Samsung Fridge Less than 5 Years Having Issues. Samsung Not Helping. Contact ACCC or Get Fixed First. Please Advice

skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 14:23

Friends,
I bought a Samsung Fridge from Costco for $1300 and its going to around 5 years in January next year.
For the last 6 months, water gets frozen at the bottom of the fridger.( The frozen section in at the bottom).
Because of which ,the bottom drawer gets stuck and I have to use force/spatula to break the ice bond and pull the drawer out.

I contacted Samsung and they said its out of warranty and they cannot fix it for free. They referred me to local Samsung repair centre.

I had read in one of the ozbargain post that though the electrical appliances have just 1 or 2 years warranty, they suppose to last 7-10 years ( depending upon the appliance) and we are guarded by ACCC.

I was wondering if anybody had experience in rectifying similar sort of issue with ACCC.

Wanted advice how to approach solving the issue.
1. Get the fridge repaired from the Samsung repair centre first and then lodge complaint with ACCC to claim the repair cost from Samsung.
2. Lodge complaint with ACCC first and then take it from there.

I can return the fridge to Costco but don't want to do that, as going thru the web , this is a common issue in Samsung fridge and easily fixable.

Please advice

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • wallet72 on 13/12/2018 - 14:30
    +5

    You got it from Costco? Can't you take it back to them for a refund? They have a pretty good return policy

    • dcep on 13/12/2018 - 14:31

      after 5 years ?

      • wallet72 on 13/12/2018 - 14:33
        +4

        From the Costco site…

        On Merchandise: We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell, and will refund your purchase price. This is in addition to your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

      • enigma48 on 13/12/2018 - 14:42

        Very good return policies. Don't assume it'll always work but I'd give it at least 50/50.

    • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 16:31
      +4

      I can do that but thought it would be waste to go a working fridge with a possible fix , go to landfill as Costco will dump it.

      • BertieBrown on 13/12/2018 - 17:04
        +3

        That’s the problem. Manufacturers don’t make anything anymore intentionally to last. I’d be all for having to spend a bit more and get something that will last but often the stuff we’re sold is cheap and plasticky and designed, at the very least, to have a limited if not very short shelf life.

        • Karfaffel on 14/12/2018 - 12:36
          +4

          Some of the blame for this also has to rest with the consumerism of today. Companies are in competition. If consumers consistently choose products on cheapest price alone the companies have to adjust to that "market". I know it seems like blasphemy to say this on a forum about bargains, but consumers really have to adjust their behaviour if they want to see a change to this.

          • orangetrain on 14/12/2018 - 17:52
            +1

            @Karfaffel: Forget price. How does a consumer understand how long a fridge will last?

          • Beefking on 14/12/2018 - 18:06
            +1

            @Karfaffel: It's in the very nature of modern capitalism; to allow companies to advertise and undercut their competitors. The consumer will never be as educated as the manufacturer so you're going to get companies with slick marketing and average products reaping the benefits.

            • Bren20 on 14/12/2018 - 23:44
              +1

              @Beefking: Any chance you've read up on 'nudge' enonomics, is suggests that consumers should be provided with basic info on the outcomes of economic choices in order to deliver the best outcome to consumers, and the concept was awarded a noble prize a few years ago - it's kind of an economists solution to rampant capitalism.

              This situation sounds like a great example where regulation could improve consumer outcomes, but it would be almost impossible to measure the failure rate of fridges :)

              • Beefking on 15/12/2018 - 07:51
                +1

                @Bren20: I know I sound bitter, but the consumerist landscape is far too complex; most of these "solutions" to economic ills fail to consider the myriad of intricate factors which can never be squared by any human system. Manufacturers and consumers alike are made up of individuals and individuals are both behavioural and psychodynamic. This is one of the reasons communism is such an utter failure, as it fails to consider the complex metaphysics which precedes human necessity.

                • Karfaffel on 17/12/2018 - 10:49

                  @Beefking: I bought a fridge recently. I did some online research. Samsung came up as one of the brands to avoid due to issues reported. They, along with LG would have been amongst the cheaper alternatives, but I decided on a Panasonic instead due to better reporting on that brand.

