Samsung Galaxy S4 - bulging battery issue - appalling O2 response to the problem

[Anonymous]

My Galaxy S4 has the bulging battery problem.  It's well documented, and both Samsung and O2 accept that there was a problem with these batteries.  My guess is that it's a fire risk just waiting to happen.

One phone came from Amazon, who dealt with the problem superbly, more than a year after the purchase.  An immediate and helpful response - problem solved with a new battery.

O2, however, provided the other phone and they couldn't be less helpful.  They expect me to hand them back the phone (with its user-replaceable battery) so that they can send it back to Samsung.

Are they serious?  Hand over my phone, along with all the personal data on it?  Do without it until it gets sent back again?  And this for a £400+ phone, for the sake of a £10 battery?

Comet used to provide customer service like this, and look where it got them!

Mobile phone companies have managed to get an appalling reputation with the general public, and behaviour like this from O2 just makes it worse.  Why would anyone buy a phone from O2 when they behave like this?

[jonsie]

In all fairness with all warranties you have to send the whole item back. You wouldn't send seperate components for repair or replacement be it a car, fridge, tv or whatever.

Your other opton is obviously to source and purchase one yourself if you don't wish to send the phone away.

Have you contacted Samsung to see whether they will sendyou a new battery?

[Anonymous]

Hi

I appreciate your frustration.

You can back up all your data using various methods and I would also take pictures of the phone which are time/date stamped or place it on a copy of that days newspaper so you can prove the condition it was sent off in.

Hope all goes well.

[MI5]

1st thing I'd do is call Samsung, then if I got no where with that I'd buy a new battery myself.
Rightly or wrongly, I wouldn't "want" to send whole lot off either.....

[Anonymous]

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@MI5 wrote:
1st thing I'd do is call Samsung, then if I got no where with that I'd buy a new battery myself.
Rightly or wrongly, I wouldn't "want" to send whole lot off either.....

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This is an issue that the retailer (O2) should be resolving. Not Samsung. My contract of purchase was with O2, but O2 are being deliberately obstructive, despite their obligations under the Sale of Goods Act, knowing full well that most people will simply take the easy route and buy a new battery.

Amazon, who supplied the other phone affected by the same problem, were great.  Sorted it out immediately with a cash payment to pay for a new battery.  No return of phone, no fuss, no argument.  Resolved inside an hour.

There's a clear moral here - if you want a phone buy it from a company such as Amazon that will look after you well in the event of problems.  Don't buy it from a company like O2 which treats its customers like dirt.  Obviously the sales side cares as much for its customers as the mobile service provider side.

[MI5]

I'm not disagreeing with you or the facts that you state, but I was just saying what I'd do to get it resolved quickly....
Obviously it's your choice whichever route you take but as I believe O2 have offered to take the phone and battery to test it they have fulfilled their obligation to you.

[Anonymous]

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@MI5 wrote:
........ I believe O2 have offered to take the phone and battery to test it they have fulfilled their obligation to you.

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Thanks. I take your point. But it's an entirely removable, user-replaceable battery that can be replaced in about 30 seconds.

O2 and Samsung have both accepted that there's a problem with these batteries, hence the bulging.  Wouldn't it make better sense all round for me to take the phone to the O2 shop that sold it, allow them to take the battery out of it, send the battery away to Samsung, who will then send the replacement back.

O2 are instead deliberately making this difficult for their customers, knowing that most of them will just change the battery themselves.  That's fine if they choose to do it, but O2's approach is very different from Amazon's approach.

And the result?  Amazon will get the repeat business.  O2 won't.

[MI5]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Wouldn't it make better sense all round for me to take the phone to the O2 shop that sold it, allow them to take the battery out of it, send the battery away to Samsung, who will then send the replacement back.

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Yes, still agreeing with you

[viridis]

Take just the battery in to a store with the handset receipt.
As an accessory, provided with the handset, it is covered by the same guarantee with exclusion of battery wear and tear. As Samsung have recognised the fault along with o2, o2 have no choice but to deal with the battery on it's own.
There is no need for the handset to be returned as it is a separate entity without fault, the fault is on the provided accessory which has its own warranty in regards to build quality and workmanship.
Take the battery, take the receipt and be firm but friendly, you'll get the outcome which is fair.

[Anonymous]

Hi @viridis

Sadly o2 will not replace the battery in store. It is necessary to send the phone to o2 repairs who will then check the battery and if it needs replacing they will do so.

Alternatively send the phone back to Samsung.

I have spoken to seniors at o2 and customer service at Samsung and that was their response.