How to get GoPro Hero 5 replacement unit
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GoPro Hero 5 water leak: What to do and how to get a replacement unit

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When GoPro Hero 5 came out, we took it a chance to replace Hali’s GoPro Hero3 Black. His previous action camera was okay but the quality was not just up to par compared to its contemporary equivalents. It also had a frequent issue with moist, so we ended up with a lot of unusable photos.

GoPro Hero 5 is one of the latest action cameras released in 2016. It has 4k resolution, 30fps video, a touchscreen display and water resistance feature up to 10 meters deep in the water. GoPro Hero 5 has great reviews due to its seamless performance… but it has its issues.

Specifically, based on numerous complaints online, it’s apparent that it is prone to water leak/water damage. GoPro has stated that is caused by doors not being sealed properly. For a time whenever we would read Facebook posts from users reporting this issue, we believed that this is simply due to carelessness, until we experienced it first-hand.

Here’s what happened

We purchased our GoPro Hero 5 a year ago in Glorietta, Makati. We had used it only occasionally, particularly for beach trips.

Last December, we went on a short trip to Koh Lipe in Thailand and as usual Hali took it for snorkeling. It was recording for half a minute under the water before it stopped working. Later when we checked, all the inside was wet. It was impossible to tell which part did the leakage come from.

What to do in case of GoPro water leakage

One of the first things we did is to search online to make sure we’d dry the GoPro properly.

As advised by the GoPro community and people who have been there, here’s what to do if your GoPro gets wet.

  1. Do not turn it on. Take out the battery and microSD first.
  2. If it had gotten wet from salt water, immerse in fresh water for 30 seconds. This will help prevent corrosion.
  3. Dry the GoPro. One way to do this is to put the camera in a sealed bag with a cup or two of rice for 3-5 days. Others simply dry it out in the sun.

In many cases, the GoPro unit is salvageable after drying.

In our case, we let the GoPro dried in a bag full of rice, but after 2 days it still wouldn’t work. The red light at the bottom would blink but the display remained blank and no sign whatsoever that it had been turned on.

If, like us, you have followed the steps and it still isn’t working, it’s time to contact GoPro support and ask for a new unit.

How to get a replacement unit

When the incident happened, our unit was already past its 1-year warranty period (by a few days). We also had limited internet in Thailand so it took several days for us to contact support. Thankfully, the GoPro’s customer service is excellent and our complaint was handled despite this.

So from our experience, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get a replacement unit from GoPro.

1. Contact GoPro support.

Call and chat support can be found here. GoPro used to offer email support but not anymore.

Chat support is available, Monday to Fridays, from 4PM to 1AM (Philippine time). Make sure you enable pop-ups, as their chat support will open on a small window.

If you’re not able to contact them during these hours, try at other times of the day. In our case there were only specific hours we were able to get in touch via chat — once at 7AM and then at 4PM.

2. Explain your issue succinctly.

Keep it simple and be polite. No need to go overdetailed or dramatic as others would suggest.

After assessment of your issue, the agent will then ask you to provide the serial number and receipt of your GoPro. If you have lost the official receipt, you can do any of these:

  • Go to the store where you purchased the GoPro and ask for the copy of the OR
  • If your unit was purchased with a credit card, show your billing statement

This info is required so the company can check if your purchase is still subject to warranty.

Hali has explained to a chat agent that he took our unit for snorkeling, not going beyond the suggested depth limit of 10m. He has made sure the doors were sealed properly beforehand. After discovering the leak, he dried the GoPro in rice for 2 days and it still would not turn on. The agent approved of a one-time replacement.

We’ve read from others’ experiences that if you are initially denied a replacement unit, try again and talk to different agent. Don’t lose hope!

3. Fill up the required forms.

Once you’d been given the go signal for a replacement unit, you will be sent 3 emails.

GoPro returns: 3 emails
You will receive 3 emails.
  • 1 e-mail containing RMA number
  • 1 e-mail containing instructions and where to get the shipping label (“a return has been set up to you”). Essentially, you will need to go to https://gopro.upsrow.com/ where you will input shipping information. Take note that you have to fill in the ‘Company’ field, otherwise you won’t be able to proceed. Hali only typed in “Thank You.”
  • 1 e-mail for sending instructions (send unit only, do not include the SD card and battery).
GoPro returns: email with UPS link
Email with a link for UPS.
GoPro return: forms
Print the following forms.

