SAMSUNG PROMOTIONS - A BIG LIE!!

On the 6th March 2021, a Samsung S21 was purchased from Telkom on a contract at the Gateway Shopping Centre The purchaser was my brother in law.

This was given to me as a gift and one of the main reasons for the purchase was for the R1000 voucher which was redeemable on the Samsung Members App, to be used at the Samsung Online Store.

I had followed the process to redeem the R1000 voucher and entered all the details, as the phone is used by me I had entered my Samsung account details and had entered my name when trying to redeem the voucher.

Shortly after submitting the application to redeem the voucher, I received an email stating that my claim was not validated and that the voucher cannot be redeemed. Upon contacting the Samsung Customer Call Centre, I was told that the reason for the decline was due to the fact that the purchaser name on the receipt was not the same as the application submitted for claiming the voucher.

There are 2 issues with this: 1. The voucher is redeemed on IMEI number not name, and there is no instance where the voucher was attempted to be redeemed twice with the IMEI number. 2. My sister purchased a phone for my mother and they have different names and my mother followed the same process but her claim was successfully validated and a voucher sent to her.

The call centre advised that they will remove the IMEI number off the system so that my brother in law can re-submit an application directly with his details in order to get the voucher, however the decline on the voucher and IMEI was never removed and voucher was unable to be redeemed.

I also went back to Telkom, who advised that the promotion was directly with Samsung and that they cannot assist. I went to a Samsung store who advised they cannot assist as they were part of a Hirsch Franchise.

I called the call centre again where I had explained the situation, and I was asked by Itumeleng to send the IMEI number as per the emails below and sent earlier to you today. This was followed and the IMEI number was sent (both typed out and a screenshot sent).

Thereafter I received an email from Quinton stating that the claim will be processed and validated and that I will receive feedback.

To date (40 days later) nobody, not Itumeleng or Quinton has followed up on the query.

Again today I have called the number on the email *** and spoke to Dimakatso for about 45 minutes who tried to assist to the best of her before advising that her department can't assist anymore on the query and was put through to a senior Manager named Intumeleng.

I have been running around for this to be resolved for 2 months and it is absolutely unacceptable and ********* of Samsung as a brand. I have enough information in writing that will have Samsung in a legal matter for false advertising as well as agreeing to validate a claim and then not do what was stated. My claim was submitted before the promotion end date and should be honoured as there is nothing in your terms and conditions that state that promotions do not apply to phones purchased as gifts. Neither does it state that only the purchaser must redeem the voucher, and if this is the case as mentioned above how did my mother's voucher get validated.

Whenever I called the call centre I was not given a reference number, but it was stated that all calls are recorded for quality and assurance purposes, therefore should any of my statements above need to be verified I can provide you with all the telephone numbers used to contact Samsung so that the call records can be pulled up and looked at.

I requested feedback on this matter no later than COB (17h00) 11th May 2021. Should there not be any feedback, I am stating in writing, and notifying Samsung, Samsung Promotions, Samsung South Africa and Samsung International that I will be taking this matter up legally at the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa and I will exercise my rights as a consumer in line with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.

I advised them that this entire query will also be sent to Hello Peter and other social media platforms should we not reach a resolution timeously as I have been running around for 2 months with this query due to someone at SAMSUNG not DOING THEIR JOB!

To date 18th May the query has still not been resolved. Samsung is full of lies, false promotions and terrible customer service. Their handsets are pricy and we pay for them on time, we do not expect to not be given a run around for 2 months!!!!