I'm so devastated

F

Freckles

Sweet Talker
For my birthday I asked for a smartphone, because my old phone was broken. I wanted the Samsung Galaxy S3. My husband thought it was too expensive, but with a little birthday money added that I got from family, we decided to buy it (which I still feel a bit guilty about because we're on a tight budget). Last week, 2 months after buying it, it stopped working. Obviously it was still under warranty. I contacted the online store where I bought it and they said they didn't do DMA's and that I had to take it to the nearest Samsung Repair Service, which I did.
The first thing I didn't like was that I had to pay €15 (=$20) administration costs because I did not buy the phone at their own store. Not much to do about that, so I paid. This was yesterday. Today I received an email from them, stating that the screen is cracked, that Samsung does not give any warranty on that and that the repair costs are €250 (=$320)! I can't believe this! The screen was not visibly cracked and the phone has not been dropped or anything like that! Could it be that it's cracked on the inside without being noticable on the outside? Are they trying to con me? I'm just breaking my head over how this could have happened... My kids swear they didn't drop it without my knowing. I'm just devastated because we paid so much money for it and there's no way I can spend €250 for the reparation. I just emailed them back that I'm going to come over and take a look at it but even when it is cracked on the inside only, I will just have to take it back home because it's just too much money for something like that... :( So now I'm phoneless again, yay.
Sorry for the rant! I just feel I could cry right now!
 
I also would take it and go somewhere else! If they are asking for that much, I'd definitely check a couple more places! That is terrible though - I'm so sorry! I'd be in exactly the same position as you if it happened to me - I wouldn't be able to spend that much.
 
Oh Kim what a nightmare. I'd def try another place you never know what they may say.

I def. know how you feel about having no phone I've my own nightmares w/my cell phones :|
 
Take it somewhere else. If the screen is cracked, search for how to change it on youtube, and you should be able to buy a screen for under $50.
 
That's crazy! Around here you can buy that same phone for $199 (with their phone contract), so paying that much to repair it... no way!
I'd definitely take it elsewhere for a second opinion! Good luck!
 
I'm so sorry, Kim!!! I would be so beyond frustrated and upset. There has to be another way to fix it... deep breaths. (((HUGS)))
 
Oh no Kim. Hope you can get something sorted out. €250 sounds outrageous to fix the screen, I'd definitely take it somewhere else. I had to have a screen replaced on an ipod touch and it was €60, so the price you were quoted sounds completely crazy!
 
Oh no! that is is horrible!!! Maybe you could find a techie person to do it for you on the side for a lot cheaper? My hubby said that guys at work have replaced their screens - got the replacement pieces from ebay...
 
Wow! That sounds like an outrageous amount to replace the screen. :( So sorry you are dealing with this. A friend has had her iphone screen crack a few times. Now she uses it with the screen cracked majorly. She said she knows it will get dropped again so may as well just use it with the crack. Maybe the crack in yours won't be very noticeable (if it is there at all). I've never spent more than $50 on a phone, so I can't imagine!
 
It's such a horrible feeling when your favourite techie things break. I don't know if this is of any help, but I know there was an issue with the Samsung Galaxy S3 a while back, they just stopped working after being charged. It might be worth doing a little research into consumer rights for wherever you are. The purchase contract is with the store you got it from, not Samsung, so fight them on it. There is a big difference between store money back guarantees and actual consumer rights. In the UK, if tech goods break within the first 6 months and it's not from dropping it etc, then the store has a responsibility to replace or refund the product, based on it not lasting a reasonable length of time. Definitely check out your rights - the store refusing to help and Samsung trying to charge that kind of amount is ludicrous!

Good luck :)
 
I would be so upset if my phone died, I have everything on it. I wouldn't remember any appointments without it! I hope you can repair it quickly!
 
I agree get a second opinion on price. I hate phone stores. We were in Verizon having my phone looked at (had it less than a month) and the associate DROPPED it as he was bringing it back to me (didn't even realize I saw him) and thankfully it didn't cause any harm and I got a replacement anyhow but still. I hope you find a cheaper repair place! I agree I'd be lost without my phone.
 
I hope you got it sorted :(

A few years ago my laptop broke so I packed it up, lots of bubble wrap etc and when they got it they told me all the buttons were broke and the screen was smashed, when it only went for repair because the screen light went off. They only thing it could have been was the delivery man or the repair centre dropped it. Luckily it was all under warranty!
 
Thanks ladies... I received an email back that the guy who handles it is on vacation until Tuesday. I have to wait until then to go back. I do know that Samsung does not give warranty when the screen is cracked, so I don't have high hopes. The only thing I can think of is that someone stepped on my purse when we were on a family visit (my phone was in it) but then still, the screen was definitely not visibly cracked, both my husband and I looked very closely before I took it to the repair service. There was no visible damage whatsoever. I looked up prices for a new screen and the normal prices are between 180 and 200 €, so it would make sense they charge 250 when they include work hours. I'm still sick to my stomach about that! And the worst thing is, for the Samsung Galaxy S3 I needed a micro sim card so now I can't even use my sim in the olders cell phones we still have lying around here because they all use regular sized sim cards!
 
You should be able to buy an adapter. We cut down a regular SIM card to fit into a micro slot so that we could use a prepaid plan on an iPhone. I know DH has talked about adapters. The chips are the same size, but the card itself is just bigger.
 
I have thought about looking around to see if there was such thing. It's good to know there is, thanks Megan. Got to get me one!
 
It was about time I got some happy news! Here's an update:

So I went back to this store and they showed me the phone. There was indeed a very small crack in the screen, barely noticeable. I have no idea how it got there. The guy said he wouldn't send it in because Samsung doesn't accept phones with a cracked screen to repair under warranty.
I took the phone to THREE other stores for a second opinion. All of them said the same thing (all of them also confirmed the price of 250€ for a new screen), except for the last store who was willing to send it in, hoping Samsung wouldn't notice the tiny crack in the screen.
I didn't have high hopes but I was glad that at least I had tried all my options.

Well, today I called back to the store to ask if they had any news yet. They said my phone had returned AND WAS FIXED!!! The lady said Samsung had done a software update on it. I don't think they replaced the screen so the crack is probably still there, but it works again!!! And it happened under warranty!!

I had already given up all hopes so yeah, I was pretty happy with that! Tomorrow I'm going to pick it up. I don't mind that small crack, like I said it was so small it looked like a hair was sticking to the screen. But I will get a protection case for it ASAP! Yay! :)
 
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That's wonderful news, Kim! I ended up getting the same phone about a month ago and I can't imagine not having it now. I'm so happy that you were able to get it fixed!!
 
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