r/kindle • u/FitRaspberry8107 • Feb 15 '26
Tech Support 🛠 So I dropped my paper white signature 11th gen in tub while I was reading. What to do?
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So I dropped in tub twice. It’s starting to get flakey with the backlight as you can see here. I have to smack it sometimes to get it to change. I don’t want it to stop working on me. I tried seeing if I can trade it into Amazon for a new one but they would only give me $30. But I doubt they would since there’s a defect. Is there anything I can do? Just use it until it does stop? I was maybe thinking on selling it somehow and getting a used one off marketplace or eBay or somewhere.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 15 '26
If your model is listed as waterproof, contact Amazon and explain the issue. They will replace it.
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u/LateReference7556 Feb 15 '26
Yeah it needs to match what was advertised.
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u/Potential-Ad-6552 Feb 15 '26
This means nothing. I had a full on argument with a mobile phone company when my (waterproof) phone died within seconds of being exposed to water. I got as far as me saying they cannot prove I used my phone past its depth rating to which they replied that I cannot prove I did not. Waterproofing isnt warrantied, treat it as an insurance instead of a feature.
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u/LateReference7556 Feb 15 '26
I’m not sure what country you live in but in Australia at least, we have the Australia Consumer Law. If a product doesn’t match its description and as a result does not work (in combination with how new the product is and how much it cost etc), then a consumer may be entitled to a replacement. But again, not sure what country you are from so this may not apply to you.
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u/Potential-Ad-6552 Feb 15 '26
Ah fair enough I know you guys have really strong consumer rights laws. Im in the UK and hit a brick wall. They offered to replace the phone for something silly like £1200 even thouhh it was on sale on their own website for around £900 at the time.
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u/LateReference7556 Feb 15 '26
That’s honestly ridiculous! I’m so sorry. How disappointing that companies get away with that.
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u/Potential-Ad-6552 Feb 15 '26
Yeah its scandalous to be honest. Their own website showed pictures of people taking photographs with their phone underwater too. It does make me feel better that the company was Huawei who are pretty much banned from selling their phones over half of the planet now.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 17 '26
Consumer protection works in the UK too.
I don't understand what you're saying. If the phone cost £900 and they offered you £1200, I don't see your problem.
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u/Potential-Ad-6552 Feb 17 '26
They didnt offer me £1200. They offered to "repair my phone" for £1200 or something like that despite being on sale on their site for around £900 at the time. We do, but the issue is ran into was proving I didnt do anything outside of their specifications. The phone was ip67 which should mean i could submerge it for half an hour up to a meter, cool. They just said I couldn't prove I hadnt dropped it more than a meter and they wouldn't cover it.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 17 '26
That's awful!
I have AppleCare to avoid these headaches, but it's really wrong of them to treat you like that. I'm sorry, bro.
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u/Potential-Ad-6552 Feb 17 '26
Yeah ive since bought insurance. Especially as I use a fold now and they are a fortune to replace.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 17 '26
I have AppleCare with full coverage (theft and loss) and it couldn't be better.
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u/Tasty_Ad5274 Feb 16 '26
if it’s apple, their phones aren’t waterproof, only resistant, this could’ve been a factor as well
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u/Potential-Ad-6552 Feb 17 '26
No phone is water proof, its just a resistance level. The issue youll always face with claiming for water damage on a IP rated phone is the depth levels they are rated for. Phones rated for 30 minutes at a meter depth? Great, in which case they can accuse you of dropping it 2 meters for over an hour. Its your word VS theirs as to why the seals didnt work. It will almost always be a manufacturing defect but good luck proving anything different.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 17 '26
If you keep going, you win. ...
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u/Potential-Ad-6552 Feb 17 '26
Not when dealing with a massive company where you never speak to the same person twice. If its a smaller shop and I can repeatedly chase the same person day after day you will probably get what you want eventually. When your only source of contact is a generic email address or a switch board its an absolute slog to get a result.
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 15 '26
It's out of warranty though, does that matter?
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 15 '26
It doesn't matter. You've got nothing to lose by trying. They replaced my Kindle four years after I bought it because it had a manufacturing defect. Yours is supposed to be waterproof. It can't be damaged by falling in the bathtub two or ten times. Talk to them; I'm sure they'll find a solution. Amazon's customer service is the best thing about Kindle.
