Buyer beware — Samsung will "slow-roll" warranty service and will claim that defective product is because of consumer action, and therefore not their problem.
Purchased an expensive 52" LCD flat panel Samsung TV, as well as a smaller 40" Plasma TV, on sale after Thanksgiving 08. Plasma TV worked great. Waited to install the LCD TV because we were preparing a specific place for it, according to its exact measurements — had planned this purchase for years to replace a two-decades-old TV.
Finally ready for the big exciting reveal of the 52" big screen TV, just in time for a party. Lifted it into place, plugged it in — sadly it had lines in the picture.
Tried to return it to the store for an exchange, but they were in bankruptcy and would not exchange it (bankruptcy declared AFTER we purchased the TV).
Called Samsung numerous times from Jan 09 through Mar 09 on the 1-year warranty. They wouldn't even send out a repair person. They had us send pictures and declared that they wouldn't cover it because they classify it as damage. The reason varied depending on who you talked to... E.G. It was cosmetic damage (as if a non-working TV is equivalent to a scratch), another time it was because we "stressed" the screen by lifting it into place, etc.!
They claim that the problem is not a manufacturer's defect and that it doesn't work because of a broken screen. Note that no damage is evident until the unit is turned on. No damage to the box, we kept it.
It took several months of repeated calls to them (perhaps 20?) before the person at Executive Customer Service reviewing the case finally called me in mid-Apr 09 to say that Samsung would not cover the TV — nearly 3 months for final resolution!
Wish I'd checked for warranty problems first, as it appears we aren't the only ones complaining about Samsung and their lack of customer service.
With this technique, Samsung can ship out a damaged unit and whoever is the unlucky consumer may be left holding the bag — they can claim that you abused it, or it was an accident, etc. — there is no way you can really prove otherwise — so Buyer Beware!
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