never been anywhere near water and they wanted £140 to repair it. I refused to pay, and as my warranty had been declared to be void, paid £40 to have it repaired by a company I found over the internet. This situation with the moisture sensing strip is a disgrace and appears to be a license for Apple to take more money from its customers.

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i recently got an apple iphone 3g reconditioned,i had only been using it a week and a fault arised-the vibrate alert would just randomly go of,and the phone would not go on silent mode.i went to the [network removed] shop who sent it away,6 days later i get a phone call from the [network removed] store saying they havent repaired it because the warranty is now void because of liquid or physical damage and that i will have to pay £139 for repair!!!!!!! this is ridiculous i have been with [network removed] for years,and it seems like its some money making scheme to get money out of the customers.can anyone help?

my iphone was only 5 months old when it started to get hot and turn it self off when i did get to my nearest Apple Store (Southampton) they pluged the phone in to check it out found it was ok ?? but becauce i said it was not woking and turning it's self of and hot they changed it for a new one under APP. which lead me to buy the new ipad 32gb which is lots of fun..

Thanks very much Apple :)

This also covers products like the [edited] etc. Further more, if the charging port within your apple product becomes defective, do not expect to get it fixed.

[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator] i have the [edited] and realy fed up with it not working properly. sometimes it works and other time it doesnt register that im tring to use it. the buttons on the side work but that dosent help as i cant do anything with it. is this the so called water damage issue. my warrenty ran out in april so where does that leave me with getting it fixed. this has been an issue for several months but didnt know what to do untill i saw the program. i tried to phone apple but the woman couldnt understand me so told me just to buy an upgrade. please help!!!!

Very interested in your apple story I purchased my son a [edited] for christmas and by march it was broken and when i sent it to apple they advised that it was water damage as indicated by a sticker they had stuck on and the warrenty was invalid. I escalated my complaint and was eventually offered £50.00 off if I purchased there and then another [edited] which I was unable to do so as I did not have the money on asking if I could redeem against a cheaper model ie the basic [edited] so that my son would have at least something I was flatly turned down. Can you help with this?

This seems to be an excuse used alot now. My wifes phone(not an iphone) went into O2 for repair last week. The phone is only 6 months old and i recieved a phone call last night telling me that the phone was water damaged probally caused by condensation.. My wife says that the phone has never got wet and not been used in the bathroom or the rain.I was then told that it had been kept too close to the body i.e in a pocket. They are refusing to repair or replace it and i now have 12 months remaining on a contract with no phone.

I just sent my iphone in for repairs under warranty. I know for a fact that it was not liquid damaged but Apple came back with the same old excuse. They quoted me £140 even though it was still under warranty. I asked a mobile phone repair engineer to check and confirmed that 3 of the indicator were not activated. He also noticed that the phone was not opened before.

I thought Apple told Watchdog that all the indicators must be activated before they say it’s liquid damaged…………

What now!!!

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I have an iPhone 3Gs on a 24 month [edited for legal reasons] Contract. I was recently getting intermittent faults with service and bluetooth and my 1 year warranty was about to expire in a couple of weeks. I took my phone into a local [edited] store who sent the phone off for repair. After 2 weeks I got a message saying that the phone was water damaged and it would cost £160 to repair. I knew it had not been anywhere near water so I refused the repair and asked for my phone back together with proof of water damage. The proof I got was a black and white copy of a photo of the head phone socket which did not prove anything.

Today I took my phone to my nearest Apple store to get a second opinion. I was very surprised to hear that the phone was NOT water damaged and none of the indicators were showing positive for water damage. Even though my iphone was now out of warranty and I did not have proof on me at the time that I had already sent it off via [edited] they replaced it with a brand new one free of charge with out question.

Well done Apple, thank you very much. But this does make you wonder why [edited] lied and told me it was water damaged!

In April I dropped my iPhone 3G from waist height while trying to answer it. The touchscreen failed but I was able to back it up before taking it to the O2 shop for assessment. It was disappointing that such minor trauma could seriously affect it as most mobiles have to stand up to being dropped fairly frequently. I still had 14 months of my comtract with O2 to run.

The store sent it off to Apple then contacted me after a few days to say that since the phone had been subjected to water damage the warranty was void and I would have to pay £139 for a replacement. I protested that it had never been anywhere near water. They said the sensors were red and that confirmed water damage. They then aksed if I might have taken it into the shower by mistake or kept it in the bathroom. Essentially they implied I was lying. I said I always kept the phone in my trouser pocket as I needed it for my work as a doctor but it had never been wet.

I had no alternative but to buy a replacement but still feel agrieved about the incident. It is very convenient for Apple that these sensors go red without moisture exposure saving them the cost of a replacement under warranty.