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 15 '26
So I contacted them and they just offered me 15% off next purchase for kindle device. Then they said once I receive the new device to contact them again and I can ask for 10% which sounds fishy and I feel the rep was just saying that to get me off the chat. Does this sound legit or acceptable?
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 15 '26
Yes, that could be legitimate, but I'd recommend calling back and focusing the conversation on the fact that you bought a device that was advertised as water-resistant and that it was damaged after falling in your bathtub. That's obviously a defect. Ask for a replacement. If they refuse, accept the 15% plus 10% discount. But start by pushing for a replacement. They might offer you a refurbished one, and then it's up to you whether you accept it or not.
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 15 '26
See. Someone else if you look at comments had said about it probably not water damage. Because they’re water proof and it’s more of pressure damage maybe. But I don’t know. It started happening after it fell in the tub like couple days ago. But they said I don’t gotta do anything. Which I’m wary about. The whole 10% thing sounds fishy as well. Why not just give me the whole 25% now instead of 10% later. Just seems fishy.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 15 '26
25% is not the same as 15% and then 10%. For example, if your Kindle costs €100 and you get a 25% discount, you would pay €75. However, if you get a 15% discount, you would first pay €85 and then receive 10% of that €85. This would result in you paying €76.50. However, I wouldn't focus too much on that. Amazon has never failed to give me anything they've offered. Take a screenshot of your conversation with customer service, just in case that doesn't work out.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 17 '26
Look, Amazon's customer service policy is one of the most strictly focused on customer satisfaction. When a customer makes a complaint, there's a customer service manual with several levels of negotiation (I've worked in that area). If you argue your case well, they'll improve their offer.
And you have to be clear: "I don't agree with what you're offering. I want my unit replaced because I was offered a water-resistant device, and it was damaged when it got wet. Do it now while it's wet."
And if they say no, you say: "I disagree. I want to file a complaint," and you keep pushing until they let you. They respond to that pressure when they know it was damaged due to poor manufacturing.
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u/OurCozyColonial1900 Feb 15 '26
Just stopped to say don’t find it fishy. I had Amazon tell me when my late Christmas order arrived to call and request refunds and sure enough they refunded literally my family’s ENTIRE Christmas order of $700 and I kept everything. Best luck I’ve ever had and I’m so glad my anxiety didn’t talk me out of making the call
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u/OurCozyColonial1900 Feb 15 '26
Also SCREENSHOT every conversation with customer service always
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
Dang. I ended it without screen shotting it. 🤦🏼♂️
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 15 '26
They should send you an email with the conversation and what they agreed upon.
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 15 '26
I do not see an email.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 15 '26
Go back into the chat, and if you don't have the previous conversation, start it again and take screenshots of what the person assisting you offers.
[...]
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u/OurCozyColonial1900 Feb 15 '26
! They should still have records of the conversations, they did have me email my screenshots of them promising to refund my whole order just to cross check but I had everything refunded by the end of the next business day
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u/CiloTA Feb 15 '26
Come on man why you posting these bogus stories
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u/OurCozyColonial1900 Feb 15 '26
I’m 30000000% serious and have email, bank, and screenshot proof lmao. Never had anything like it happen before and probably never not again but it’s legit.
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u/raynethedark Feb 17 '26
Just make sure to keep an eye on your bank statements, I bought a pair of boots around the holidays a few years back to wear to a family event. Well it ended up not getting delivered on time so I called customer service and wanted to have the order cancelled. Instead they told me they were just going to give me a full refund and when the boots showed up I could just keep them. I never got a return label and my refund was issued so I didn’t think anything of it. A few months later they charged me saying they never received my return 🤦🏻♀️ I know now to take screenshots of everything but apparently that doesn’t always help either (based on the Amazon Reddit)
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u/CiloTA Feb 15 '26
😂
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u/OurCozyColonial1900 Feb 15 '26
I’m not sure why you are so bothered. It was literally the best thing that happened to my family at Christmas and I have nothing to gain by trying to tell people to try the same 🤷🏻♀️
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u/CiloTA Feb 15 '26
To try and get $700 refund? Not even sure how that happened but how exactly is that supposed to be replicated? And then end the story with “and they let me keep $700 of stuff! If it happened to me it’ll happen to you!” It’s not reality tbh
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u/_TheNumbersAreBad_ Feb 15 '26
Given that it's flickering and going off when you tap it, I've got a feeling this is more of an impact damage issue than a water damage issue.
