Samsung/Overclockers warranty problems

stunts · 15 Mar 2011 at 17:28

I've got a Samsung HD154UI 1.5Tb drive that I bought in November 2009 from Overclockers and got RMA'ed only 2 months later via Overclockers and they replaced the drive for me. It has now gone wrong again but is well inside the 3 year warranty, however when I go to the Samsung/Rexo site I am given the service code 103 for its serial number which is 'This product has been brought in from outside of the service region and cannot be serviced. Please contact your reseller or distributor.' I bought the drive from the UK, Overclockers supplied it to me in the UK but it seems the replacement drive came from somewhere else, where I've no idea. Therefore I've not been able to process the RMA with Samsung.
I've contacted Overclockers directly who have advised me 'I can only apologise but after 1 year we do not cover the warranty on the item. Sorry for any problems caused by this.'. Where do I stand on this please ? Surely with Overclockers replacing my drive with a drive outside the region they have some responsibility to help me sort this ? I've been a customer with Overclockers for several years and always praise there excellent customer service so I'm really confused by their stance. Can anyone advise me please or been in a similar position ?

Mercutio · 15 Mar 2011 at 18:17

This will likely get locked but yup. I'd say this one is a breach of warrenty terms. Citizens advice if they don't get you sorted (but to be fair they're usually reasonable so will likely see you right).

stunts · 15 Mar 2011 at 18:23

Thanks Mercutio, as I say normally Overclockers are brilliant with this type of thing, always willing to go the extra mile. That's why I use them, and why the company I work for does, so I'm really confused by this. I think I'll try to email higher up the chain and hope someone sees sense.

Turambar · 15 Mar 2011 at 19:25

I also have this problem with a Samsung drive bought directly from OCUK, it was not a replacement.

nightmare99 · 15 Mar 2011 at 19:32

I've contacted Overclockers directly who have advised me 'I can only apologise but after 1 year we do not cover the warranty on the item. Sorry for any problems caused by this.'. Where do I stand on this please ?

Just go back to them and explain the situation, the drive is probably grey stock so if they sold it to you as coming with three years warranty and rexo will not process it then it is down to them.

chippy08 · 15 Mar 2011 at 20:41

My replacement samsung drives arrives back tomorrow hope i dont end up with this problem Will check serial number when it arrives back.

*Moangroan* · 16 Mar 2011 at 15:44

So ocuk invalidated the 3 yr warranty. MMMM thinks about pending HD buy.. :confused:

Let us know how u get on dude.

Tweaker · 16 Mar 2011 at 15:50

I have seen this on other retailers forums, it is common place. If OcUK sold you a 3 warranty then they should honour it. A certain East Yorkshire based etailer doesn't even list warranty terms as to side skirt this issue.

Amos91 · 16 Mar 2011 at 16:12

I got a Samsung drive with another retailer with the same rma error but they replaced the drive for me without a fuss so OcUK should honour it.

kmufc77 · 16 Mar 2011 at 16:16

It wont help the OP but Western Digital are miles ahead of any HDD manufacturer there warranty RMA is superb.

I will only buy WD HDDs

sybaris · 16 Mar 2011 at 17:57

The sale of goods does say that the item purchased must be of merchantable quality and must be fit for purpose. i.e. should last a reasonable life time. Even a couple of years of life span for a drive, regardless of how much warranty remains is not reasonable, (unless you have hundreds of people accessing it all day, daily). There for I would suggest that any reasonable supplier is made aware of this, politely of course, and they replace it.
Remember your contract is with your supplier, not the manufacturer. It is for your supplier to deal with the manufacturer.
Furthermore, if goods fail within a satisfactory and reasonable period, and you have any consequential losses as a result, your supplier may also be liable for those costs too.

Disclaimer, This is just my interpretation of the law, one should always check legal facts with a qualified expert first.

Behemoth · 16 Mar 2011 at 20:21

sybaris said:
The sale of goods does say that the item purchased must be of merchantable quality and must be fit for purpose. i.e. should last a reasonable life time. Even a couple of years of life span for a drive, regardless of how much warranty remains is not reasonable, (unless you have hundreds of people accessing it all day, daily). There for I would suggest that any reasonable supplier is made aware of this, politely of course, and they replace it.
Remember your contract is with your supplier, not the manufacturer. It is for your supplier to deal with the manufacturer.
Furthermore, if goods fail within a satisfactory and reasonable period, and you have any consequential losses as a result, your supplier may also be liable for those costs too.

Disclaimer, This is just my interpretation of the law, one should always check legal facts with a qualified expert first.

It's actually Satisfactory Quality, Merchantable was thrown out a long time ago.

It's also Supply of Goods and Service Act against Samsung as they replaced the first drive, not OcUk.

linktoinsanity · 16 Mar 2011 at 22:02

Where I work in Retail at the moment the warrenty is taken by us even if it above 1 year (2 Year warrenty for example). It is usually in the contract in which the reseller buys from the manufacturer. In our case we buy the extra warrenty with the product.

As far as the law goes I am not sure by this one, but maybe OcUK could contact Samsung on your behalf as a gesture of goodwill as they were the reseller of the drive?

Up to OcUK at the end of the day and up to you on where you want to go after this.

stunts · 20 Mar 2011 at 17:05

A brief update : I wrote an email to Overclockers management explaining the situation, and they've kindly generated an RMA for the drive, so I hope to get it replaced by OC very soon. Thanks everyone for the help and advice.