After filling up the shipping form, you will receive an email notification that a UPS shipper has sent you an electronic UPS Returns Label. Make sure to print 3 copies each of the RMA, UPS returns label and the attached PDF of commercial invoice.

Note: If you encounter the error “Missing or invalid ship from StateProvinceCode”, keep the “Province” field blank.

4. Go to a UPS office to send the GoPro camera or have it picked up at your house.

Shipping is free and shouldered by GoPro. We’ve read that others didn’t have to pay anything, but in our case we were asked by UPS for P297 as export declaration fee (accordingly for items shipped costing above $100).

Make sure to bubblewrap your unit and place it in a small box, along with a printed copy of your RMA. Outside the box, tape in the shipping label. Give the papers you printed (RMA, returns label and commercial invoice) to the UPS person.

You can track the progress of shipping using the tracking number GoPro will provide.

Note: If UPS is unavailable in your area, contact UPS directly and ask them what their partner company is in your location.

5. Wait for your new unit to arrive.

GoPro Hero 5 replacement unit delivery
We got the new unit!

This can take anywhere from 2-3 days to a month.

Our damaged unit was sent to Singapore, and then a new one was delivered back to us. Ours was delivered after 1.5 weeks.

What this taught us

We love the output quality of GoPro Hero 5, but this is a huge flaw.

(You can see some samples of our underwater shots using GoPro Hero 5 in Bulalacao and Apo Island.)

Sea turtle in Apo Island

It’s clear that GoPro Hero 5 has a faulty design. Even if the doors indeed seal properly, there should be a mechanism in place to prevent leak due to small mistakes by the user. We’ve read that a strand of hair or speck of dirt can compromise the seal. This should’ve been foreseen and remedied before release.

The UPS guy who picked up Hali’s camera asked why there are so many returns for GoPro — we find this funny and sad at the same time.

That saying, we are happy with GoPro’s customer service support and if there’s one thing that keeps our trust in this brand, it’s this. I was initially doubtful we’d be able to have it replaced, especially after we’d contacted iFix first (the one handling support in the Philippines) and was given a template reply — the unit should be within warranty period and service does not include water damage, thank you. If this happened to you too, we suggest contacting GoPro directly. GoPro’s customer support was able to help and accommodate us easily.

Considering all these, we remain careful. It might be better to switch brands or, as other suggest, go newer versions such as GoPro Hero 6 or the recently released GoPro Hero 8 which seems to have better waterproofing feature. If you want to keep using your GoPro Hero 5, at the very least make sure you protect it with a water case for underwater use.

Update 1 (October 2018)

We’ve received numerous inquiries about contacting GoPro support. Please note that each case is handled differently. We don’t know exactly why some are given returns while others are not, regardless of the warranty.

Recently, we’d read that users are offered only 20-40% discount for a new unit instead of a free replacement. Again, we’re not familiar with how GoPro handles the cases. We wrote our experience to guide those with the same plight, and hopefully this’ll give you the right info on what to do.

Update 2 (October 2019)

Hi, so I actually delayed posting another update here. We wrote this post for Hali’s camera, and I actually bought one of my own a few months back. Again, the same thing happened and my GoPro got water damage (cue song: di na natuto). I got an approval for a replacement and sent the old unit to the HQ in Singapore. For some reason, it was sent back to me and the chat support had no idea why. The case was forwarded to the Claims Department. So far, nothing. I never got a replacement.

At this point, I’m no longer hopeful about getting a new unit and feel that GoPro’s support took a dive down along with the quality of their items. So for me, if you’re offered a discount for an upgrade, better think twice because it’s difficult to buy from a brand with difficult customer support. Anyway, there are other brands now that offer alternative for more or less the same price.

If you’d been given a replacement, congrats! Yes the steps in this guide still works.

 

Has this happened to you? What is your experience?