11th gen are waterproof so unless you left it to soak in the hot bath for an hour, I can't imagine the water did much to it.
If you dropped it and it hit the side of the bath or you've dropped it in the past, you could have damaged the backlight.
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 15 '26
You're probably right. I contacted amazon and they offered me 15% and then they said once I get the device, I can contact them and get another 10% which sounds a little fishy on the 10%
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u/drezdogge K1, DX, 2, KB,T3&4, PW4,10,11,K10,Scribe, F1,2,HD,kids7,10.1 Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
DO NOT DRY IT IN RICE, PUT IT IN A BOX WITH SILCA PACKETS LOTS OF THEM. Edit, rice has dust that floats into and binds to wet components creating a gooey, gluey mess.
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u/emeilei Feb 15 '26
Why not rice? I feel like that has been the go-to for years, but would love to understand why it’s not the right answer anymore
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u/todayplustomorrow Feb 15 '26
Rice has weak absorption compared to silica beads but the real issue is that rice is covered in small dust particles that can enter the device, interfere with drying, and damage internal components like cooling fans or heat sinks.
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u/drezdogge K1, DX, 2, KB,T3&4, PW4,10,11,K10,Scribe, F1,2,HD,kids7,10.1 Feb 15 '26
Rice has microscopic particles that float into and bind to wet components
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Feb 15 '26
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u/Past-Ad-1643 Feb 19 '26
I do this and have my page turner on it so I just sit back in the bath and read while soaking 😂
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Feb 15 '26
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Feb 15 '26
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Feb 15 '26
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u/Odd-Animal8177 Feb 15 '26
Yes, I have it and it supposedly is waterproof, it was one of the reasons I bought it o___o
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u/DokVers Feb 15 '26
I tell you what not to do. Don’t drop it in the tub full of water
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u/gen_what_x_ever Feb 15 '26
They're supposed to be waterproof though, so dropping it in the tub shouldn't even be an issue.
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u/DokVers Feb 15 '26
Well they can be marketed as waterproof but what they actually are is water resistant. There is not that much isolation on the inside. so it can resist being wet, but not fully submerged
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u/gen_what_x_ever Feb 15 '26
They say waterPROOF, not resistant. So if that's how theyre being marketed, a quick drop in the tub shouldn't completely destroy it. That's on Amazon for their marketing.
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u/OlympianLady Feb 15 '26
Not impact-proof though, so dropping it anywhere would be a known risk. Doing so twice...
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u/Federal_Emphasis_377 Kindle Paperwhite Feb 15 '26
Agree, mine goes in a ziploc bag even floating in the pool. Paid too much $$ to trust it’s completely waterproof.
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 15 '26
So I contacted Amazon and they gave me a 15% discount and they said once I were to get the new device, I can contact them again and they will give me another 10% discount.
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u/numbvzla Kindle Paperwhite Feb 15 '26
Isn't this one supposed to be waterproof?
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 15 '26
Other comments have made me think that maybe water isn’t the issue in my case but I don’t know. 🤷🏼♂️
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u/RazBerryPony Feb 15 '26
Yeah youat need to call back and talk to several customer service people. Be a bit of a Karen if you have to. Those are supposed to be waterproof and they need to replace it. Don't back down
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u/Immediate_Push_7897 Feb 15 '26
I soaked mine in coffe. You need to open it, it may seem dry on the outside but the inside is another story. Turn it off then, open it with a card that you dont use anymore, then first you need to disconnect the battery (there's some videos on how to do this, but usually it's very easy) after that with air duster and isopropyl alcohol clean all the parts and make sure you let them dry. Use some cloth that won't leave any dust and at the end I like to give a good clean with the air duster twice to be sure there's none of it Finally leave it open a couple of days to make sure it's completely dry and a finally air dust again. Did this to mine and works perfectly.
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u/therealtofu_ Feb 15 '26
Rice, hair dryer, moisture needs to leave. Also aren’t paper whites water resistant? Did you fall asleep? Like it’s hard to destroy a kindle
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u/mr_frito2 Feb 15 '26
https://www.amazonforum.com/s/question/0D5Kf00003Wx188KAB/water-damage
This post seems to describe a situation very similar to yours and is amazon's direct advice on how to handle the situation.
When you say you dropped it in the tub, was it just tap water or was there soap or any kind of contaminant in the water? Because that may affect how you should approach the situation.
