Samsung Customer service awful.

Sharkypal · 31 Jul 2006 at 10:47

I reported my defective monitor on Monday of last week and was told I would have to wait 1 - 5 days. On Friday I called to ask what was happening and they told me that the supplier they had contacted to furnish me with a replacement didnt have any and so it had been held while they tried to find another one.

First of all, why not call me and tell me. Second of all, the only way to contact them is by 0870. No e-mail or anything and they refuse to call back even though I am sure businesses are obliged to do so if a callback is requested.

I called again this morning and yet again, the right hand doesnt know what the left is doing.

Result : Will not be buying Samsung again.

S

PS : Monitor was only 2 months old.

dafloppyone · 1 Aug 2006 at 00:52

agreed I also bought the samsung 930bf which blew 2hours after using it.

samsung tried to fob a refurbished monitor onto me!! from a brand new one ...
3 year warranty yah....thats how long it takes to get it fixed...
anyway ocuk sent me a replacement monitor.

Sharkypal · 1 Aug 2006 at 08:35

dafloppyone said:
agreed I also bought the samsung 930bf which blew 2hours after using it.

samsung tried to fob a refurbished monitor onto me!! from a brand new one ...
3 year warranty yah....thats how long it takes to get it fixed...
anyway ocuk sent me a replacement monitor.

Yep, they gave me some more BS yesterday and promised me a call back before 6 p.m. Guess what, no call back.

As I stated before, I will never buy Samsung again after this. Absolutely unacceptable.

S

**UPDATE** I will supposedly be getting a call back today b4 6. $$$ to donuts I dont get a call. I am logging all my calls to them and sending them a bill. Its unacceptable that the only means of contacting them is by an 0870 number, not even an E-mail address! :mad:

**UPDATE** I love their CSRs, they love to answer in very vague terms, for example :

Samsung CSR : So you can expect to receive a callback before 6 p.m today.
Myself : Ok thats great, so today before 6 p.m right?
Samsung CSR : Yes, most likely.
(Sound of record scratching in my head)
Myself : OK, but you said today.
Samsung CSR : Yes, most probably it will be.
Myself : Ok, "most probably" isn't very confidence inspiring.
Samsung CSR : Is there anything else I can help you with today?
Myself : No thanks you've been an unbelieveable help /sarcasm off
(me hangs up)

jrodga2k5 · 1 Aug 2006 at 12:36

Actually i know its a different product but getting my Portable Media Player repaired off them was a joke!

Lost warranty info, wrong repairs, repairs not completed.....

Great fun, all at the cost to the customer in which to send it back! ideal! especiailly when it was sent 3 times :mad:

Sharkypal · 1 Aug 2006 at 13:15

jrodga2k5 said:
Actually i know its a different product but getting my Portable Media Player repaired off them was a joke!

Lost warranty info, wrong repairs, repairs not completed.....

Great fun, all at the cost to the customer in which to send it back! ideal! especiailly when it was sent 3 times

Yes, they are unbelievably bad. I have dealt with many companies in terms of returning merchandise and this is by FAR the worst experience I have ever had. They're the type of company who keep telling you they are dealing with it, while never actually dealing with it.

If I don't get a callback by 17:45, I am going to call back and get a group leader or manager on the phone. I've had enough.

S

fish99 · 1 Aug 2006 at 14:33

I had a similar experience with Samsung when a CRT went wonky. They didn't have a replacement in stock but they didn't tell me this. Twice they led me to believe that I would have a replacement monitor by a particular date. Then when they eventually told me they didn't have any stock and they tried to escalate the problem up to someone who had the authority to deal with it, no one got in touch despite me being told many times that someone would definitely be phoning me.

It took months and months before they agreed to give me a 'better' (slightly) monitor instead since there was no prospect of them ever replacing it with the same model.

No one at samsung gave a crap about sorting out the problem. No one had the initiative to actually do anything about it. It didn't matter that I'd been waiting for months, they still wouldn't get off their backsides and do anything. They didn't offer me a temporary screen in the meantime either.

By the time I got my monitor I had long since given up on samsung and bought another from Viewsonic at a cost of £180. As it happens I wasn't as annoyed by the whole experience as you might expect, because the samsung monitor was terrible anyway (as indeed was the 'better' replacement) and the Viewsonic was far superior, so it was money well spent. My parents are using the Samsung now.

It's hard to imagine worse service though.

Sharkypal · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:26

fish99 said:
I had a similar experience with Samsung when a CRT went wonky. They didn't have a replacement in stock but they didn't tell me this. Twice they led me to believe that I would have a replacement monitor by a particular date. Then when they eventually told me they didn't have any stock and they tried to escalate the problem up to someone who had the authority to deal with it, no one got in touch despite me being told many times that someone would definitely be phoning me.