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158 Comments

  • Bianca

    Hi! Do you think it’s okay if i use a different courier aside from UPS? Kasi wala sa area ko. I received all the mails from gopro already. Unfortunately, LBC refused the item due to some papers required from customs daw.

  • José Bacelar

    allo
    I´m from Portugal
    After six months of shopping, I had a water leak. Given what was said on the net about water leaks I almost give up complaining, but when I did it directly at gopro I was answered in my own language and after those procedures mentioned above with mail exchange, I was told that they had sent me a replacement.
    ,,, I was amazed and waiting for it to arrive soon

  • april

    I HAD AWFUL experience with the GoPro 5 black along with their customer service. I used my camera once and it got water damage and broke. was only offered a 25% discount on future purchases. they refused to replace it. will never buy from GoPro again! they sold faulty cameras and scammed people out of money

    • Katherine Cortes

      They used to have good customer service, but now di na. I guess dahil nalulugi rin sila kasi andaming returns.

  • james

    hello! where can i get the the RMA? yung invoice and return label lang ang attachment sakin. thank you!

  • Lala

    Hi Kath! Saang UPS ka nagpaship ng GoPro to SG? I’m from Makati. I-re-return ko din kasi ung unit ko as instructed by GoPro Support

  • Jay-r A.

    Hi Maam/Sir, Ilan days po ba aabutin para mag email si Claims Department ng GoPro? Sa case ko kasi approved na ni Agent ang one time replacement ko pero di pako nakaka receive ng email from Claims Department para mapadala ko ang unit ko sa kanila, more than 2 weeks nako waiting.

    • Katherine Cortes

      Not sure po kasi ang laging sinasabi ng agents sa chat support, once nasa claims department na di na nila yun hawak. Normally dapat magpapadala agad ng email e.

    • Jay-r A.

      Nag 1 month na yung ni report ko about sa Water Leak ng Hero 5 ko but still I didn’t get any emails from Go Pro Claims Department. Pwede kayang i report ulit para bagong case #? Nakakainip mag antay parang nabaon sa limot yung previous case # ko.

      • Katherine Cortes

        Hi Jay-r. Not really sure. Will you let me know if pwede? Ganyan rin kasi yung sa’kin now. Nakatengga lang sa claims department.

        • Jesus Sammy Corsega

          May pumasok na water sa camera at kinuha ko battery agad at clean it also inside the camera paano ito ipa repair kasi hindi na mag on at mababaw lng yung dagat mga waist deep lng

          • Katherine Cortes

            Hi Jesus. Try to dry it in a sealed bag of rice para matuyo. If ayaw pa rin gumana, possibly wala ng magagawa diyan. Afaik, di na nagpoprovide ng new replacement ang GoPro.

  • Christian

    Hello. Has anyone tried asking for a replacement even though it’s waaaaayyyy out of the warranty. I never had problems with my unit before (aside from the tricky ways to open the battery compartment coz it get stuck). This is the first time it leaked and we were just at waist-deep water. It was bought 2017. If you have tips for my case, I would appreciate it if you could share. Thanks.

    • Jay-r A.

      Paano kaya makausap si Claims Department para ma follow up ko ang case ko. Matagal na kasi, sabi nung nag approved na agent 2-3 days lang daw.

  • Bevs

    Anyone tried iavail yung 40% discount? Need tlga thru call? Sobrang hassle nun call ka saknila para makaorder every 10mins nmmtay, pag call ka ulit back to start nnmn huhu ubos na yung load mo wala pdin. Tapos pasa pasahan ka diff agent. Huhuhu. Anyway, thanks Kath. Laking tulong ng blog mo. Unfortunately pangit ng service nila.

    • Katherine Cortes

      Re: service I agree. Dati ok pa service nila, ngayon di na. Yung last agent na nakausap ko, inend agad yung chat namin. Bastos lang.

      Re: 40% discount, I don’t really know. Maybe someone here can answer you.