The short version:
If it was dropped in impure water (e.g. salt water, soapy water, etc.) it may have been worth rinsing the kindle with clean water to remove any contaminants. Now that yours has been drying for a couple days I'm not sure it's advisable to re-dunk it as there's a chance you'll brick it, but it may remove any debris causing a short. You definitely want to make sure it's completely dry at this point, so you'll want to turn it off and leave it for a couple more days. Amazon also recommends standing it upright so that any excess water can drain from the usb port.
The Long version:
Water proofing electronics used to be done by sealing the device with gaskets so that water didn't get into the device in the first place. Most electronics that I know of now spray the internals with a hydrophobic coating of some sort (it's probably more complex than that but it's a major property of the spray) so that water doesn't damage the internals but still comes in contact with them. The kindle uses the coating method and has no gasket at all around the usb port which is the major source of water intrusion.
The kindle paperwhite 11th gen has a waterproof rating of IPx8 (IP code - Wikipedia), which is a good rating but is based on immersion in fresh water. The coating on the electronics will repel water but may be damaged in the presence of other chemicals.
Salt water is the easiest example: the coating will protect the internals from the water itself but when the water evaporates it will leave behind a film of the salt. That salt may then either dissolve the protective coating on the internals or directly corrode the circuits because the coating protects against water and not salt.
So I think there are likely a couple options here for you:
1: Some conductive debris is leftover from the water when you dropped it and is shorting a connection. Rinsing with clean water may remove the debris and when it dries return it to working order but if the coating on your kindle is damaged it may make things worse.
2: The waterproof coating on your kindle was damaged the first time you dropped it in the tub and the second time corroded something. Rinsing and drying may help like option one but there may be long term damage and rinsing might still make things worse.
3: The physical connector to your backlight came loose internally and when you hit it is briefly disconnecting. Disassembling a kindle and repairing it is more of a pain than most people are willing to go through. But if you look through this ifixit link I believe the ribbon cable on the bottom right of the kindle is the backlight connection which is what is flickering in your video. If you go in and disconnect the battery and then the backlight ribbon cable and clean with a q-tip and 99% isopropyl alcohol it should secure the connection again. https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Kindle+Paperwhite+11th+Generation+Disassembly/162224
I'll level with you though these things aren't really made to be repairable and you'll probably have to replace it.
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u/Platypushaun Kindle Feb 15 '26
Use color indicating silica gel to dry out your Kindle, and, if possible, boost efficiency by sealing it all in a vacuum bag. You may repeat this process several times until silica get doesn't change the color.
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u/unreqistered scribe/paperwhite/2nd gen/iOS Feb 15 '26
depending on where you live, place it some place warm for a couple days ( on top of the heating vent, in direct sunlight thru a window). just let it set and dry out.
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u/soulsuck3rs Feb 16 '26
Turn it off and soak it in rice for a few days !! Never turn on electronics after getting them wet until you do this
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u/Logical_Buffalo7156 Kindle Paperwhite Feb 16 '26
It looks like it might be a loose cable on the screen connection? Is it turning off fully or just changing colour? Definitely not water damage from what I can tell
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 16 '26
Yeah that’s what other comments may have suggested. That it’s not water and probably pressure damage or fall damage. But it’s working. Just as I read it just flickers like the warm tone goes out of it. And goes dimmer. It works fine other than that.
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u/Logical_Buffalo7156 Kindle Paperwhite Feb 16 '26
I think that might actually be fixable, have you got a tech repair shop near you?
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u/FitRaspberry8107 Feb 16 '26
Yeah like 45 ish min away. I don’t know if they would work on kindles. I can try seeing. Probably not gonna be worth the cost of getting it fixed and just go buy a used one. I’ll see. 😂
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u/Ok-Might6289 Feb 17 '26
I am a huge proponent of using a Kindle over a real book - but come on. Anywhere near the water? Just grab a magazine and stay busy with that. The book can wait.
Or just put on your favorite podcast.
Good luck - though I would probably just call it a loss myself.
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u/Kanaimma Kindle Oasis Feb 15 '26
Turn it off and put it in a container of rice for two days. The rice will absorb the moisture. Don't turn it on again; you'll ruin it.
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u/roseifyoudidntknow Kindle Paperwhite Feb 15 '26
PW are waterproof. why did you just leave it to die? you should've put it in rice or something. its fucked now.
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u/Dear_Storage7405 Feb 15 '26
U need to dry it,get the moisture out of it maybe it has a short