Samsung NZ : A law unto themselves? Is customer care a myth?

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182 posts

Master Geek

#1087366 11-Jul-2014 17:53

jeffnz: Seems to be a replay of this thread so maybe if still feel strongly about Samsung you should change your buying habits

This thread is not about my buying habits. I am a big fan of Samsung products and at the moment we have 6 in our household: DVD/BluRay, Galaxy Tab, 3xGalaxy S3, and a Galaxy S5, all purchased from NZ retail outlets and all registered on the Samsung site.
I have no issues with Samsung, but I do have issues with the attitude of Samsung NZ in general and their Customer Care department in particular.

However it seems that raising these issues on this forum is something akin to farting in church.

As for honouring warranties on products purchased elsewhere it would seem that Samsung NZ, and (according to a post on here) Sony NZ have a different approach from most other multi-nationals. An attitude that I find somewhat strange.
Regardless of where it is purchased a Samsung product is a Samsung product.
In fact shortly after I started the thread to which you refer I got in touch with Samsung's head office in Auckland and received a call from one of the managers there who did in fact agree that the company was trying to get the customer care department to adopt a less parochial stance.

However, be that as it may, this thread is, or was, about the pending withdrawal of a facility that many customers find useful.

Luckily most multi-nationals also operate RMA schemes whereby warranty claims are handled by their home offices, so it is possible to get action even if the local representatives are not prepared to help.

God preserve Samsung NZ!

freitasm

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#1087370 11-Jul-2014 17:59

HairyScot:
jeffnz: Seems to be a replay of this thread so maybe if still feel strongly about Samsung you should change your buying habits

This thread is not about my buying habits. I am a big fan of Samsung products and at the moment we have 6 in our household: DVD/BluRay, Galaxy Tab, 3xGalaxy S3, and a Galaxy S5, all purchased from NZ retail outlets and all registered on the Samsung site.
I have no issues with Samsung, but I do have issues with the attitude of Samsung NZ in general and their Customer Care department in particular.

However it seems that raising these issues on this forum is something akin to farting in church.

Why? Because you want everyone to agree with you? If that's the case, well...

HairyScot: As for honouring warranties on products purchased elsewhere it would seem that Samsung NZ, and (according to a post on here) Sony NZ have a different approach from most other multi-nationals. An attitude that I find somewhat strange.

Regardless of where it is purchased a Samsung product is a Samsung product.

Yes, I agree. I don't like how some companies (Samsung for example) will simply ignore warranty when paralell importing - something that is not illegal in New Zealand - is involved.

I think when jeffnz suggested you should "change your buying habits" he was probably saying "if you have problems with Samsung when buying parallel imported but still like the product then better buy from New Zealand Samsung retailers". I think you took his comment the wrong way.

HairyScot: However, be that as it may, this thread is, or was, about the pending withdrawal of a facility that many customers find useful.

Some may indeed find useful. Myself, I never registered any product - online or offline. I keep all receipts for at least two or three years.

Jase2985

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#1087396 11-Jul-2014 18:34

can you explain what benefit you have from registering the product over not registering it?

Yabanize

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#1087438 11-Jul-2014 19:28

Jase2985: can you explain what benefit you have from registering the product over not registering it?

The old thread was about registering for samsung cloud services like find my phone and this one is about warranty's, id like to know that too?

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#1087445 11-Jul-2014 19:35

Jase2985: can you explain what benefit you have from registering the product over not registering it?

There is no benefit to the consumer - only to Samsung, who in effect do a free consumer survey and obtain personal details from the consumer.

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HairyScot

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Master Geek

#1087473 11-Jul-2014 20:08

freitasm:
Why? Because you want everyone to agree with you? If that's the case, well...

Not at all. However I do think that some of the responses have a distinctly parochial flavour and a whiff of politically correct nanny statism.

freitasm:
Yes, I agree. I don't like how some companies (Samsung for example) will simply ignore warranty when paralell importing - something that is not illegal in New Zealand - is involved.
I think when jeffnz suggested you should "change your buying habits" he was probably saying "if you have problems with Samsung when buying parallel imported but still like the product then better buy from New Zealand Samsung retailers". I think you took his comment the wrong way.

