TCC introduces technology to bring wet cellphones back from the dead

MOSES LAKE — You live by the lake long enough, you’re bound give the cellphone a dunk or splash the tablet. Ever throw a pair of shorts into the washing machine only to remember in horror the Smartphone is still in the pocket?

Now there’s hope for restoring wet electronic equipment. TCC, the largest Verizon Premium Wireless retailer in the U.S., announced a drying technology from Redux that can bring wet cellphones back from the dead.

"Everyone thinks their phone is fried when it gets wet, and that just simply isn't the case,” said Reuben Zielinski, co-founder of Redux. “This new technology will remove 100 percent of the moisture from wet electronics, allowing many mobile device users to recover their hardware investment and precious data.”

Whoa, what a relief to know that when someone tosses you in the pool at some party without realizing you still have that $650 Samsung Galaxy in your hand, it’s not toast.

“Redux saves customers money by eliminating the cost to replace devices,” said Scott Moorehead, CEO of TCC. “The typical cost of purchasing a replacement device is nearly $300 on top of a deductible of $150 or more, if the customer has insurance. But what’s even more important to most customers is the ability to recover their data, and Redux enables them to save potentially irreplaceable information, such as contacts, photos, videos and more.”

TCC has more than 800 locations in 38 states from coast to coast, including its location in Moses Lake at 221 S. Pioneer Way.

The company first introduced the technology in select TCC stores in early 2015 and is now expanding its availability to reach more consumers. Redux removes all moisture from wet cellphones and returns them to safe working condition. The revival process has been successful in recovering devices damaged by all types of mishaps, including the toilet, pool, washing machine, mud, beer, wine and more.

Pricing for the successful recovery of a device is $50 for a basic phone or a data device and $90 for a smartphone, in addition to a $10 diagnostic fee. Additional phone insurance providers will offer lower pricing for a successful recovery of a device.

In order for the process to work, once it gets wet people need to remember to turn the device off immediately and not plug it in. Remove the battery if possible and run it down to the store as soon as possible.

Once there’s a successful revival, the device will maintain its existing life expectancy. The process typically takes less than one hour.

If you’d like to get out front of the inevitable, Redux offers a discounted membership program for $29.99, which includes two recoveries of devices.

In the future, TCC stores will allow customers to use the technology to recover most wet portable electronic devices, including MP3 players, digital cameras, tablets, portable gaming systems, hearing aids and more.

Redux was inspired when co-founder Joel Trusty’s wife threw her cellphone into a full cycle in the washing machine and was devastated that not only was the phone ruined, but all the data, contact information, photos and videos were lost.

With a background in manufacturing, Trusty had an idea for how to save his wife’s phone and knew that his friend and neighbor, Zielinski, an ex-IBM employee, had the equipment to put his idea into practice. Together, they fixed the phone, and within one week created the first Redux model.

To learn more about Redux, visit www.TCCRocks.com.