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Samsung Sold Me A Lemon Refrigerator And Failed To Honor Their Warranty


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2018 Jul 9, 3:10am   3,841 views  38 comments

by ohomen171   ➕follow (2)   💰tip   ignore  

#SamsungrefrigeratorsDear Geoff and Alan:

In September of 2016, Elena and I paid over $2,500 for a Samsung fridge (4 doors, icemaker, etc. In June of 2018 after the one-year warranty had expired, it started to make a loud noise. The freezing compartment partially failed.

A very reliable appliance repair company came out to look and spent 5 hours tearing it apart and examining it in detail. As a matter of interest, the tech was a Russian man who had once taught engineering in Russia. The conclusion was that the compressor motor in the back of the fridge had failed. The estimated repair bill was $2,000-$3,000. The good news was that it was covered under a five-year warranty.

What happened next was a nightmare of 800-number calls (some lasting 1.5 hours), obstructions, lying and game playing. A Samsung-approved tech came out. He told me reassuringly that the compressor motor was only short of freon. He told me to contact a freon company to get it charged up. I was charged $240.00 for this consultation. I contacted another company. A technician came out and charged up the freon. The compressor in the back of the fridge failed. It partially came back to life later. This tech agreed with the first company that the compressor had failed and needed to be repaired or replaced.

A decent company would have honored their warranty. They would have decided that the repair was too expensive and sent us a new fridge. Instead I knew that I was facing another round of 800-number calls, obstructions,and lies. I sent a report to Samsung about this on a customer satisfaction survey. I never got a response.

I had to buy a new fridge from LG. It cost Elena and I close to $3,000. I feel that legal action in California Superior Court or US District Court is warranted. You are the experts.

With kindest regards,

Comments 1 - 38 of 38        Search these comments

1   theoakman   2018 Jul 9, 7:43am  

ohomen171 says
#SamsungrefrigeratorsDear Geoff and Alan:

In September of 2016, Elena and I paid over $2,500 for a Samsung fridge (4 doors, icemaker, etc. In June of 2018 after the one-year warranty had expired, it started to make a loud noise. The freezing compartment partially failed.

A very reliable appliance repair company came out to look and spent 5 hours tearing it apart and examining it in detail. As a matter of interest, the tech was a Russian man who had once taught engineering in Russia. The conclusion was that the compressor motor in the back of the fridge had failed. The estimated repair bill was $2,000-$3,000. The good news was that it was covered under a five-year warranty.

What happened next was a nightmare of 800-number calls (some lasting 1.5 hours), obstructions, lying and game playing. A Samsung-approved tech came out. He told me reassuringly that the compressor motor was only short of freon. He told me to contact a freon company to get it charged up....


This sounds like a straightforward small claims lawsuit. They'll settle out the second you file.
2   joshuatrio   2018 Jul 9, 8:00am  

My wife wants to replace all of our appliances this fall, no idea what brand is the best. I personally just want to wait until they fail, but she hates our fridge - and usually the black friday bundles are pretty good.
3   KgK one   2018 Jul 9, 8:04am  

Dont get sears Kenmore or GE. Both use cheap parts.

I have known thru many friends that icemaker is troublesome in most refrigerators and cause issue.
4   zzyzzx   2018 Jul 9, 8:04am  

Why the fuck are you buying an appliance made by a foreign company when there are plenty of US based manufacturers appliances available for purchase?
Expecting some third world country manufacturer to honor their warranty is just plain silly.
5   zzyzzx   2018 Jul 9, 8:10am  

KgK one says
Dont get sears Kenmore or GE. Both use cheap parts.

I have known thru many friends that icemaker is troublesome in most refrigerators and cause issue.


As far as I can tell, they all use cheap parts. Every automatic ice maker I have ever used is pretty much continuous maintenance item, which is why I hate them and why I just use the trays.
6   MrBark   2018 Jul 9, 8:20am  

zzyzzx says
Why the fuck are you buying an appliance made by a foreign company when there are plenty of US based manufacturers appliances available for purchase?
Expecting some third world country manufacturer to honor their warranty is just plain silly.


South Korea is third world hahaha? Which "American" manufactures actually build appliances in the US, made from US parts? Most slap an egregious American flag on it and say "proudly assembled in America" in fine print.
7   Shaman   2018 Jul 9, 8:29am  

I bought an LG four years back and no problems yet.
8   MrMagic   2018 Jul 9, 8:39am  

ohomen171 says
Samsung Sold Me A Lemon Refrigerator


Maybe you should have bought the stainless steel model, instead of the yellow one.

