Warranty invalid due to tiny scratch

[TheRealDarren]

Just had a conversation with repair centre over my buds 3 pro. They confirmed multiple faults, case not charging right bug. Right bug weak Bluetooth connection issues. Only 6 months old but samsung invalidated warranty repair due to a tiny scratch on case. It seems they don't repair buds or cases, they replace them when they fail. I have to pay £169 to replace parts instead.

That's the price I paid for them after trading an set in. I'm going to call the warranty team on Monday to confirm this and then probably just forgot about the buds. I'm not buying any wearables off samsung in future as they consider them perishable goods. Was thinking about the ring and watch ultra but now I'm going to have to buy news buds (definitely not samsung).

I will not be recommending samsung any more. 

[Obsydian]

Ouch sorry to hear mate, are you talking direct to the repair centre or the Samsung team, as the latter can be more accommodating if it is just cosmetic, but Samsung do define the warranty rules.

[Glenntech]

Most buds won't be repairable.
Some years ago I took some airpods pro into apple and they straight up replaced them
They don't repair them either
It would cost more to repair

Unfortunately with physical damage, most warranties won't cover
But if its a small scratch, it's worth arguing with the warranty to see if you can get anywhere

[Piper123]

Sorry to hear this.

Before you do anything, how did you pay for the buds?

If you paid by CREDIT CARD and you are in the UK using a UK issued card, consider a Section 75 Claim against your card issuer.

If by DEBIT card, you have fewer rights.

I always advise people to use CREDIT cards for purchases over £100. (pay it off in full immediately but your still covered for many purchases but not all by Section 75)

[TheRealDarren]

Paid by debit card. Annoyingly

[TheRealDarren]

Will try on Monday but if they won't resolve I'm definitely not buying anymore Samsung wearbles. They are going to get wear and tear it's in the name WEARABLES!

[smiley]

I am sorry to hear this... especially with something like a buds case which clearly spends a lot of time in pockets and exposed.

Just to question on the 'tiny scratch' as this term can be quite variable from person to person.

I would class a tiny scratch as it sounds... something that has caused by keys, loose change in pocket etc.

This can be very different from 'drop damage' which is a different thing when warranty is concerned. It can be quite clear when the damage is clearly from a drop, and particularly when it is concerning a handset or flip phone. This wouldn't be classed as a cosmetic scratch but rather physical damage from a drop.

I am surprised with a response from customer service when regarding a buds case to be honest... maybe their thoughts are drop damage causing the connection problems with the right hand bud.

I am sorry to hear this experience. Especially as I have buds 3 pro myself... so I will be extra cautious.

It I were you I would request them back and do my best to clean the charging port with some ipa and a cotton bud and see if the spring connections start working again.

Smiley

[Piper123]

Only option then before paying is to raise a complaint and challenge the initial decision.

I've seen countless posts on here where the slightest scratch indicates warranty and, whilst on some occasions the damage may be relevant, I don't think it always would be.

You can try a debit card chargeback but there are limitations and fewer rights in law.

Please do use a credit card in future for single item purchases in the UK over £100 per item as in most cases the card company are equally as liable as the manufacturer.

Out of interest, where did you buy the buds? Direct from Samsung or a third party like Amazon?

[BandOfBrothers]

@TheRealDarren 

I'm disheartened to hear your experiencing these issues with your Buds and the subsequent report you've had from Samsung. 😔 

Some great advice from the members here. 👌 

There is also help and support in Consumer-Rights-Act-2015.  

Please do let us know how you get on. 

[TheRealDarren]

Did some research, and the consumer rights act would cover a repair or refund as I only got them in September, so less than 6 months old. The scratch was very small, so I could argue under the classification of "wearables" by the manufacturer that some wear and tear is to be expected. The fact that samsung makes them unrepairable so automatically replaced them is not my issue as a consumer. They would have to repair them or refund me as the law states. I was going to request a refund if they failed to repair them.

So, armed with this, I called support centre number and spoke to a very helpful person about the warranty being voided. They voluntarily offered to take this up with their manager upon reviewing the scratch, agreeing that it was not reasonable to reject on that basis. They called back an hour later, and I've been given a one-off free "repair". They authorised a new right earbud and case replacement.

Although I should have been covered in the first place, it was great to have the service rep offer to resolve this for me.