                  Now this isn't always going to work out, but if we have more informed consumers making choices on reliability and quality rather than just choosing the cheapest that appears to have the most "features" then this will affect company decisions in the long run. If consumers stop buying cheap crap because there isn't true value to be had there anyway, then companies who produce poorly designed products will suffer economically and when that happens you can be sure they will act to alleviate the situation.

                  We talk a lot about supply and demand in economics. Well, I think the demand side is very much up to us, the consumer. If we don't take some responsibility for that then how can anyone expect it work any better?

  • QW3RTY on 13/12/2018 - 14:31

    For the last 6 months, water gets frozen at the bottom of the fridger.

    Is the fridge set at it's coldest setting?

    • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 16:29

      No setting has been changed since the last 2 years

      • HighAndDry on 13/12/2018 - 17:18
        +3

        Have you tried defrosting it? Fridges need maintenance too.

        • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 17:21

          Aren't these new fridges Frost free ?. I will see if I can find the manual

          • HighAndDry on 13/12/2018 - 17:22
            +4

            @skjaus2015: I mean, it took it 5 years to throw a fairly innocuous (and incredibly minor) issue. I think it did well enough - nothing is truly maintenance free, unless you plan to throw it out very regularly.

            Edit: Not personally directed at you, but consumers not understanding how to perform the most basic of maintenance is probably why a lot of consumer goods have planned obsolescence.

            • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 17:40
              +2

              @HighAndDry: Fully agree.Its a minor issue. Hole is blocked which needs to be cleared. But reading on the web, its a design flaw with Samsung fridges where the heater is not contacting the outlet part of water. Someone has done a DIY fix by connecting a wire to the heating coil and the hole.
              There is no two thoughts, if you regularly maintain your equipment's/Tools you get a longer life !!!

              • mctubster on 14/12/2018 - 22:06
                +7

                @skjaus2015: Wow, I also have a Samsung Fridge/Freeze, bought 2006 and had it serviced under warrant many times because it would chuck water out of the air vent from the freezer. They replaced the main board, the fan assembly, the cooling flap. So much wasted time. In the end I was over it, pulled it apart myself and discovered the drain hole was frozen solid.

                So I would manually clear with warm water and all would be well for another year or so, until enough ice built up from the auto defrost to block again. And then I finally did that, got some fencing wire, tied it to the defrost element, poked it down the drain hole and all fine for 7 years :)

  • try2bhelpful on 13/12/2018 - 14:33
    -4

    For that price I'm not sure expecting a 5 year warranty is going to fly, but will be interested in what the ACCC says. Personally, if Costco is going to come to the party, I would be taking it back and get a new fridge (this will restart your warranty).

    • azonki on 14/12/2018 - 08:40
      +4

      A warranty only applies to the original item purchased by the customer, not the replacement.
      So if the original item has a two-year warranty, any obligation for repairs or replacements expire on the two-year anniversary of the date of purchase.
      The only way around this is to get a cash refund and start all over.

    • HighAndDry on 14/12/2018 - 13:14
      +1

      I would be taking it back and get a new fridge (this will restart your warranty)

      Dammit, I didn't see this - wouldn't have have upvoted. This is incorrect. One purchase gets One ACL consumer warranty.

      • try2bhelpful on 14/12/2018 - 14:48
        -1

        ACL probably won’t but Costco probably would.

        • HighAndDry on 14/12/2018 - 15:08

          Only under the same circumstances - OP gets a refund, and buys a new fridge. A warranty replacement doesn't get a fresh warranty.

    • Entropy Sky on 15/12/2018 - 17:49
      +1

      Ignorance spread by certain people on OzBargain is unbelievable.

      Google, Dell, Asus, Acer, Huawei, Samsung, JB, Harvey, Officework….
      All the dealings with them, warranty restart with replacement unit.

      Yet, misinformation still spread in OZBargain, saying it doesnt.

      ACL expected working life is different to warranty. These misinformed people need to not mix them up.

