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HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

Started Nov 18, 2014 | User reviews
danielehrer New Member • Posts: 10
HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

I bought the Note 4 SM N910 H in the Samsung boot at Dolphin Mall (E318), FL, paid us$908.00 for it. IMEI 355051060228560 and SN RF1FA0G7TXM two days after the USA release.

After 4 days unpacked the phone and begun shooting in Atlanta (where the box was discarded), Denver where I opened the files and realized that no one of the images was in focus NO ONE, and by the way was overheatting. The same day stopped to use it.

After a last stop in Seattle... I returned to FL 14 days later and complained at the SAMSUNG boot to exchange the phone or my money back.

Their answer -bring the box and we exchange you the phone- this is the company policy.

I asked them where in the bill said that, they showed me the bill and certainly is like that BUT that day the printer oh! was faulty and didnt print that part....HOW?

I'm a traveller, I'm not going across the full country with a box!!!

They sent me to their repair center for a warranty claim.

Expected to find a real repair center, was a Metro PCS shop and in the back a repair office 100 sq ft.

NOT AN AUTHORIZED SAMSUNG SERVICE!!!! Tried to contact Samsung customer service IMPOSSIBLE, the story of the chicken and the egg, who was first, full of their product advertisement  but never a human being, nobody is responsible....

Left the phone there and they said that may be one of those days the part will arrive and they will let me know when...no date no nothing that everything has to go by the Samsung procedures.

Asked and what IF is not good again, their answer is we dont know...

SO BEWARE OF THE SAMSUNG PROMISED PARADISE, Now Im not in USA for a couple of weeks and who knows how this story will enD.

Remember I didn't bought the cheapest of the line, but the more expensive of all their phones, and they dont care...

Samsung Galaxy Note 4
5.7 screen • 16 megapixels (rear) • 4 megapixels (front)
Announced: Sep 3, 2014
danielehrer's score
0.5
Average community score
3.9
Russell Evans Forum Pro • Posts: 12,617
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

Are you new to the US? It pretty much has been that you need the receipt and the packaging to bring the product back in the exchange period in the US at retail stores for as long as I can remember. Most major retail centers will now also email you a receipt, so that you have both the printed copy and a electronic version. If you paid with a credit card, you might want to look at what they offer in protection. Some credit cards offer lemon, or breakage protection, in the first 60-90 days.

I personally wouldn't have given such an expensive item to a repair shop that wasn't authorized to do warranty work in any case, as I'm pretty sure that will void your warranty no matter what. It sounds like you didn't buy from a big box store? You paid a lot of money, full price or more, so I don't understand why you wouldn't have gone to somewhere larger with a national presence and with a more friendly customer service policy?

Thank you
Russell

OP danielehrer New Member • Posts: 10
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

Russell Evans wrote:

Are you new to the US? It pretty much has been that you need the receipt and the packaging to bring the product back in the exchange period in the US at retail stores for as long as I can remember. Most major retail centers will now also email you a receipt, so that you have both the printed copy and a electronic version. If you paid with a credit card, you might want to look at what they offer in protection. Some credit cards offer lemon, or breakage protection, in the first 60-90 days.

I personally wouldn't have given such an expensive item to a repair shop that wasn't authorized to do warranty work in any case, as I'm pretty sure that will void your warranty no matter what. It sounds like you didn't buy from a big box store? You paid a lot of money, full price or more, so I don't understand why you wouldn't have gone to somewhere larger with a national presence and with a more friendly customer service policy?

Thank you
Russell

Is the SAMSUNG store in Dolphin Mall they sell and representand sell only SAMSUNG.

They sent me to this adress to apply the warranty...

As new as I am in the US, Im a traveller and I bought Apple computers everywhere and thewy honored the warranty just reviewing in the system.

And for me is the end of 7 years with Samsung and never more...

Thanks Russel it seems is easier and safer to buy at BH that in the Samsung Store itself...

Russell Evans Forum Pro • Posts: 12,617
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

danielehrer wrote:

Russell Evans wrote:

Are you new to the US? It pretty much has been that you need the receipt and the packaging to bring the product back in the exchange period in the US at retail stores for as long as I can remember. Most major retail centers will now also email you a receipt, so that you have both the printed copy and a electronic version. If you paid with a credit card, you might want to look at what they offer in protection. Some credit cards offer lemon, or breakage protection, in the first 60-90 days.

