Samsung TV Unboxing Disaster

Snap! I had the identical experience with a Panasonic microwave. Phoned them up when it was only a few months old explaining about the bubbling over the numbers and they told me it was protective film that needed to be removed. This whole protective film / not protective film business is a real minefield.

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An aside regarding Product Review. When I submitted my review, I noticed someone had posted this question a few months prior. Not only was he faced with the same confusion over whether to remove the film, but he’d received a reply to recommend he go ahead, so it seems there are a lot of people who are making the same incorrect assumption.

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This is my experience:
In early May ‘18 I made a request to the customer service of a statutory corporation in VIC.
Wrote and made phone calls. Responses were in the negative.

In June I wrote to the CEO and a month later my request was approved and received.

Perseverance, trying different methods of approach?
Doesn’t hurt to try :slightly_smiling_face:

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Makes good sense, Phil. Time I looked into a mail tracking app for my Mac Mail :+1::smirk:

I hope that the person who posted the question didn’t remove the film.

The person who answered isn’t a representative of Samsung. The person indicated that purchased a new TV June 2021 and wouldn’t have done such with their own UA43AU8000, otherwise they would have know that it would have potentially destroyed the TV.

Looking online and at our own Panasonic microwave manual, it states:

Control Panel - The control panels are covered with removable protective film to prevent scratches during shipping. Small bubbles may appear under this film. When this happens, remove film carefully

Our own film has bubbled and we have decided to leave it on. While unsightly, we have taken the approach as it may provide additional protection in the long run. We will remove it totally if it starts to sheet off/detach in large pieces.

Panasonic seem to make it clear in their manuals that the plastic film can be removed, this is different to the Samsung TV where any such advice was silent.

Good luck with pursuing Samsung. Hopefully they show some goodwill since your local Office of Fair Trading or ACCC have indicated that it falls outside the Australian Consumer Law. The cost to replace the TV might be a small price to pay to keep a customer happy.

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@BrisLin have you started an action in your Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The ACCC as normal show little action in regard to the problem, Fair Trading are typically as useful as you doing nothing. It will cost you to lodge a formal complaint but you can include that cost in what you want to recover from Samsung. You should seek legal advice before commencing any action, there are several Community free Consumer legal advice centres (we have listed some at Free Legal Advice Centres - Services - Community (choice.community)) that can help you prepare and mount a case. With the history of this occurring to others it seems you would have some decent evidence to back up your claims, nothing ventured nothing gained as the saying goes.

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Thanks for this advice. I’ll have to think about whether the prolonged stress of taking this through the Civil & Administrative Tribunal, following obtaining legal advice, is really in my best interest, apart from the fact that I might be throwing good money after bad since having the TV repaired to get it functioning again.

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The legal advice would be free if you used the free services available, as many of them concentrate on consumer issues the advice should give you a fair idea if the case has good merit or not. Then with that advice behind you the risk of good money after bad should be easier to assess.

Have you thought of getting A Current Affair or similar to air your case if they are willing? Sometimes a social campaign can bring results that otherwise would not be successful. However please get legal advice first before any of these steps.

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Latest update. I’ve finally had a response to my communication addressed to the CEO. It was intercepted by their usual customer service team, with no reference to the fact that I was requesting my communication go to the CEO, and reiterating the previous advice. They have confirmed from the authorised repairer that the film had been removed by me, and reiterated that; “Samsung’s express manufacturer’s warranty provided with the unit does not cover physical damage caused by, among other things misuse, incorrect operation or not following instructions as stated in the Product Operation’s Manual or manufacturer’s instructions provided with Samsung consumer product.”

So… customers are not able to contact company CEOs? Is this something I have a right to or is it at Samsung’s discretion?

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Their discretion whether it reaches the CEO or not. Even using the words Personal and Confidential do not mean that it will reach the CEO without other hands being involved before it reaches them (or even if it does reach them).