  • Tech5 on 13/12/2018 - 14:57
    +2

    We have had a 4-5 year old washing machine shit itself before. Warranty was 1 year. ACCC still sided with us and panasonic ended up having to give us a new washing machine, rather than fix the old one which they were asking $150 for

    • Tech5 on 13/12/2018 - 16:17
      +1

      Don't know what people disagree with here. They wanted to bolt the washing machine to the floor of our laundry as a support rod/foot broke from the vibration. We said no, please replace rod, they wanted $150. We went to ACCC asking for the rod for free. ACCC sent us to CTT who awarded us a new machine instead

    • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 16:32

      So how did you approach ? Guess you lodged complaint with ACCC and not get it fixed ? Please elaborate

      • Tech5 on 13/12/2018 - 16:48

        We went back and forth with panasonic to begin with. After they offered us their final remedy of either drill it into the floor for free vs replace the part for $150, we went to ACCC. ACCC mediated and was unable to get a resolution, so sent us to a hearing at the CTT, where we were awarded the machine

  • jj brisbane on 13/12/2018 - 14:58

    my samsung fridge stopped working a couple of months ago and was 4 years 11 months old, i spoke to samsung and they said 2 year warranty will not help at all. i luckily found out i paid for extended warranty so the insurance company refunded the money. Once you are out of warranty they will wash their hands with it.

    • varunynr on 14/12/2018 - 07:30

      Spot on. Same issue. Just got my fridge replaced last month when the hisense died after 3 years. Luckily I had 3 year extra Harvey norman product care and I got a brand new larger fridge for $40 more. Thankfully the extra warranty worked for us.

      Cheers

    • [Deactivated] on 15/12/2018 - 08:20

      They will try to wash their hands but if it is still within a reasonable expected life of the product regardless of warranty and depending on purchase price etc DFT will almost always rule in your favour.

  • hawkeye on 13/12/2018 - 15:02

    They offer 10 years on the motor and around 2 years on the rest.
    Your motors working from the ice your 2 year warranty on the thermostat is not.
    Dunno how you would go letting it self destruct itself till the motor blew up would they replace the thermostat as well? being Samsung the answer would be obvious.

  • Topdog on 13/12/2018 - 15:08
    +1

    I think if the motor had gone or something you might be ok to still have your consumer rights, however (Happy to be proven wrong) what you have stated is wrong with your fridge would be acceptable wear and tear after 5 years of use…

  • Randxyz123 on 13/12/2018 - 15:54
    +4

    I had read in one of the ozbargain post that though the electrical appliances have just 1 or 2 years warranty, they suppose to last 7-10 years

    No, they are meant to last a “reasonable” amount of time for the price paid. For example a $4000 TV Might have a standard warranty of 2 years but one would expect it to last maybe 5 or 6 years.

    I don’t think you’re going to have much luck arguing your 5 year old fridge should last longer.

    Have you got a quote for repairs ? Surely you don’t have to drag your fridge to the repair place ?

  • endotherm on 13/12/2018 - 16:16
    +6

    5 years would well and truly be within the expected life for a refrigerator under the ACL. However, I would suggest a little maintenance first, it probably isn't a fault.

    As water condenses and runs down the back wall every time you open the door and it changes the inside temperature, it collects on the bottom floor of the freezer. It usually has a little dam at the front and is slanted backwards towards a small drain hole. The water is supposed to run into the drain hole and into a tray under the refrigerator. The tray is heated by the running compressor and the water evaporates. Out of sight, out of mind. However, over time, dirt and crap (or even a little icicle) can clog the hole, causing water to back up in the hole and flood the bottom of the freezer. Water in the freezer leads to ice build up on the floor, seizing food and drawers etc.

    I suggest you could either turn off the fridge for a while and let all the ice melt (this was called a defrost cycle on ancient fridges, and was a regular necessity). Keep the doors closed and your food will be fine and safe to eat. Or you could accelerate the process by scraping the ice with a non-metallic scraper, and pour hot water over the floor until it is melted. Put some towels on the floor first, it might get a little messy. Once the floor ice is gone, see if you can pour hot to boiling water through the drain hole to flush out any blockage. You will also probably have to poke through the hole with a bamboo skewer to dislodge anything. After this procedure, any condensation should just run out the hole as it was designed to do, then boil off. Just as good as new.

    You might want to find the instruction manual for your fridge and find out what your specific procedure is for maintaining the drain. You are also required to vacuum the dust off the evaporator coils periodically to ensure the fridge runs efficiently, increasing heat loss and lowering running costs.

    • Nicktorious on 13/12/2018 - 16:52
      +1

      I agree with the above. I have had issues with my Samsung fridge around the 5 year mark and managed to get them out, and in the end it turned out that all that was needed was to defrost the fridge. I emptied it before going away for the weekend. Came back plugged it in and all was solved.
      However if you have tried that then the ACCC website has some good advice on how to word a request for support.