I personally wouldn't have given such an expensive item to a repair shop that wasn't authorized to do warranty work in any case, as I'm pretty sure that will void your warranty no matter what. It sounds like you didn't buy from a big box store? You paid a lot of money, full price or more, so I don't understand why you wouldn't have gone to somewhere larger with a national presence and with a more friendly customer service policy?

Thank you
Russell

Is the SAMSUNG store in Dolphin Mall they sell and representand sell only SAMSUNG.

I looked it up. I've never seen a Samsung store before. The only physical Samsung Stores I know of are in the Best Buy stores themselves. Samsung made a deal with BestBuy to rent space in their stores. Pretty interesting that you found a Samsung store itself, have you seen others in your travels? I think it is interesting as all the Sony stores in my area closed. I can't believe Samsung is now trying to do the same thing.

They sent me to this address to apply the warranty...

If you were directed there by the store or Samsung, then it can't void the warranty. In your first post  it sounded like you simply went to one of those "fix a phone" places. The shop might simply be a "fix a phone" place, but as long as it is authorized, you shouldn't be as worried as you sounded in your first post.

As new as I am in the US, I'm a traveler and I bought Apple computers everywhere and they honored the warranty just reviewing in the system.

Apple probably has adopted Nordstrom practices as far a customer service, but I've also read a lot of posts where Apple didn't really do the right thing as far as customer service once the products weren't covered by the warranty. That gets people to buy Apple Care protection, which pays for that Nordstrom service, where other manufacturers just can't compete, because if the customers have to pay, they'll just buy Apple. Catch 22.

This sucks, which is why most people buy phones through their carrier in the US. The carriers sort of need to work with you as they make money on the service, not the phone. Buying a phone outright also means you are paying for it twice here, as the carriers don't discount the service when you bring your own. You pay the same for service as someone else buying the Note 4 from the carrier for a couple of hundred.

The low cost Nexus devices sort of made sense to buy outright. You paid a little more, but by paying more, you cut the carriers out of the firmware upgrade cycle. The new Nexus phone price is up in the high hundreds, so I don't see a lot of people, paying so much for that firmware perk anymore. It's nice hardware, but you really have to be into it, almost as a hobby, I think, for it to be attractive enough.

And for me is the end of 7 years with Samsung and never more...

I've only had a few Samsung consumer products, one LED TV, a Galaxy S4 and S5. I also bought my mother a Samsung Tab 2 tablet a couple of years ago. Only the TV cost what I would consider a lot of money. We bought it right when the 1080P LED TVs hit the market, but we got a 30% discount through using Bing when Microsoft was trying to buy traffic to their site, so it was a nice deal.

I was pretty interested in the first Samsung mirrorless cameras that came out, but at the time, I couldn't find any information about warranty work, and that scared me off. I've had my DSLR repaired under warranty, so I was on the look out for support. I'm not sure if that has improved over the years, or not. I probably should ask on the Samsung forum, as I still like their camera products, and the NX1 looks really nice.

I've seen a lot of nice Samsung home products, but when it comes to pulling out my wallet, I do really want to know that repair service is there, so I can't blame you for this. I just try to minimize my exposure. We buy with a credit card that extends warranties, offers 90 day breakage coverage, and in the worst case, can reverse charges it the vendor isn't willing to resolve issues. We have the money for most of what we buy and could do cash transactions, we pay off the credit cards each month, but it is the protection and just not having to deal with money that makes it better just to use a card.

Thanks Russel it seems is easier and safer to buy at BH that in the Samsung Store itself...

I don't think there is any vendor that won't have issues with customer service. I think at some point we are all going to have a least one time where things don't work out in our favor. We just buy enough in our lifetimes where it is bound to happen. Hopefully everything will work out OK for you with your phone. Just know if it doesn't, we've all probably have been there at some point.

Thank you
Russell

Isabel Cutler
Isabel Cutler Forum Pro • Posts: 19,188
Re: Can't understand the overheating, but....

The default setting for the camera is hdr - which combines two images.

People are experiencing blurry shots because they move the camera between the shots.

