I recently purchased GSM Galaxy Nexus from Expansys-US and not long after that I accidentally dropped the phone and cracked the screen. I am currently residing in US. If this happens to you, do not expect assistance from Samsung UK. They cannot assist you if you do not reside in UK. Here is the email threads that I have exchange with Samsung UK.
My First Email
I have purchased Galaxy Nexus from expansys-usa.com, but I live in XXXXX USA. I have issue where the fortified glass is cracked around the front facing camera. I need to have this issue fixed. I registered my product on UK Support site and opened up inquiry. The response I received from UK Support is that they cannot help me at all since I do not live in UK. When I try to register the galaxy nexus on US site, I was not able to do so since it can't find galaxy nexus. I really need to find out how to get this issue resolve. Please provide me step so I can talk to someone that will help me resolve this problem.
First Samsung Response Email
Customer reference number: XXXXXXXX
Email response ID: XXXXXXXX
Please quote your customer reference number when contacting Samsung
Dear XXXXX
Thank you for contacting Samsung.
I'm afraid that since your phone's screen was damaged this will not be covered under warranty anyway. I
would therefore urge you to bring your phone to a local mobile phone repair shop and ask them to repair it as
Samsung UK cannot repair this under warranty.
If you require any further assistance, please contact Samsung again and we will be more than happy to help.
Kind regards
Ciaran
Online Support Team
SAMSUNG Customer Support Centre
Second email I wrote is to ask if they can provide me a Service Center I can contact so I can receive the repair service. Here is the second response.
My Second Email
The answer you gave me is not very helpful at all. The problem is Samsung so-called fortified screen is not so fortified. It's cracked and for the ten billionth times I know that it's not cover under the freaking warranty. Now as Customer Service try to figure out how you can help me. There is no local phone repair store I know that can help repair Galaxy Nexus which has not been release in US. Why can't I send the phone to UK to get it repair? What's the cost of the repair? What's the cost to have the phone shipped back to me? Where can I send to the phone to be repair? Why can't you guys give me that information? If this is the kind of service I get from purchasing products from Samsung. I will refrain buying from Samsung altogether in the future. If you, Customer Service, can't solve this issue please escalate to your manager. If your manager can't do it, find someone who is competent and capable of assisting me in solving this issue.
Second Samsung Response Email
Customer reference number: XXXXXXXX
Email response ID: 2106733927
Please quote your customer reference number when contacting Samsung
Dear XXXXX
Thank you for contacting Samsung.
I am sorry to hear that your screen has become broken.
I would suggest you get in contact with the following service centre to see if they will accept the phone in for
repair from outside the UK.
Regeneris Limited
32 Fountain Drive
Inchinnan Buisness Park
Renfreshire
PA49RF
Glasgow
Phone +44 141 812 1111
As this damage is not covered by warranty this is the best solution I can provide you with. I hope this resolves
the issues you are facing and you get your phone back soon.
If you require any further assistance, please contact Samsung again and
we will be more than happy to help.
Kind regards
Chris
Online Support Team
SAMSUNG Customer Support Centre
Then I contacted Regeneris Limited in UK for service assistance. Here are the following email message between Regeneris and myself.
My email
Support,
I was recommended by Samsung to contact Regenersis in regards to repairing cracked screen on Samsung Galaxy Nexus. I also have been informed by Samsung that the warranty does not cover cracked screen. If Regenersis can service cracked screen on Galaxy Nexus, I am curious to find out the cost of the service plus the price of shipping to XXXXX, US. Approximately how many days will it take to fix the problem?
The screen is cracked around front facing camera.
Regenersis Email
Good Morning
Thank you for your email.
Can you please advise if you purchased your handset from the UK.
If you did then we will be able to repair this for you.
It costs roughly £100-200 for the screen to be repaired plus about £10 to return the handset back to the US.
Regards
lorna
My Email
It was purchased from http://www.expansys-usa.com/
Regenersis Email
Hi
As this handset was purchased from the USA we are unable to repair this here.
You would need to contact Samsung to find out where the handset can be repaired in the USA.
lorna
So far as you can see I have been receiving a great customer service. Even though I bought my phone form Expansis-US which is part of Expansis in UK, I was told that they cannot do anything for me in term of service. Then I wrote back another email to Samsung UK and here is what I have received for the reply.
Third Samsung Response Email
Customer reference number: XXXXXXXX
Email response ID: 2106785983
Please quote your customer reference number when contacting Samsung
Dear XXXXX
Thank you for contacting Samsung.
I am sorry to hear that your screen is broken and that Regenerise is unable to help you.
