Samsung Warranty - Rubbish?

Firegod

Firegod

Firegod

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Mini rant incoming. :)

I have a Samsung Jet 75 vacuum cleaner and it is brilliant. Really like everything about it especically how it performs. It is just over 1 year old and the motorised brush head (pretty much in my opinion one of the main components, without it, you can't really clean your carpets) has developed what I class as a premature failure. Nothing to do with normal use and wear. It has leaked what looks like grease/oil on the bottom of the head, it was all gunky. Cleaned it all off (took pictures beforehand) so that I could still at least use it. Contacted Samsung and said please can I have a replacement brush head thing as this one has developed a fault. I explained how the vacuum was practically still new (I think they offer 5 year warranty), how I'd spent ~£500 on this cleaner (extra batteries etc) and could they help me out.

Well, Samsung customer service came back - nope. I quote "...that this falls outside warranty coverage as this falls under the category of routine maintenance". I get the whole maintenance bit, looking after failing batteries, replacing filters, etc. But I wouldn't class a part failure as coming under routine maintenance. So what, every year I'm meant to buy a new motorised head because "maintenance"? I don't agree with that. I did press them again saying as a gesture of good will for the money I've spent can they not help. I can't actually even source a part online! They came back again - no the original reply stands. So it would appear after 1 year of ownership, ~£500 spent, I'm now needing to buy a new vacuum.

I thought well, I could get the Jet 85 (I think is the replacement model), trade in this one for £70 off and possibly be able to use the same batteries. But it is a bitter pill to swallow to give these guys another ~£280 for the new cleaner. Even though I do love it.

Samsung warranty then - rubbish? I thought they would have better QC over something more mainstream like Vax. Urgh.

Thanks for listening. lol.
 
try toshiba 50 inch tv 13 months old and apparently according to toshiba out of warranty ,could not even give me the name of a toshiba repair place.
after faffing around i determined the fault to be a display(tcon) board. no longer available.....(tv is 2021 build).
in a panic before xmas got a cheap replacement tv from a online retailer, cause family coming around.
finally managed to get the same p/n board but listed for a 2012 tv , took the chance fitted it and bingo working again but still annoying.
looked around and its very hard to get a reasonable make flatscreen with more that 12 months warranty its nuts, btw the online retailer i originally bought it from were worse than useless.
 
I think it is hit and miss with customer services.

I bought a few items via the samsung store for a new kitchen we were doing. One Item arrived damaged and it was like pulling teeth trying to speak with the customer service who kept telling me to go back to where I purchased the item. I bought it from the samsung store!!! I'd bought a hob, oven, fridge freezer, the oven had glass smashed on the door took me about 5 calls to customer service to get it sorted. In the end I had to tell them I would get the credit card company to sort it out before they took any action.

On the other side I bought a washing machine and the bearings went and they came and fixed that no questions asked.
 
Surely your statutory rights come into play here?
A product must be
As described.
Last for a reasonable amount of time. ( a £500 vacumn cleaner should last a longer then 1 year.)
Fit for purpose.
It doesn't matter what the company says, their policy can't ignore the law.
Also your contract is with the retailer and not the manufacturer.
 
Sorry for late reply. Thanks for the responses. I agree, it definietly doesn't have anything to do with general maintenance. So yes I took action today @j.col and I spoke with Citizens Advice this afternoon - very helpful. Gave me a case number and talked me through a lot of stuff but it basically boils down to Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the goods not being of satisfactory quality and not lasting a resonable amount of time. So the lady said I've already done what she classed as "stage 1" and reached out asking for a replacement part and been denied (twice). So next step is writing a formal letter to their HQ in Surrey. I used the Citizens Advice template letter online and basically I'm well within my rights to choose between some sort of partial refund or money back, or a free of charge replacement and if not available then an equivalent model. Or, I can use my final right to reject and just send it back for a refund (which may be partial not full). Letter will be going out tomorrow giving them 14 days to give me a replacment. Gloves are off. :mad:
 