      • endotherm on 13/12/2018 - 17:17

        Yes, in this case the old joke "Have you turned it off and on again?" is actually really good advice. Just need to wait between the off and on part.

        • HighAndDry on 13/12/2018 - 17:18

          And presumably empty it beforehand…

    • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 17:18

      Thanks for the advice.
      I did bit of a research on the web and its exactly the same issue you have mentioned. I am sure the hole is blocked. I was looking for the hole after taking out the freezer box but cannot find it. Its just the design. (I had a old fridge where the water used to collect in a circular tray which sat on the condensor and by the heat it used to evaporate) My guess is I need to take out some part as the hole is behind it. Will try switching off and see it helps
      Thanks once again.

      • HighAndDry on 13/12/2018 - 17:20

        Just to clarify, you need to turn it off and leave it at room temperature so that all the ice melts, then turn it back on. Make alternative arrangements for its contents.

        • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 17:24

          Thanks. Do you know how often it needs to be done ? Asking for future maintenance. I regularly clean my dishwasher and washing machine

          • HighAndDry on 13/12/2018 - 17:31

            @skjaus2015: Honestly, there isn't a recommended timeframe, because they are supposed to be auto-defrost. Which is why you haven't had to do anything for 5 years. I'd do it maybe once a year to be safe.

          • endotherm on 13/12/2018 - 17:40

            @skjaus2015: It usually just comes down to ensuring the drain hole isn't plugged — it might happen next week or never. There is no real schedule.

            • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 17:43

              @endotherm: Thanks. Will now have to find the drainage hole. Can't see after taking out the bottom draw. Will explore more this weekend by turning off and emptying the fridge.

              • endotherm on 13/12/2018 - 22:12
                +1

                @skjaus2015: Have a look at these exploded diagrams, it should be your fridge.
                https://spares.bigwarehouse.com.au/images/files/44778_f47a97…
                https://spares.bigwarehouse.com.au/images/files/44779_4f4ca4…
                https://spares.bigwarehouse.com.au/images/files/44780_58930d…

                You can see the drain hose on page 6, assembly 17, a short hose and a grommet. It is only short, a couple of inches long. It feeds into tray 4-4 holding the hot coils in assembly 4, sitting next to the compressor assembly 10, on top of the tray with the back wheels, assembly 5. Thats all accessed from the back from the lowest removable panel, you might be able to see the pipe there and work out where it comes out inside, or just reverse-clean it with your bamboo skewer. The "tray" hopefully has some water in it or signs of evaporated water, otherwise it suggests a blockage. If you go in there, give it a good vacuum, being careful not to bend the copper pipes or damage the delicate fins. I'm not sure where the cold coils assembly 16 sits, but it's probably attached to 25-4. This is where the ice deposits and melts from, the tube is at the bottom of that. At the bottom of the coils is a sheet metal pan, part 16-4. It appears to be bent into a gutter leading to a hole that the tube 17 sits. The coldness is distributed by blowing cold air around, so it doesn't necessarily matter that the coldest part is actually in the refrigerator rather than the more logical freezer section. As best I can tell from page 3, you are looking for the back panel, assembly 25. This should be in the freezer section, the top half of the freezer back behind the top two freezer drawers, sitting on the round hump that houses the compressor and the hot coils. It has to be somewhere above this hump, to the left half when looking in (the compressor is on the right). There will be clips or screws holding it in which you will need to remove. The panel has a fan built in to it. Behind that is a cold air duct with two outlets to the freezer, and one heading up into the fridge. These sometimes freeze up and block when things go wrong, so the drain has to be really close to this. A handyman could do all of this, or an unskilled person if you take your time and keep referring to the diagram. Make sure you unplug it first. Good luck!

              • endotherm on 18/12/2018 - 19:47

                @skjaus2015: Don't leave us hanging, what was the result after you pulled out the freezer drawers and had a good look inside? Did you find the drain hole? Was it blocked?

