In the world of modern smartphones, Samsung’s ‘Flip’ and ‘Fold’ devices have made quite a splash. These foldable touch-screen phones are a modern reinterpretation of the mobile phones of the early 2000s.
However, a recent incident involving a Singaporean man has shed light on a peculiar warranty issue that has left many potential buyers perplexed.
A Dissatisfied Customer’s Tale
On the 14th of September, Mr. Thang took to the Complaint Singapore Facebook group to voice his grievances regarding his Samsung Fold/Flip phone.
He detailed how his phone had experienced a complete loss of Wi-Fi and speaker functions, rendering it essentially unusable in crucial aspects. Although other phone functions remained intact, these issues were a cause for concern.
With his device still well within the warranty period, Mr. Thang headed to the Samsung store at Causeway Point hoping to claim the warranty.
He believed that the warranty would cover the repairs, as it should for any manufacturing defects. However, he encountered an unexpected obstacle.
To his surprise, the Samsung staff at Causeway Point refused his warranty claim, pointing to what they described as “damaged” hinge. They asserted that the aesthetic damage to the phone’s hinge was responsible for the malfunctioning components.
Scratches vs. Damage
In his attempt to clarify the situation, Mr. Thang emphasized that the hinge merely had scratches, which did not hinder the phone’s folding and unfolding process.
Despite his arguments, the Samsung staff insisted that the hinge was indeed damaged and quoted a hefty fee of S$700 to replace it. Their explanation was that since all components were connected through the hinge, any damage to it was detrimental to the phone’s functions.
Mr. Thang, baffled by the staff’s stance, continued to argue that the hinge damage was purely cosmetic. He even tried to point out that his phone’s issues were unrelated to the condition of the hinge itself.
However, the staff remained resolute, citing the Samsung repair policy, which clearly stated that aesthetic damage voids the warranty for Fold/Flip models.
He even printed out the Samsung repair policy for the customer, highlighting how “aesthetic damage” does void the warranty.
Interestingly, Mr. Thang noticed that another customer was at the store with a similar issue concerning her Flip phone. This raised questions about whether this was a mere coincidence or a recurring problem faced by users of these foldable Samsung devices.
Having been a loyal Samsung customer since the Galaxy S2, Mr. Thang expressed profound disappointment with the company’s warranty policy.
He likened it to a lawyer exploiting “terms and conditions on a layman.” He went on to caution potential buyers to reconsider purchasing the Fold/Flip phones.
As a result of this disheartening encounter, Mr. Thang contemplated switching to other phone brands, signaling a potential loss for Samsung in terms of customer loyalty.
Here is what he said
[Feedback on Samsung Repair Policy for Fold/Flip]
Everybody should be made aware that one should never buy a Fold/Flip, unless you can be 100% sure not to damage the hinge.
Experienced intermittent loss of cellular network, complete loss of wifi and speaker/recorder functions 2 days ago. Note that all other functions, especially the screen, are working well.
Checked online that it is still within warranty and went down to Samsung Causeway Point yesterday to submit a claim.
To my horror, the service personnel told me that my warranty is voided as my hinge is “damaged”. While i told them the hinge is scratched and not damaged, since i can still open and close the Fold as usual, they termed it as “damaged” and quote $700+ for replacement of hinge.
I responded that from my symptoms, there will be no need to change the entire hinge. They then told me that the hinge is alike the “back spine” and it connects to all other components.
They followed by printing out their repair policy and pointed out that “aesthetics damage” does void warranty, ONLY for the Fold/Flip models. Well done Samsung Singapore .. showing me the warranty policy is alike a banker or lawyer slapping the terms and conditions on a layman.
Coincidentally, or perhaps because the repair rates are so high, there was another lady sending in her Flip for the same reason.
Hence, i reckon people should be made aware, DONT go buying the Fold/Flip when the manufacturer puts in such clause to protect themselves.
Or for those presently using this models, chop chop go get the hinge protectors. Its okay to not have screen protectors, but must have hinge protectors.
Been using Samsung since the Galaxy S2. But well… it may really be a good time to look beyond Samsung.
Images source: Facebook and Samsung