      • Bevs

        Hi Kath, so kagabi sila na tumawag sakin. Okay na. Naorder na, ang problem na lang is,Meron bang babayaran sa custom? at magkano kaya? Since di nmn return yung sakin. Newly purchase and discounted lang. Thank you

  • Christine

    hi! meron po kayong na recieve na update/email from gopro kung nasaan na yung replacement? it has been 8 days na po kasi wala pa yung bagong gorpo ko and wala pang update.

  • Lhance

    Ganito rin nangyari saken. Bought it thru lazada. Nung una sinabihan ako to do a manual update pero blank screen pa rin. Tapos next ageng sinabi irereplace daw. Tinry ko sa ifix at sabi nila I can have gp7 add na lang ako 7.5k
    Got no money e so pinaUPS ko na lang sa Singapore. It was delivered to Singapore today. Wait ko na lang maiship yung replacement

  • rObBY

    Thanks catherine for your blog. you helped me a lot with my hero 5 water leaked damage, i used this in palawan snorkeling but sadly after 30 mins of video, it stop too and get hot, i checked out the battery compartment but was salt water everywhere and would not turn on, i tried contacting at gopro support and they will replace my unit. i have only my soft copy of the receipt and they approved it “one time” robby here from davao. wish you luck guys!

  • Andy

    Hi Ms. Kat, I tried several times contacting the chat of gopro but it always prompts closed. What would be the best time (phil time) to contact them? Or should I call their singapore number or US number, any suggestions would be much appreciated. I have an issue with my my gopro unit still under warranty period but seller said they could not repair it due to water damage.

    • Katherine Cortes

      Hello. What do you mean by prompts closed? The site indicates if support chat is available or not. I have tried contacting them a few times these past weeks (I have an issue with another gopro unit boohoo) and I can always get in touch. Make sure your pop ad blocker is deactivated bec the chat box opens in another window.

      • Andy

        When I tried several times, the site indicates that chat is unavailable. I was wondering what would be the best time to contact them via chat?

  • Eyn

    Hello, I just tried to chat in Go Pro support 3-times and they not offered me a RMA because my Hero 5 was out of warranty (1 year and 4 months old) and they detected I’m using 3 different email address. Is there a possible to contact them again or to trace me again? Kasi no choice na ko and I think I need to grab the offer 40% discount to Hero 7 black. Kinakabahan ako na kung mag-email ako ulit ay hindi na ko pagbigyan kasi may record sila and nasend ko 3 times serial number ko sa magkakaibang email add. Please help me or can I pm you? baka kasi mabigyan mo ko tip how to convince them to get a RMA for my Hero 5? Thank you! more power

    • Katherine Cortes

      Hmm. Not really sure what I can advise. Afaik people usually use the same email address even when re-trying/chatting to different agents, so what you did might be an unusual behavior that’s why it was flagged. Also it’s hard to convince them in your case bec your unit is past the warranty period by a few months… I suggest just buying a new action cam.

      • Eyn

        Hello, Thank for the reponse, So it’s okay na rin na i-grab ko offer nila no? Kasi wala naman na choice kaysa naman masayang Hero 5 ko edi I will buy a new one na lang Grab ko na siguro offer nila.

        • eyn

          Hindi ko kasi alam na pwede pala ulitin ang email and I followed what I read here which is try again if you rejected at first tas hindi po ako aware na pwede pala same e-add.

      • Demi

        Hi! Mine was out of warranty pero they changed it to a new one. Pero when I tried to talk to them I used just 1 email, tapos on my 3rd try sinwerte ako and I spoke to a filipino agent who processed the RMA for me. Dapat you didn’t change the email add you used. In this case, i think just grab their offer of 40% off. Malaki na din naman, but I think kapag ganon, ikaw may sagot ng shipping. Lalabas lang din na same yung price kung dito ka bibili. But you can confirm that with them.

  • April

    Hi, I’m located in Samar and there’s no UPS branch in our region. Can I ship it through a different courier?

    • Katherine Cortes

      Hello. This question has been asked a couple of times already. Pls contact UPS and ask them what is their partner courier in your location.

  • Waterleaked

    Thanks ms katherine, your blog help me a lot. They will be sending me the RMA. i hope tuloy2x na to. God bless

  • EO

    You mention na pede ma track yun progress ng shipping by using the ‘’tracking number’’ from GoPro…Question: Saan pede makuha yun tracking number?

