Major problem with Samsung and a netbook warranty repair

chapperlin

Hey All

Im just gonna copy and paste some posts from another forum that ive been updating to give you all the full story.

There is a lot to read but please if you;ve read this far take the time to read the whole story(it defines bad customer service).

I know there are alot of knowledeable people on here and im looking for opinions on where to go next

chapperlin

02/03/10

I sent my laptop back for repair 5 weeks ago monday just gone.

Straightforward I thought as it was the intermittent white screen problem and the Case had a sligth crack in it.

Long story short - (after going over it its not that short lol)

I Phoned after 2 weeks and got no where - phoned a few days later and was told they were waiting for a shippment of ribbons/cables for the NC10 lcd screen and thats why it was delayed but i should have it by the end of the week as the shipment had just come in.

Around the same time i had a phonecall from Digicare(they were bloody persistent - i was in bed trying to get some shut eye and they must of let the phone ringing for about 10 minutes!!!)
They claimed there was some minor spillage damage around the edge of the lcd screen - some sticky substance which they said could lead to it corroding and they were phoning to recommend i also change the lcd screen at a cost of about £170 - i was like - I dont think so.

Just to confirm there has been no major spillage invloving my NC10 - if there was any thing around the edge of the LCD screen we are talking minuscule amounts.
I basically thought they were trying to rip me off so i said i wasnt interested.
They said they would carry out the repairs as they had nothing to do with this alleged spillage damage.

I also received an email from digicare on the same day askign me about the replacement lcd screen which i ignored as i had already resolved the issue on the phone.

3 weeks past and i personally felt this was too long and phoned and requested they send out a new unit. They declined but i spoke to their "escalations" who said we will give you a refund or a new unit if it takes more than 4 weeks. I asked him to find out what was going on and email me back - he said he would get back to me within 3 days max - by email.

At this point i was reasonably satisfied that i woudl get my laptop back that week as im sure they woudl rather not give me a new laptop!!!

ANyway 3 days past and nothing. The weekend came and then i realised i had an answerphone message on my phone!!!

They had phoned at 16:55 on the friday asking me to call them back.
2 days late and i had asked them to email me!!! This is a major electronics company you would think they have the use of email !!!!!!!!!

-there were 3 or 4 other instances fo them saying they would email me but i received no email!!

I phone on Monday and ask to speak to someone in the escalations dept but the retard tried to help me by explaiing to me that Digicare have got back to them and said there is spillage damage and they will not be repairing the laptop under warranty!!!
I again asked to speak to the escalations dept again and after about 20 secs of being on hold i was informed there was nobody free at the moment - after past experiences i declined his request for somebody to call me back as i had this sneaky feeling i wasnt gonna get a call - it was just a hunch!!!!
So i hold for another 10 seconds and just liek magic they find somebody to take my call.
I spoek to the most useless most unhelpfull guy ive ever had the displeasure of dealing with.
I explained i wasnt prepared to wait any longer and i just want a refund or a new laptop.
He just repeated what the other guy had said and told me it wasnt getting repaired under warranty due to this alleged spillage damage. He made no effort to help me but said I must call digicare. I explained that my warranty was with Samsung not digicare but it fell on deaf ears.

I phoned digicare and spoke to a guy who at the time seemed like the only guy who had made any effort to help me up to then.
He said that they were waiting for a response to their email about a replacement lcd screen. I explained i spoke to somebody over the phone about that and that was nearly 2 weeks ago!!!

It made me wonder if i hadnt phoned samsung/digcare would I have ever got my laptop back.

Anyway - following the conversation with this guy from digicare he said the repairs would be carried out under warranty - he didnt know why samsung thought differently- and i woudl get my laptop by the end of the week!

Friday came and went and still no Laptop!!!
I phoned digicare again and was promised it was being shipped that night for delivery on Monday.

Today is tuesday and still no laptop.

I am hoping it will turn up tomorrow.

Even if it does, you can imagine I am not happy with this whole situation and at the very least i am expecting samung to extend my warranty by 5 1/2 weeks!!!

Anyone got any thoughts? Or had similar problems?

I wanna make an official complaint and i was wondering the best way of going about it.

If anyone has an email address for samsung i can send in a complaint to i would appreciate it (maybe an email address for someone senior in Samsung UK )

chapperlin

03/03/10

Quick update-

Phoned digicare today as it didnt turn up this morning only to be told it has still not been repaired!!!!

While on the phone with them i asked the girl to check what they had told Samung after my little spat with them last week and them claiming that digicare were refusing to repair it.

It turns out, while the mix up with the lcd screen was partly to blame, they have been waiting for a front fascia since they received my laptop.

So even if the Lcd screen mix up had been sorted at the time they would not have been able to complete the repair as they would still be missing a part!!!

Phoned Samung and spoke to another guy who needed to go back to customer service school.

