************* warranty by Samsung

<p>The Samsung (SM-920) Galaxy Note 5 cell phone acquired from MTN, East Rand Mall Shop 71 under Contract transactional date 31 Dec 2015 with account no AO798666 was damaged on 16 Nov 2016 in UNITAS hospital. After my operation of the Arthroscopy of the shoulder the cell phone dropped from the hospital bed. I was booked off sick until 31 Dec 2016 and was instructed that I could not drive and would be cleared when I could return to normal activities.</p> <p>The first possible date that I could return to normal activities was 1 Jan 2017. I took the cell phone to MTN at Mall@Reds on 2 Jan 2017 for repairs under the Warranty. This was the first possible date after the operations bed and 1 Jan 2017 being a Public Holiday. They referred me to hand in the cell phone at NewWorld Menlyn as they cannot do it from MTN, ********** I felt that this is poor customer services with absolute no after care for customers after the conclusion of the original deal as long as they receive their monthly payments.</p> <p>Travelling the distance, Francina at NewWorld took in the cell phone handset and informed me to my astonishment that it is 2 days outside the warranty. I have told her that it is impossible as the contract date is only 31 Dec 2015 and the warranty is for 24 months. She was adamant that this particular handset only has a warranty of 12 months. Then obviously if that is the case for reasons which I cannot understand to this day why a warranty period could change without informing the customers, surely then my operations bed and public holiday period as mentioned above must have merits/compassionate case for handing the handset in on 2 Jan 2017. The damages did in fact occur during the 12 months, their new warranty period. This uninformed unilateral change of warranty period according to me, not being a legal person, should be seen as a breach of the contract from the supplier’s side and customers should be protected against this type of treatment.</p> <p>Francina at NewWorld took in the cell phone handset under Samsung Service Order No ********** 696 and we agreed that if the handset is not repaired under warranty that they would first send us a quote for repairs for our consideration before they repair the phone. The main reason for that is that no customer would give a carte blanche approval/acceptance without knowing the cost of repairs involved. On the Samsung Service Order sheet she marked the damages of the handset with crosses on a sketch representing the square handset. I specifically asked her why she does not mark the sketch on the sheet according to the actual damages, on which she rep**** that the crosses is sufficient to indicate where the damages are, which later proofed to be an unnecessary argument. On my customer copy of the Samsung Service Order sheet in front of Francina I have made a sketch of the actual lines of the damages/crack. I have noticed that nowhere in the Samsung Service Order sheet she mentioned anything about the merits/compassionate case mentioned above and how would the receiver of this document know what we have discussed. She mentioned that we could take it up with the person/department that sends us the quote. What a waste of energy and time to have an absolute inadequate customer service process running in unnecessary circles/repetition of effort.</p> <p>On 6 Jan 2017 which I regard as super fast and commendable a sms that read “The repair to your Samsung SM-N920CZSAXFA is now completed and it is ready for collection from PANDODOX PTY LTD. 16:03” on which I rep**** back with a sms that I have not received a quote yet. From that response I heard nothing and went to NewWorld on 7 Jan 2017 to collect my cell phone. I have travelled again all the distance only to find that the cell phone is not delivered at NewWorld, Menlyn as per the sms. Travelling nowadays with the high petrol cost and toll fees is no joke to pull on a customer. Francina called the service shop who informed her and again me that there is a repair cost of R3100 which I have obviously declined as I have not received a quote and did not have the opportunity to state my merits/compassionate case for consideration to those as discussed with Francina and asked her to return my phone as I against my will and poor treatment would rather live with the mild damages the cell phone had.</p> <p>Two weeks later, not hearing anything, I returned to NewWorld with the expectation to receive my phone back in the same condition that I have handed it in with the mild cracks in the corners front and back. Less than quarter moon crack running from side to top and less than a tenth moon at the back. The phone that NewWorld wanted to return to me was now cracked totally from top to bottom which I refused to accept and insisted that the phone be returned in the same condition that I have handed it in. They shrewdly tried to convince me, devalue my intelligence as customer that this total different new crack is a running crack from the original crack that was caused when they tried to fix it. Nothing could be further from the truth as the original small cracks were not present on the phone anymore and this new crack was at a total different place on the screen.</p> <p>In the days that followed I made various calls to numerous persons and received calls in an attempt to resolve the predicament, but all was in vain as all tried to convince me to accept the substandard of customer service without properly listening or having passion for a customer.</p> <p>When facing a predicament of this nature you normally go to the original agreement and warranty. The “terms and conditions” of the original contract dated 31 Dec 2015 states clearly that “....we will provide you with applicable terms from the manufacture or supplier of the product. The terms of such warranty will prevail over all other warranties and guaranties.” The Samsung Warranty Card clearly states “The warranty period starts at the time of Product’s original purchase by the first end-user......Warranty periods ..1. Twenty four (24) months for the mobile handset..)</p> <p>Now reading this which is self explanatory, even to a non-legal person, makes me even more astonished and aggrieved at the same time for the pathetic prolonged treatment as customer and the lengths in which Samsung/service providers would go not to honour the warranty. The amount of lies and misguided skewed information is now evident that from the onset a blatant effort for not honouring the Warranty. This absolutely poor customer treatment, the lies, the shunting to and from, whereas the warranty is clear, seriously damages the Samsung brand name to such an extent that there is now distrust in any Warranty on any of your products. I had in mind to replace my current Samsung TV flat screen with the latest excellent Samsung models as well as my Samsung refrigerator with one of your latest exciting models, but I’m now seriously in doubt if your Warranty could be trusted.</p> <p>I humbly now yet firmly request you to do the honourable thing, to Treat Your Customer Fairly, honour your Warranty, repair the cell phone handset under the current valid warranty and return it to me. Should you decide not repair the handset under the warranty you would leave me no choice other than to regard Samsung/service providers to be in breach of the contract and will be terminated immediately effective from 2 Jan 2017 and the matter will be reported to the Consumer Protector?</p> <p>Your kind consideration and reply will be appreciated.</p> <p>Kind regards</p> <p>BM van Zyl</p>