Samsung

Facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/SamsungAustralia/posts/6092522830812887

I bought a z fold 3. Always been in a case. After less than a year the screen like every other z fold 3 is splitting where it folds.

Feb 6 2023

 I Took it to Samsung at Chermside Qld, they sent it to repairer, (Tecworks, at Banyo) who quoted $740. (Job# 938554)

Tecworks said to me they have been told by Samsung that if there is any scratch or mark on the hinge, to not fix it under warranty, and say that is the cause of the screen splitting, which is obviously a load of rubbish. Every fold and flip screen splits according to the slightest google search revealing 1000s of other unhappy customers.

Should Samsung get away with charging the customer to repair what is obviously a design flaw, especially after paying $2500?

I emailed them:

To whom it may concern

Firstly, I want to say that I love Samsung products. I have a TV, soundbar Fridge, Phone, Watch, Robot vac, Vacuum cleaner, and have always chosen Samsung phones for the past 13 years.

On 22/12/2021, I purchased A Z Fold 3 from JB Hi Fi, Northlakes Qld.

As you are aware, every screen on every Samsung fold and flip phone is suffering from cracking where it folds. A web search will confirm this.

My phone first developed a crack in the screen protector along the fold line, which necessitated the removal of the screen protector. It then developed the same crack on the screen itself along the fold line. very fine at first, and it is growing with subsequent folding. To anyone with any common sense, it is obvious that the cracks resulted from the constant bending. A point of impact would create a fan like array of cracks which radiate from the point of impact.

I understand that under the Australian Consumer Law, when I buy products and services they come with automatic guarantees that they will work and do what I asked for. I would never have bought the phone if I knew there was a problem with the screen cracking at the fold.

After paying $2500 for the phone, whose main feature is that it folds, I expect it to perform this function  for at least the time that you state it should, being around 5 years, or 200,000 folds. https://www.samsung.com/ae/support/mobile-devices/how-many-times-can-we-fold-open-and-close-the-new-galaxy-foldable-device-did-it-improve-compared-to-older-versions/

The fact that it failed after only 8 months means that it has failed to work as intended.

I am well aware that Samsung is aware of the issue, as is evidenced by their design changes in the fold 4 and future iterations in making the fold a larger radius, and the class action lawsuit in the USA for the same.

I gave Samsung Chermside Qld the opportunity to repair the phone under the two year warranty. The repairer told me that they have been instructed by Samsung that if there is any scuff mark at all on the outer hinge, to state that the cause of the crack down the fold is due to that, instead of the folding, which is glaringly a cop-out. We all know the cracks in all of them are due to the folding. If it were not, then why don't tablets ever develop a vertical crack down the centre?

Therefore, in light of the refusal to replace the screen under warranty, I now request a full refund of the device. I would have been happy with a repair, but if the screen is going to develop cracking at the fold every 9 months, then the whole thing is defective in design and not able to do as promised, and a full refund is in order, or a replacement phone that does not fold, such as an S23.

If I do not hear from you within 5 working days, I will lodge a formal complaint with Office of Fair Trading Queensland and/or report my issue to the ACCC.

You can contact me about this complaint via email during business hours.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Samsung's reply:

Hi  Roger,

Thank you for contacting Samsung Electronics Australia.

I apologise for the delay in responding to your email.

I know this is frustrating and I understand your disappointment with the outcome of the assessment with your Galaxy device. 

I checked our system and I can see that our technician has completed a thorough assessment of your device. You have been advised that it was damaged as opposed to having a manufacturing fault. Due to this, we are unable to offer you a remedy at this time. 

 And whilst we understand your rights under Australian Consumer law, Samsung Australia can only guarantee warranty repairs, replacement or refund for manufacturing faults depending on the outcome of the assessment.  At this stage,  what I can do is to send a callback request from the assigned Case manager to further discuss the repair outcome to you. And since you already sent an email with our Samsung CEO Team, I would also advise waiting for their response to see if they can offer an alternative remedy option on your case. Again, our apologies for all the inconvenience caused.  I'll be keeping this conversation open and let us know if you have other enquiries or concerns.Please take note of your Samsung reference number: 8217486625Thank you for choosing Samsung. You can always contact us using this link: https://www.samsung.com/au/support/contact/.
Kind Regards,
Diana H.
Samsung Customer Care
www.samsung.com.au

My reply:

Hi Diana,

You said:
Samsung Australia can only guarantee warranty repairs, replacement or refund for manufacturing faults depending on the outcome of the assessment.  

I should point out that any such assessment would need to be accurate. As such, and as you would know, if the fault was due to it being damaged, then that would need to be proven. Given the prevalence of the screens cracking along the fold, it would be obvious that any crack along the fold would be caused by the fold, and not because there was a scratch on the outer hinge.

I invite you to read this information, which is one of countless websites describing the issue:
https://www.phonearena.com/news/galaxy-z-fold-3-screens-cracking_id145544

I also dispute there even being a mark on the outer hinge, because the phone has never been out of a case.

I can also go into the information that exists between the Samsung store and the repairer, in terms of the message sent from the store to the repairer to not repair it under warranty, by adding the comment about the mark on the hinge, but I don’t think it is necessary to go that far.

A reasonable view is that with the easy of the screen cracking at the fold, the $2500 phone was never fit for purpose. Therefore the only option left to Samsung now is to refund the full purchase price, or replace it with the cheaper S23 Model

I would prefer the refund.

I will not be accepting a repair now, because we both know that in 12 months, the screen will just crack along the fold again.

I have emailed the CEO department about it now. Also, I have bought a Google pixel 7 phone to replace it. 
I have been buying nothing but Samsung Galaxy phones since 2010. Always Samsung TVs galaxy watches, vacuum cleaners and fridges too. Now I won't. I guess This is what happens when you don't look after your customers and be fair with what happens. If I'd smashed it myself, I would have paid. But I didn't. It cracked along the fold line, and you try to deny it's because it folds due to a tiny scuff mark on the hinge which I was never shown at the Samsung store where I left it.

Sadly it's too late to see what you can do.

I'll take the refund.

Monday May 15th,  9:20 am

I revisted the Chermside store, to ask them what was happening as I had not heard from them for several weeks.

The phone was still there, and the assistant offered to send it to one of their departments to have it assessed with a view to having it refunded. I agreed that was a great idea.  

June 9, 2023
Email from Samsung

28th July 2023

Finally, after 172 days since I took the phone to them on 6 February,  (24.5 weeks) A refund was received.