[Resolved]  Samsung India — samsung refrigerator

Address:

Mumbai City, Maharashtra, 400053

I purchased a samsung 345 ltrs refrigerator, model number rt37m3743s8/hl/2017, from flipkart on 25th july 2017 for rs 31, 999. My refrigerator was delivered on 26th july 2017 and installed on 28th july 2017 by samsung executive. The fridge was working fine but suddenly around 29th december 2018, it started having cooling problems. We ignored it for a couple of days but then called up samsung care on the 4th of january 2019, to understand the issue. They gave us a few steps to defrost the refrigerator by shutting it for 4 hrs and then restarting it as the refrigerators sometimes give problems due to change of weather. We tried this the same day but there was no change in cooling. We tried the same procedure on the the 6th of january 2019 but the same problem persisted.
Contacted samsung customer care on the same day to raise a request to check by an engineer. An engineer was sent to my house on the 7th of january to see the issue. The engineer came to our house, checked the back of the fridge and told us that the gas has leaked. I questioned him as to how can the gas get leaked in a fridge which is hardly 1.4 yrs old. To this he said that the pipe is rusted. I again questioned him as to how can a copper pipe get rusted? To which he replied that it is possible due to carbonisation of the air or due to moist air. When i confronted him and told him that he is talking non sense and i too am an engineer, he told me the truth that the leakage has taken place from a joint and told me that he can fix it but there will be a charge of rs 3000 as the warranty is only for 1 year.
I then told him that i have not faced any such issues with my other samsung refrigerator, which is still working fine after 8-9 years. To which his reply was that this happens in 1 out of 100 refrigerators.
I escalated this to samsung, that the gas has leaked due to a manufacturing defect. This needs to be corrected and the gas needs to be filled at no cost to me as this issue was caused due to lax in their quality check. To which they said that even though the gas might have leaked due to manufacturing defect, i would still have to pay rs 3000 to get it fixed as the company policy strictly covers such issues only for a year. Then i told them that people outside charge less than rs 1000 for the same repair, i was told that i have to get it repaired from samsung for 3000 or my 10 year compressor warranty will be void.
My question is, why should i be forced to pay 3000, which is 10% of my product cost that i have purchased for 32000, within 1.4 years, that too for no fault of mine and after taking proper care as per guidelines provided.
A substandard manufacturing joint has leaked and needs to be fixed by the company. If i get it fixed now for 3000 they will give me 6 months warranty on the same. But what if it gets leaked again after 8 months. Would i keep paying 3000 every time, just because samsung has used substandard material. Please help me in getting this resolved.

Thanks,
Nikhil gupta.