Samsung destroying phones with software updates

kyorin

Hi, I am wondering what my options are in this situation.

Samsung pushed out a software update to my Galaxy s7 handset which completely killed it. The phone rebooted twice during the update process, and then the screen went blank and from that moment on-wards, the phone no longer responds. No combination of button pressing/holding makes the phone come on.

I contacted Samsung via the chat facility on their website, and they agreed that they would pick up the phone via UPS the following day with a view to sorting it out. I specifically mentioned during the chat session that the rear glass of the phone had been replaced and therefore that the IMEI no. on the glass did not match the actual handset, and was assured that this wasn't a problem.

When the handset arrived at the repair centre, they refused to repair it because the rear glass cover had been replaced by a third party (nothing to do with the software issue of course), and they also informed me that the rear glass was cracked. This damage was not present when the item was handed to UPS, the phone was in an as-new condition with no scratches or blemishes.

Samsung, despite agreeing initially to fix it, then subsequently refusing to fix it, they also don't accept any responsibility for the damage, saying that UPS report no damage to the carton and therefore do not accept any responsibility.

I now have the phone back and the rear is indeed shattered towards one corner of the rear. It was clear to see how this had happened as the plastic sheet that is supposed to hold the phone secure in the centre of the box was not doing it's job, and the phone was free to hit the sides of the box, so I can only assume that during transportation to the repair centre, the box has been dropped/kicked about a bit, and as the phone was loose in the box, it has suffered some damage. I have a video of the phone in the box as it was returned to me showing this issue, and I believe the same box was used to return the phone to me as was used to send it. UPS provide this packaging and pack the phone themselves when they collect.

I have been on to Samsung several times to voice my dissatisfaction with this outcome, and today have reached the point where a nice gentleman there confirmed that his response today was their final one and that they will not be doing anything further to assist me with this. He did however offer £30 for the poor service which I of course refused (being several hundred pounds out of pocket currently). He was sympathetic but the outcome is basically the same.

What should I do? I am looking into starting a claim in the small claims court, but I have some reading to do before I go down this road.

Basically Samsung have refused to fix this on the grounds that the glass on the rear has been replaced by a third party (despite initially agreeing to), this of course has no relevance to the faulty software that has effectively destroyed the phone. Can Samsung legally destroy peoples phones with a software update, and then simply wash their hands of it due to an unrelated technicality?

Any help with this would be very much appreciated, and/or any comments from someone with experience of taking companies to court would be helpful too.

Thank you.

Andy.

bris

Warraties are over and above your statutory rights so they don't need to do anything unless you can prove your case and make them.


you have practically no chance though as you replaced the screen and then broke it, good luck proving otherwise.


Do you have proof the software was to blame? Is there like a thousand people claiming the same thing, if there was dodgy software doing this it will be all over the internet, if not then then it's not the software.

JJ_Egan

No problem for me with S7 update .

Loose phones in a box do get damaged and the parcel company are likely to claim not packed properly .