If you turn off the hdr mode you should have clearer shots.

I hope you resolve your problem to your satisfaction.

Isabel

P.S.  My Samsung S3 used to get very hot when I was using it in the car with gps on and playing Pandora via Bluetooth.  (It was plugged in.)  Heavy data usage will make it heat up.  Also, if you are in an area where the signal is very weak and it's constantly searching for data it will heat up (at least the S3 did.  I haven't had the Note 4 get very hot in the car).

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Mark B.
Mark B. Forum Pro • Posts: 29,742
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!
1

danielehrer wrote:

I bought the Note 4 SM N910 H in the Samsung boot at Dolphin Mall (E318), FL, paid us$908.00 for it. IMEI 355051060228560 and SN RF1FA0G7TXM two days after the USA release.

After 4 days unpacked the phone and begun shooting in Atlanta (where the box was discarded), Denver where I opened the files and realized that no one of the images was in focus NO ONE, and by the way was overheatting. The same day stopped to use it.

After a last stop in Seattle... I returned to FL 14 days later and complained at the SAMSUNG boot to exchange the phone or my money back.

Their answer -bring the box and we exchange you the phone- this is the company policy.

I asked them where in the bill said that, they showed me the bill and certainly is like that BUT that day the printer oh! was faulty and didnt print that part....HOW?

I'm a traveller, I'm not going across the full country with a box!!!

They sent me to their repair center for a warranty claim.

Expected to find a real repair center, was a Metro PCS shop and in the back a repair office 100 sq ft.

NOT AN AUTHORIZED SAMSUNG SERVICE!!!! Tried to contact Samsung customer service IMPOSSIBLE, the story of the chicken and the egg, who was first, full of their product advertisement  but never a human being, nobody is responsible....

Left the phone there and they said that may be one of those days the part will arrive and they will let me know when...no date no nothing that everything has to go by the Samsung procedures.

Asked and what IF is not good again, their answer is we dont know...

SO BEWARE OF THE SAMSUNG PROMISED PARADISE, Now Im not in USA for a couple of weeks and who knows how this story will enD.

Remember I didn't bought the cheapest of the line, but the more expensive of all their phones, and they dont care...

This shouldn't have been posted as a review; you got a lemon.  Sorry for your bad luck, it can and does happen with any product.  If they cannot fix it they'll have no choice but to replace it.

I've read plenty of good reviews of the Note 4.  I've had a great experience with my Galaxy S4, but it doesn't mean that every one of them is going to be gret either.

Mark

Mark B.
Mark B. Forum Pro • Posts: 29,742
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

Russell Evans wrote:

danielehrer wrote:

Russell Evans wrote:

Are you new to the US? It pretty much has been that you need the receipt and the packaging to bring the product back in the exchange period in the US at retail stores for as long as I can remember. Most major retail centers will now also email you a receipt, so that you have both the printed copy and a electronic version. If you paid with a credit card, you might want to look at what they offer in protection. Some credit cards offer lemon, or breakage protection, in the first 60-90 days.

I personally wouldn't have given such an expensive item to a repair shop that wasn't authorized to do warranty work in any case, as I'm pretty sure that will void your warranty no matter what. It sounds like you didn't buy from a big box store? You paid a lot of money, full price or more, so I don't understand why you wouldn't have gone to somewhere larger with a national presence and with a more friendly customer service policy?

Thank you
Russell

Is the SAMSUNG store in Dolphin Mall they sell and representand sell only SAMSUNG.

I looked it up. I've never seen a Samsung store before. The only physical Samsung Stores I know of are in the Best Buy stores themselves. Samsung made a deal with BestBuy to rent space in their stores. Pretty interesting that you found a Samsung store itself, have you seen others in your travels? I think it is interesting as all the Sony stores in my area closed. I can't believe Samsung is now trying to do the same thing.

They are doing it.  Apparently this is a new addition.

OP danielehrer New Member • Posts: 10
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

I was sent by the Samsung shop in Dolphin to take the phone to a supposed Samsung repair Center in Miami Lakes for a warranty repair, where after 2 weeks they said that they changed the camera module and sent me a couple of pictures and is exactely the same.

Talked with them yesterday, they said that is within specs...but unfortunately I found several threads where the complaints about the Note 4 camera are the same.

