Samsung Phone Locked Out/forced to return

[AnonLabrador]

Long story that's been going on a while but I'll try to summarise. 

I did a Samsung phone trade in to get the new s23. There was wording in the trade in rules that the new phone needs to be send by 7 days, not that it needed to reach them in 7 days. I sent the old phone in by day 5 and they locked me out of my new phone day 7. 

Spent 72 hours being bounced back and forth with their useless customer service, all the while I had no phone because old phone was traded in and new phone was locked.

Finally got the new phone unlocked, then hours later the locked it again by accident.

I said I want to raise a complaint and get a refund, and they unlocked it and refunded it so I assumed it was a goodwill gesture.

Now about a week later, they've emailed me saying that the reason the phone was locked was because a refund was issued, when I only asked for a refund during the second time my phone was locked.

Samsung's service have been absolutely frustrating and no one seems to care. I really want to escalate this to some authority. Who can I contact? 

[Nicky Boy]

Hi anon and welcome to CAG,

Topic moved to telecom forum...

Don't really understand what you want here...

You got your new phone unlocked and a refund?

You just seem to be annoyed by their latest email, which simply gets the story wrong?

You still have a working phone and a refund.. what more do you want? An apology?

 

You could be putting in a lot of effort for an apology...

Probably better off putting your story on a review site.

[AnonLabrador]

No, they're asking me to return the phone. I don't even have my old phone anymore so by the end of this, I've just lost a phone. The series of events are 

1. Traded in old phone for new for £650

2. New phone got locked 

3. New phone got unlocked

4. New phone got locked again 

5. I raise a complaint 

6. They unlock the phone and give me a refund

7. They email me saying I need to return the new phone and that the only reason why the phone was locked in the first place is because I asked for a refund, which is not true if you look at the sequence of events. 

 

So now I have no old or new phone. And Samsung have been terrible and not even trying to resolve this 

[honeybee13]

Hi.

Who was supposed to deliver your old phone to Samsung please?

HB

[AnonLabrador]

I was, and I did start the return within 7 days. The phone arrived to them on the 8th day. 

The outcome I'm hoping for is for them to compensated me for all of this given that they sold me a phone that they then locked and now want me to return. And they've not even mentioned returning my old phone to me. 

[honeybee13]

Sorry, I'm confused. Did Samsung receive your old phone?

HB

[AnonLabrador]

Yes, they did. I think they mistakenly locked my new phone instead of the old phone because when mentioning the new phone, the gave me the wrong IMEI code. 

[honeybee13]

I think I've ended up in the same place as Nicky Boy.

You want them to give you a free phone because of the confusion? I think you may need to continue with customer services or escalate the complaint.

Please let me know if I've misunderstood.

HB

[Nicky Boy]

It sounds like you will have to return the refund to kep the new phone.

Then, when that's settled, try escalaiting your customer service complaint?

[AnonLabrador]

How do I go about escalating the complaint? I already have a complaint open but it's going no where and it seems they aren't even paying attention to what I'm saying. Thanks for the help so far btw! 

[Nicky Boy]

Go to the top?...

https://www.ceoemail.com/

 

[theberengersniper]

To be crystal clear, because it's not obvious, this is where you are with it, correct?

• You are still in possession of the new phone, but...
• The new phone is locked and cannot be used
• Samsung have issued you with a refund of the price paid for the upgrade, but...
• Samsung retain possession of your old phone, so...
• You have the new phone, which can't be used, but you do have a refund in your account

If that summary is accurate, then the most pressing issue to resolve (as I think Nicky Boy has cottoned on to) is that the new phone needs unlocked again, which I expect they will not do until you return the refund. Or, you need to return the new phone to them and then pursue them for the return of your old one.

As I see it though, the original nucleus of this whole escapade has been your failure to comply with their terms. If you knew the old phone needed to reach them by Day 7, and particularly given the time of year and pressures courier companies are under, not sending the old phone until Day 5 was a clear mistake.

I think if I were in your position, my first port of call would be to forget about any complaint for now, contact Customer Services and ask them what the most expedient way of resolving this is; either, return the refund and have the phone unlocked again, or ask them how they can arrange return of your old phone in exchange for you returning the new one.

As I see it you are in an unwinnable deadlock until you either return their money or their device. I do realise you don't see it like that (and I make no comment on who's right or wrong), but you're trying to move an oak tree with a piece of string. It won't move.

[fkofilee]

Samsung direct? If so email the CEO and tell them this is unacceptable. 

The whole situation is rife on XDA with Samsung devices and Reddit too. 

 

CEO Team @ Samsung are really good IMHO.