      • endotherm on 13/12/2018 - 17:37

        It's possibly behind a false wall at the back, where all the cooling coils are. When the coils turn on and off, they are supposed to turn on a short heat cycle to defrost any ice buildup on the coils, otherwise they will be encased in ice. There is some sort of thermostat timer that is supposed to take care of this, and it is something that commonly fails and needs to be replaced with all fridges. I don't think this is the problem in your case because it would affect the coldness of the refrigerator section as well and you didn't mention anything about that sort of problem. The defrost from the coils will generate more water than the condensation in the fridge, so it makes sense the drain hole would be close to the coils. If you can't see any screws holding a panel over the coils, it might be accessed from the outside, or hidden between the two sections. If you can't find it, you might be able to get a handyman/serviceman to get it going for a lot less than dealing with the official service center. You might be up for this cost anyway, because if there is no "failure" fault found, it won't be a warranty issue, ACL or otherwise.

        • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 17:57

          Guessing it might be inside as the water is overflowing and coming down to the bottom of the freezer. Anyway its just my guess.

  • HighAndDry on 13/12/2018 - 17:17

    the fridger

    The what now?

  • [Deactivated] on 13/12/2018 - 17:40

    What model fridge is it?

    • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 17:51

      Samsung SRL 450

      • [Deactivated] on 13/12/2018 - 19:03

        Google SRL450ELS knows issues. Contact Samsung and advise them that you are requesting they send a repairman under warranty as a fridge would be expected to last a lot longer than that. If they refuse advise them you will be contacting the Department of Fair Trading. If they don’t budge contact DFT because I’d be surprised if they don’t rule in your favour.

        • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 20:20

          I actually contacted them and told them the same. But they refused to honor.

          • [Deactivated] on 13/12/2018 - 20:59

            @skjaus2015: Go onto their Facebook page and make yourself known. Let them know you will be contacting DFT on Monday if this isn’t resolved. Make noise.

  • bathuu on 13/12/2018 - 18:30
    -1

    Generally I would avoid samsung brand if you are shopping for fridge and washing machine. My samsung front load washing machine started to leak after year and half. My samsung 2 door fridge started to have issues after just few months of purchase and got fixed twice just few months apart. Whereas i had aldi washing machine lasted 5 years, and my whirlpool fridge still kicking good after 7 years.

    • skjaus2015 on 13/12/2018 - 18:43
      -1

      Yes I have decided not to buy any more samsung products. After googling on the web, lot of bad reviews on their products. I had my washing machine broken few days ago, replaced with Bosch.

    • woody007 on 13/12/2018 - 21:55
      +3

      Mate, your kidding yourself I've got a Samsung fridge from 2012 and its still going strong. If you keep the thing clean and do general maintenance.

      • skjaus2015 on 16/12/2018 - 17:13

        I guess you are lucky. I have one of my relative who bought Sony TV which broke down after a week !!. Guess all machines are not equal. We regularly clean our fridge from inside and outside. wipe a moist cloth along the seal.

        • woody007 on 21/12/2018 - 14:16

          I just read my comment it seems rude. Sorry i meant it kindly. I dunno man i might be lucky i actually bought a second hand sony tv 85inchs because i couldn't get anything close to that size in a tv for the price. It was a dumb tv but i just tethered a roku box to it and its still going lol.

    • smpantsonfire on 15/12/2018 - 10:23
      +1

      I bought my Samsung fridge in 2012 too. It's a beast, still going strong

    • sleepy le beef on 16/12/2018 - 07:17

      Ours is from 2009 and still going with a few issues. The water pipe for the cold water dispenser is too brittle and keeps cracking and now running out of pipe to fix repair to without major disassembly. Also the door shelves are not the most robust build. Two broken, one repaired and still holding.

  • try2bhelpful on 14/12/2018 - 08:27

    We had a Bosch fridge that broke with something that was a known fault. They sent a guy out to look at it and he got them to replace it with a later model.

  • browneh on 14/12/2018 - 12:48
    +1

    Try calling Samsung again and mention the ACL specifically. Even just talking to a different rep could make a difference.
    Our Samsung fridge was about 5 years old when it died, I called them and politely asked if they would cover it under ACL as I expect a fridge to last more than 5 years. They didn’t argue and arranged for their service provider to come and repair the fridge free of charge within that week.

  • mattyman on 14/12/2018 - 13:05

    Just get your fridge door seals replaced. Guaranteed it's moisture coming in from the air outside that's condensing, dripping to the bottom of the fridge and freezing.

