Samsung Service Quality (Samsung DLP Projection TV)

Member Name: Mochaman

Product:	Samsung DLP Projection TV
Date:	17/01/05 (4448 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Picture when working

Disadvantages: Abysmal service support, Poor national repair strategy, No real quality assurance program

My 50" Samsung DLP was purchased in July 2004. The picture quality was outstanding, however, the quality experience ended in October when I placed my first service call for warrenty service because one of the component video ports stopped working. It took the local authorized dealer two weeks to respond to the call where upon he decided that parts would need to be ordered from Samsung. After another week and a half they returned with replacement analog and digital boards which solved the port problem. Later that day I realized that the TV was now experiencing a video problem that would require another service call. It took the local rep another week to respond to the call and another 10 days to get parts ( the same ones as before). The problem was unresolved, the same parts were ordered again and another 9 days passed until they arrived. The problem remained unresolved and the local rep told me they would not return because Samsung only pays them once for a warrenty call. They also told me that no dealer keeps a stock of parts because of the expense and that Samsung HQ wants to call the shots regarding what to replace on warrenty calls. I was told to call Samsung HQ for further service. After another weeks delay Samsung told me they would replace the set. After another week I called back to determine the status of the request and was informed that it "went into the system today" December 20th. I was also informed that it would take 20 working days to get a replacement. In my opinion this is not a quality organizations response to a quality problem.

Well, after the 20 days I started pursuing my replacement; imagine my frustration when I was told that it had shipped form Chicago and would take another week to get to Nashville. When the new set finally arrived it worked for exactly an hour when the main bulb went out. When I called Samsung HQ I was told that a technician could be dispatched in "a few days". When I went ballistic they had the technician call me, he informed me that he would have to order parts and that it would take another week or so.

I once again called Samsung HQ and they were very apologetic but repeated that local reps do not stock parts because of the expense and further more, because I purchased the set on line from Marine Park Superstores I had unwittingly complicated the service situation because no local dealer would place any priority on getting my problems resolved.

All of the Samsung people have been very understanding and nice to deal with but the fact remains that I have been without my TV for three months and no one seems to care. The last rep I spoke to circumvented proceedures and was going to have a bulb sent to me from California; lets hope that it arrives and fixes the problem. I asked that the warrenty be extended to compensate for the lack of service and was told "absolutley not". This is the last Samsung product I will ever buy and if I could I would return it. I have never in all of my 62 adult years have had a problem with a television; so much for leading edge technology. Like most major corporations, executives are buffered from hearing about events like this and I'm not so sure anyone in Samsung really cares. Buyer Beware!!!

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