Why I wont be buying samsung products anymore!

[Tarka Dal]

Products - 8/10
Firmware - 1/10
Service - 3/10



Samsung TV - 6/10 Can't use functions that well
Samsung Laptop - 5/10 Battery dies within 1 hr. Brand new...
Samsung Galaxy S - 1/10 What a load of crap the firmware is.
Samsung Monitor - 7/10 It works....

This company is so frustrating.
I'm going back to Sony...

 

[Dinesh]

Samsung 17" Monitor: More than 4 yrs and still working without any issues.
Samsung Galaxy S: Installed CyanogenMod (ICS 4) and enjoying every bit of its performance.
Samsung Galaxy Note: Needless to say, a complete entertainment smartphone with amazing hardware specs.

I never came across any situation where in I need any support/warranty from them so I cant comment on their after-sales service. However, the fact that I never had to visit to their service center is a symbol of excellence towards their products.

Talking about their Galaxy series smartphones, the best part is that they provide the phones with factory unlocked bootloaders. This gives me complete freedom on what ROM/theme/modem/kernel, etc. I want on my phone. All my friends have either Galaxy S, Galaxy S2 or Galaxy Note, all with wonderful hardware.

I see your experience with them is bad but I am a happy Samsung user and would prefer Samsung for all electronics in future.


Regards,
Dinesh.

 

[pparks1]

I'm going back to Sony...

Funny, because as far as TV's go, I went away from Sony because of a major support debacle that I had with the 2003 Sony Grand Wega III. Of course, I didn't go to Samsung, but rather to Panasonic. Couldn't be happier with my Panny Plasma tv.

 

[seavixen32]

Samsung 37" LED HDTV: Two years without a problem, setting up the network and SmartTV was a doddle.

Samsung BluRay DVD player: Two years without a problem and a great piece of kit at a great price and no problems.

Samsung GT-5830 Smartphone: It prints to my HP printer from anywhere in the world, has some great Apps and functions well.

Sony Vaio laptop: Two years and can't wait until it breaks down for good. High price, high spec, but low speed and poor performance.

Final result: Samsung 3 Sony 0

 

[Frank1]

Regardless of what brand you buy, a lemon will occasionally pop up.

 

[pparks1]

A lemon I can understand, a bad customer experience from the company not standing behind the product, that is what I have issues with.

On my Sony tv, these things were notorious for developing a bad optical block, resulting in a green colored blob on the screen. I called Sony, they said we have to have a technician come out (you must pay the $100 fee) to have TV looked at. If technician does diagnose as bad optical block, we will replace the part free of charge, but you will have to pay a 2nd service charge of $100 for the installation of the part. All in all, a $200 bill for around a $1500 issue isn't too bad. Sony knew the make and model # of my TV, had the serial number, etc.

So, I paid and had guy come out. He diagnosed it as the bad optical block. He said Sony would replace free of charge. Later he calls me and says, Sony won't pay because my TV is a 2003 model and they aren't covering the issue on the 2003 model only the 2004 model. But he tells me to call them and fight them on the issue because it's the EXACT same problem, and the EXACT same part, and the EXACT same procedure to fix it. And he told me, they hadn't changed the part at all and the problem would most likely return at some point in the future.

I called Sony livid, as they knew I had a 2003 model year TV before they sent the guy. I paid the $100 to have it looked at and now they want me to pay the $1400 for the parts, I don't think so. I fight and argue with them and they finally agree to pay for $700 of my repair, leaving me with a grand total of over $800 out of pocket to fix it. Had I purchased my TV just 61 days later in 2004, they would have paid for the part completely and it would have been $200 to fix it.

So, instead of paying another $700 to Sony, I said FU sony and put $999 into my 50" Panasonic Plasma instead and have been happy ever since. If there is an alternative to a Sony product, I will now take the alternative.

 

[Tarka Dal]

Samsung 17" Monitor: More than 4 yrs and still working without any issues.
Samsung Galaxy S: Installed CyanogenMod (ICS 4) and enjoying every bit of its performance.
Samsung Galaxy Note: Needless to say, a complete entertainment smartphone with amazing hardware specs.

I never came across any situation where in I need any support/warranty from them so I cant comment on their after-sales service. However, the fact that I never had to visit to their service center is a symbol of excellence towards their products.

Talking about their Galaxy series smartphones, the best part is that they provide the phones with factory unlocked bootloaders. This gives me complete freedom on what ROM/theme/modem/kernel, etc. I want on my phone. All my friends have either Galaxy S, Galaxy S2 or Galaxy Note, all with wonderful hardware.

I see your experience with them is bad but I am a happy Samsung user and would prefer Samsung for all electronics in future.


Regards,
Dinesh.

