Galaxy S9 pre-orders have begun for Samsung’s deceptively well-upgraded (if controversial) smartphone and it will hit stores on March 16th. But read Samsung’s small print and there’s a nasty surprise in there which can hit your wallets hard, and maybe even make you cancel your upgrade plans altogether…
.
.
.
Heavily marketed across the site is ‘Samsung Upgrade’. This entitles you “Get the latest Galaxy Phone every year” and it is the default payment option when you try to pre-order the Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9 Plus, regardless of whether you requested it. Choose it and you are still told the “total” is the standard price for the phones (either $720 or $840), but Premium Care has been added “on separate financing terms.”
Premium Care is not listed as part of the “total” but will cost you an extra $11.99 per month over a two year period. The first month is free so that’s 23 payments totalling an extra $276. If you’d like to find out more about it Samsung states: “For additional questions regarding Samsung Premium Care, please call 1-866-371-9501.”
Furthermore, if you do place this order by accident then because the first month of Premium Care is free you won’t notice it in your billing. You will in month two, but then you have already passed the 30-day return window. Samsung also retains the right to increase the monthly cost of Premium Care at any time with 30 days notice.
