[Resolved]  Samsung India — faulty parts for note 8 leading to multiple issues

Address:

121006

Respected Authorities,

I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 on 21st September 2017.

Within a three days of my purchase I experience the battery backup for the phone was very less and took it to the service center in NIT-5 Faridabad (Ambey Communications), where the service centre manager, Mr. Sandeep Chopra, asked me to take some steps and turn certain things off in the phone and optimize the phone (feature in the phone) and observe if the issue still exists. After looking at the steps he provided, I took back the phone back home and observed the phone for 7-9 days.

After being unsatisfied with the battery backup I again went to the service centre and asked him to get it checked, following which he submitted the phone and gave me back the phone in 2 days as the kit to be replaced every time the phone is opened was not available then.

When I visited the service centre to receive my phone, there was this strange greasy type appearance on both the edges of the phone which was not getting away even after cleaning the phone with the LED/LCD cleaner used by the service centre guy. I asked the service centre manager, Mr. Sandeep Chopra, to get a DOA issued for the phone, for which he told me that the 14 day period for DOA was over which involved a public holiday (2nd October) whereas upon submitting the phone, the service centre guy told me that 2nd october will be excluded from the 14 day period. Following which, I raised a complaint with the customer care about the issue of manhandling a flagship phone and about the confusion in the DOA period that occured.

This issue was addressed later by the manager, Mr. Sandeep Chopra, by replacing the front panel which included all the buttons and outer portion except the back glass.

After getting the glass replaced for the first time, I did not remove the plastic that comes stuck on the front panel to avoid any scratches and there some very minor scratches on the back glass of the phone which were pointed out to the service centre person handing me over the phone. I then took the phone back home as it was late at night and the service centre was already closed by then and everybody else had left.

The very next day, when I was looking at the phone at a particular angle, I saw that on the top two corners (Right and Left), there were slight dots, which after coming into my notice, were bothering me. I contacted the service center manager and asked him to resolve the matter. He requested me to wait for a few days as the previous request was closed very recently and the service centre executive who received my phone, his service record will be affected. So, I agreed to wait and after a given date of around 6th december and then contacted him again. He then addressed the issue in front of me that there was a spot that he could see with his naked eyes to the top left but could not see the spot on right. He then called one of the guys from the quality team (I do not remember the name but I suppose it was Mr. Himanshu), who was present at the service center that day and I told him about the issue which he could identify at that point and also told him that I had submitted the phone for battery check earlier and the phone's glass back had got minor scratches which were earlier not present on the phone since I had got a protector installed since day 1 of my purchase on the back.

He then ordered to get the back and the front panel replaced again and this time handle the device very carefully. After submitting the phone back again and getting the parts replaced, at the time of collecting the phone in presence of the manager, there was an issue with the lock/power button that was very loose and could be felt just by placing the thumb on the button.

As soon as I told him that there was such an issue with the phone, he told me that it was not a functional issue which could harm the performance of the phone. I argued with him that the earlier issue was also not a functional issue and this also is a very noticable issue and when compared to various other Note 8 devices available near me, I could easily feel that the button was very loose and it had to be pressed harder than the usual buttons present on the other side of the phone as well.

On constant arguments with the manager, he arranged for a visit from the quality team, who accepted that the button was loose and since there was no affect on the performance of the phone, he could not get this sorted as it was a cosmetic issue. At the time of his visit, he saw another Note 8 device and there was also a front panel that was of the service centre, both present at that time.

My device's lock/power button was taking a bit harder to be pressed than the other devices and parts present. He agreed at that time that this was an issue but could not do anything about it as this would create a big matter because it would involve quality issues with the vendors and could not take a hit on him since there was no functional affect on the device. I still argued with him that being a flagship customer, we do not expect a company like Samsung to address the issue like this in an unprofessional way and if it were to make a big issue then the quality team should get it rectified as there would be a lot of other devices with such petty issues.

Being a flagship smartphone and looking at the past history of Note 7 blasting, Samsung should be more careful on the issues and should address them with utmost professionalism, which in this case is lacking. The parts have some or the other sort of issues and the company is not addressing them properly.

The service centre manager told me that he will be contacting his ASM for the issue and wait for a response from him.

Today (27th December 2017) i called him and asked him for an update, he told me that there could not be anything done in this case as he did not receive a positive response from the ASM. So, I asked him to arrange for a call with the ASM as I wanted to talk to him. ASM then took the call and told me that he showed the previous 2 front panels to the quality team which failed to address the issues following which I told him that I was able to identify the issue and the quality guy could spot the issue and the service centre manager could also see it, then it is not my problem that the quality team cannot see any issue with the part, and he also told me that this being an issue not related to the performance of the product cannot be helped with as the phone is "Technically Fit".

I have spent 68000rs of my hard earned money on this phone and I do not expect such services for a phone more than half a lakh rupees. I request you to kindly look into the matter and take some strict action against the company for the harassment caused to me and also get the issue resolved as I have my emotions attached to every phone I purchase and this is really bothering me now.

The company (Quality people, ASM) do not want to take a step as this would create a big issue with the vendors and the quality management and due to which I am facing a hit on the service of my product.

I humbly request you to please interfere and get the matter resolved.

Yours Faithfully,

Mandeep Rawat