# My home Cell phone chargers have the opposite effect **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855 "2008-04-25T15:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/1 "2008-04-25T15:23:14Z")
they drain phone batteries instead of charging them. We have 3 chargers and three phones. My car charger charges just fine so I know it isn’t a battery issue. My wife think that it has something to do with our wireless router but we had the router years before the problem started. This just started happening a couple of weeks ago. After an overnight charge they are too weak to power up, even if the phone had 2 or 3 bars that indicate the battery level before we did the overnight charge. I had my phone replaced not long ago so It’s not like the phones are all the exact same age and the batteries all crapped out at the same time. any clues? Thanks! AD ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/2 "2008-04-25T15:31:35Z")
You’re obviously plugging the charger in upside-down! 😃 Seriously, do you know there is power to the outlet you’re using? ---
**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/3 "2008-04-25T15:38:19Z")
[QUOTE=flex727] You’re obviously plugging the charger in upside-down! 😃 Seriously, do you know there is power to the outlet you’re using? [/QUOTE] Plenty of juice, the chargers all have lights on them that light up like a Christmas tree when plugged in. I even went out and bought a new charger from the manufacture of the phone, not a cheap knock off. It’s strange, I’m not near a nuclear plant, no hair loss or anything due to radiation. It’s head (hair) scratcher. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/4 "2008-04-25T16:34:30Z")
I’ve seen this as well. We have two Motorola RAZR phones and three chargers - one in the car and two home chargers. Actually, five chargers if you count the ones at my office. (Our department on-call phones use the same Motorla mini-USB style charger.) In this combination, one of the home chargers seems to have a knack for charging up, then discharging one of the phones if it’s not plugged in just so, or if it’s left plugged in overnight. Just that one charger and that one phone. The phone is fine with the other two chargers, and the other phone is fine with all three chargers, plus the other two at my office. Strangely, the phone occasionally displays “UNAUTHORIZED CHARGER” on that particular charger, even though it’s the Motorola-branded charger that came in the box with the phone. Just the concept of an “authorized” charger is mind-boggling. Why would the phone care where the electricity is coming from as long as it’s the right voltage? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/5 "2008-04-25T16:45:31Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] Strangely, the phone occasionally displays “UNAUTHORIZED CHARGER” on that particular charger, even though it’s the Motorola-branded charger that came in the box with the phone. Just the concept of an “authorized” charger is mind-boggling. Why would the phone care where the electricity is coming from as long as it’s the right voltage? [/QUOTE] In the past there have been injuries and fires as the result of charging phones with third party chargers. So there are some safety reasons for trying to verify that you are using the correct charger. But another reason is to make sure that Moto gets to sell you it’s charger instead of some other company. ---
**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/6 "2008-04-25T18:55:08Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] I’ve seen this as well. We have two Motorola RAZR phones and three chargers - one in the car and two home chargers. Actually, five chargers if you count the ones at my office. (Our department on-call phones use the same Motorla mini-USB style charger.) In this combination, one of the home chargers seems to have a knack for charging up, then discharging one of the phones if it’s not plugged in just so, or if it’s left plugged in overnight. Just that one charger and that one phone. The phone is fine with the other two chargers, and the other phone is fine with all three chargers, plus the other two at my office. Strangely, the phone occasionally displays “UNAUTHORIZED CHARGER” on that particular charger, even though it’s the Motorola-branded charger that came in the box with the phone. Just the concept of an “authorized” charger is mind-boggling. Why would the phone care where the electricity is coming from as long as it’s the right voltage? [/QUOTE] This is the exact same issue I have had and same RAZR phone, I have also seen the authorized" charger on the screen but ONLY when the phone is deader than Elvis. When there is some charge on the phone I don’t get that message. I’m glad I’m not the only one. Anyone in telecom out there? My provider is Verizon if it makes a difference. Thanks! AD ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/7 "2008-04-25T19:06:07Z")
[QUOTE=aluminumdisc] I’m glad I’m not the only one. Anyone in telecom out there? My provider is Verizon if it makes a difference. Thanks! AD [/QUOTE] Interstingly enough, our phone that complains about the charger it was sold with is also a Verizon phone. I wonder what Verizon had Motorla make differently in their version? They are distinctly different phones - outwardly, they’re all but identical, but the menus and even the physical keypads are different between the two carriers. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/8 "2008-04-25T20:24:57Z")
For the house are the phones being charged with their original charger or are they being plugged into different ones? ---
**Author:** ![t-mobileguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@t-mobileguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-mobileguy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-cell-phone-chargers-have-the-opposite-effect/446855/9 "2008-04-25T23:02:21Z")
[QUOTE=aluminumdisc] Anyone in telecom out there? AD [/QUOTE] You rang? I don’t work for Verizon but have heard of this happening with Motorola phones among all the carriers. Moto phones seem to be very sensitive about their chargers. My recommendation would be to go to a Verizon corporate store (not an authorized dealer) and tell them what’s going on. Ask them if they can warranty exchange the chargers. I do it all the time for my customers so I don’t think there should be a problem. If you run into any issues I still have some contacts at Verizon and would be happy to call in a favor for you. Let me know