Samsung refusing warranty on cracked Galaxy S6 screen

perkinma on 12/01/2016 - 11:39
Last edited 12/01/2016 - 14:24 by 2 other users

As it turns out just another post on how rubbish Samsung warranty is. Now that I am having trouble seems I'm not the first, but hopefully this serves as another warning to others.

I made the mistake of purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S6 direct from Samsung.com.au, thought I would get better service.

The screen cracked between the home button and the microphone port in the first two weeks. It never had any mishandling or drops or anything (yes I know that is what everyone says). It went straight into a case on the first day but I hadn't put a screen protector on it. In my opinion the way its cracked shows that it could not be from a drop or fall, there is no spiderwebbing, no point of impact, and I can't imagine any way you could bend the phone with sufficient force to crack where it has and not crack elsewhere.

After a few weeks of Samsung playing funny buggers by getting me to mailbox information from one department to the next and cutting me off after being on hold when it got near the end of the day I finally get told that they are outright refusing to repair under warranty claiming it must be because of misuse / mishandling.

The initial quote was $320. They have offered to cover labour if I cover parts but haven't put a price on that yet, I'll look at it but not inclined to agree. I'm pretty upset by it all. I've got iPhones and iPads that have been absolutely hammered by the kids and never had a single cracked screen ever.

Tempted to try credit card claimback. But probably complicated by the fact I bought two in the same transaction and the second phone is working great.

Other option is Department of Fair Trading but from experience even if they find in your favour you can still end up needing to file a claim in the small claims tribunal or equivalent and that normally has a non refundable fee of a couple hundred dollars (I lived in a different state the one and only time I previously got to this point).

Regardless I'll file it with the ACCC but they will just add it to the existing list.

Anyway, just another vent to add to the Samsung warranty drama list.

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  sw0rdy on 12/01/2016 - 12:47

  +1

  dropped

  • 

    spackbace on 12/01/2016 - 12:50

    Maybe delivery problems

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      perkinma on 12/01/2016 - 13:08

      -1

      Comment deleted - inappropriate.

    • 

      charzy on 12/01/2016 - 13:11

      mailbox opening too small maybe? postman squeezed it into that small orifice and it damaged it? Sounds like that's what happened with the tv.

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  dissin on 12/01/2016 - 14:13

  Unusual place to have crack

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  Settero on 12/01/2016 - 14:17

  there are many ways to crack the screen without dropping it or having it fall.
  it really does not sound like a manufacturing defect.
  im not sure why you are blaming them for seeing hoofprints and thinking a horse.

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  Orqq on 31/01/2016 - 00:30

  Pay the Assessment Fee, get the phone back, then get a second Assessment from another of their Repairers.

  If they come back the same, then it really was mishandled someway.. If you the Assessment is contrary to the original then ask Samsung to review it.

  • 

    perkinma on 11/02/2016 - 00:38

    Thanks for the info Orqq.

    I didn't know this was possible, there was no assessment fee on the invoice just repair costs. To be honest when I sent it off to Samsung I understood it was going to Samsung, not some third party repair agent. Clearly I was wrong.

    I do really wish I never sent it to Samsung or even purchased from Samsung. It has been an utterly miserable experience. Their customer support is clearly set up to make it difficult for customers. I guess next time I should be trying to find a local repair agent instead, would have been cheaper to ignore the warranty and just pay to fix it myself. Actually I should have bought it from overseas, even with the repair costs I would have still been in front.

    I paid on the 20th Jan, now 3 weeks later and I have heard nothing back at all. In the 3 months I've owned the phone I've actually only had it in my possession for 2 weeks.

    The response from the ACCC was as follows:

    You may be entitled to a repair. If writing to Samsung Electronics Australia doesn't resolve this problem, you should contact your local consumer protection agency.
    Your local consumer protection agency may be able to assist you with this matter. They can mediate some disputes but they cannot enforce a resolution. Unlike these agencies, the ACCC does not have a dispute resolution service.
    Although we do not have a dispute resolution service we have recorded your complaint.

    Their response went on further but beyond that it was pretty generic stuff.