As you are not in the UK I cannot offer further support in this matter. You will need to contact SamsungUS to
find a repair centre in your area.
This information can also be found on our American website.
www.samsung.com/us
If you require any further assistance, please contact Samsung again and
we will be more than happy to help.
Kind regards
Chris
Online Support Team
SAMSUNG Customer Support Centre
From that email, Samsung UK literally informed me that I am SCREWED for purchasing their product not specifically made for US market. I am hoping that since the release of Galaxy Nexus even though it’s not the same as GSM version, I would be able to get some sort of assistance in repairing my cracked FORTIFIED screen. Please find someone that can help me getting this issue resolve. If you are going to email with the similar answer to Samsung UK, please don’t bother. I want a resolution to cracked FORTIFIED screen.
Suggestion for resolving this issue:
• Provide me a service center in US where I can service my phone.
• Provide me the cost of repairing the so called FORTIFIED screen.
• Provide me that length of time it will need to fix the issue.
I just opened up another ticket with Samsung US. Since Verizon Galaxy Nexus is available in US, I am hoping that Samsung US can help me with the problem. Stay tune for future update.
I'm probably not offering much help, but maybe you could try contacting Samsung CDN and get the info you want.
Just a thought.
Hope you get your phone fixed.
Apologies if this sounds rude, but you should've asked expansys if they would be willing to ship your phone to the UK for repairs before buying it or at least looked up Samsung's international warranty handling (as you found out-nonexistant). Handtec states in their terms that they are wiling to do this if you ship the phone to them, expansys makes no mention at all about the warranty of this phone.
I'm sure if you can buy the glass from ebay or another seller and take it to a local phone repair shop they can fix it for you.
Also-I don't believe cracked glass is covered under warranty, you would have to pay for it out of pocket regardless.
So you dropped your phone, and after one email from Samsung basically telling you it's not covered (because its not) you decided to be an ass to the customer service rep? Real nice.
I was also under the impression that Expansys-USA would handle the warranty situation for you, similar to the way Handtec does (i.e., you send the phone to Expansys, they send it to the UK to be serviced, it gets sent back to Expansys, and Expansys sends it back to you). Have you contacted them as the poster before me has suggested? Please keep us updated. I'm curious to hear how this is handled.
You went about this all wrong.
First, you need to contact expansys and use them as an intermediary.
Second, your email to Samsung USA is laughable. You seem to think that because your phone has a fortified screen, it should be invulnerable to damage.
Third, being kind and constructive will achieve more than being snide, condescending, and sarcastic. I am confident you will learn from this valuable experience.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
you will not get warranty period
even if you did buy it locally
a screen damage is a PHYSICAL damage, no factory warranty covers that.
only if you buy expensive no hassle warranties from like Best Buy and such, and they will only let you fix it ONCE! that's all
just google or search ebay for replacement screens, and do it youself as many members have done in the forum
average $200 ~ $250 + shipping cost + taxes where applicable
or better yet, chop the phone to pieces and sell it as part you get more money out of it that way, then buy a new phone
This is called grey market electronics and has always been iffy.
Stock ICS OTA 4.0.3
AllGamer said:
you will not get warranty period
even if you did buy it locally
a screen damage is a PHYSICAL damage, no factory warranty covers that.
only if you buy expensive no hassle warranties from like Best Buy and such, and they will only let you fix it ONCE! that's all
just google or search ebay for replacement screens, and do it youself as many members have done in the forum
average $200 ~ $250 + shipping cost + taxes where applicable
or better yet, chop the phone to pieces and sell it as part you get more money out of it that way, then buy a new phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think the OP expected the screen to be fixed free of charge. Normally, if you crack your screen, the manufacturer will fix it for you for a price. For example, my mother shattered the glass on her Nexus S a few months ago and Samsung US had her send it to them and replaced the screen for something like $150. I assume this is what the OP was looking for.
the thing is on his emails tone, and the way how Tech Support or Customer Service people reads it is
"i want my screen replaced free"
so they will automatically give them the typical reply which you see quoted on the first page
he should have sent an email asking
"Which service centre do i sent my phone, to have my broken screen replace, and how much the repair it cost?"
then you will get the proper response from the CSR people or TS people
AllGamer said:
you will not get warranty period
even if you did buy it locally
a screen damage is a PHYSICAL damage, no factory warranty covers that.
only if you buy expensive no hassle warranties from like Best Buy and such, and they will only let you fix it ONCE! that's all
just google or search ebay for replacement screens, and do it youself as many members have done in the forum
average $200 ~ $250 + shipping cost + taxes where applicable
or better yet, chop the phone to pieces and sell it as part you get more money out of it that way, then buy a new phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't mean to be rude but Best Buy's warranty is about $10 per month which is a few dollars more then carriers insurance and you get unlimited repairs, you just have to wait the 2-5 days it takes to get the refurb back. Know this from personal experience, I've sent some kids iPhone out about 5 times for cracked screens because he refuses to get a case because he doesn't have to worry about paying deductibles and nonsense.
