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©2013 by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. This case was prepared by Professor Jack Boepple. Cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 847.491.5400 or e-mail cases@kellogg.northwestern.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Kellogg Case Publishing.
JACK BOEPPLE 5-412-754
Samsung Electronics: Analyzing Qualitative Complaint Data
We must understand variation. —W. Edwards Deming
April 3, 2012, found Samsung Electronics quality director Kevin Sarni wondering what he could do to stop the flow of bad news coming to his department. Over the past few weeks the company had experienced a series of quality-related problems; the recall of one of its LCD TV models was the most recent setback. To Sarni it was clear there was no single root cause behind these problems: Samsung’s supply chain management, product design, and testing/quality assurance functions all played a role.
At a meeting the previous week Sarni had been shown comments about Samsung products posted on the website ConsumerAffairs.com (see Exhibit 1). Although he was familiar with Samsung’s customer complaint database, he was surprised at the number of—and emotion behind—the website postings. Although he had the means to influence corrective action for internal problems, Sarni felt powerless to address this public perception of Samsung’s products, which he worried might touch off a social media–fueled public relations firestorm that would make his job more difficult.
He wanted to analyze this qualitative feedback, but Sarni’s experience was limited to quantitative manufacturing data. An internal Six Sigma Black Belt consultant suggested he start by creating an affinity diagram and use that to create a Pareto diagram to determine which issues to address first.
Sarni realized he would be leaving his comfort zone: engineering analyses were typically black-and-white and focused on data, but the feedback from ConsumerAffairs.com was full of emotion and conjecture with few verifiable facts. He took a stack of Post-it notes from his desk drawer and began creating his first affinity diagram.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics was a subsidiary of the Samsung Group and had been the world’s largest technology company by revenues since 2009. Headquartered in South Korea, Samsung Electronics employed approximately 221,000 people and had assembly plants and sales networks in 61 countries.
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According to market research firm iSuppli, Samsung grabbed the market share lead in North America for LCD TVs in Q2 2011.1 In Q4 2011, Samsung sold 2.4 million LCD TVs for a 23.6 percent market share in North America. Trailing Samsung were Vizio (15.4 percent), LG Electronics (12.4 percent), and Sony (8 percent).2
To promote quality awareness and instill it in the organizational culture, Samsung issued its Quality Vision in 2009. Using the slogan “Perfection in Quality beyond your Imagination,” Samsung’s vision was “providing quality products which customers around the world can have faith in and take pride in, leading to ultimate satisfaction by fulfilling their immediate and potential needs.”3 In support of this vision, the company implemented a code of conduct consisting of five points: customer-centric, true to basics, professionalism, quality workmanship, and creating customers for life. It also opened a “Quality Experience Center” where employees could take a firsthand look at product defects and understand customer grievances.
In 2009 Samsung received a total of 49 million customer inquiries and grievances on product purchase, repair, usage, and other issues. The company’s formal process for managing customer complaints is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Samsung Process for Customer Complaints
Source: Samsung, “Customer Delight Service,” http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/sustainability/productservices/download/ Customer_delight_service.pdf (accessed December 11, 2012).
1 Tom Morrod, “US Flat-Panel TV Shipments Surge in Q2,” Market Watch, iSuppli, September 28, 2012. 2 Chris Casacchia, “Samsung Extends LCD TV Sales Lead Over Vizio in Q4,” Orange County Business Journal, April 2, 2012. 3 Samsung, “Customer Delight Service,” http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/sustainability/productservices/download/ Customer_delight_service.pdf (accessed December 11, 2012).
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ConsumerAffairs.com
ConsumerAffairs was a consumer news and advocacy organization founded in 1998 by James R. Hood, a former Washington, D.C., journalist and public affairs executive. It was not a government agency and was not affiliated with any other consumer organization or any of the corporations whose products were reviewed on its website.
Its website, ConsumerAffairs.com, was an independent consumer news and resource center with a database containing tens of thousands of pages of consumer complaints, comments, and compliments. The site also contained consumer news, recall information, scams, and consumer resources such as a list of class action lawsuits, a small claims guide, a handbook for finding the right lawyer, a guide to understanding credit, and an identity theft handbook.