  • Benjoe Vidal

    Thanks Katherine! Your blog helps me a lot! I emailed go pro regarding on the water leak and they also replaced my GoPro Hero 7 Black. 😀

    • April Joyce Abejo

      Hi, i’m afraid I’d mess up explaining, but my hero 6 also got water leaked, how did you explain it to go pro support?

    • wella

      hi! pano nyo po nakontak ang customer service? i tried for how many times yong live chat nila pero laging Chat is currently unavailable for you.

      please help!

      thank you..

      • Katherine Cortes

        Try niyo po 4pm onwards. Minsan meron rin sa umaga. May indicated schedule naman sila sa page kaso parang di nasusunod minsan.

    • Danny R

      Benjoe,

      How did GoPro replaced it? Did you mail it to Singapore too?

      I was told by GoPro to just go to ifix and they should replace it.

      I’ll contact them on Monday.

    • Chiena

      hi Mr Benjoe, ask ko lng po if you have already your new one? How did you contact them after sending the water leaked go pro?

      • Wella

        Hi Chiena! Yong sakin dumating na last feb.16 yong replacement..naprocess ko sya feb.12 (tru live chat) feb.13 pinadala ko tru UPS..

            • Danny R

              Well, I’m crossing my fingers that they would be fast too.

              I have a diving trip this Saturday and UPS is supposed to pick it up today (Tues). It’s almost 5pm but UPS hasn’t arrived yet.

                • Danny R

                  Wella,

                  Can you look up the Detailed View of the shipment thru the UPS site?

                  I’m just curios what time nag-arrive yung package mo from Singapore to Clark Airport and the Pasig/Manila UPS office.

                  What time on Saturday did you receive the package?

                  Salamat!

                • Wella

                  @dany

                  Yes u can track your item sa UPS website..

                  Feb.14 delivered na sya sa SG.
                  Feb.16 around 3-4pm ko sya narecieved.

                • Danny R

                  @wella:

                  Interesting that your unit arrived on Feb 14 (Thu) and you got the replacement by Sat.

                  Mine is arriving in Singapore today (Wed). Crossing fingers it would be as fast yours.

                • Danny R

                  Update for me.

                  Took me just 3 days to get my replacement unit.

                  Mailed it on a Tue, Arrived in Singapore on Wed, Replacement shipped on Thu and arrived Fri in Manila.

                  Not sure if it made a difference but I called GoPro Support everyday to follow up.

  • Aileen Arizobal

    Hello Ms. Katherine, question kasi nagkaleak din GoPro Hero 5 ko and nagchat ako sa gopro nagooffer sila ng new unit pero meron po ba talagang babayaran na $113? Thank you

    • Katherine Cortes

      Sa’min wala naman. Ang binayaran lang namin is yung tax sa UPS which is P200+. Baka po discount ang inaalok sa inyo kaya meron pa ring babayaran na ganyan?

  • Chiena Mae Clarabal

    Hi po, same situation on my Hero5, I already talk to the gopro customer service agent and they offered 40%off for another new go pro since the warranty is expired.My very concern now is where or what shipment company would I deliver my leaked hero5? 🙁 They said it should be UPS Shipment company so that the shipping is free otherwise I will be charged. Please help po, any suggestion for shipping companies who do this kind of shipment. Thank you.

    • Cristine Jay

      Hi po

      paano po ba macontact ang go pro customer services kasi ive tried for how many times pero di ko po sila machat live.

        • Chiena Mae Clarabal

          Hi Ms Kath, they already received my returned go pro. My concern is they want me to call the US Go Pro to process the 40% off for the new one, but unfortunately I can’t reach their contact numbers. Please help. Thank you.

          • Katherine Cortes

            Hi Chiena, I’m not sure how I can help. It’s best to contact their customer service and tell them your issue.

  • Ic paler

    Hi ms. Kat, i had same Case just today,. Tapos my gopro was purchased last march ata? Paano ko malalaman na under warranty pa ung unit?

