Bricked Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 - Warranty, or Look for a Replacement?

chihaeru on 04/05/2021 - 16:07
Last edited 04/05/2021 - 16:12

Apologies if this is in the wrong category.

Last year in October I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 from eBay, and up until a couple nights ago it was flawless. However, it suddenly bricked itself. Was working fine, put on charge at night, following morning it wouldn't boot past the Samsung startup logo. No recovery mode, only download mode accessible. I have no idea what caused it, but I'm assuming it's a UFS failure, because I can't write anything to it. Odin won't flash stock firmware at all, and the only thing I've been able to retrieve off it is a PIT layout reading (partition information). The device was stock as a rock also, no Knox tripped or anything.

It's currently registered under my Samsung account (registered it when I got it), but I'm pretty sure the warranty would have run out as it released in late 2018… but Samsung has no way that I know of to check warranty status without the device being on.

What would be the best option going forward? I've done some research and seen people mention Samsung charges a fee to inspect devices if sent in, which I'd rather avoid if it costs more than just replacing the tablet. Paying out of warranty repairs doesn't bother me provided it doesn't cost more than buying another Tab S4… Losing data isn't a problem, I just want to know if it can be repaired as it wasn't a cheap device and I'd hardly expect a less than 3 year old flagship tablet to just randomly die.

Cheers.

Mobile Samsung Tablet Android

Comments

  • jsb on 04/05/2021 - 16:15

    How do you think the warranties work?
    Product released in late 2018 has nothing to do with the warranty that you are entitled to.
    If you purchased brand new (non grey), in October 2020, I would say its still in warranty and there should be no cost associated with it.

  • spackbace on 04/05/2021 - 16:16

    Did you buy it new in 2020, or was it used? If new, was it Australian stock or grey stock?

  • Hybroid on 04/05/2021 - 16:17

    Warranty starts when you purchased it, not product release. Seems you're still within at least 1 year warranty (you will have eBay purchase receipt in My eBay or e-mails) so definitely chase up the store you bought it from and/or Samsung directly. Hopefully wasn't a grey market import.

  • chihaeru on 04/05/2021 - 16:18

    Sorry I should have mentioned, it was second hand when purchased. I don't know the original purchase date of the device, but Samsung states 24 months warranty… which is why I think there's a chance it might still be under that. It's an XSA variant, Australian model. Never dealt with warranties before, so not sure what to expect… I'm also not sure if I'm even eligible for warranty if it is still under that 24 months, seeing as I didn't purchase it originally. Just wanted to see if anyone else has dealt with the same or knows if I can actually do anything with it, or if I should just bite the bullet and buy something else.

    • garetz on 04/05/2021 - 16:24

      If you have the receipt and its still in warranty, then you can still claim it. If not then very little chance. Considering you do not know the original purchase date, i'll go out on a limb and assume you have no receipt. Maybe contact the original owner and ask them for proof of purchase.

    • Hybroid on 04/05/2021 - 16:25
      -1

      Did you buy it used from an individual or 'refurbished second hand' from a company on eBay? Do you have the serial number of the device written down or have the original box? If it's registered in your Samsung account, surely there's a way to find the current warranty status of the item?

      I'll be honest, struggling to compute how you appear to be proficient in flashing custom software but unclear on how warranties work.

      • chihaeru on 04/05/2021 - 16:27

        Just never had to deal with warranty service ofany sort before, never had a device suddenly die like this… guess I was lucky until now. I do have the serial number, and it was purchased from an individual on eBay, no receipt besides the eBay one.

        • Hybroid on 04/05/2021 - 16:28
          -1

          Ok sweet, half way there then. I would suggest call support (or live chat) with them and ask to confirm the warranty status with that serial number. Hopefully registered less than the 24 months they state for tablets and they don't ask for receipt.

          https://www.samsung.com/au/support/warranty/

          But again, if you have it registered in your Samsung account, there should be an indicator there somewhere. Try to raise a support request within your account and see what you get. Should tell you warranty status when making a case (at least Apple does so I would imagine Samsung isn't drastically different).