In my 40 years of business life before coming to NZ I travelled quite extensively and often purchased goods from outlets of multi-national companies in many different countries. If or when I experienced problems with those goods I had no problem in getting service from the agents of the multi-national company in my country of residence.
Shortly after I arrived in NZ in 2007 I had a problem with an HP Laptop that I had purchased in South Africa. HP directed me to their local agent in Auckland and the problem was fixed with absolutely no hassle.
I was therefore very surprised when a few months later I had a problem with a Samsung mobile phone that I had purchased in South Africa and was given the "Not a New Zealand phone" line by the Customer Care people at Samsung NZ.
This surprise was compounded a couple of years later when I contacted Samsung NZ with a query about their phone location service and was once again given the "Not a New Zealand phone" line, despite the fact that the question was not about the phone.
I made comment on this site and had a pack of Mother Grundys questioning my shopping habits. (The thread to which JeffNZ refers.)

freitasm:
Some may indeed find useful. Myself, I never registered any product - online or offline. I keep all receipts for at least two or three years.

I also retain receipts, and even packaging, until the end of the warranty period. However I do find the online registration a useful tool for recording serial numbers etc. It also simplifies submission of warranty claims.

However, as I may have said earlier, this thread is, or was, not about warranties but about the proposed withdrawal of a facility that I, and possibly others, find useful.

Buona sera

freitasm

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#1087476 11-Jul-2014 20:11

If I want to keep serial numbers I use a eWallet file - where I also have my documents' numbers, financials and logins to all websites. A rather large file.

I don't trust using a company's site to keep serial number because I don't trust any company will keep the service up for long. Most companies I know keep changing services "to make it bettr for consumers" but really every time they change you lose the information there. I've seen this happening with large and small companies.

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MikeB4

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#1087477 11-Jul-2014 20:19

@ HairyScot Why the agro towards the Forum and it's members?

blakamin

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#1087478 11-Jul-2014 20:21

I always take photos of serial numbers, receipts, boxes and product keys (thanks to a laptop that had the key rub off) and store them on my NAS and google drive.

Batman

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#1087509 11-Jul-2014 20:58

there should be a category called soap opera box where all threads like this gets redirected.

so far i have not seen any evidence of Samsung operating under their own law.

any a sniff of allegation of poor customer service by samsung in response to someone (probably yelling over the phone) ... maybe try seven sharp?

k1w1k1d

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#1087511 11-Jul-2014 21:11

Online registering is handy if there is a recall of a product, eg the current problem that Weiss are having with fires starting in their pre 2012 heat transfer systems.

Also gives the manufacturer a list of customers with their products, for future advertising.

nathan

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#1087516 11-Jul-2014 21:17

First world problems

johnr

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#1087563 11-Jul-2014 23:08

I have a Samsung iS4 9506 never registered online with Samsung and it went thru a warranty claim and the service was fantastic could not fault Samsung NZ

This thread really is pointless

turnin

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#1087910 12-Jul-2014 22:33

One the 'one' occasion I had to use them I personally found their service to be 'really' poor. ( Note the service business is a separate entity to Samsung NZ.)
I won't go into detail but if my experience was typical then they do definitely need to look at some staff training or get staff who don't mind thinking ahead. It does leave the customer sour and the OP is an example of this. Their customer service reputation is globally outweighed by the reliability of the devices they sell. Still, I empathise with the OP if he's trying to communicate with them or get a definitive answer on anything.

Kyanar

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#1088009 13-Jul-2014 10:56

freitasm:

Yes, I agree. I don't like how some companies (Samsung for example) will simply ignore warranty when paralell importing - something that is not illegal in New Zealand - is involved.

While parallel importing isn't illegal, the manufacturer is under no obligation to support the product if you do it (in fact, the retailer carries the entire CGA obligation!) Apple is another example - unless you buy AppleCare, they will refuse to support your device in any country except the place of purchase. You buy an iPhone in Oz and come to NZ, and you will have to take it back to Sydney to get repairs.

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