[fishypops]

Samsung have me a little worried.

In June 2008, I purchased a 250GB 2.5" HDD from NCIX. It failed late last year. In Feb I contacted Samsung. Without giving you the long story, here is what happened in note form:
1. Tried their website - lots of dead pages in terms of software to test the drive
2. Tried to obtain RMA - would not accept Serial number
3. Phoned Samsung - lots of time on phone - please send in the invoice. Eamiled invoice.
4. Reply that the product was not purchased in canada and that the warranty had expired !! There is a 3 year warranty on the drive.
5. Everything I had read, said that the warranty is from the date of purchase
6. More time on the phone...
7. I have to now prove to them that the warranty is from the date of purchase.
8. The Samsung warranty website:
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/support/warranty.html
indicates that it varies from region to region. BUT.... does not say what the warranty is in canada.

How absurd would it be if the warranty were to run from the date of manufacture ? Would I send back a recent purchase if it turned out hat the date of manufacture was more than a month ago ??

Anybody have any advice as to how to proceed ? Who would I appeal to ? Is the an ombudsman ?

Thanks.

 

[hugh]

Have you contacted NCIX? What do they say?

 

[fishypops]

Yes. NCIX are bewildered. They of course can't help me since it is outside the 30 day period. They also looked at the samsung website and agreed that it was strange that Samsung do not state their terms. (Other countries that are more fair and honest, like India and the UK state that the period runs from the date of purchase).

NCIX agreed with me that it was absurd and don't understand why Samsung would want to fight me on this.

It seems that Samsung Canada does not have any support for HDD's. My dealings are with Samsung in the U.S (supposedly covering Canada).

 

[tdti1]

Hmm, I have read of Samsungs bad warranty service on there tv's, I guess it's not just there tv's...

 

[fishypops]

The saga goes on. I want to make a compliant. Is the BBB the best place to go to do that ? What comeback does one have ?

I am sure that Samsung can trade under whatever terms that they like, but there must be some form of implied term that would require them on their website, to state the terms of the warranty for all products sold in Canada.

They have made a deliberate attempt, with me at least, to deceive me that the terms of the warranty preclude my claiming against them, without providing those terms terms to me, or publishing them on the website.

Thankfully I am not a lawyer.

 

[hugh]

Reply that the product was not purchased in canada

Most manufacturers won't warranty Grey Market products. (i.e./ goods meant to be sold in another country.)

As I suggested before, you should be talking to the retailer, because if its true, then they are selling Grey Market drives. (I don't have a problem with Grey Market, however, consumers should be warned that most manufacturers won't warranty Grey Market product)

 

[ScaryBob]

It seems that Samsung Canada does not have any support for HDD's.

That goes for printers as well. Samsung support is a horror story. I'll never buy anything else from them.

The drive was purchased from NCIX. They do not sell grey market products but virtually all the drives they sell are OEM, not retail, versions. If Samsung support compares the S/N to their retail line. It will not show up. I've obtained drive warranty service from both Seagate and Western Digital. Their web site information and warranty service is excellent. There is only one way to describe Samsung's service and that is absurdly incompetent. Trained monkeys could do better.

 

[fishypops]

Samsung have just asked me to go back to the start, and re-submit as if the whole email chain and phone call logs never happened.

NCIX don't want to know about it.

Frustrated.

 

[ScaryBob]

Samsung have just asked me to go back to the start, and re-submit as if the whole email chain and phone call logs never happened.

They did that to me several times as well. Their support is a mess.

 

[hugh]

fishypops,

You are ignoring the fact that Samsung says the product wasn't supposed to be sold in this country which would mean that its not warrantied in this country.

What did the retailer say to that?

 

[barcham]

That's really poor customer service from the retailer. I work in PC retail and corporate sales and service and we will gladly handle any warranty claims for any of our customers if they have trouble doing so themselves for any product we sell. When it comes to hard drives, we will replace the drive ourselves and deal with the warranty return.

If your drive was not authorized for sale in Canada, it's up to NCIX to replace the drive themselves as they sold it to you with a claim that it carried a full warranty. If you cannot get satisfaction by dealing with their service department, send an email to the president of the company and keep doing so until you get a response. No company likes bad publicity, no matter how small and corporate execs don't enjoy having to handle what should have been taken care of by the proper department. But trust me, they will handle it if they have to.