Samsung, NC10 and Digicare - Poor Customer Service and Workmanship

superpacman1972

Just a word of warning for anyone considering purchasing Samsung products, specifically notebook computers, who should unfortunately ever have to depend on their service for warranty repairs.

I recently bought an NC10 laptop, had the notorious screen blotches. How this problem passed Samsung QC procedures is astounding and speaks volumes about their product quality these days, but that's another issue.

I initially contacted Samsung UK customer services. Straight away they told me to send the unit to an outfit called Digicare who are contracted to do their laptop repairs. I had to book and arrange it with UPS, who collected it next day.

Comes back a few days later, opened packaging and laptop has been just shoved in a box with none of the protective wrapping that I had provided. As such, it was caked in dust and scratches over the lid and sides. New screen was great though, if a little dusty, but clearly dust is not good for the insides either.

Got in touch with Samsung, they tell me not their problem, not helpful in the slightest, don't want to take ownership, in fact quite arrogant and rude when I tell them I'm not happy with the way my netbook has been handled.

Also got in touch with Digicare, told to return machine. Machine sent and comes back to me a few days later. Open the box, find that this time somebody has bothered to take the time to pack it correctly. Good news is the scratched parts have been replaced, but the recently replaced screen has now been scratched, and they have failed to put the unit's components back together properly, so the casing doesn't close flush.

Got in touch with Samsung again, told me same story again, basically not interested, not their problem, and they are not interested by the quality of service provided by their sub-contractor! Basically, go away it is your problem and not ours.

Get in touch with Digicare again, told to return machine again. UPS the machine back again. Told this time the repair would be overseen by a senior technician, and that despite this, the machine would not be returned to me in the same condition that I sent it to them.

Thought considering that they had managed to damage it twice that this was not acceptable.

Got in touch with Samsung again, this time threatening legal action and LBA. This finally seemed to put a rocket up their backsides, as the next day, I receive a call offering a complete new replacement, although no apology for the inconvenience, call costs, or wasted time.

How a company can have quite such a level of contempt for customer problems is quite astounding.

Samsung service is the equivalent of customer hell. The service reps don't take problem ownership, offer little help to resolve the problem, and do all they can to prevent problem escalation, and push the problem back on to customer, making them deal with two separate companies.

My advice is if you choose to buy Samsung is to make sure you take any faults back to the retailer preserving your SOGA rights. I would have done, if I didn't think there was a high chance of getting a replacement machine with the same screen problem.

As for Digicare, my experience of this company is that it does not treat items placed in their trust with care or respect. The workmanship on their repairs is questionable, and their customer service is only marginally better than Samsung's. The only plus is their turnarounds of about a day, but what use is this if the repair or repack is bodged, not checked before shipping, and the item comes back to you in a worse condition than it was sent?

Anyway, lesson learnt for me, but thought this maybe of use to others.

KILL_BILL

it seems that in a lot of cases that companies only take note when youthreaten legal action against them

they know in the long run it will cost them money to instruct solcitors to deal with it