  • Capo93 on 14/12/2018 - 15:28
    +2

    It will be a blocked drain and possibly faulty sensor on the evap.

    Samsung will not cover it, they are cracking down on out of warranty claims. ACL will give you standard advice but I would classify your fault as minor so I can't see anyone doing anything for you.

    A blocked drain is common on any brand of fridge.

  • eggles01 on 14/12/2018 - 16:30
    +1

    get in touch with samsung and ask again and if you get same reply ask them "about the CONSUMER WARRANTY"if they ignore you get in touch with "DEPT FAIR TRADING" see what they have to say,

    • Xiaomi on 14/12/2018 - 18:23
      +1

      "OK"

  • Butt Scratcher on 14/12/2018 - 18:09

    I have a similar problem with ny samsung fridge. I believe it's an issue with the design of thr fridge, theres a catchment that is supposed to flow water outside the fridge but is being blocked (by fault of thr design) so it is overflowing inside the fridge.

    A crappy fix ive found, is not to use any water functions at all.

    I dont see why you cant do all the above until you get a satisfactory resolution

    • Capo93 on 14/12/2018 - 20:08
      +1

      It could also be a defrost heater problem. The heater is just like a element in your oven or a light globe. It is nothing to do with bad design, once again any brand of fridge suffers this problem. Take it from someone who is in the technical side of the appliance industry.

  • serpserpserp on 14/12/2018 - 21:32

    I thought my Fridge was busted the other day (smelt gassy) guy came out and was like, it isn't busted (no gas leak) but the thing is on its last legs and he gave it 3 months to live. I asked what I could do to repair it, he said if they had the parts on Australia it'd cost about $650 (This is a 10 year old Westinghouse) but he says that none of the fridge manufacturers have factories in Australia anymore, and getting parts on fridges over 5 years can be quite difficult. He said 20 years ago fridges were made to last 10+ years, now 5+ years before problems is a good run. Advised me not to get a internet fridge, or water/ice dispensing fridge as after 3 or 4 years tops those features are the first thing to pack it in and are expensive to repair.

    I asked him for his honest recommendation for a fridge to buy and he said stick to the cheaper brands or the fridges that are part of a larger suite of brands (like Westinghouse which is owned by LG) they use cheaper plastics and the like but they are the same quality motor wise etc. plus they can be had for hundreds of dollars less for a similar style fridge.

    Westinghouse also give you a cashback voucher for the cost of the service if you buy another fridge within 3 months. I thought that was a nice touch and will be taking advantage of that along with the current westinghouse cash back promo during the post xmas sales.

    • Capo93 on 14/12/2018 - 21:58
      +1

      Westinghouse have plenty of parts available.

      And Westinghouse is owned by Electrolux, not LG.

      • serpserpserp on 14/12/2018 - 22:03

        Sorry you are right on the Electrolux bit. Christmas season + tired not doing my brain favours.

        Westinghouse parts on 10 year old fridges are not available easily. Repairer was iffy on anything 5-7 years too.

        • Capo93 on 14/12/2018 - 22:06

          Main parts like PCB’s, defrost timers, defrost heaters etc are all still available for 10 year old Westinghouse. You may find the odd shelf is NLA.

        • Capo93 on 14/12/2018 - 22:09

          For experiment sake, do you know what your model number was for your old Westinghouse and what part(s) were needed?

          • serpserpserp on 14/12/2018 - 22:44

            @Capo93: WSE6100PA I think is the model number.

            He didn't go into detail on parts, just said to forget about it because couldn't get the parts and would cost over $650 to do. He was a guy Electrolux/Westinghouse sent out.

            • endotherm on 15/12/2018 - 07:16

              @serpserpserp: Plenty of parts still available for that model. https://spares.bigwarehouse.com.au/index.php?cPath=64685_784… Sounds like he just wasn't interested in fixing it. Pretty much every repairer that I've had come out for repairs to appliances have misdiagnosed the problem and aren't interested in fixing them. They advise you to toss them out when in fact they are usually relatively easy to fix. I've had better luck finding the problem speaking to spare parts people — they are interested in selling you the part and know why the particular part normally fails, and which ones hardly ever fail, which is usually the part repairers say needs replacing! I was advised to toss my fridge 15 years ago because "it is months away from dying". After replacing some minor components it is running as good as the day I bought it.