On topic: Try buying a screen and checking out local computer repair shops. I know where I live if you buy the screen my local computer repair shop will replace it for a fee.
mcp2009 said:
Don't mean to be rude but Best Buy's warranty is about $10 per month which is a few dollars more then carriers insurance and you get unlimited repairs, you just have to wait the 2-5 days it takes to get the refurb back. Know this from personal experience,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's a different warranty, the one i had in mind was the $250 for the life of the phone, and it is transferable to the refurb or replacement phone.
but it was not a monthly payment of $10
that might be a different plan i'm not aware of
either case i would not pay monthly, that's probably how they recoup the loses, as you will be forever paying until you cancel it
From what I've read it's near impossible to replace the glass in the phone because it's fused to the housing. Have to replace the screen and housing with glass.
AllGamer said:
the thing is on his emails tone, and the way how Tech Support or Customer Service people reads it is
"i want my screen replaced free"
so they will automatically give them the typical reply which you see quoted on the first page
he should have sent an email asking
"Which service centre do i sent my phone, to have my broken screen replace, and how much the repair it cost?"
then you will get the proper response from the CSR people or TS people
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. OP, you definitely could have used a different tone. Either way, contact Expansys and see what they tell you. And please report back here once you do, if you don't mind. I'm sure a lot of people would be curious to hear how this will be handled.
OP, your communications with the service center is awful. To the point I could call you an ass.
The first thing you did wrong was contact Samsung UK even though you live in the US
Basically, you're like "I bought a motorcycle from Brazil and now I've gone through customs, imports, registration in Japan so I can ride it. Brazil, even though you didn't authorize the export of the motorcycle, even though you don't operate in the Japan market, even though you guys speak a different language, even though you're half a world away, I want you to take care of my motorcycle cause I crashed it into a car."
Am i missing something? You broke the screen, the GSM verison isn't avaiable in the us. You bought the unlocked UK version, find a local shop and get it repaired. No need to be an ass. Samsung didnt do anything wrong here.
I already contacted Expansys-US and there is nothing that they can do for me. They suggest that I contact Samsung UK. Those are series of emails, not just one emails from Samsung. I was polite at first but after series of emails without any answers to my questions I started to get angry.
I already know from the second email from Samsung UK that it's not cover by the warranty which I am ok. I am willing to spend money to fix the screen. It takes another 4-6 emails for me to find out that service center in UK cannot do anything at all even though I am willing to pay for the service.
In the end all Samsung could do was to inform me there is nothing they can do for me. All I want is a place where I can send my phone to be service, and I will pay for it. That's not much to ask. If they can answer my question at the beginning, I would not have been rude to them. After series of emails, I had enough. I just want to let folks know that's all.
The answer you gave me is not very helpful at all. The problem is Samsung so-called fortified screen is not so fortified. It's cracked and for the ten billionth times I know that it's not cover under the freaking warranty.
yeah, that kinda tone wont garner you any sympathy, especially if its your "SECOND EMAIL' - not quite the billionth time
grow up
The fact that you bought a grey market item means there is no warranty. ADD to the fact that you are talking to the UK arm of Samsung makes it a tough situation.
Expansys-US probably did not help you because they knew that this was something that is not covered under warranty. What did you expect them to do? Find a place that you pay to repair it and have them handle it? That's on you.
You probably will not find any luck having to do anything with the UK. Maybe try Samsung US and say you bought a Verizon GN and ask them if they would be able to repair the screen for a cost? Or ask them where you could send it?
aldo37 said:
Expansys-US probably did not help you because they knew that this was something that is not covered under warranty. What did you expect them to do? Find a place that you pay to repair it and have them handle it? That's on you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if this is indeed the reason Expansys didn't help, or whether they never help w/ warranty replacement. I have a friend who wants to order the Galaxy Nexus from Expansys since they're in the U.S. I e-mailed them for him yesterday asking what their warranty policy is, but they haven't gotten back to me yet. I'm wondering if it's because they don't help you out at all. If this is the case, I don't know why anyone would order through Expansys, when companies like Handtec will act as your intermediary for warranty claims.
Hey all,
I just started this thread so everyone could post your opinion, like problems you faced with htc after sale service. I will start off with mine.