    • Katherine Cortes

      Date of warranty starts on the date of your purchase. 🙂 Check your receipt for the exact date. If March nga, pasok pa yan.

  • Akuvue

    Thank you for the post!. This helped me process the replacement of my gopro who also had a water leak. The agent said that i will have a one time replacement just because it’s still under warranty. Thank god because the warranty will expire soon.

    P.S. I saw and talked to someone on facebook that processed the replacement of gopro with a price. Which is really expensive. They really help but I’m guessing they do just the same thing as i did, You can save a lot if you process it yourself. It’s not hard.

  • K. Suico

    Hi Ms. Katherine / Tara Lets Anywhere!
    Thank you very much for this post. Ang daming natulong nito! Got my replacement unit today! 🙂

  • Neal

    Thank you so much Katherine. This post is very much helpful. My GoPro replacement due to water/moisture damage is now in progress. Ten Thumbs up!! 🙂

  • Nina

    Hi, regarding the chatting process with the agent, did you guys use the same reference number they provided for all the agents you talked with, or were all of it a new report every time?

  • GG

    Hi ask ko lng po if you have contact number for ups for the pickup..thanks..im near qc but the ups near our location doesnt accept gadgets..thanks!

  • Zibri

    I had exactly the same problem and the same experience.
    Customer support first offered me a discount of 20% on buying a new one.(!!!!)
    Then after my chat turning a little more “pissed off” they offered 50%. I then told them: “so your concept of customer care is to sell another faulty camera? 50% off the same model?!”. Then after an internal consulting they finally gave the “one time replacement”.

    By the way, another cause for this leaks is the build up of sault and magnesium on the border of the 2 slots.
    Be sure to clean them every few weeks with VINEGAR.

  • Jocelyn

    Bakit po yung sa shipping label ko hindi siya maprocess lumilitaw pu ito:
    Your request could not be processed for the following reason:

    Missing or invalid ship from StateProvinceCode

    Please click the BACK button on your browser, make any corrections and resubmit.

    Thank You.

    May codes pa ba aside sa postal code? Thank you po sa help.

  • arielcaroz

    They approved your replacement so fast. 2 weeks and still waiting if they will approve mine. Still waiting for an email. sad

  • GG

    Hi silly question since i had ny hero 5 water leak in the battery..if i will be placing it ina bowl of rice..should the battery cover open or close?..thanks..and will soon try to contact them too for hopefully a replacement..

  • John Rey

    Hello po. Ask ko lang po kung naghintay pa din kayo ng 2-3 business days before malaman kung approved yung replacement. In my case po, I was told this one: “Please give us 2-3 business days since all replacement request needs to go with validation first.” Or right after chatting with them, nakareceived na po agad kayo email? Thanks po. 🙂

  • Weng

    Hi. I had a same issue with my Hero 5. But its still under warranty, I bought it here in Davao last June 2018. May I ask if what time did you chat the go pro support for this kind of concern? Im hoping for your response in this matter.

  • Demi

    HI! Did anyone of you get the same problem:

    I get this after placing the return from address…

    “Missing or invalid ship from StateProvinceCode”

    Thanks!

  • angel

    Hi! i had the same issue with my GoPro Hero 5. But i had my unit for almost 1 year and 8months, it was purchased last december 2016, is it still possible to get a unit replacement?

    • Aly

      Hi! I was offered a unit replacement even though my unit was already 1 year and 4 months old. You can try talking to one of the agents to see how they can help you. I think I got lucky because the agent I spoke to was extremely nice.

      • Rob

        You did well, really happy for everyone who had thers replaced. Unforetunately for me, mine was 14 months old and first time in the water. I managed to connect to their online chat and was told “it is out of warranty, sorry”. They have since offered me 40% discount on a full priced unit but I’m having trouble with the idea of throwing more money away on a flawed and, for me, unsupported design (initial unit was $500). I see there is now a waterproof case that wasn’t available when I purchased the 5.
        Any feedback or ideas would be welcomed.

        • Katherine Cortes

          We feel you! If they didn’t replace ours, I think we won’t be buying another product from them.