9   NDrLoR   2018 Jul 9, 8:44am  

ohomen171 says
spent 5 hours tearing it apart and examining it in detail. As a matter of interest, the tech was a Russian man who had once taught engineering in Russia. The conclusion was that the compressor motor in the back of the fridge had failed. The estimated repair bill was $2,000-$3,000.
Maybe that's what's wrong with Russia? Taking five hours to determine a compressor is bad is ridiculous anyway, a competent tech could have determined it in 30 minutes.

ohomen171 says
paid over $2,500 for a Samsung fridge
Should have bought a Frigidaire. I bought the current one 12 years ago, it replaced another Frigidaire that was 35 years old and still working except for some fan noise.
10   FortWayne   2018 Jul 9, 9:02am  

Usually fridges that have ice dispenser inside the fridge have leaky gaskets because of temperature regulation problem.

That’s one thing I know about those things.
11   Goran_K   2018 Jul 9, 9:05am  

APOCALYPSEFUCKisShostikovitch says
Whirlpool, Frigidaire and Amana


I always thought Frigidaire was a budget brand.

I'll take a look though, since I too am into the market for a new fridge.
12   NDrLoR   2018 Jul 9, 9:26am  

FortWayne says
Usually fridges that have ice dispenser inside the fridge have leaky gaskets because of temperature regulation problem
Just like cars, the more complicated, the more chance of problems. I keep three water containers with taps on my refrigerator shelves, refill them when needed, what a concept.
13   Automan Empire   2018 Jul 9, 10:02am  

GF's refrigerator has in-door water and ice. Not sure what brand.

The water comes out at or slightly higher than room temperature. The crushed ice takes 20 seconds of garbage disposal noise to crush and deliver one cube worth. The cube dispenser instantly overfills a 20oz cup no matter how carefully you feather the trigger lever, then you're left foot-hockeying several cubes out of the back door.

They wonder why I drink directly from the tap when I just want a quick drink.
14   RC2006   2018 Jul 9, 10:46am  

Appliances are easy to fix, in the last ten years I have fixed everything myself at a cost of about $100 and a few hours of time easily saved myself over a thousand or two. 90% of things that can fail are common issues and there are probably a ton of videos on YouTube on how to fix each thing. Parts are really easy to find these days also online or just a trip to appliance parts store.

Just buy American if possible.
15   zzyzzx   2018 Jul 9, 10:50am  

MrBark says
Which "American" manufactures actually build appliances in the US, made from US parts? Most slap an egregious American flag on it and say "proudly assembled in America" in fine print.


Still better than foreign designed and imported.
16   RWSGFY   2018 Jul 9, 10:51am  

You gave up too easy. I've had similar problems with KitchenAid fridge and the fuckers have fullfilled all their warrantly obligations. It took almost 2 years and 6-7 visits by techicians from various repair companies, but the fucking thing is finally working like it's supposed to (and has been for the last 3 years, knock on wood). And the fucking Whirlpool fucking paid of all of it. At a certain point even their support reps were wondering "why the fuck aren't we giving you a new fridge", but apparently it all boils down to the time frame in which certain number of warranty repairs have to occur, and my POS missed them couple of time by a hair. Bottom line: be persistent, demand what you've paid for to be given to you.
17   RC2006   2018 Jul 9, 10:51am  

APOCALYPSEFUCKisShostikovitch says
ohomen171 says
A decent company would have honored their warranty. They would have decided that the repair was too expensive and sent us a new fridge.


Right. The old Sears power tool model. Bring in the broken one and we pitch it and replace it. Done. Customer gets an apology, a new tool, is made whole and is sent on their way with a story that brings in new custom.


I have been pleasantly surprised with dealing with American companies with regards to replacing things. Not sure if it’s always been like that or it's because of online reviews these days and not wanting negative publicity.
18   Automan Empire   2018 Jul 9, 11:08am  

RC2006 says
Appliances are easy to fix, in the last ten years I have fixed everything myself at a cost of about $100 and a few hours of time easily saved myself over a thousand or two.


Agree. I wore out two belts and a water pump on my old OLD Maytag washer that was ancient when I moved into my house. When the transmission finally went I started buying $150 used ones from the cheap appliance store. These are "newer old" Maytags, old enough not to have all the electronics. The appliance store says the newest electronic ones are junk with much more to go wrong.

