Partly a report on personal experience but more an alert to what, on the evidence, is a systematic failure of Customer Support by Samsung Australia, particularly with respect to its online store.
Briefly, my personal experience was buying an expensive TV online in late December and, seven weeks later and after 1) three email support requests, 2) ten phone support requests and 3) one online chat - I have yet to receive any support for the provision of a delivery date. Each time a promise is given for 1) escalation and response, 2) apology for lateness 3) promise of variously 1 to 3 business days response. I have never had any response regarding the issue, the most being two email responses to email requests, promising to escalate (to no effect). At present, it is impossible to even get through on the phone support line even if rung at the start of the day. Approaches to Samsung from the delivery courier, on two occasions, have also had no response.
Bad enough if this was just me. However, on the Product Reviews website, this type of complaint is so common that out of just over 1000 reviews in the last nine months, some 990 have been one star out of five (the average is 1.3 stars) and a frequent complaint is the complete lack of response from the support team and inability to contact anyone with any degree of agency. If this were just in the last month or two, perhaps Omicron might be an excuse (doubtful even at that), but nine months ago when staffing would not have been an issue, 25 out of 25 reviews were either one star, or the best at three stars said: āThe after support is the worst and do not purchase last all costā.
What to take from this:
Do not buy from the Samsung online store - if you must buy Samsung and arenāt bothered by their lack of support, at least buy from a bricks and mortar store.
Samsung clearly have a systemic problem with their customer support. Whether is frank disregard for customers or an appalling inability to action or complaints is a matter for investigation. Whatever the case, you cannot expect any help with a problem with the Online Store (perhaps elsewhere as well judging by reviews).
In my case, I simply have to arrange a chargeback for the cost of the TV, make certain I never buy a Samsung product again and do my best to warn other consumers.
Iād encourage Choice to investigate the Customer Support performance of Samsung (and perhaps other electronics and technology companies, to advocate more use of conventional retailers (most of whom offer an online order option).
Sorry to hear about your issues. Get the chargeback as soon as possible. I am guessing that you know the processes, but donāt forget to provide the documentary evidence to support your claim.
I know it is not going to be comforting, but you are not alone being dissatisfied with Samsungās poor customer service. If you search the community for Samsung you will find a multitude of complaints about their products and customer service. There are also commendations for their products, so it seems that it is all good until things go wrong.
So it does not seem to matter whether buying from their on-line store, or from a retailer, Samsungās customer support clearly has room for improvement.
I suppose that if you were buying from an online store you would be ordering something that may be in local stock, or in stock somewhere else in the world, or perhaps has not even been made yet.
You take your chances unless the online ordering system indicates a guaranteed delivery date that if not met gives you your money back.
For me for something like a TV it is going to a store and only buying something I can take home right there and then.
I would not single out Samsung for this sort of problem in delivery. Plenty of other companies take your money up front with online systems and then cannot deliver in a reasonable time.
I myself had a fantastic experience with the Samsung A71 phone from Amazon Australia. I emailed Amazon about a dead screen, and they told me to go through Samsung, which I did. The screen had failed, and after registering and reporting on the Samsung website, I sent the phone through my local Australia post. I did not have to pay the postage. Around ten days later, the phone was sent back to me in perfect condition. I reloaded my phone from a backup, and fortunately, the phone was reimaged as it was before the repair. I even received a follow-up call from Samsung for feedback on the experience. I told them I was very happy.
My take on this would be that I was able to pick a date for delivery when I ordered the TV. After a couple of false starts, they were intending to deliver and had consigned it to the shipping company. So lack of supply was not the issue. However, when it could not be delivered, the problems and lack of support began because over multiple support calls, no responses, and now, and over five weeks later, I still donāt have the (in stock) item delivered. The problem is with the delivery process.
Thanks for your earlier advice to start the chargeback. I have done this.
As of today, over five weeks since the failed delivery and eight weeks since ordering - I still donāt have the TV.
While I appreciate that most reviews are biased to the negative, with respect, I donāt think the āgood newsā story is relevant to this issue. As the topic originator, I was clear in the title that the issue was support for the Online Store. Support for technical matters is a quite separate department in Samsung and success or otherwise does not read onto this particular issue.
As an update, I have made three more contacts with phone support to no effect. However, an email to the CEO (if you look hard enough, there is an option) resulted, within 24 hours with the first delivery activity - an SMS from a number that could not be contacted that read āYour Samsung delivery date is confirmed. Delivery window will be sent evening priorā.
No identity of the sender.
No identity of the product to be delivered.
No statement of the āconfirmedā delivery date.
No link, phone number or anything to manage the delivery in case I would not be present.
Essentially back to day 0 of my (and others) experience of Samsungās delivery system.
Sure enough, when the delivery notification appeared āevening priorā it was when I was 200 km west of home in the Grampians, without internet access. This trip had been planned at least a month ago, so I could have readily engaged with any competent delivery system to suggest alternative days.
Who amongst us orders a large household item (eg 65 inc TV) that is also expensive (eg $1900) and does not have the supplier or their nominated courier engage with us about the timing of the delivery? Certainly never in my experience.
As I read it, the system that Samsung uses for online ordering is utterly flawed:
Their couriers are impossible to communicate in respect of deliveries that they have planned.
Information about deliveries is not provided in a timely fashion.
Deliveries made on a date agreed with Samsung cannot be expected to be made reliably
Samsung Online Order Support are completely incapable of rearranging a delivery. Remember, after over half a dozen unsuccessful attempts to get another delivery organised, it took an email to the CEO to kick the system into (ineffective) action.
It will be a race between the chargeback and Samsungās ability to order a simple re-delivery. My money is on the chargeback!
Ian (who will never purchase Samsung again)
After two failed attempts at delivery (me 200km away; driverās grandmother died) and several calls to the head office of ANC (there being no other option to manage a delivery) my Samsung TV was delivered today, two months after ordering, six weeks after the agreed delivery date.
Samsung assure me that I am only entitled to ten months warranty, not the 12 months Iād expect as a consumer because warranty begins on the date of purchase, not when the item is delivered. Ironically, they say that this is not an issue because I have guarantees under Australian consumer law.
Well, every time I turn on this TV, this experience will replay and Iāll muse on the customer service and delivery performance of Samsung. Good luck everyone!
Ian
I agree, buying directly from Samsung is a huge risk. Iām going through a similar issue with delivery. Its been 2 weeks from nominated delivery date and several phone calls with Samsung did not resolve the issue. I cannot seem to get a hold of a consultant that can provide a solution.
I love Samsung TVs this my 5th. Ordered 85" 8k QN900C. Bing Lee delivered the wallmount next day I ordered. My mistake was the free delivery offered by Samsung as opposed to $150 as I live outside Sydney. I read that you finally received your order. I also just completed a report to ACCC. As consumers who pays top $$$ to this companies, we shouldnāt have to go through this. Iām trying to avoid cancellation and refund as it looks like it takes even longer to get your money back. Itās back to the major retailers for me.
