Samsung customer care nightmare

[Mr_Ed]

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a scratch on my brand new S25.

I went into a store the following week, but they said I needed to call customer support as I’d bought the phone on your website.

I called the next day and was told I needed to take the phone into a store!

So I booked an appointment and the man could see that the otherwise pristine phone had a scratch in the middle of the screen which he said must be a manufacturing defect and shouldn’t have happened, and wrote this up on a ticket but said I needed to call Samsung again as this was a ‘hardware issue’

So I called Samsung again and spent an hour being passed from pillar to post. First I was told I needed to send my phone off for two weeks for the repair. I said I cannot be without my phone for two weeks.

They then suggested I take it to an EE store for assessment. I said I’d already made a 1½ hour round trip to a Samsung store for this, so I don’t need to go for another assessment

Then they put me through to a complaints team, called ‘customer solutions’, who said they would replace the phone rather than repair. But then they cut me off!

They didn’t call back, so I called again today and wasted another hour of my life trying to get back to where I started, but failed. I spoke to four different departments all fobbing me off onto the next, and when I asked to speak to the customer solutions team the man claimed they didn’t have such a team!

I am FURIOUS!

[BandOfBrothers]

Hello 👋 @Mr_Ed 

How long had you owned the phone before realising there was a scratch on the screen. 

I'm asking because when a phone is purchased directly from Samsung UK a person has 14 days as a cooling off period to return the phone. 

After that its a Repair.

Unfortunately as this forum is a user to user discussion place there isn't access to their systems here. 

You could however go into your private message section and send all your details to SAM_UK to see if the team can help and advise. 

And or persevere with Customer Services. 

These phone's are expensive so I appreciate you need this sorting out one way or another. 

If i can be of any further help please don't hesitate to ask  😎 

[Mr_Ed]

The phone is now a month old, and I appreciate that's out of the 'cooling off' period. But having jumped through all the hoops and gone to considerable time and expense to take the phone to a store as instructed, to then spend another two hours on the phone going nowhere is bs. 

Apparently these phones are lies scratch resistant than older models due to the glass being more shatter resistant. If I'd known that before seeing the scratch on mine I'd have bought a screen protector. The internet is FLOODED with people making the same complaint. 

[BandOfBrothers]

Hello again. 

As soon as I order the phone the next stage for me is a Spigen Glas.tR Screen Protector and Spigen Neo One Magsafe Case @Mr_Ed 

If the phone arrives before those accessories then it stays in the box.

However I do scrutinise every inch of the phone's display, and housing for any marks etc due to the cooling off period ,and in that the longer I've owned the phone the more the scenario can happen in that Samsung can say it's accidental damage. 

Once I'd have seen a scratch I couldn't unsee it so I won't risk it.  

What may have occurred is the oleophobic coating / anti glare coating is marked. 

I've known users fit a Whitestone Dome Glass Screen Protector to hide similar marks. 

Of course the caveat is that then the anti reflective coating effectiveness is gone. 

I haven't seen or sought out threads regarding if this phone models phone display isn't as scratch resistant as previous models personally.

I hope you reach an amicable resolution.

[Glenntech]

Unfortunately whatever name is attributed or how tough etc
Glass is glass.
It will scratch and it will break.
I also buy a screen protector and case for my phones before I use them.
This sort of thing won't be covered under warranty.
If you took out Care + on purchasing the phone or registered after you got it. Then you will need to contact them about a repair.

If its a very light scratch. Then just pop a screen protector on and usually they can hide it.

Some household insurance policies and bank accounts can cover phone repairs as well. But you'd have to look into this to see if this is something available to you

[smiley]

I am sorry to hear about your experience and I would have been horrified if I had noticed a scratch on my display.

Unfortunately it seems that it comes down to your own handling of the phone and how the scratch got there.

Whilst I feel bad for your experience, no phone is guaranteed to be completely scratch resistant and sometimes these accidents happen. I am sure if it had a scratch on the screen during unboxing then you would have been straight onto the returns site to send it back... hence it could only be concluded to have happened in your possession.

I am not sure what the original store were thinking when they said hardware failure... and I dont think anyone would conclude this if damage occurred during anyone's handling of a phone.

There are reputable tests of these glass tests in youtube and they will still scratch with minor or deep grooves depending on the harshness of the accident.

Glass is glass. It is made more robust year on year, but as an owner it still needs some diligence or protection.

I am very sorry that this has happened to you. Do you have care insurance ? Is it possible to take some out, await a period of time and then make a claim ? I am not suggesting this is the right way to go about things, but I am sure some would see it as a possible outlet.

Or possible home insurance / bank account phone insurance claim.

Smiley.

[smiley]

We obviously have the same thought process !

[Mr_Ed]

I don't need people telling me they buy cases and screen protectors as soon as they buy a phone. That is just more evidence that the screens are not fit for purpose. 

If the glass is so prone to scratching it needs a protector Samsung should send them out with one installed! 

[jamesguise]

Check out this article https://www.londondaily.news/samsung-repair-scandal-gadgets-lost-customers-fuming/

[Mr_Ed]

Sounds about right. 

They're great devices but the warranty is worthless.