          They say that GoPro Hero 6 has better waterproof design than the 5 or maybe you can look at alternative brands. Friends told me to always use a case regardless of whether the action camera is purported to be waterproof, to be on the safe side.

        • Aly

          Hi Rob! My unit was older than yours. The first agent I spoke to actually only offerred me 20% discount, and considering the price for shipping, it would have been better to just buy a new one in Manila. But as it was said here, just try again. The next agent I spoke to offerred me 40% discount, but that just wasn’t good enough for me. So i tried again, and third time’s the charm. Finally got an ahent who offerred to replace it.

    • Ryan

      Hi Ms. Angel. pinalitan po ba hero 5 mo? Same case here. My GPH5 is nearly 1year and 10months old and I used it in our outing in Puerto Galera for snorkeling last saturday but it suddenly turned off. After about 15minutes may nakita na akong moist sa lens and upon checking may tubig na sa loob.

  • Launce

    Yip same thing just happened to me!….that’s not supposed to happen. ! My 3rd GoPro !

    Go pro got ahead of themselves! How they recover will say a lot!

  • Ben Toh

    Hi Katherine!

    Thank you so much for creating this blog post and I’m so lucky to find this on google search!

    I followed the instructions and managed to get a replacement unit from GoPro! I’m currently in the process of returning and waiting for my replacement unit to be send back to me 🙂

    Hi to others looking for help,
    Febby’s point on subscribing to the 30-day GoPro plus trial will definitely help you to get into contact with one of the agent through the live chat!

    Cheers!

  • Febby

    Hello i just want to thank you for creating this blog. It really helped me replaced my gopro and im waiting for it to arrived na. For those people who cant contact gopro’s customer service, i suggest availing their gopro plus it has 30-day free trial where you can contact them whenever 🙂

  • Erik

    Hello Kath. I’ve received the three emails from gopro support but the gopro.upsrow.com link says:

    Your request could not be processed for the following reason:

    Missing or invalid ship from StateProvinceCode.

    Though I’ve filled all the tabs required. What could be the problem? Hoping for your reply. Thanks. 🙂

    • Katherine

      Well, the error means the code you entered is wrong or maybe you’re located in a province not serviced by UPS? I don’t really know. That’s a specific error, you can contact GoPro or UPS.

  • Febby

    hello katherine, ive been contacting the gopro customer service (both thru chats and call) on the indicated operation hours but it is still unavailable. What mode did hali used to contact them? if its thru call what number did he dial?

  • Gleny

    Hi KC! It happened also to us while we were in Subic yesterday. We were using the unit about 20minutes. After an hour, when we checked it on the bag, the unit is very hot, upon checking inside, it looks like the battery burnt.. and it has water on the lcd indicator.. we purchased it last august2017. Can you help me on how to deal with this? Thank you so much for your response!

      • Gleny

        Hi Kc,
        I was able to contact one of the agents yesterday and luckily they sent me RMA for one time replacement. But now I cannot proceed because when I’m filling out the return label it always says
        Missing or invalid ship from StateProvinceCode
        What should correct infos need to fill out? Pls help. thanks in advance.

  • Liana

    Hello! Do they still offer unit replacement even if the warranty is already past it’s validity date? Mine’s purchased last May 6, 2017. Thanks!

    • Katherine

      Ours was past validity date also but we were still offered a return. This is not always the case tho. Good luck!

  • Nicole

    Hello! Sorry for using your blog, but I’m desperate right now huhu
    If anyone here is from Davao, do you know places that does repairs for gopro? Like saltwater damaged gopros? I can’t seem to contact GoPro, and it’s been weeks already. Also, Davao’s the nearest place I can go to for repairs. Hoping I could get a reply. Thank you! :*

      • Nicole

        I hope so, too 🙂 I did, but all I could find was iFix. I heard that iFix doesn’t offer services to water damaged units 🙁

  • Nikki

    Is it still possible to get a replacement without the reciept? Also, I’ve been trying to contact GoPro for weeks, but I can’t seem to contact them that easily.

  • chele

    hi do they still need the receipt details? thank u it happened to my go pro this weekend 🙁 but will still try the sealed bag with rice.