              • serpserpserp on 15/12/2018 - 18:50

                @endotherm: Might look into it! Hopefully it is all relatively plug n play for parts on a fridge. Never really looked into it, assumed there might be specialist tools involved, perhaps not!

            • Capo93 on 15/12/2018 - 12:44

              @serpserpserp: I checked directly on Electrolux spare part website and all major parts are still in stock and available.

  • bmerigan on 14/12/2018 - 21:56
    +2

    After 5 years this sounds more like maintenance. Not Samsung's issue.

    • Capo93 on 14/12/2018 - 21:58
      +2

      You are 100% correct, it’s no different to a 5 year old car breaking down.

    • Geryatric on 16/12/2018 - 09:09
      +1

      Exactly

  • Xiaomi on 14/12/2018 - 22:02
    +2

    My 8 month old fridge died, I sent them a bill for the spoilt food and received a brand new unit delivered and a $500 cheque. Food was worth about $90.00

    • serpserpserp on 14/12/2018 - 22:04

      What did you do after you checked $500?

  • Sinful on 15/12/2018 - 07:09

    "Australian Consumer Guarantee."
    It's separate from warranty.
    There is a post I read on Ozbargain about it a while ago, you might want to read into it.

  • mreddie on 15/12/2018 - 10:03
    +1

    Samsung sadly don't make good fridges, washing machines etc. They make great TVs and other electronics but struggle on the white goods. I tend to stick to brands like Westinghouse and Whirlpool for fridges/washers.

    • bathuu on 16/12/2018 - 14:32

      Agree. Thats what i think too.

  • daleyboy79 on 15/12/2018 - 10:44
    +1

    Make sure when you speak to Samsung, dont say "i want it fixed under warranty" tell them you want it fixed under ACL. If they still refuse tell them politely you'll be lodging a formal complaint then.

    Oh and … should've bought a Mitsubishi fridge … best fridge imo with 5yr warrantys, we've got 2, oldest is 10yrs now which had to get the door replaced after 4yrs or so as it weasnt sealing properly … which was covered under warranty, but apart from that both havnt missed a beat

  • berger on 15/12/2018 - 13:23
    +1

    I bought a Samsung fridge and extended the warranty. 11 months outside of the extended warranty the fridge had issues and Samsung fixed it for free. No hassle and in a timely manner.

    I gave them a polite email and full of details. And around 2 days later all fixed

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 15/12/2018 - 16:12

    Why are you wasting your time with Samsung? Deal with Costco. Let them do the chasing around. They are the one required to remedy your fault.

  • dono2 on 16/12/2018 - 08:23

    I have had that many fridges replaced by samsung ive lost count, mine never even last past 3 years most of the time, its either rus, ice machine fails, or ice build up in the internals.

    to samsungs credit they just keep replacing the fridge with new ones!! im not sure how they make money

    • CalmLemons on 16/12/2018 - 11:27

      Most people value their time over chasing up replacement fridges. Ozbargain represent a very small minority of shoppers.

      Samsung can't make fridges or printers though.

      I've had my electrolux for the past 10 years, not one hiccup apart from the lcd screen has never worked properly.

      • dono2 on 16/12/2018 - 20:22

        doesn't really bother me only maybe a 1-2 hours of stuffing around every few years. Also really like the Samsung fridge designs.

  • INFIDEL on 28/12/2018 - 17:02

    Just had a 43 year old Kelvinator fridge die from a failed compressor. Not much chance of recovering from that problem.

    Reading this Forum, I don't feel so sad for its passing. Have maintained it for my parents, replacing only a compressor relay 10 years ago. No circuit boards or electronics, no fancy displays - so little to go wrong. Still was quite efficient & kept correct temperature.

    Before GST came in, a salesman convinced my Father the fridge was on its last legs & was burning money. I showed him the energy meter graphs - about what would be expected from a new fridge. Luckily he didn't buy, or he may have gone through another fridge in the intervening 18 years. Prices were about the same as now (not accounting for inflation), so a good saving.

    Was considering a $796 Samsung from expired TGG 20% off eBay deal. Price & size were right. The ice blockage was mentioned, but could cope with that with regular maintenance. Will keep looking & researching (450-550L 700mm max wide).

    Also have a great freezer made in USA 48 years ago.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join