… go ahead with your purchase if you can accept/swallow the following (no saying it will happen to you, but it happened to me):
1. NO ONE-ONE (1:1) exchange even if your brand new phone gives problem within 1 day
2. Have your phone serviced, and it gives problem again within the day of getting it back
3. take time off your busy schedule to make as many trips as needed to the service centre
4. pay parking fees if you drive and expect no reimbursement (oh btw, LG gives service centre customers parking reimbursement)
my experience in brief: i bought a new Samsung Galaxy Note 3, gives problem within first day, no 1:1 exchange provided. serviced, gives MORE problems within same day. phone back in hospital, and no guarantee the above cycle won’t repeat itself. coming to 2 weeks now not a single day of ‘normal’ usage.
this is the little note that i dropped on Samsung Singapore’s fb page:
on 3 Jan I bought a new set of SGN 3 from Starhub. within a day I began to notice intermittent loss in data network, which is abnormal for a brand new phone. finally found time to send it in on 11 Jan. to my surprise, a big corporation like Samsung doesnt provide a ONE-TO-ONE exchange for a BRAND NEW purchase. and #iwonder WHY!?!
the motherboard was replaced and i got back my phone the same 11 Jan afternoon. within 6 hours, I had 2 problems, data network lost PLUS mobile network loss. am i SO LUCKY or is there seriously something wrong with Samsung’s product QC? 2 continuous breakdowns for 2 supposedly new products (phone & replacement motherboard)?
if Samsung provides a ONE-TO-ONE exchange, i think the problem would have been solved long ago. coming to 2 weeks after making a new purchase, i do not get to use it normally for even a single day. my SGN 3 is currently lying in the ‘hospital’. the management should review this and reflect your feelings on this if you were in a customer’s (or my) shoes.
btw, if i were to learn about the no ONE-TO-ONE exchange policy for BRAND NEW purchase earlier, i would have bought another phone from your rival companies.
would you still buy a Samsung phone? likely yes, but probably the above note will make you pause and think again.
updated on Jan 18, 2014 with Samsung’s response and my reply:
— samsung singapore’s reply on January 16 at 5:54pm —
Hi, we are sorry to hear about your experience. Exchange requests are evaluated on a case by case basis, based on the assessment of your device after repairs. Please kindly furnish us with your service number or leave us your contact number (Desktop: http://spr.ly/6183dC1h or Mobile: http://spr.ly/6184dCG6) so that our Customer Care team can follow up with you. Thank you.
— my update for samsung on Jan 18 4pm —
Thanks Samsung Singapore for the clarification. Fyi, we were told right in the face by the service centre personnel that
“No! We only do servicing here.”
“Is there anyway we can ask for a one-to-one exchange cos we have problem with a new Day 2 product?”
“Samsung doesn’t do one-to-one exchange even if you have problem Day 2.”
So, it’s either the service centre misrepresented Samsung’s stance, or your communication with your service centre has broken down somewhere.
I have gotten back the phone yesterday. And the service centre confirmed the replacement motherboard was also faulty. Two faulty motherboards in a row is real lucky indeed, but I think it also speaks extremely well of Samsung’s product QC. Hopefully this 3rd board holds.
For the matter, will my warranty be extended given the amount of pain and time wasted, not to mention the car parking fees that wasn’t reimbursed in this entire saga? Thank you.