Here is one as a sample: http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-4/452750-note-4-camera-focus-problem.htmlI

Doesnt focus from 10ft and to infinity and the oversharpening is terrible and there in not much control over the parameters as in the S4 and S3

So apparentely is a problem there...my S4 never gave me so ugly images, neither my S3...

How you can explain overheatting since the first day of use, using only the camera because the chip was already in the old(?) S4.

And the service refuse to exchange, so there is no money back and no exchange...That means I have to swallow the lemon...

Bye Bye Samsung

Here are the samples sent by the repair centre.

pdqgp
pdqgp Forum Pro • Posts: 10,778
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

danielehrer wrote:

I bought the Note 4 SM N910 H in the Samsung boot at Dolphin Mall (E318), FL, paid us$908.00 for it. IMEI 355051060228560 and SN RF1FA0G7TXM two days after the USA release.

Why would you overpay so much for a phone?  Full Retail at a typical AT&T or Best Buy store or is $825.

After 4 days unpacked the phone and begun shooting in Atlanta (where the box was discarded), Denver where I opened the files and realized that no one of the images was in focus NO ONE, and by the way was overheatting. The same day stopped to use it.

After a last stop in Seattle... I returned to FL 14 days later and complained at the SAMSUNG boot to exchange the phone or my money back.

Their answer -bring the box and we exchange you the phone- this is the company policy.

Never bought there but I can see their requiring that for such a device.

I asked them where in the bill said that, they showed me the bill and certainly is like that BUT that day the printer oh! was faulty and didnt print that part....HOW?

Do you have your original receipt either in print or electronic format?

I'm a traveller, I'm not going across the full country with a box!!!

I travel a lot too but if I bought a Note 4 while on the road, I wouldn't toss out the box.  In fact I have bought iPad Air while traveling and kept it in my luggage.  Not a big deal.

They sent me to their repair center for a warranty claim.

Expected to find a real repair center, was a Metro PCS shop and in the back a repair office 100 sq ft.

I would call their 800# and arrange to send it in for service to their NJ/NY facilities.

NOT AN AUTHORIZED SAMSUNG SERVICE!!!! Tried to contact Samsung customer service IMPOSSIBLE, the story of the chicken and the egg, who was first, full of their product advertisement but never a human being, nobody is responsible....

Left the phone there and they said that may be one of those days the part will arrive and they will let me know when...no date no nothing that everything has to go by the Samsung procedures.

Asked and what IF is not good again, their answer is we dont know...

SO BEWARE OF THE SAMSUNG PROMISED PARADISE, Now Im not in USA for a couple of weeks and who knows how this story will enD.

Remember I didn't bought the cheapest of the line, but the more expensive of all their phones, and they dont care...

Sorry about your experience but I've had nothing but great service with them.

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OP danielehrer New Member • Posts: 10
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

It came with an additional power supply...

And finnaly I discovered that is not a shop of SAMSUNG USA but a SAMSUNG LATIN AMERICA shop and they sell the phones without warning that are not USA.

Because of that they have a different tratment of their products, I should send the phone to Panama or South America for repair.

But I think SAMSUNG INTL should obligue them to warn the customers about that...

Here they have 3 little repair centers not very well equipped.

I have been the same day that a woman that bought two other phones from the same supplier was in the repair center...

She was a tourist and before leaving she discovered that the two were faulty...

They refused to change the phones and sent her to the same repair center.

Seems they sell many to foreign tourists and they discover too late in their countries that the devices are faulty.

Its not casual three from three from the same supplier have problems...do they sell B class phones?

Dolphin Mall shop 308 yellow entrance 7 or 3...

Take care, they are scammers...

Antioch Senior Member • Posts: 2,333
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

danielehrer wrote:

It came with an additional power supply...

And finnaly I discovered that is not a shop of SAMSUNG USA but a SAMSUNG LATIN AMERICA shop and they sell the phones without warning that are not USA.

Because of that they have a different tratment of their products, I should send the phone to Panama or South America for repair.

But I think SAMSUNG INTL should obligue them to warn the customers about that...

Here they have 3 little repair centers not very well equipped.

I have been the same day that a woman that bought two other phones from the same supplier was in the repair center...