I bought a Htc one M8 from saudi arabia on july 2014 and the retailer said it has international warranty(since i am from india and was leaving saudi i desperately wanted this, so i opted for this even though i had many good offers from other retailers). it had battery issues in three four months. By October i took it to service center in India where i was informed that Htc doesn't provide international warranty and i have to pay for battery replacement. I didn't give it to service. Recently my colleague from saudi had come to India for his vacation and I asked him to take my phone and replace the battery since the phone is still under warranty in saudi.
When my friend took it to the service centre in jeddah, saudi arabia. They informed him that since the phone had scratches on the back metal casing ( I dropped my phone once), I would not be able to claim the warranty.
Is it really a valid reason for denying my warranty?
I didn't find any connection between battery and scratches on the back panel.
In US One m8 customers have a free screen replacement within the warranty period. Do they shatter their screens without dropping the phone?
Please post your views and we will just keep it updated to help other know the service quality.
prashanth000 said:
Hey all,
I just started this thread so everyone could post your opinion, like problems you faced with htc after sale service. I will start off with mine.
I bought a Htc one M8 from saudi arabia on july 2014 and the retailer said it has international warranty(since i am from india and was leaving saudi i desperately wanted this, so i opted for this even though i had many good offers from other retailers). it had battery issues in three four months. By October i took it to service center in India where i was informed that Htc doesn't provide international warranty and i have to pay for battery replacement. I didn't give it to service. Recently my colleague from saudi had come to India for his vacation and I asked him to take my phone and replace the battery since the phone is still under warranty in saudi.
When my friend took it to the service centre in jeddah, saudi arabia. They informed him that since the phone had scratches on the back metal casing ( I dropped my phone once), I would not be able to claim the warranty.
Is it really a valid reason for denying my warranty?
I didn't find any connection between battery and scratches on the back panel.
In US One m8 customers have a free screen replacement within the warranty period. Do they shatter their screens without dropping the phone?
Please post your views and we will just keep it updated to help other know the service quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you could get an image posted showing the depth of scratches, it would be easier for anyone to judge on how deep the scratches really are.
But, I don't think they should deny a free under warranty repair. The reason they mentioned is absolutely ridiculous, as many people use the phone without a case on it. Its quite easy for the back panel to pickup scratches.
prashanth000 said:
I didn't find any connection between battery and scratches on the back panel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can absolutely damage a battery by dropping, or physical damage.
Whether the issue was caused by such dropping or physical damage, is altogether another question. You can certainly try to argue with HTC (and maybe rightfully so) that the battery wasn't damaged by how you handled the phone. But being as you tried to do the warranty service "remotely" it obviously makes such arguments difficult or impossible.
You're probably more at the mercy of the individual HTC rep, than anything. As its pretty subjective what degree or evidence of physical damage constitutes voiding the warranty.
prashanth000 said:
In US One m8 customers have a free screen replacement within the warranty period. Do they shatter their screens without dropping the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not part of the regular warranty, but rather an added feature. And its for the first 6 months of ownership (not the full warranty period of 1 year).
Its also a bit irrelevant, since warranty terms vary by country/region.
But even the US warranty terms don't cover issues caused by physical damage. So in theory, its possible (at least by the wording of the warranty) that in the US that HTC will replace a screen due to physical damage, but not other components.
I recently had warranty service on my Note 4 through AT&T. The process turned out to be considerably more difficult - and potentially financially risky - than I expected. There are a lot of things that I know now, that I wish I had known at the beginning of the process. Therefore, I'm writing this summary to help prepare other AT&T customers who need service for their Samsung (and probably other) products.
If you don't care about the back story, just scan for the bolded TAKEAWAY lines below, or skip to the SUMMARY section at the end.
THE ISSUE
I bought a new (not refurbished) Note 4 a few months ago. From the moment I got it home, away from the blazing fluorescent lights and full screen brightness in the AT&T store, I noticed the dreaded pink tinted screen issue. The effect was minor at first, but grew in intensity over the subsequent weeks. It was bad enough within just a couple of days that I couldn't see the right-most digit of my alarm clock app at all when I had the brightness turned way down for nighttime (this would be at the top of the screen, they way it sits horizontally on my stand).
Having had a similar, but more severe, screen issue that rendered my Galaxy S4 unusable, I was particularly sensitive to screen quality and resolved to get this fixed.