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It is unlikely that you can contact the CEO directly. Most emails are read and sorted by their personal assistants/communications officers - it is standard practice in large businesses/government agencies which have employed staff for such purposes. These staff will make an assessment of whether the CEO responds (say an email from a director/reporting manager etc) or it is forwarded to another employee (such as communications, legals, accounts etc) for action and response.

Posting a letter or other forms of communication will get the same course of action. They will be diverted to those in the organisation with duties to deal with such issues.

You don’t have a right to have access to the CEO, a business can chose who deals with operational issues such as complaints, unpaid invoices, safety issues etc.

Ensure that if you do seek free legal advice you give them all the information/responses from the ACCC, Office of Fair Trading, Samsung or other parties. Also provide them copies of all literature (set up guides, manuals, labels etc) provided with the TV when purchased.

This will save them significant time and also won’t get them offside (by being seen to waste their time by inviting the same responses again or trying to find the same information).

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That all makes sense. Thanks for your very grounded and clear thoughts (unlike my own by now! lol).

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Try writing a letter to the Prime Minister - in most cases you will get a response from their department (if you are writing about political issues, it will be from their office). Same with your state/territory politicians - most responses will be ‘on behalf of’ the person to whom you addressed the letter.

Of course, you could try finding the CEO’s direct phone number online - but that would be creepy, and may not endear you to them.

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From Website: This is money.com

“Go to the CEO: If the matter is serious or you are not happy with the response from customer services then complain to the CEO.
…It is unlikely that the CEO will personally respond (a few do though).

But the CEO, particularly of big companies, has a dedicated team to deal with CEO correspondence, which has more responsibility and power to resolve issues.”

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Thanks Gaby. It was definitely worth a try, so I appreciate your encouragement. From what you’ve described it sometimes pays dividends, even if it hasn’t in this instance. :+1:

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That often works a treat in many companies, but some have a team that refers complaints directly back to ‘customer service’ with no value added.

Samsung possibly follows a culture where the CEO’s office is impenetrable by a consumer and the complaint got to that team and was promptly re-directed back to the office they expect should deal with it - eg the one that is not helpful.

I have read anecdotal stories about unhappy customers buying a few shares in a company so they could try to bring their case at the AGM. Short of a class action or proxy fight it doesn’t work, but it does raise the problem to higher level while the company refuses to add it to the agenda.

For a $modest TV? Even with many customers making the same error because Samsung declines to make their ‘paperwork’ clear? With the reported similar complaints on the internet? It is a bad look on Samsung but it seems not to have hit their bottom line or they would be spending a few $ to add a ‘do not remove the film’ tag.

It should and could be so simple, yet because of what could be considered corporate arrogance it seems intractable.

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Writing to Samsung’s Chairman in South Korea and or the President of the Company there may also bear fruit. Not always do the Australian arm reflect what the parent company that is overseas will do. It is important to be polite, accurate in the description of the problem, explain why you are contacting the head office and clear about what remedy you would like without being too wordy. It will probably be translated there so I reinforce be clear about the problem as sometimes translations can mess up the meanings.

Chairman of the Samsung Electronics I believe is still Bahk Jae-wan but this may not be correct.

President and CEO of Consumer Electronics is Kim Hyun-seok

Corporate address is

129, Samseong-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16677
Republic of Korea

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A perfectly summarised wrap-up of where this case has landed, Phil. The “all profits and no accountability” philosophy actually underscores a lot of things these days, unfortunately. Hopefully at the very least, there’s an online trail for those considering buying TV’s that are predisposed to potential setup disasters, sold by companies that distance themselves from the consequences. Buyer beware!

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Could be worth a go, at least to raise awareness, if not to secure a personal outcome. Thanks for the tip. :+1:

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I experienced the exact same issue this morning. There was no warnings and the antiglare film which appeared to be a thin screen protector was slightly raised on the top right hand corner of the screen. Intuitively I began peeling it off and quickly noticed that the screen was now completely ruined.

Have you since had any luck with follow up to ACCC, retailer or Samsung?

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