She was a tourist and before leaving she discovered that the two were faulty...

They refused to change the phones and sent her to the same repair center.

Seems they sell many to foreign tourists and they discover too late in their countries that the devices are faulty.

Its not casual three from three from the same supplier have problems...do they sell B class phones?

Dolphin Mall shop 308 yellow entrance 7 or 3...

Take care, they are scammers...

Apparently they are fraudsters operating in the usa. You should report them to the FBI.

OP danielehrer New Member • Posts: 10
Re: HORROR STORY, HELP!!!!

I didn´t thought about that, could be...

Menneisyys Senior Member • Posts: 1,458
Re: Can't understand the overheating, but....

Not so with the Note4, which only takes one image, exposing for the highlights to avoid them burn in and applying a tone curve, which pulls the shadows very hard.

I'll dedicate a full article to this question very soon.

Isabel Cutler wrote:

The default setting for the camera is hdr - which combines two images.

People are experiencing blurry shots because they move the camera between the shots.

If you turn off the hdr mode you should have clearer shots.

Isabel Cutler
Isabel Cutler Forum Pro • Posts: 19,188
Re: I didn't know that!....Thanks (nt)

Menneisyys wrote:

Not so with the Note4, which only takes one image, exposing for the highlights to avoid them burn in and applying a tone curve, which pulls the shadows very hard.

I'll dedicate a full article to this question very soon.

Isabel Cutler wrote:

The default setting for the camera is hdr - which combines two images.

People are experiencing blurry shots because they move the camera between the shots.

If you turn off the hdr mode you should have clearer shots.

 Isabel Cutler's gear list:Isabel Cutler's gear list
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Isabel Cutler
Isabel Cutler Forum Pro • Posts: 19,188
Re: So Samsungs HDR mode has changed from this description?

Isabel Cutler wrote:

Menneisyys wrote:

Not so with the Note4, which only takes one image, exposing for the highlights to avoid them burn in and applying a tone curve, which pulls the shadows very hard.

I'll dedicate a full article to this question very soon.

Isabel Cutler wrote:

The default setting for the camera is hdr - which combines two images.

People are experiencing blurry shots because they move the camera between the shots.

If you turn off the hdr mode you should have clearer shots.

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/faq/FAQ00058263/77212/SCH-R890ZKAUSC

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Menneisyys Senior Member • Posts: 1,458
Re: So Samsungs HDR mode has changed from this description?

Isabel Cutler wrote:

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/faq/FAQ00058263/77212/SCH-R890ZKAUSC

Yup, it did change. The Note4 uses a different approach than the S4 Mini discussed in the linked page. The Note4 only takes one shot, with all the advantages (no stitching errors are guaranteed; no unnatural fusing artifacts) and disadvantages (much worse image quality, particularly in the shadows, because of the heavy shadow pulling) of this approach.

Isabel Cutler
Isabel Cutler Forum Pro • Posts: 19,188
Re: Do you have a link which describes the change? (nt)

Menneisyys wrote:

Isabel Cutler wrote:

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/faq/FAQ00058263/77212/SCH-R890ZKAUSC

Yup, it did change. The Note4 uses a different approach than the S4 Mini discussed in the linked page. The Note4 only takes one shot, with all the advantages (no stitching errors are guaranteed; no unnatural fusing artifacts) and disadvantages (much worse image quality, particularly in the shadows, because of the heavy shadow pulling) of this approach.

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Menneisyys Senior Member • Posts: 1,458
Re: Do you have a link which describes the change? (nt)

Nope. However, I'll post a lot of sample shots demonstrating all this in my article entirely dedicated to HDR'ing on the Note4.

Isabel Cutler
Isabel Cutler Forum Pro • Posts: 19,188
Re: I couldn't find anything online explaining it (nt)

Menneisyys wrote:

Nope. However, I'll post a lot of sample shots demonstrating all this in my article entirely dedicated to HDR'ing on the Note4.

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Menneisyys Senior Member • Posts: 1,458
You'll soon find - will soon publish my article (just published Part II of my Note4 series) (nt)

Isabel Cutler wrote:

Menneisyys wrote:

Nope. However, I'll post a lot of sample shots demonstrating all this in my article entirely dedicated to HDR'ing on the Note4.

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