MY OPTIONS
I had two primary options for fixing the problem (probably in addition to purchase protection on my business credit card):
1. Samsung warranty: Covers manufacturer defects for one year
2. AT&T insurance policy (well, 3rd party policy that AT&T sells): Covers virtually any kind of defect, damage, or loss, after paying the deductible
I decided to pursue Option 1, for two reasons. Firstly, the problem was clearly (to me, at least) a manufacturing defect. Secondly, the insurance policy had a $200 deductible. So, I stopped by the AT&T store in my local mall to get the phone fixed under warranty. No problem, right? I mean, my parents have had like a half-dozen iPhones fixed or replaced at the Apple store in their mall just by walking in off the street...
AT&T'S PROCESS
I learned my first lesson in the threshold of the door to the AT&T store:
TAKEAWAY 1: AT&T RETAIL STORES DON'T PROVIDE WARRANTY SERVICE FOR THE DEVICES THEY SELL
Huh? Given the aforementioned problem with my S4, I was shrewd enough to ask about the warranty before buying the Note 4. The AT&T person told me that it had a 1-year, manufacturer warranty. This was entirely correct. My mistake was interpreting this to mean that I could go back to the store where I had just bought the phone a few weeks prior and have it fixed under warranty. That's not the case. Instead, the person at the store handed me a business card with the toll-free number for AT&T Wireless support.
I went back home and called the number on the card. The person who helped me was prompt and professional. She logged the details of my issue, and explained the next steps to me as follows:
AT&T sends a new phone body
I swap my battery, SIM card, S Pen, and back cover to the new phone
I repackage my old phone body in the same box and mail it back to AT&T, postage pre-paid
So far, so good. But...
An AT&T person receives and evaluates the old phone
If the problem is deemed to be a manufacturer defect, the process ends for me here, and AT&T ships the broken unit back to Samsung
If the problem is deemed to be caused by physical damage, AT&T ships the old phone back to me, charges me the full retail price of the replacement phone, and I keep both phones!
Say what?! I asked what would happen in the unlikely case that the phone left my hands undamaged, but was damaged during shipping. She confirmed that AT&T would send the broken phone back to me and that I'd be stuck with both the old and new phones - and would have to pay for the new phone.
Dumbfounded, I asked for a way to mitigate the risk of my getting stuck with two phones. She recommended that I go back to my local store and have an AT&T employee inspect the phone, and add notes to my account stating that the phone is not physically damaged. Then, if it arrived damaged at the warranty center, they'd know that it had to have been damaged in shipping. She said that she'd leave my case open in her computer system, and that the next person I spoke with could complete the process after I returned from the store.
That sounded reasonable (enough). So, I went back to the retail store, an AT&T person looked at the phone, concluded that it was not physically damaged, and annotated my account accordingly.
I returned home, called the toll-free number again, and picked up where I left off. The person I spoke with this time reiterated the process to me, and confirmed that if the old phone arrived damaged, AT&T would send it back to me and I'd be stuck with it, stuck with the new phone, and charged for the new phone. "Except in this case", I added, "because the notes in my account said that the phone isn't damaged, right?"
Wrong.
If the old phone arrives damaged, I own both phones. "Why did I just go to the [email protected]#$ing store then?" He said that I shouldn't have, and that the previous customer service rep shouldn't have told me to do so. He said that I might damage the phone after leaving the store, before I ship it back to them, and therefore that the notes in my account meant nothing. He's right, of course.
After a spirited discussion, he made another good point - the warranty is from Samsung, not AT&T. AT&T provides warranty service as a "courtesy" to its customers. For phones with defects, AT&T can send them back to Samsung and get reimbursed. For physical damage, though, Samsung won't accept the phone under warranty. Therefore, AT&T needs some way to guard against getting stuck with a broken phone. Before proceeding, let's pause for another takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 2: AT&T DOES NOT WARRANTY SAMSUNG PHONES, SAMSUNG WARRANTIES SAMSUNG PHONES
This makes perfect sense, and I definitely see the problem from AT&T's point of view. Still, the original unresolved issue persists. So, I asked the guy what I could do to protect myself against the possibility of the old phone getting damaged in shipping. He offered that perhaps the manager at my local AT&T retail store could pack and ship the old phone for me. I agreed to that, and asked what would happen if it arrived broken due to shipping damage. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before.
Flabbergasted, I stated that I was willing to assume the risk of damage during shipping, and changed topics.
Next I asked what would happen if the phone arrived at the AT&T service center intact, but that the person assessing the problem concluded that the pink screen problem was due to damage, rather than a manufacturing defect. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before.