Explained what Digicare had told me and asked to speak to the esclations dept again only to be told there was no one available - i said i would wait but that didnt seem to be an option.

He tried telling me that the escalations dept would have to look into it and it would take up to 5 business days for them to get back to me - i said thats not much of an escalations dept and when i spoke to them before they told me 3 working days. This time "kevin" told me that they cannot email customers - even though i had spoken to several different people previously - non of which had told me there was a problem with emailing customers.

So i wait again to hear from Samsung - im not holding out much hope of them getting back to me anytime soon and even if they do - seeing the way things have goen so far - i imagine i will end up getting my laptop back before they get back to me!!!! I wonder where i will stand then????

chapperlin

13/03/10

Minor update -

I phoned last tuesday as somebody from the escalations dept hadnt contacted me and guess what -

they had no record of anythign being put thrugh to the escalations dept!!!

Ended up speaking with them again and he promised me he would get back to me within 3 business days. Hadnt heard anything by the close of business yesterday (which would be 4 days if you unclude the tuesday) so i just phoned again ans was told the cases were still pending!!!

I am gettign so !!!!ed of with ths now it is unreal!!!

Anyone know any good lawyers!!!!!! lol

chapperlin

13/03/10

OK serious advice now needed.

Just had some tool on the phone from Samsung who claimed that the claim of spillage damage still stands and that they are under no obligation to repair the laptop because of this.
His option were either they return the netbook back unrepaired or i just wait.

He claims it states in the warranty t+c's that any spillage damage voids the warranty. There are repairing the netbook as a gesture of goodwill

2 problems i have with that

Firstly - if they could get away with not repairing it then they would!!! Since when have you heard of any large electronic companies repairing products which they can get away with not repairing!!

Secondly read the folllwing extract from samsungs website about their warranty-

The warranty covers manufacturing defects only. Please note that this does not include consumables items such as batteries, bulbs, and ink cartridges unless listed above under ‘general information’. The liability of Samsung Electronics (or its appointed maintenance agent) is limited to the cost of repair and/or replacement of the product under warranty. The warranty is invalidated if the defect is caused (howsoever) by misuse, neglect, and tampering or incorrect adjustment. It is invalidated if unauthorised persons carry out any alterations and/or repairs. Also, the warranty is invalidated in the following cases:

* For the repair of a domestic product used in a commercial environment
* For repair due to incorrect installation in your home
* For repair to any product where the serial number has been removed
* Where any ancillary equipment not furnished or recommended by Samsung causes problems or damage that is attached to or used in connection with the product.

The way im reading that, is that spillage damage would be classed as "neglect" and that it is only an issue if the defect is caused by this neglect.
The 2 defects/faults that are being repaired are in no way connected to the alleged spillage damage.

techno12

chapperlin wrote: »

13/03/10
I am gettign so !!!!ed of with ths now it is unreal!!!

Anyone know any good lawyers!!!!!! lol

Sounds frighteningly similar to my Samsung/Digicare/UPS nightmare with my nc10 over a year ago. The Digicare guy was helpful on the phone but appeared to be hamstrung by Samsung's red tape. I lost count of the number of times I had to call Samsung and their 'escalations' department.

Worst. Customer. Service. Ever.

UK2010

techno12 wrote: »

Worst. Customer. Service. Ever.

Kind of makes no sense with full stops after each word! Personally I find Samsung excellent. My next TV will be with them as well.

OlliesDad

I have found Samsung to be the best company i have ever deealt with regards to customer service.

If you email [EMAIL="carl.nicklin@samsung.com"]carl.nicklin@samsung.com[/EMAIL] who is the Uk Service Manager and is very dedicated to making customers happy!

chapperlin

Thankyou Olliesdad - thats just the sort of contact i was looking for.

I dont expect my treatment has been typical - but that doesn't excuse it - hopefully Carl may see it as the same as me

chapperlin

Few updates -

Sent Carl Nicklin an email-

He replied to me email one week ago to tell me it his not his area (based on the sig on his e hes the head of customer service for "appliances") he said he had forwarded my e onto the relevant manager but ive still not heard anything!!

chapperlin

26/03/10

Emailed the same senior manger monday this week and got no reply.

Checked my "service request" status this week to find that i now have a new service request dated the day i originally emailed the senior manager.

Why they have done that i dont know - at least it showing as pending though, not "repair cancelled"

Finally i had a missed call on my mobile this week - phoned it back to find it was Digicare!!
Woohoo i thought maybe they have finally fixed it!

The guy i spoke to didnt actually know why i had been called but assumed it was a "comfort call". Im thinking "are you taking the !!!!" lol
He seemed to think it had only been "booked in" last week but i explained they had actually had it for 8 weeks.

So to summarise they are waiting for parts that they have been waiting for for 8 weeks!!! WHat to say it wont take another 8 week or more to get these parts.

Letter going off to them on monday!!!