When my husband bought me a Samsung Z Flip 5G mobile phone for my birthday, I was really pleased with it. I like the way that it folds neatly into my pocket or bag and I can take snaps and see messages on the cover screen, without opening it.
Eight months later, the cover screen stopped working. I had it fixed under warranty. 10 months later, the cover screen stopped working again. This time, I have been told that I have invalidated the warranty by dropping it as there are some dead pixels on the main screen near the hinge due to impact damage. It will cost nearly £500 to repair both faults and restore the warranty. I hadn’t noticed the main screen damage and as far as I’m concerned, it is working fine. I can't remember when I dropped it, but I probably have done in the 18 months I've had it. I do not believe that the impact affected the cover screen, which was working fine one day and not the next and I definitely did not drop it over that day. I want the cover screen fixed, either under warranty or by paying the repair fee, which is approximately £80.
Samsung refused to do this.
They explained that they have a policy to repair all the parts needed to bring the phone back to warranty status during the two-year term and do not do part-repairs, so I will have to pay £500. As an alternative, they suggested that I trade it in for £250 and spend £00s on a new phone. Apparently when the warranty has expired, I might be able to have just the cover screen repaired for the relevant fee.
I choose to do nothing.
This is extremely frustrating. I am now stuck with a partly working phone and am very unlikely to recommend either Samsung or a flip/fold phone.