    • Irish Nepomuceno

      Hi! If you lost your receipt and you purchase the unit using your credit card, billing statement of the item will do. That’s what we did. Hope this helps.

  • Irish Nepomuceno

    Hello! Had the same issue with my hero 5 and thanks to you and this blog my unit will be replaced. The only problem is, I’m confused about the forms I need to print out. Under the email “A return has been set up for you” which part should I print out? Is it the form after I clicked the link? I’m worried I’ll print out the wrong form.

    • Katherine

      You don’t need to print out anything in that email. It just contains the instructions. 🙂

      • Irish Nepomuceno

        Thank you for the reply. Btw, there’s no UPS here in our place. I’m from gensan kasi. Did they mention any alternative courier for UPS?

        • Katherine

          We don’t know because we used UPS, as we’re based in Manila. Someone here mentioned Air21. Pls update us if you got your answer from GoPro. Thank you!

          • Irish Nepomuceno

            Hi! Was able to process the shipment through air21. But for them to acknowledge the shipment I called UPS through their toll free hotline and they were the one who contacted air21. Paid 200 pesos for some handling fee. 🙂

            • Nicolle

              Hi Irish! How long did it take before your GoPro arrived in Singapore via Air21? I am currently in Butuan and there is no UPH here but there is Air21. I will be flying back to Manila tentatively on the 2nd of Aug. I want to know if the exchange item will arrive just in time or I may have to ask them to forward it to my home address instead. Much better if I can still receive it here in Butuan before I even go home.

  • Nic

    Hello po! I experienced the same while we were out for swimming at Boracay and it happened during the very first day of our stay there Is it possible to have another messenger or courier rather than UPS? It seems that our city doesn’t have their branch here

    • Julie

      Hi Nic! I’m Julie from Davao. I think Air21 is their partnered courier since UPS is not available in most places in Philippines.

      • Nic

        Hello, Julie! Thanks for the reply. Sorry for getting back a bit late. I can’t seem to contact GoPro even after many attempts so I had given up on getting a free replacement. Since you’re from Davao, do you know places that does repairs for gopros? Your city’s the nearest place I could go for. I’m from Kidapawan by the way.

    • Katherine

      Hi Julie. What do you mean by unresponsive? Have you tried contacting them during the correct hours?

      • Julie

        Hello! Your blog is so helpful. I have just offered a warranty return, as in today lang. Ngayon lang din kasi na accomodate for a live chat. Luckily, they offered a warranty return. Thank you so much at nabasa ko itong blog post mo regarding go pro hero 5 water leak, God bless!

  • Rhobelle Jane

    hi ! i have the same experience with you . i was already offered a replacement . but i am now confused . because in the email , it was stated ‘replacemet’ , but in the RMA , it was stated ‘for repair’ . was your RMA stated ‘for repair’ as well ? by the way , my hero 5’s warranty has not expired yet . and i just want to ask how did you ship your go pro . i mean which UPS branch in manila ?

  • KC Rosales

    Hi. Thank you for the reply. I already talked to several agents but they were all firm in just offering the discount. So I cited your case saying that they are not fair in giving resolutions to same situations. That’s why they were asking for the case number, to see if they can reconsider.

    • Katherine

      Hi KC, as per our exchange via pm we’re kinda uncomfortable giving out the case number… There’s really no guarantee that each case will be treated similarly. How long has your warranty expired? If it’s a few months past that’s probably a reason for them denying a replacement. We can only guess at this point.

      GoPro Hero 5 really has a waterproof issue as evidenced by similar experiences of quite a number of users, and I feel you in that it’s frustrating to not get a new unit for a faulty design. 🙁 Hopefully they’ll relent and send you a new one!

  • KC Rosales

    Hi po. I experienced the same while snorkeling in Palawan but GoPro Support only offered me a 40% discount to buy a new unit because according to them, the warranty has expired already. 🙁 Can I ask for your help? If you can send me via email the case number so I can send them a reference, please? Your help will be very much appreciated. Will look forward to your reply po.

    • Katherine

      Hi KC. Not sure if that’s going to help. Maybe you can talk to another customer service agent. 🙂

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