A cautious warning about EU imported phones... Fold 6 purchased from a UK retailer

[smiley]

Just my experience this week... i bought a fold 6 from a reputable UK retailer (i won't name as it is not entirely relevant),  but upon trying to obtain Samsung Care+ insurance, it became quickly apparent that the phone was not a UK variant but has been shipped in from the EU from another region.  

Assurant were unable to help as the IMEI 'Model SKU does not exist in the country or product ID'.   So they referred me to Samsung for clarity. 

I spent a while on chat with Samsung, who then verified that the phone IMEI was not registered as a UK handset.  Of course this raises some 'red flags' 🚩.     My main concerns would be with pay services, and software updates to the region, as well as the Samsung warranty.   

Just as a guidance note from the Amazon store, i acknowledge the attached list of items may or may not work in the UK with an EU phone... just something to be wary in case you are considering buying an EU phone for UK use.    I should also say that nowhere that I saw details on the retailer website that this was an imported phone, although perhaps the lower price should have raised a small alarm bell in my head ! .     

It may be that most functions work fine, but make sure you do any due diligence first.  The risk of warranty, certain UK regional differences with Google / Android Pay, and possible other risks.

Alas, therefore I have returned the Fold 6 phone today within my 14 day period 😭.  

I did however manage to use the Fold6 for 48 hours in my house, and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot !!   It satisfied my urge to get my hands on one and give it a try.   I will be buying another Fold6 at the right time, but with a lesson learnt it will likely be direct on Samsung store next time.  

Smiley

[Obsydian]

Thank you. Yes, I have heard a few tech stories when buying off Amazon EU, not just mobiles, the joys on Brexit

[JAMES4578]

@smiley  That is most unfortunate, you do need to be careful though and  best to ensure it isa a UK device. At least you had a taste of  The Fold 😋

[smiley]

It is an expensive piece of hardware... may be over cautious perhaps and I was thinking of trying the pay out myself... but I was reluctant to take it outside the house until it was cased and insured... so it was a bit of a catch 22.


From using it for a couple of evenings, I really did enjoy watching some media the past couple of nights on netflix and Disney. I also found the setting for 4:3 aspect screen would mean you could zoom to a good size whilst maintaining most of the visible screen... in automatic mode the zoom is too large.

I use Readly for magazines and found the fold great for this purpose. And of course Web pages and youtube work really well with the fold.

I will return to the fold6 sometime ...i can afford outright purchase... but just waiting on a good deal.

[Glenntech]

Unfortunately this is an all too common occurrence.
That's good you returned it as could cause issues for you further down the line.

It's a great device to use and definitely i think worth investing in one when you get the right deal.

Just got to be so careful with some of the third party retailers and sellers

[smiley]

Agreed. The retailer I used (not amazon) ... have been in the phone business for more than 20 years and certainly don't mention easily that their sources are outside of UK.

I am glad that I was quick to try and get insurance and realise the issues... at least before the 14 days period. Had I waited a bit longer then it would have become more of an issue in return and refund.

A keen eye on the deals beterrn now and Christmas. I don't feel urgency now I have validated my wishes to buy one of these, but when the opportunity arises it will be top of the list.

I love tech... and I am an engineer by trade. The engineering on the fold6 is remarkable. The hinge mechanism is a superb piece of design.

I will be looking forward to getting one in the near future again.

[BandOfBrothers]

Unfortunately @smiley grey import is a very real situation. 

My advice o people would be to go directly with Samsung UK if possible.