I asked how to determine, definitively, whether the issue was manufacturing-related or damage-related, prior to sending the phone back to the AT&T service center and starting the inexorable process that may lead to me getting stuck with two phones. After all, the person in the retail store who annotated my account said that it was a manufacturing defect? He said that AT&T retail employees are not qualified to distinguish between manufacturer defects and physical damage. Another takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 3: AT&T RETAIL STORE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT QUALIFIED/TRAINED/AUTHORIZED TO ASSESS WARRANTY-RELATED ISSUES
(Makes all you AT&T store employees out there feel valued by your employer, eh?)
Fortunately, the guy on the phone was trained to make these types of assessments. Based on our call so far - and never having seen my phone in person - he says that the pink screen was most likely due to physical damage. With steam coming out of my ears, I told him that I wasn't even going to debate whether the issue with the handset was a defect or damage, but rather would stick to trying to understand the Kafkaesque service process.
Specifically, I said that the previous phone rep who I spoke to said that she thought the issue was due to a defect. So, regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the dilemma is that two different AT&T people made two different assessments about the root cause of my phone's problem. In one case, I could get it fixed for free. In another case, I end up spending over $1,500 for two phones, one of which is broken.
Naturally, I asked what my recourse was if the AT&T warranty center person determined that the issue was due to physical damage, but that I still thought it was a defect. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before. I asked if there was an appeals process. No, there isn't. Next takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 4: IF AT&T SENDS YOU A NEW PHONE UNDER WARRANTY AND YOU SEND THE OLD ONE BACK TO THEM, THE PROCESS WILL RESULT IN ONE OF TWO OUTCOMES, AT AT&T'S SOLE DISCRETION:
A) AT&T DETERMINES THE ISSUE TO BE A DEFECT, AND YOU KEEP THE REPLACEMENT PHONE FOR FREE
B) AT&T DETERMINES THE ISSUE IS DUE TO DAMAGE, THEY SEND YOU YOUR OLD PHONE BACK, CHARGE YOU FOR THE NEW PHONE, AND YOU KEEP BOTH.
Period. End of story. No appeal. No recourse. Just roll the dice and pray that the AT&T warranty person who you've never met and never get to talk to ends up looking at the phone and coming to the same conclusion as you.
Unconvinced that a company as big and mature as AT&T didn't have some reasonable solution, I inquired, yet again, about options. There were two remaining:
1. Send the phone to Samsung for warranty service by mail
2. Take the phone to an AT&T Device Support Center for in-person service
The first option would leave me without a phone for a week or two. But, Samsung wouldn't stick me with an extra phone the way AT&T would.
TAKEAWAY 5: YOU CAN SEND YOUR PHONE DIRECTLY TO SAMSUNG FOR WARRANTY SERVICE, WITHOUT INVOLVING AT&T IN THE PROCESS
I don't know how easy or hard it is do work with Samsung, or what their process is if you think there's a defect and they think there's damage, etc... I'll leave that for someone else to explain.
But, this second option sounds good - an AT&T Device Service Center. As it turns out, this is what I was looking for all along! It's a real building, with real AT&T employees, who are qualified to assess warranty issues, and able to repair/replace defective phones. Perfect! The closest one to me is 225 miles away (which took the phone rep 10 minutes to find, because their system is only set up to offer this option if the Center is within 50 miles), but I GLADLY drove down there to get my phone fixed. The person there looked at my phone, immediately judged the issue to be a defect that was covered by warranty, and in 2 minutes had me set up on another Note 4 with a spectacular screen. So:
TAKEAWAY 6: YOU CAN TAKE YOUR PHONE TO AN AT&T DEVICE SERVICE CENTER FOR IN-PERSON WARRANTY SERVICE
TAKEAWAY 7: THERE ARE VERY FEW AT&T DEVICE SERVICE CENTERS, SO YOU MAY NEED TO TRAVEL A LONG DISTANCE TO GET TO ONE
SUMMARY
To summarize the preceding dissertation, AT&T customers with Samsung (and possibly other) phones who need warranty service should know:
The phone's warranty is from Samsung, not AT&T
AT&T provides in-person warranty service, on behalf of Samsung, through Device Service Centers only, not through retail stores
AT&T Device Service Centers are few and far between, so be prepared to travel
Warranty service by mail through AT&T is not a viable option, because you can get stuck paying for two phones, at AT&T's sole discretion, and have no recourse
Oh, and two more:
The pink screen issue is for real - and really obvious when it happens; folks who are adamant that it's imaginary, that we're looking at our screens crookedly, or that we're otherwise obsessing over something minor are just lucky enough to have units with good screens
A good Note 4 screen is AMAZINGLY good - if you have the pink screen issue, go through the hassle to get it replaced; you won't regret it
Some AT&T stores do provide warranty right on sight, for instance I work at one that doesn't have warranty on site but two hours away there is another AT&T that handles all warranty in store. And a one year manufactures warranty is just that, the manufacturer is responsible for the warranty, so you can go through samsung or you can go through att except for Apple products, anything past the 4s is handled by Apple exclusively. With that being said as long as you don't send a device with signs of phisical or water damage you won't be charged for warranty by either company. The nice thing if you're close to a service center is you can get a new phone same day, regardless of which way you go, att or sammy, if you mail it out expect to wait for a phone. Just remember, manufacturer does not mean att, verizon, sprint and t mobile are responsible for the issue, they will do an exchange by mail as a courtesy, not because they promise the device will work with no hardware faults. The only phones att takes responsibility for are the unbranded att phones we sell l, but again that's not in store, unless it's a service center, otherwise there is too much overhead to hold that much inventory reserved for warranty issues.
