Samsung 'Bad' Experience Store Bristol, then Samsung support is rubbish

[peedoff21]

Went to the Samung Experience Store in Bristol to buy a S20 FE. I explained that I particularly wanted optical zoom and was guided to the A52s as a 'better phone'? I asked them THREE TIMES to confirm that it had optical zoom, each time they said it did, same as the S20 FE. In fact they went on to enthuse about the A52s as a better phone!
Signed up to Klarna, got home and of course the A52s does NOT have optical zoom and is nowhere near the s20 FE in most other functions.
Called Samsung Support ( rubbish). Told me to go back to the store. Got to the store and was told they couldn't help because 'the people' I need to see were not there. This was regarding sorting out the Klarna payments it appears.
Contacted Samsung Support via 'chat' today ( more rubbish). Waited in a queue for 15 minutes then got dumped. Waited another 15 minutes and 'chatted' to them and got nowhere. A brief 'hello' then silence for 5 minutes. Then 'can't help you, go back to the store'. Then silence for 5 minutes. Then asked for my contact information. Silence for 5 minutes. Then said 'sorry, can't help you, go to the store'. What?
Samsung Experience stores are not contactable, there is no number for them, just Samsung Support. That means you have to go and visit the store just to be told a load more rubbish.
This is my very last Samsung device. I have had many over the years and put up with poor support, but no more.
I was mis-sold, ignored and left with a phone that is not what I wanted.

[Glenntech]

Got to say if you had specific requirements, think I'd have looked into myself.
But why did you change your mind if you had the S20 FE specifically you wanted?
The A52 is still a good phone, but if you just got it then it's worth going back and speaking to a manager if you feel your grievance is not being dealt with.
Best explain clearly that the phone you have is not what you wanted in the first place. Depending on how long you have had it for, maybe a compromise can be reached.
You've had a bad experience, and I know with the Samsung KX Experience Store. They are only too willing to help out with any issues I've had.
I hope you get the resolution you want and you get some faith back in Samsung.

[peedoff21]

I went in for the S20 FE just before Christmas, but it was not available in the colour I wanted on that day, but the store 'advisors' enthused so much about the A52s, that I was swayed. I asked them three times to confirm what they were saying and as the price per month was similar, I went with their 'advice'. I had some reservations, so before I even took it out the box I checked up the specs and reviews and realised the 'advice' was wrong.

Samsung support told me to go back to the store to swap the phone, which I did and educated them regarding their glaring error. None in stock so I asked for a refund. 'Not today', as the people that deal with Klarna stuff were not there.  

Bad advice, the couldn't give a hoot attitude once the sale is complete, useless support. Even contacting Samsung in any way is just useless. Now I have to travel all the way to the store again, just to be told more BS having nursed this boxed A52s for 3 weeks and not use it.

Looking around, Samsung have been slow to resolve issues in general, not just mine, so that and this latest fiasco is why I have lost faith in Samsung.

[Glenntech]

Ah right OK
Well as its still in the box then they shouldn't have an issue with a refund.
Maybe order the phone you want online. That said, the S21 FE is the new one. So maybe this will be the one to get now.
It's a shame you have had this experience, and I'd hope that your next visit to the experience store would restore some faith.
Sometimes I try contacting Samsung customer support through twitter. Not the quickest way, but sometimes they can get you a route in that's more effective.
Let us know how you get on

[walkerx]

If it's less that 28 days and unopened you should be able to take back to store for full refund, ask to speak to a manager. You will also need to get the credit contract cancelled,but be warned if you go to buy another phone or purchase on credit it may affect your credit rating or you maybe refused

[peedoff21]

Yet another journey into the Experience store, because you can't phone them. Spoke to the person that sold it to me and she spoke to the manager. Clearly the manager is too important to deal with sh1t herself.

Again, 'the people' that can sort it out were not there, as it's the weekend. I was pointed to a phone number, told them I've tried that which is why I'm at the store, again. She then got an email address which will enable me to get it sorted. How, who knows?

Seems it is my fault because I keep going to the store on weekends, but 'the people' don't work weekends. I need to take a day off work to see them. How can they put me on a Klarna contract any day of the week, but 'the people' can't do anything about cancelling it unless it's a weekday?

Regarding stock, I said that the S20 FE is in stock online, why don't they have it in store? Samsung and Samsung Experience stores are not connected I was told.

I still have a boxed phone, bought nearly a month ago and yet the store that sold it to me is unable to do anything to help.

Utter sh1te, all of it.

[walkerx]

I would mention trading standards and consumer rights act as the device was mis-sold they would be in breach.
But the problem you may have is similar to an issue I had with CPW and purchase of a Huawei Mate 10 Pro which was purchased as unlocked SIM free, but minute I inserted my sim card the phone got rebranded with three's huge boot loader and configuration.
When I complained it was my word against theirs and neither would do anything about it. This was one reason I stopped buying Huawei devices and mobiles from CPW and it's subsidiaries.
Can you contact Klarna during week and see what they say.
Hope you get it sorted though

[peedoff21]

For a brief moment, IO thought Samsung actually might be of some use. I was offered  the S21FE with £150 trade in and a free upgrade to 256GB. I had to go to the store TODAY  if I could to get a refund first. I was at work, so not easy.

I went to the Bristol store today, as requested, having had to take time off to do so. As soon as I explained why I was there, I was asked if the box had been opened. When I said it had ( as I already told Samsung it had) the advisor dismissively said that I couldn’t return it.

I was directed to the ‘stand-in’ manager, Brett, who adopted the same dismissive attitude until I explained that I had been in contact with Samsung and they had CC’d the store and he should be expecting me. He had no idea what I was talking about and went away for some time to check his emails. He returned saying that there was nothing from Samsung having checked all the way back to early December 2021, so he could do nothing to help me. I explained the issue again and once again he went off to check his emails. Again he returned saying there was nothing there and he could not help me.

To say that I am frustrated with the whole Samsung experience doesn’t quite do it. I  have visited the store FOUR TIMES and have got nowhere. I have spent a great deal of money on fuel, parking and time off work just to try and deal with Samsung and have got nowhere, despite their promises.

At this point I am so utterly disgusted by Samsung that no matter what ‘special offers’ they give, ( the £150 ‘trade-in’ they ‘especially’ offered to me  is a standard current offer on the S21FE it turns out) I am unable to even think about ever buying any Samsung products ever again. This whole experience has been such a fiasco from the start that it beggars belief and has put me off the brand completely. While I was there, I was not surprised to see at least two other potential customers walk out of the store muttering about how useless the Samsung store was.

The whole pathetic experience has been utter sh1te as now I am going to be stuck with a mis-sold phone and bunch of empty promises.

[peedoff21]

Well, after a lot of false promises and offers of 'resolutions' that really amounted to nothing, I had an S20 FE left on my doorstep ( for anyone to pinch) after Samsung agreed to let me have one. After 6 weeks, I have the phone I originally went in for in December 2021.

I had tried and tried to get a response from Samsung regarding which possible delivery date it would be as I assumed I would need to be here to sign for a £699 device. No reply, nothing, so it was sat on my doorstep for 1.5 hrs, even though DHL say it was left in my open doorway and was accepted by someone called 'tud'?

I am assuming it's a brand new device, as was promised, but the thin peel off screen protector is not there. The rear protector sheet has large debris and dust trapped under it and there are a few minute scuffs on the top edge of the device. I have asked for confirmation of whether it is new, as I was promised, but still no reply after many emails to them.

Not used it yet, so fingers crossed!