India usually gets it's products after they have been tried and tested. So I can't agree with you Dinesh.

 

[Dinesh]

Does that mean they sold products in your country without any QA tests?

 

[fseal]

Not to mention that Sony may be soon completely out of the TV business so if you buy one now you may have no service at all in a year or two anyway :/

I've had ok to good experience with Samsung. Only one monitor had a premature CFL failure, after a couple years, but Galaxy S4g and several 24 in monitors and other home electronics have been decent. I doubt anyone is better overall frankly. (LG I'm not so hot on myself though so...)

The ghods own truth is that they all suck, every company making home electronics today. They are all SO cheap and SO overly complex and SO under tested. Were at a crossroads of crap. There is so little market for paying a premium price for a quality product these days it can be hard to impossible to buy a quality item of any kind

 

[pparks1]

fseal,

On the electronics front I think you are right. We have a 4 year old refrigerator at home that has had about 5 significant repairs since we bought it. Icemaker crapped out, control board went nuts and wouldn't run defrost cycle right, door hinge broke off on inside and we had to have entire door replaced, various fans have quit working, etc. It's a GE, and I'm 1000% glad we bought the extended warranty on it, it's paid for itself about 10x over already.

As consumers, we have so much technology, and we demand such low prices that nothing is made to last anymore.

 

[seavixen32]

In some respects, it's just as well things are not made to last as there's enough people out of work as it is.

And in real terms, consumer electrical goods have never been so cheap.

To give you an example: in the UK in 1954 a 17" black and white TV set cost £100 while the average wage was approaching £10 per week, so it took 10 weeks wages to buy it. Today, a decent 40" LED HD TV can be had for £600 while the average weekly wage is rapidly approaching that figure, so a far better TV set can be had for one week's wage.

In fact, for most consumer goods now, it's cheaper to replace rather than repair. Not good for the environment I'll grant you, but far better for the labour market.

 

[smarteyeball]

Regardless of what brand you buy, a lemon will occasionally pop up.

Or a series.

The plasma series my Samsung 58" came from is notorious for quality issues (that only became apparent months after buying the thing). Samsungs 'resolution process' also left a hell of a lot to be desired.

Personally I wouldn't buy another Samsung TV, but I wouldn't rule out the entire brand.

 

[A Guy]

I'm a TV Tech. I fix TVs every day for 22 years. Any and all brands can have issues. It's usually in line with how many they sell.

The Sony Optical Blocks, yes, they had issues. I changed my own just before the extended period expired. They had several class action lawsuits with resulted in extensions. Out of those, they usually will cover for a diagnostic. If it is the OB, they have usually either covered the part, or offered a deal on a new TV.

A Guy

 

[Tarka Dal]

White goods I buy Bosch.
Fridge
freezer
cooker
washer
dishwasher
Tumble dryer
Iron
all 6 years old and over
Only one replacement Door on Tumble dryer. Thats what I call reliability.
BTW No insurance either.....

 

[Trucidation]

I remember when things lasted forever. I think my mom's blender (some continental brand, German I think), which is as old as I am, still works. Mine, all of 3 years old, is acting up already >__>

Personally, I kinda like Samsung, but that's just probably because I don't have any problems with their monitor I just got. If something goes wrong though it's not likely to cause a brand change (unless there's an equivalent model of another brand with glowing reviews); I don't have brand likes/dislikes unless they're a really creepy company.

Like Sony.

 

[mach04]

I think the problem with the electronic consumers products such as pc, tv, blue ray player etc. are not related to a certain specific brand, but rather the competition there are between these consumer electronics companies trying to deliver up-to-date products, trying to be a head in front of other producers. They are usually relying on other third party companies to provide them with the parts they need to assemble the final product. I have had company laptops, maybe some of the most expensive ones from Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, and several other brands for home, but they all needed to get repaired, or had poor performance. One thing is very important about these types of products is to be able to receive a good support when you need it. Thats why I choose those companies I beleive I can receive a good support when there comes a problem.

 

[xarden]

Until recently, been in a "temp" job at a Samsung repair centre.

No repairing involved.

If wifi wasnt connecting, we dont press the 'turn radio on' button, we replace the module.
If sound was too quiet, we dont turn the volume up, we replace the module.
If funky things happen with OS, we dont diagnose, we replace the HDD, reimage. Backup is customers responsibility beforehand.
If slow to boot up, we dont optimize, we replace the HDD, reimage. Backup is customers responsibility beforehand.
If OS is other than Windows, we send the unit back. Not our problem.

Not even allowed to created a new image with updates and new drivers.



What a muppet show. Needless to say, it wasnt the kind of job I was comfortable doing anymore.

So I dont blame the OP for having a bad experience.