Samsung phone overheated and burned my hand

[Anonymous]

The phone was not being charged when I picked it up.

I'm on a 24 month contract with o2 so I called into the local o2 shop and explained what happened and that I'm presently on a course of chemotherapy and need my phone to pick up emails.

Was told (repeatedly) that the fault was Samsung's not o2 and I may be charged for repairs

I was embarrassed for the girl when she handed me the 1990s courtesy phone without Internet and the screen is so tiny I cannot read it.

I've been told it will take 10 working days until I get my phone returned and I don't see why I'm paying for an Internet service that I'm not receiving.

I've been with o2 nearly 20 years and I am disgusted at how this was handled. I don't think I will renew the contract.

And yes the blister on my thumb is still very painful!

[MI5]

It would have been quicker for you to contact Samsung directly as they would send you a courier to collect the phone and get it back to you within a couple of days.
Without seeing the phone no one can say what has caused the issue though and a shop assistant certainly wouldn't know, so speculation about responsibility and cost is wrong.
Hopefully, O2 won't take too long to get it back to you but keep us updated with progress please in case we need to advise you of anything else.

[PhoneDoc]

Sorry to hear about your phone Kate, that's obviously not great.

On face value though, I can't see much wrong with the way this was handled.

Depending on the nature of the fault in the phone, it may or may not be covered by the warranty - especially if it's due to the battery. I'd like to think it is covered in this situation (it probably will be), or that Samsung would be willing to authorise it's repair regardless considering the physical pain it's caused you - but it is right that the store manages expectations and doesn't give false hope. At the end of the day the terms of your phone's warranty are dictated by the manufacturer (Samsung) and not O2.

With regards to the loan phone, they're provided as a courtesy depending on stock. I know it would be nice to have internet enabled ones. But considering the volume of loan phones across the company and the damage I've seen a fair few of them get from customers, I can understand why it's currently just features phones. There are also internet enabled smartphones that you can buy in store for less than the cost of the loan phone deposit. You could return this after your phone is repaired, or else it's always useful to keep a backup lying around the house.

If you feel there was something wrong with the attitude or tone of the advisor in store, that would be completely different. You could absolutely complain to the store manager or customer services. Apart from that though, based on your post, the adviser did her job correctly and O2 are working within the rules set by Samsung - like any phone network will. 

I hope everything is covered under warranty for you and you get your phone back soon  

[Anonymous]

I'm sure it will be settled one way or another!
Before I took I'll I worked in Customer Services so I'm fully aware of the need to manage customer expectations, indeed I did so with each and every customer. However, I always spoke and listened to the person not just the customer and that was one of the reasons I was so good at my job.
I went in to the o2 shop with low expectations due to previous negative experiences, it's just one of those things - I certainly will not lose sleep over it.
I paid my bill in full today and o2 are welcome to it, I will not be seeking a refund.
I expected o2 to provide the service they promised regardless of where they source their phones. I certainly did not expect to get hurt in the process.
Thanks for replying and I'll post the outcome.

[Bambino]

@Anonymous Which model Samsung is it?

[Anonymous]

Samsung Galaxy A3

[jonsie]

It sounds like a battery problem or every app not closing down. To be honest, if a phone has been that hot as to have caused burns, I think the manufacturer should have been involved rather than risking O2's ABC (Anovo Bodgit Cowboys). Who knows what other damage has been caused internally. I would feel much happier to have it inspected by Samsung.

Do let us know what happens and what they find to be the problem. Also inspect the phone closely for signs of damage when you get it back.

[Bambino]

I Googled your phone to see if there have been incidences of batteries overheating, and I didn't find much, but there is a warning here on Samsung's page if you scroll down towards the bottom: 

http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/smartphones/galaxy-a/SM-A300FZWUBTU

[Cleoriff]

Also Samsung have an excellent reputation particulary providing service for their own phones. A quick turnaround, 2 year warranty which they honour. Unlike Anova who will give many reasons for the overheating issue and probably ask you for some sort of payment... For me, if a phone is in warranty I would make full use of that with the manufacturer...

[jonsie]

Well UPS have collected my Samsung Tab this afternoon so I'll let you know what I think of their repair service.