Firegod said:
Sorry for late reply. Thanks for the responses. I agree, it definietly doesn't have anything to do with general maintenance. So yes I took action today @j.col and I spoke with Citizens Advice this afternoon - very helpful. Gave me a case number and talked me through a lot of stuff but it basically boils down to Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the goods not being of satisfactory quality and not lasting a resonable amount of time. So the lady said I've already done what she classed as "stage 1" and reached out asking for a replacement part and been denied (twice). So next step is writing a formal letter to their HQ in Surrey. I used the Citizens Advice template letter online and basically I'm well within my rights to choose between some sort of partial refund or money back, or a free of charge replacement and if not available then an equivalent model. Or, I can use my final right to reject and just send it back for a refund (which may be partial not full). Letter will be going out tomorrow giving them 14 days to give me a replacment. Gloves are off. :mad:
Click to expand...
A couple of points,
If after 6 months, if there is a defect, it is upto the consumer to prove that the fault is down to poor build quality, so you may have to pay for an independant report to prove this.
Most companies dont do this, but its in their rights to ask for the report.
If you do have to get an independent report, and it finds in your favour, then the cost of the report is payable by Samsung or the retailer on top of anything else.
On my mobile atm, what company did you actually pay for the vacumn?

edit.also regarding the partial payment.
How long would expect a £500 vacumn to last? i would say at least 10 years!
so taking in fair usage, £500 / 10 = £50 per year usage, so a partial refund, i would expect £450
 
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j.col said:
A couple of points,
If after 6 months, if there is a defect, it is upto the consumer to prove that the fault is down to poor build quality, so you may have to pay for an independant report to prove this.
Most companies dont do this, but its in their rights to ask for the report.
If you do have to get an independent report, and it finds in your favour, then the cost of the report is payable by Samsung or the retailer on top of anything else.
On my mobile atm, what company did you actually pay for the vacumn?
Click to expand...
Understood yeah the lady mentioned that as well. :) It was purchased direct from Samsung 13 months ago and all registered with them etc.
 
j.col said:
see my ninja edit :)
Click to expand...
Hah cheers for that - very useful. Yes I think 10 years is not unreasonable, we still have an old Sebo vacuum and that has been going for well over 10 years. :) I'll see what they come back with on the letter, if a replacement is still no go, I'll send it back and look to get a partial refund agreed.

And just on a completely unrelated note, I have a soap dispenser that's decided to go on the fritz (the pump is sticking). It is well outside of any warranty but I emailed John Lewis just on the off chance to see what they'd say. John Lewis have just emailed me back (very promptly) to say that as a valued customer (I like that even if they say it to everyone) they can't do much but will send me an e-gift card for the full amount. So yes I still have to spend it at John Lewis but I'm not out of pocket. Now that to me is customer service done right.
 
Push back.

Ask them to provide details on the regular maintenance schedule for the item and then make a complaint when they fail to do so.

They are likely hoping you will just leave it when told no initialy
 
Unfortunately it's becoming more of a thing now that even large so called reputable companies are trying everything they can to get out of their legal obligations.

I note the above about John Lewis and I always buy white goods from them for this very reason.

Shame though, never used to be like this, sign of the times.
 
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Thanks all. Definitely going to be pushing this one. They have 14 days to respond to the letter.

@BUDFORCE no was klarna 3 payments sadly.

Defo will be more picky about what I buy from Samsung in future... He says, typing this from his Samsung mobile. Ffs. Lol.
 
Samsung are another company i don't bother with now. I've not had any upsets from them myself, but they're repeatedly mentioned as being rubbish and hiding behind a fake premium brand, while offering little innovation.

£500 on a vacuum is something i couldn't do, and that's because a Henry does the job and i don't have faith in most companies anymore. I like the idea of paying more and getting a good product, but most just don't deliver. Hoping my Miele washing machine lasts.

Keep us updated OP!
 
Yeah it's a bit disappointing.

Small update. Local trading standards rang today to try and assist. They are going to look into various databases they have to see if there are any other cases raised about this. There might not but I appreciate they are looking into it for me. Every little helps!
 
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You mentioned in your OP that it came with a 5 year warranty, I don't see how Samsung can outright reject helping you with something still in warranty.

I think in some ways you may have jumped the gun asking for a specific part replacement, rather than just complaining about the vacuum being faulty.
 
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