Here is a link where you can find device service centers for AT&T, its near lower down on the page and will list places by state http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB91429
It will download a pdf with the locations
thanitos said:
Some AT&T stores do provide warranty right on sight, for instance I work at one that doesn't have warranty on site but two hours away there is another AT&T that handles all warranty in store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
QUESTION: Is this second store considered a "Device Service Center", or is it just a regular, retail AT&T storefront?
According to 1) the guy at my retail store 2) the first customer service phone rep and 3) the second customer service phone rep, only the Device Service Centers are able to do warranty service. Perhaps some are co-located with retail stores, but they were pretty clear to me that retail stores, per se, couldn't service warranty issues.
thanitos said:
Just remember, manufacturer does not mean att, verizon, sprint and t mobile are responsible for the issue, they will do an exchange by mail as a courtesy, not because they promise the device will work with no hardware faults.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understood. But, when I buy a drill from Home Depot, they don't send me to Hitachi for service when it breaks. They don't make me drive three states away to an authorized Home Depot service center to have it fixed. I go to the store where I bought it, with my receipt, and they fix or replace it. Same with my tablet from Best Buy, auto recall at the car dealer, rotten fruit from the grocery store, everything I buy from Amazon, even stuff from eBay where I haven't reached an amicable settlement with the seller. They all honor the manufacturers' warranties in-house, or provide equivalent service for the products they sell in the infrequent cases that they prove to be defective.
My concern with AT&T is that they don't have my back - especially as a small business owner. I buy a new phone - the most expensive phone that they had in the store, mind you - and as soon as they swipe my card, that store is out of the picture. Subsequently, I have to follow this Rube Goldberg process to fix the problem if something goes wrong 5 minutes later.
I re-read the insurance policy during this whole process, as well, and I have the same concerns there. I haven't been through the insurance claim process, so I can't say first-hand whether it's easy or hard. But, the language definitely doesn't give me the impression that I can just walk into the store where I bought the phone, pay my deductible, and walk out with a new one. Maybe I'm wrong; if you know how the insurance claim process works, I'd be interested in hearing about your first-hand experiences as an AT&T employee.
To conclude, don't take my preceding comments the wrong way. I'm not some hater; on the contrary, I've been an outspoken advocate of AT&T because they've treated me so well. I've had generally excellent experiences with AT&T over the years and, consequently, I've recommended AT&T to many, many friends, family, and colleagues. Based on this experience, though, I'm looking at switching carriers - certainly when my current AT&T NEXT term is up, and possibly before (U.S. Cellular has a deal right now where they'll pay off my existing contract. I had them previously and loved them as a carrier). Having a cool new phone and lots of LTE coverage is great, but what's most important to me is the security of knowing that when something goes wrong, it'll get fixed promptly. That wasn't the case this time, and I don't have confidence that AT&T will be there for me the next time.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to provide some feedback. Have a good day.
If you need to file a claim for insurance, it is done online or over the phone. You do not do in person at an att store.
I've done lots of warranty exchanges by mail with att over the last 13 years and I've never had an issue.
Honestly, I have AT&T and have had my a Note 4 replaced 2 times already. One due to charging just stopping at 35% and the other was a combo of the pink tinted screen and dead pixel in the top left. I went directly through Samsung. Their support is amazing. I went out and picked up a cheap ass Go Phone and activated that while Samsung had my devices. They even offer over night shipping if you want to pay for it. AT&T is just a horrible provider and I've only stuck with them since they were Cingular because they ALWAYS got the top brand phones. Now it seems T-Mobile and Sprint are getting the top brand phones more and more now so after this contract its time to say goodbye.
TL;DL
Always use Samsung warranty over AT&T warranty. More professional and less phonecalls/headaches.