          • chihaeru on 04/05/2021 - 16:41

            @Hybroid: Just had a live chat and the chat agent told me you need an original receipt of purchase for any warranty claims, even if the device is within 24 months purchase date and an Australian model. Bit of a shame, but it is what it is I guess.

            • Morien on 04/05/2021 - 16:55

              @chihaeru: Try to contact the seller and ask if they could give you their original invoice?

            • Hybroid on 04/05/2021 - 16:56

              @chihaeru: Bummer. Any chance you can contact the person you bought it off on eBay to send you receipt? Might just get lucky.

            • xuqi on 04/05/2021 - 17:22
              +1

              @chihaeru: If it's a Telstra branded device, you can obtain paperwork from the site below:

              https://www.telstra-online.net/ePOW/

              Suggest calling Samsung's via their phone support and speaking with someone. I've had tablets repaired in the past (last time was a coup,e of years ago) without any receipt as they went by build date, but they may have changed conditions.

              If purchase was <6 months ago, and purchased using PayPal then they may help:

              https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/About-Payments/6-Month-R…

            • Kangal on 04/05/2021 - 20:10
              +2

              @chihaeru: Australian Consumer Law would state the product needs to last a reasonable time. Also the more expensive the device, the longer you should expect it to last. So I would say 2 years is minimum (which is the Samsung warranty in Australia), and probably upto 4 years is pushing it.

              So you have a shot, but note that Samsung Australia are very dodgy. I dealt with them before, enough to piss me off. I think they've been sued by other people earlier too.

              With that said, you DO NOT need a receipt to do warranty claims. That might be a requirement under Samsung's terms, and sometimes they even push that you need the "Warranty Card" submitted upon purchase, but they are not required under ACL. And a warranty does not expire when a product changes hands, it doesn't reset, it simply continues. All you really need to prove is that you are the owner, ie/ Not Stolen. I've done warranty claims on second-hand products that I've bought on eBay, fyi.

              Here is the excerpt:
              "as long as you can Reasonably Demonstrate that you purchased an item, a business may be breaking the law if it denies your right to a refund, repair or replacement for an item that fails to meet a consumer guarantee."

              I would check if the tablet is sourced from Telstra. Many phones and tablets come through them, and they have an electronic copy of the receipt should you want it. This worked in my favour before. And Telstra can facilitate the warranty process for you, though, I'm not sure that would make things better. If the tablet was designed for another country (ie Hong Kong), then it is a "grey market" product and won't be covered under ACL, it would be covered under the warranty conditions of that country.

              • nakahanap on 04/05/2021 - 20:32

                @Kangal: Samsung Australia is really difficult to deal with. It feels like they are trained to give answers to stop you from using warranty processes. My experience was that the service people were reluctant to provide the length of warranty advertised on the Samsung Australian website for a repeating issue that was not due to use of device and was involved in a class action elsewhere. I had to politely ask if they would be honouring their warranty or if I would need to ask them to do the repairs under ACCC regulations.

                Ask the seller for the original receipt and read up on your entitlements first (e.g warranty period).

              • chihaeru on 04/05/2021 - 21:57

                @Kangal: Well, I ended up booking an appointment at a Samsung kiosk later this week, maybe I'll get further with them than the chat agent who seemed adamant that there were no options at all without purchase proof. The device likely wasn't purchased through a carrier though (it's a WiFi model with no IMEI, only serial), but it is definitely an Australian unit. Have also sent the eBay seller a message to see if they have a copy of the invoice, but I'm not holding my breath for that one.

                Should they deny a warranty repair, I'm sure they'd be able to offer an out of warranty repair, but I can't imagine it would be cheap if the entire mainboard needs to be replaced. Guess I'll have to just see what happens when I get there.

                Otherwise, I'll take this as a sort of expensive lesson to not buy second hand without purchase proof provided with it. Been buying second hand devices for many years and this is the first I've ever had one fail so early.

  • CyberMurning on 04/05/2021 - 16:36

    check xda developer forum

  • Simoneee on 04/05/2021 - 17:02

    Hold the Power, Home, and Volume Down button together.

    If the screen turns black…

    While holding the buttons let go of the Volume Down and switch it Volume Up.

    Hopefully it helps

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