I've also fixed two friends' ovens this year for a $35 OEM igniter and 20 minutes of long, low reaching.

Unlike cars, appliances tend to be modular and easy to replace most components.
19   RWSGFY   2018 Jul 9, 11:12am  

P N Dr Lo R says
Just like cars, the more complicated, the more chance of problems.


I don't think it's quite true: Yugo was very simple but a giant POS nevertheless. Toyota trucks are spaceships in comparison, but still dead-nuts reliable.
20   Automan Empire   2018 Jul 9, 11:15am  

ohomen171 says
A Samsung-approved tech came out. He told me reassuringly that the compressor motor was only short of freon. He told me to contact a freon company to get it charged up.


Unlike mobile or central air systems, refrigerators (and window A/Cs) are "hard piped" meaning everything is copper tubing and soldered together. Unlike mobile A/C with flexible sections of line or central systems with joints, there is no way for the refrigerant to become low, without there being a physical HOLE somewhere, usually traceable to Dear Wife defrosting it using a knife and fork.

There's no such thing as an A/C or refrigerator that's "Just low on freon." The freon (refrigerant to be technical, nobody uses actual freon) had to leak out somehow! Low refrigerant is a SYMPTOM, never the root problem.
21   NDrLoR   2018 Jul 9, 11:16am  

Automan Empire says
They wonder why I drink directly from the tap when I just want a quick drink.
I open the door and press the tap on one of my three water containers--one is from the 1930's that I bought at a mall, the other a Coca-Cola one also found at a mall. The 3rd is a two gallon glass one made by a company in business since 1926 that I paid $4.95 for at Walmart.
22   RWSGFY   2018 Jul 9, 11:16am  

ohomen171 says
In September of 2016, Elena and I paid over $2,500 for a Samsung fridge
...
had to buy a new fridge from LG. It cost Elena and I close to $3,000. I feel that legal action in California Superior Court or US District Court is warranted.


Dude, this is a Small Claims Court matter, judging from the numbers.
23   NuttBoxer   2018 Jul 9, 11:40am  

Sue, you have the expert witness to back up your claim, plus the paperwork to support their breach of contract.

I can't comment on fridges, but we recently purchased our first ever new washer and dryer because I didn't want to hassle with making repairs. Speedqueen has been a solid US brand forever, and even their low end sets are made to last 20+years. I'd hope there's a similar solid brand for fridges.
24   Tenpoundbass   2018 Jul 9, 1:49pm  

2 years is all you can expect to get out of any brand Fridge these days.
My wife and I bought a GE Profile fridge back in 2015, it broke in 2017, then we bought a Samsung two door up top and the bottom drawer number to replace it.
So far it has held up better than the GE did. The GE had a Plastic Ice maker cork screw which broke the first hot summer when the ice maker ice froze to a solid lump.
That was the shittiest fridge ever I'll never buy another GE. So far everything we've been buying has been Samsung and has held up pretty good. Though their laptops definitely are made to expire in 2 years. I'm on my thirds now. But then again so are Dells and other brands. The 60 inch TV in the LR we're on our 4th or 5th year out of now.
25   Tenpoundbass   2018 Jul 9, 1:53pm  

zzyzzx says
Why the fuck are you buying an appliance made by a foreign company when there are plenty of US based manufacturers appliances available for purchase?


We haven't made appliances here in America in years, we have our badges on foriegn crap. Hopefully that is changing. I look forward to buying only American made goods someday. Even there's a 30% premium on them. As long as they are made of long lasting quality. As I'm a believer in "Buy Good, and Buy Once, By God!"
26   Tenpoundbass   2018 Jul 9, 2:25pm  

I left out an important part. This time around when I went fridgerator shopping I really got down and up and personal with the Fridges.
Pull it out and look at the back. Is there a solid sheet metal sealed back or is just a cut out piece of brown paper or cardboard?
Pull out the ice maker does it have a metal cork screw to churn the ice or is it a Plastic Cork screw?
Look at the racks do they have flimsy plastic clips in the side of the fridge to hold the racks or there solid groves for the racks to slide through?
Are the racks glass and metal or they plastic that is bound to break in about a year?
I really looked at the build quality more than I ever have after realizing my $2100 GE Profile fridge was a total cheap piece of shit that should not have cost a penny over $500 based on flimsy cheap build materials and the construction quality alone.
27   Philistine   2018 Jul 9, 2:36pm  

Our GE fridge is a 20 year old monument to mediocrity that is still somehow more sturdy and reliable than a lot of the new and fancy garbage they make today. I was considering it's time to shop around for a replacement, but you guys have given me several reasons to add to my very long list of why I'm a cheap fuck.
28   georgeliberte   2018 Jul 10, 5:53am  

Dont get sears Kenmore or GE. Both use cheap parts. That was my experience; however, I had an a Amana that I bought used for $200 and ran for six or sevvven years. I replaced it with a GE and that broke down in less than three years. U just nought another Amana and the five-year warranty.
29   Shaman   2018 Jul 10, 7:36am  

Automan Empire says
Low refrigerant is a SYMPTOM, never the root problem.


