Samsung Warranty Service is a Scam! What can I do now?

[nicklopez1]

Word of warning: don't ever buy a Samsung phone if you expect to be covered under the one year manufacturer's warranty. They will make up some excuse to not honor your repair!

This is my situation:

I have a brand new Samsung Galaxy S6. I was having some issues with the battery getting too hot and I noticed some other minor issues that seemed to be hardware related. This phone is well within the manufacturer warranty period and has never been dropped or been exposed to liquid in any way. I sent it in for repair, hoping that Samsung would either replace the battery or send me a new (refurbished) replacement S6. I followed all the steps to send the phone in for repair, had to get a loaner phone for the time-being, and waited.

My phone arrived at their repair center in Texas on 7/15 and was checked in by one of their technicians. Not even 12 hours later, I checked the status of my repair online and found updated technician notes stating the phone was looked at and it was determined to be "beyond economical repair." The technician's notes stated that my new $700 Galaxy S6 phone showed signs of liquid damage on the motherboard! How could a phone that is designed as one piece and not easily taken apart, be so quickly opened up and shown to have corrosion on the motherboard?! This is a three month old phone at best.

So, now my warranty is voided and I have no idea the condition the phone will be in when I get it back. Upon finding this out I called Samsung to hopefully get a solution before they shipped my phone back. Well not surprisingly, I was told nothing could be done because the phone was now marked as having liquid damage. I even spoke with a supervisor and asked for proof of the damage in the form of photos but they refused. Now what do I do? The issues originally were not major on my phone and it was working when I sent it in. What if I get it back and it's no longer operational? I can't afford to lose the money I paid for this phone by getting it back and it no longer working.

That's worse case scenario I guess, but still, do yourself a favor and buy an iPhone. At least they honor their warranty and don't make up damage claims they can't prove.
Super disappointed in Samsung. Share this. Tell everyone you know.

Update*
I posted this on Samsung's Facebook page and they asked me to send their support department a private message with my ticket number. See their response in the attached image...

 

[mikedt]

Word of warning: don't ever buy a Samsung phone if you expect to be covered under the one year manufacturer's warranty. They will make up some excuse to not honor your repair!

This is my situation:

I have a brand new Samsung Galaxy S6. I was having some issues with the battery getting too hot and I noticed some other minor issues that seemed to be hardware related. This phone is well within the manufacturer warranty period and has never been dropped or been exposed to liquid in any way. I sent it in for repair, hoping that Samsung would either replace the battery or send me a new (refurbished) replacement S6. I followed all the steps to send the phone in for repair, had to get a loaner phone for the time-being, and waited.

My phone arrived at their repair center in Texas on 7/15 and was checked in by one of their technicians. Not even 12 hours later, I checked the status of my repair online and found updated technician notes stating the phone was looked at and it was determined to be "beyond economical repair." The technician's notes stated that my new $700 Galaxy S6 phone showed signs of liquid damage on the motherboard! How could a phone that is designed as one piece and not easily taken apart, be so quickly opened up and shown to have corrosion on the motherboard?! This is a three month old phone at best.

Here's the thing, you might not easily take it apart, but a bench technician can have it stripped-down in a few minutes, given the correct tools and knowledge. And he's likely disassembling and reassembling the things all day long anyway. As for suspected liquid damage, may have looked at the internal moisture indicators or observed that the logic-board was indeed corroded. I've seen how quick iPhones can be dismantled, and those were intended to be one piece, sealed and not easily taken apart.

If you're sure they're wrong, seek legal advice I think.

 

[jj14x]

I agree with mikedt on this. A phone can be taken apart by experienced technicians in minutes.

Just one thing to add - if you are positive that there is no water damage, ask them to send you the phone back without repairs. Find a local cellphone repair shop and ask them to open it up and video tape the process (showing the IMEI during the process of taking it apart), and see if there is any water damage. If not, use that as basis for legal help.

 

[ispamforfood]

Next time, get insurance on your phone. If it's not covered by the manufacturer, you might have to pay a little (50-100) but wireless tech support isn't going to try as hard to say no to you. I have had total equipment coverage thru VZW on all my phones, and have never once been given flak over getting a replacement phone when mine was damaged or died. Costs more per month, sure, but less in the long run. 10 bucks a month over two years= 240 dollars+50 dollar replacement fee= 290 dollars. 290 dollars total spent to replace an 800 dollar phone. Sounds like a bargain to me. And yes, I've had to pay for a replacement at least 2-3 times since I started with verizon. It sucks, but it STILL costs less than having to buy a new one outright.

 

[jj14x]

By any chance, did you pay in full for your phone using a credit card? If so, reach out to your credit card company and see if they will help.

 

[ispamforfood]

There is virtually nothing the credit card company can do. If it wasn't defective from the start, Samsung has no obligation to provide a replacement.

 

[mikedt]

There is virtually nothing the credit card company can do. If it wasn't defective from the start, Samsung has no obligation to provide a replacement.

That all depends on the credit card actually, if it's a regular Visa or Mastercard, then no AFAIK. However if you have a Gold or Platinum, possibly yes, because those often have insurance for purchased items with them, as part of the privileges of having that type of card. I assume the OP wasn't so baller, and just had an ordinary credit card, not Gold or Platinum. Amex also has insurance for purchased items as well.

 

[ispamforfood]

That all depends on the credit card actually, if it's a regular Visa or Mastercard, then no AFAIK. However if you have a Gold or Platinum, possibly yes, because those often have insurance for purchased items with them, as part of the privileges of having that type of card. I assume the OP wasn't so baller, and just had an ordinary credit card, not Gold or Platinum. Amex also has insurance for purchased items as well.

Insurance for purchases is more than likely on damage incurred during transportation and delivery. If he damaged the phone after it was delivered, he's out of luck.

 

[mikedt]

If it was damaged or lost during delivery or shipping, then that's up to the courier to make good, i.e. that's definitely not your fault.

https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/consumers/features-benefits/card-benefits.html

"Purchase assurance

Provides coverage for most items you purchase with your eligible MasterCard if the item is damaged or stolen within 90 days of the date of purchase."

*Selection of benefits on your card varies by card type and by card issuer.

 

[jj14x]

mikedt is right. Many of the visa/mastercards, and most (if not all) Amex/Discover cards offer not only the 90 days of damage/theft protection, but they extend warranty for the device by one additional year after manufacturer warranty expires.

Some cards take this protection to another level - https://www.wellsfargo.com/credit-cards/features/cell-phone-protection/ for example - as long as you pay your monthly mobile bill using their card, your phone is covered against theft/damage (not regular warranty issues that are covered by manufacturer in the first year mind you - only theft/damage).