It took months and months before they agreed to give me a 'better' (slightly) monitor instead since there was no prospect of them ever replacing it with the same model.

No one at samsung gave a crap about sorting out the problem. No one had the initiative to actually do anything about it. It didn't matter that I'd been waiting for months, they still wouldn't get off their backsides and do anything. They didn't offer me a temporary screen in the meantime either.

By the time I got my monitor I had long since given up on samsung and bought another from Viewsonic at a cost of £180. As it happens I wasn't as annoyed by the whole experience as you might expect, because the samsung monitor was terrible anyway (as indeed was the 'better' replacement) and the Viewsonic was far superior, so it was money well spent. My parents are using the Samsung now.

It's hard to imagine worse service though.

Every time I call I get that "they arent doing anything about this" feeling. Its totally ridiculous. I know I wont get a call back today. I also know that if I dont push them I wont get a replacement before October. :mad:

S

DannyW · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:54

Yup Samsung products are well over rated, their TVs are nice but everything else I hate, even cd roms drives

div0 · 1 Aug 2006 at 16:23

Sharkypal said:
Its unacceptable that the only means of contacting them is by an 0870 number, not even an E-mail address!

try: **apparently you cant link to the website "say no to 0870" - so google it!!**

a quick search gave me this:

Samsung - 08702420303, try the geographical number - 01932 455000, also Customer services - 01952 297664

If the 0870 number you are using ISNT 08702420303, then try the site I linked to and see if there is another geographical number that they suggest.

It might save you a bit of money!

Sharkypal · 1 Aug 2006 at 16:38

div0 said:
try: **apparently you cant link to the website "say no to 0870" - so google it!!**

a quick search gave me this:

Samsung - 08702420303, try the geographical number - 01932 455000, also Customer services - 01952 297664

If the 0870 number you are using ISNT 08702420303, then try the site I linked to and see if there is another geographical number that they suggest.

It might save you a bit of money!

Cheers mate.

S

Sharkypal · 1 Aug 2006 at 16:52

More news : Apparently it is ** Policy ** that when they do a swap out, they replace the defective monitor with a refurbished one. One of their advisors just told me that. What a BS company! :mad:

S

cavemanoc · 1 Aug 2006 at 20:19

Internal policy makes absolutely not differnece to your rights as a consumer - either get your money back or INSIST on a brand new product with full warranty as that's what you paid for!

Sharkypal · 1 Aug 2006 at 20:56

cavemanoc said:
Internal policy makes absolutely not differnece to your rights as a consumer - either get your money back or INSIST on a brand new product with full warranty as that's what you paid for!

I told them today that I would not accept a refurbished unit and they told me that was their "policy". I do actually feel like asking for my money back, but as I understand it, they have 30 days to make good on a replacement. I'd rather have my cash back at this point.

S

PS : I also dont want to wait 20 years for them to cut me a cheque. :mad:

cavemanoc · 1 Aug 2006 at 21:44

I'm pretty sure they'd be on thin ice calling a re-furbished model a 'replacement' for the new one you bought! I'll have a dig about and see if I can find anything on this in the usual consumer locations - they're policy really is completely irrelevant - either it meets the legal requirements or it doesn't - trick is to know what that is!

Sharkypal · 1 Aug 2006 at 22:08

cavemanoc said:
I'm pretty sure they'd be on thin ice calling a re-furbished model a 'replacement' for the new one you bought! I'll have a dig about and see if I can find anything on this in the usual consumer locations - they're policy really is completely irrelevant - either it meets the legal requirements or it doesn't - trick is to know what that is!

Yah, Im in the dark on that. I will take a look on the web as well. Cheers for looking that up.

S

cavemanoc · 2 Aug 2006 at 22:15

Right - still digging, but I did find a nice little intro from the CAB (They really are a little weak on the law, but it's not a bad starter for 10.) the Section on Your rights when things go wrong is pretty good.

Couple of things worth noting off the bat. When things go wrong, it is between YOU and the SELLER (not the manufacturer, unless you are willing to deal with them - DO NOT allow yourself to be fobbed off with a -"well the manufacturer deals with all the technical issues" <- pure bull, it may be quicker and easier :eek:

to deal direct with the manufacturer instead of the seller but that is up to YOU not them!) - sorry for all the caps/bold, but this little scam on the behalf of far too many sellers really winds me up!

Your goods are well and truely under 6 months old and I think we have established that they are not fit for purpose. Neither would a refurbished model be. I'd go straight for the refund and buy from a company that treats its customers with a little more respect.

I'll see if I can narrow it down a bit more (what exactly you're entitled to - been far too long and my memory ain't what it used to be!)