Wow! Someone knows about HVAC! I’m glad not everyone is some kind of computer programmer!
30   zzyzzx   2018 Jul 10, 8:24am  

Aphroman says
The little Haier window AC i bought at university ~20 years ago is still blowing strong,


My little Haier unit only lasted me like 7 years. Having said that, I used the crap out of it. It lives on as a vacuum pump that I used to evacuate A/C units during the repair process.
31   zzyzzx   2018 Jul 10, 8:25am  

Tenpoundbass says
2 years is all you can expect to get out of any brand Fridge these days.


I'm still using a Fridgaire that I bought in 2003.
32   Ceffer   2018 Jul 10, 10:59am  

LG has a switch that lets you switch the ice maker off, which is where it stays.
33   RWSGFY   2018 Jul 10, 11:01am  

Ceffer says
LG has a switch that lets you switch the ice maker off, which is where it stays.


They all have it.
34   RC2006   2018 Jul 10, 11:18am  

To any of you that use the ice maker even if it works fine I would pull it out and look at it if your fridge is over 10yo. mine started having some issues and when I took the whole unit out (only a few screws holding it) the inside of the trays had some sort of plastic coating on the metal that was breaking down. I replaced the whole thing for with a $50 oem one I got off amazon. Also I like the ones that have the ones that have the low profile water dispenser on the inside and avoid any fridge that disperses water and ice through the door.

Example:
35   komputodo   2018 Jul 10, 12:12pm  

RC2006 says
Appliances are easy to fix, in the last ten years I have fixed everything myself at a cost of about $100 and a few hours of time easily saved myself over a thousand or two. 90% of things that can fail are common issues and there are probably a ton of videos on YouTube on how to fix each thing. Parts are really easy to find these days also online or just a trip to appliance parts store.


I agree with you 100%....I do the same....I can't imagine trying to maintain a house and its appliances by contacting and paying techs...Not only would I be pissed off all the time, I'd probably also be broke. I'm retired so I also fix lots of stuff for friends and neighbors too. Even get contacted from long distance by friends asking for repair advice. It's fun and keeps me entertained. I'm originally from the CA bay area so I had to get over the mindset that " time is money" and enjoy it like putting together a puzzle. Plus the bonus is that every now and then, you pull of a miraculous repair which even surprises yourself.
36   komputodo   2018 Jul 10, 12:58pm  

Quigley says
Wow! Someone knows about HVAC! I’m glad not everyone is some kind of computer programmer!


Writing code is an admirable profession for working as an employee and earning $$$ but in the real world, not too practical.
37   komputodo   2018 Jul 10, 2:21pm  

Aphroman says
Not to mention if you value your own happiness, it sure seems to make most people fucking miserable.


Writing code is completely beyond my skill set. I actually believe that it takes a certain type of mind to be able to do it. The times that I have tried to learn even the most basic forms of C++ drove me crazy, lol. OTOH, I love the challenge of fixing a microwave oven or an electric fan or revive a dead samsung tablet or a broken sewing machine. Even fix a no-start car problem. That's easy compared to writing code.
38   Hircus   2018 Jul 11, 12:27am  

georgeliberte says
Dont get sears Kenmore or GE. Both use cheap parts.


Kenmore has always used the other major appliance manufacturers to build their appliances. Always.

They tend to use a mix of brands, so it really depends on the model which company is building it. You can usually tell by a few minutes of comparison on the salesfloor to see the similarities to the name brand.

But, they do spec the thing, and so I wouldn't be surprised if in recent years they make the companies build it extra cheap for them. But in the past, they often had them build it better. But sears is a corpse.

Anyway, Samsung is a good brand. Sounds like ohoman got a bad repair tech. Most repair techs suck a fat one - they get very little training and have low expectations of them. They typically guess and replace parts over and over until it gets fixed.

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