DamageSource said:
I went directly through Samsung. Their support is amazing...Always use Samsung warranty over AT&T warranty. More professional and less phonecalls/headaches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad to hear that Samsung is this good about supporting their hardware. They're definitely not interested in hearing what customers have to say about their software (I have a thread on that topic somewhere around here). If this new Note 4 needs warranty service, I'll definitely call Samsung, in addition to AT&T, to see who has the better support option at that point in time. Honestly, I didn't even really consider calling Samsung for support this time around, because the phone was so new and I just assumed that AT&T would support the products that they sold in their stores.
From looking at the Samsung support site, they only have seven service centers in the whole U.S. I thought AT&T Device Support Centers were sparse, but I'd have to get on a plane to get to a Samsung one. All else being equal, I'd prefer to have in-person service for my devices. Especially for something like the pink screen issue - which drove me crazy, but that my wife could care less about - I think it's important to be able to demonstrate the problem to the service person face-to-face and explain how/why it impacts me. To that end:
QUESTION: Has anyone bought a phone from somewhere like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Costco, etc. and been able to get in-store warranty service/replacement?
I'm asking about service per the manufacturer warranty, not the type of paid extended warranty that Best Buy typically offers on their electronics (though the latter might be an alternative to the AT&T insurance). I'd actually stopped by the local BB to shop for the Note 4, but they said that they couldn't add it to my AT&T business account (despite my having called BB customer service first and confirming that my local store did service AT&T business accounts. Sigh...). Back to the point, I'd be interested in buying from a real store, with real product in-stock, who is willing to provide warranty service right from the retail location.
Anyway, I'm going to be upgrading another phone on this account soon, and I'm open to recommendations about where to buy the hardware (even if it means switching carriers). It probably won't be another Samsung, given the quality control issues I've had with both of my Galaxy products. But it might be. I'm open to alternatives. Thanks for your feedback.
mcmannion said:
QUESTION: Has anyone bought a phone from somewhere like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Costco, etc. and been able to get in-store warranty service/replacement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My brother only buys from Best Buy and he says that they replace the unit in store right there if it's in stock and if not you can go to an alternative location and pick it up if it's close by for you.
it is done online or over the phone. You do not do in person at an att store.
I can tell you from experience that Costco does replace phones. It is a 3rd party company that runs the phone kiosks in Costco warehouses and Costco themselves paid for a phone exchange for me because when I exchanged my S3 it was not on sale at the price it was on a Black Friday when I purchased it.
I have had AT&T phones for over 10 years & have exchanged defective units by phone/mail through AT&T too & never had a problem. AT&T normally sends a refurb rather than a new unit but as long as it works I'm satisfied.
Hey folks, had my OP3 for just over a month and wouldn't you know that I dropped a tool on the phone just at the earpiece and the whole screen spider cracked! Totally bummed out.
When talking to customer care they said it could take up to 10 working days, but once creating an RMA they would pay for shipping and then give me an estimate for materials and labor once they finish inspection. Does anyone have any prior opinion with this approach?
On a second option, I purchased a 1 year insurance plan from OnePlus that they offered through a company called Assurant.."On Gard Plus 24".....but when talking to One Plus, they had no contact number for claims!! Only an email for North America. Luckily the email was real and I got a responce, and they will be forwarding my claim to the appropriate division. Has any one gone this route?? (BTW if needed the email is " [email protected] " ).
Or how about just taking it to a phone repair spot and have them order the needed glass? Any one do this with the OP3?
I look forward to hear what options you took and how much was the repair and how long were you with out your phone.
Cheers!
I know I'm not the only one with butter fingers here......
Cracked my screen too, cost was €104 (screen, shipping, work) and the phone was gone for 20 days.
When asking if I can do it on my one they told me the screen isn't sold by OnePlus. So if you find one it's not genuine...
superiscch...thank you for that...that is what I was hunting for. Funny how when my SGS5's screen cracked, it was just one line. Now you compromise the glass and it just shatters!
Update
I got to talk to the insurance provider that was sold with the purchase of the OP3 and customer service was excellent...located in Canada. With the purchase of the insurance, the customer is allowed 2 replacement devices for damages regarding screen or water. This also includes manufacturer defect with unlimited replacement! They will replace your device with either a new one or refurbished model.....so
It's $80 for the insurance.....$75 for the claim. They then send out a replacement to you (2-3 days) and you get to move all your info from the damaged one to the new one and you then send out the damaged one! So your not left without a phone!
At this point I'm thinking this is the best service I have seen in a while! Hope this helps anyone else who has had damage their OP3.
I did receive an 1-800 number but it is with my notes that I don't have access to right now, but if it is needed I will post it LTR.....take care :highfive: