Pam Harper is at home recovering from surgery when her new Samsung TV develops a giant unfixable problem just when she needs it most. She’s hoping the company will send her a refund or replacement, but so far, it has done neither. Now what?
Question
I have a problem with my new 50-inch Samsung smart TV that I bought on sale for $416 at Target recently. It doesn’t work, and I’m trying to get a refund or replacement.
After I set up the TV, I noticed that the remote wasn’t working correctly. A red light kept blinking, and the remote would freeze, unable to connect with the TV. I called, and a Samsung technician talked me through several steps to solve the problem with the TV and determined it was a faulty remote. Samsung sent me a new remote
Earlier this month, the TV stopped showing an image. It just displayed a small strip of color at the top, with the remainder of the screen totally black. It then switched from black to dark charcoal and back. Then no picture would show at all, and the sound was only intermittent.
Several times a huge, rounded uneven black “blob” would appear around the middle of the screen, obscuring a big part of the picture.
I’ve contacted Samsung about my TV’s problem on several occasions, finally appealing to the office of the president. A representative told me they couldn’t help because the TV warranty wouldn’t include a replacement.
I have absolutely no faith that Samsung will fix the problem with my TV. I was advised not to bother with buying an extended warranty, but now I wish I had. Can you help me get a replacement or a refund? — Pam Harper, Kihei, Hawaii
Answer
Of course, your Samsung TV should not have developed a problem so quickly after purchase. And yes, while it’s technically true that your Samsung warranty doesn’t cover a replacement, the company should have done more than just refer you to a local repair shop.
Samsung did the right thing when it sent you a new remote. But when your new TV developed a brand new problem, Samsung should have replaced the TV, too.
It doesn’t work that way, though. Take a look at your warranty. It says the company will repair or replace this product “if found to be defective during the limited warranty period specified above.” But Samsung gets to determine whether to repair or replace, not you. And the company wanted to repair by sending a technician.
The good news: Samsung will replace the TV with the unfixable problem
It looks like you tried to make contact with a nearby authorized repair center, but you couldn’t connect. Meanwhile, your broken TV sat in your living room, a useless blob.
It looks as if you reached out to one of the higher-level executive contacts at Samsung already and that this was their final decision. But we list more executive contacts for Samsung in our company contacts database, and you might have appealed to one of the managers. I also have a complete guide to a Samsung refund that you might find helpful. Here are a few strategies for resolving any consumer dispute.
I’m not sure if an extended warranty would have covered you any better. Normally, an extended warranty only covers your device for more time. You were still well within the warranty period when you contacted me.
I asked Samsung about your case. In response, the company offered you a full refund.