Keep an accurate log of everything that goes between you. Be firm in what you want, and don't settle for anything less. I'll let you know when I've found out more!

cavemanoc · 2 Aug 2006 at 22:29

Right:

From the Sale of Goods Act (1979)

48A.

(1) This section applies if—

(a) the buyer deals as consumer or, in Scotland, there is a consumer contract in which the buyer is a consumer, and

(b) the goods do not conform to the contract of sale at the time of delivery.

(2) If this section applies, the buyer has the right—

(a) under and in accordance with section 48B below, to require the seller to repair or replace the goods, or

(b) under and in accordance with section 48C below—

(i) to require the seller to reduce the purchase price of the goods to the buyer by an appropriate amount, or

(ii) to rescind the contract with regard to the goods in question.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b) above goods which do not conform to the contract of sale at any time within the period of six months starting with the date on which the goods were delivered to the buyer must be taken not to have so conformed at that date.

We'll cover the small print a bit later - basically you can either go for a repair/replace/refund. Which you'd prefer is something for you to decide. If you go for the repair/replace, bear in mind that section section 48B states:

(2) (2) If the buyer requires the seller to repair or replace the goods, the seller must—

(a) repair or, as the case may be, replace the goods within a reasonable time but without causing significant inconvenience to the buyer;

That last bit always makes me laugh - especially in the Tech business where any delay makes your product essentially obsolete - I've had friends waiting 6 months for repairs on a 'state-of-the-art' laptop that was barely bargain bin by the time it got back.

cavemanoc · 2 Aug 2006 at 22:46

So to the last option:

Section 48C: in order to insist on a return:

(2) The condition is that—

(a) by virtue of section 48B(3) above the buyer may require neither repair nor replacement of the goods; or

(b) the buyer has required the seller to repair or replace the goods, but the seller is in breach of the requirement of section 48B(2)(a) above to do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the buyer.

Basically you can't force them to do a refund unless repair/replace is impossible, or - the bit highlighted above - inconvenience/reasonable time.

That's the kicker - what constitutes a reasonable delay/inconvenience. Personally I would think for a system critical component like a monitor that renders your entire system unuseable (all that important work you can't do because their defective product is taking too long to replace...

) more than 1 week is too much!

There are guidelines laid down on this and I'll see if I can find them - in the mean time, I'd write them a strongly worded snotogram explaining that you require a serviceable monitor to go about your business, they have taken an unreasonable time to repair/replace their defective product. A second hand monitor is not an acceptable replacement for the BRAND NEW one you got (that for the purposes of the law is deemed Defective from the time of arrival - you've never had a fit monitor!).

They have 3 choices

They replace your monitor with a NEW one within 7 working days.
They give you a full refund as you had less than 2 months use out of your monitor.
You'll see them in small claims court where you'll be claiming for the cost of the monitor and subsequent damages as a result of your machine being out of action .

Be polite but firm and ensure that you require them to reply within 5 working days. (You could always email and send a paper copy as well if you want to speed things up.) - don't be afraid of option 3 - you only pay your own costs - minimal - and The judges tend to be Lay and on your side!

Sharkypal · 2 Aug 2006 at 22:48

cavemanoc said:
So to the last option:

Section 48C: in order to insist on a return:

Basically you can't force them to do a refund unless repair/replace is impossible, or - the bit highlighted above - inconvenience/reasonable time.

That's the kicker - what constitutes a reasonable delay/inconvenience. Personally I would think for a system critical component like a monitor that renders your entire system unuseable (all that important work you can't do because their defective product is taking too long to replace... )

There are guidelines laid down on this and I'll see if I can find them - in the mean time, I'd write them a strongly worded snotogram explaining that you require a serviceable monitor to go about your business, they have taken an unreasonable time to repair/replace their defective product. A second hand monitor is not an acceptable replacement for the BRAND NEW one you got (that for the purposes of the law is deemed Defective from the time of arrival - you've never had a fit monitor!).

They have 3 choices

They replace your monitor with a NEW one within 7 working days.

They give you a full refund as you had less than 2 months use out of your monitor.

You'll see them in small claims court where you'll be claiming for the cost of the monitor and subsequent damages as a result of your machine being out of action .

Be polite but firm and ensure that you require them to reply within 5 working days. (You could always email and send a paper copy as well if you want to speed things up.)

I live by these words "Be nice, until its time to not be nice!"

Cheers for helping me out ... its been more than 7 days now and they told me they dont have a replacement so I am going to demand a refund tomorrow.

Cheers

S

cavemanoc · 2 Aug 2006 at 22:50

Hope it helps - I'll let you know if I find those guidelines - I remember them being disturbingly long (up to 2 months in some cases!)