All complaints and reviews were moderated before publishing. Moderators published trending consumer problems that would help users find content that was directly relevant to their concerns. In addition, all consumer feedback was routed to attorneys for review. On occasion, the lawyers found something they believed could form the basis of a class action suit on behalf of consumers. Hundreds of class action lawsuits had been filed on behalf of consumers based on information from the website, but ConsumerAffairs was not a party to those actions and did not profit from them.
Analyzing Qualitative Data
We have few agreed-on canons for qualitative data analysis, in the sense of shared ground rules for drawing conclusions and verifying their sturdiness.
—Miles and Huberman, 1984
In quantitative (or objective) analysis, numbers and what they stand for are the material of analysis; by contrast, qualitative (or subjective) analysis deals in words and is guided by fewer universal rules and standardized procedures than statistical analysis.
As a first step, data must be organized and meaningfully reduced or organized into logical groupings. According to Miles and Huberman, “Data reduction refers to the process of selecting, focusing, simplifying, abstracting, and transforming the data that appear in written-up field notes or transcriptions.”4 Not only does the data need to be condensed for the sake of manageability, it also must be transformed so it can be made intelligible in terms of the issues being addressed.
One analytical tool for data reduction is an affinity diagram. An affinity diagram is a visual tool that helps synthesize large amounts of data by finding natural relationships—or “affinity”— between data points. As shown in Figure 2, in an affinity diagram random ideas are arranged into logical themes.
4 Susan Berkowitz, “Analyzing Qualitative Data” in User-Friendly Handbook for Mixed Method Evaluations, National Science Foundation, August 1997, http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1997/nsf97153/chap_4.htm, quoting M.B. Miles and A.M. Huberman, Qualitative Data Analysis (Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1984), p. 16.
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Theme 1�
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Figure 2: Graphical Representation of Affinity Diagram
Source: Based on “Affinity Diagrams: Organizing Ideas Into Common Themes,” MindTools, http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ newTMC_86.htm (accessed December 11, 2012).
Themes identified in an affinity diagram could be used as the basis of a Pareto diagram, which ordered the themes from highest frequency to lowest. This technique was named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed in 1906 that 80 percent of land in Italy was owned by 20 percent of the population. In the 1940s management consultant Joseph M. Juran applied the Pareto principle to quality issues to identify the “vital few and trivial many,” or the 20 percent of causes (the “vital few”) that were responsible for 80 percent of the results. The Pareto principle enabled organizations to focus on what typically happened (i.e., the 20 percent, or “the vital few”) rather than the multitude of exceptions (i.e., the 80 percent, or “the trivial many”) that had little effect on outcomes (see Figure 3).
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0%
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Figure 3: Sample Pareto Diagram
Source: Based on “Pareto chart (Pareto distribution diagram),” WhatIs.com, http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Pareto-chart-Pareto- distribution-diagram (accessed December 11, 2012).
Taking Action
Measure what is measurable and make measurable what is not so. —Galileo Galilei, 1564–1642
Consumer blogs would never be Kevin Sarni’s primary source of information, but they could serve as “listening posts” to provide early warning of problems. The returns and warranty returns data he had traditionally used was valuable, but the delay in getting the information meant it was not as actionable as the more real-time consumer complaints from ConsumerAffairs.com.
After Sarni completed the unfamiliar diagrams he had still another task ahead of him: examining the results to see if they justified taking short-term action to address the quality problems raised in the complaints.
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Exhibit 1: ConsumerAffairs.com Complaints To Be Analyzed
SAMSUNG TV CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND REVIEWS
1. March 26, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 I purchased a Samsung TV model LN-T4071F in November 2007. I started having issues with orange and black screen in 2011. The issue continued to get worse until January 2012; screen is not viewable, severe audio problems also. I could not adjust the volume when I turned it on for 10 to 20 minutes. I wrote a letter to Samsung corporate office. They called back and said they will not pay to fix any issues. Their website states their TV products are supposed to have a life span of 10 to 15 years—what a joke! I will never purchase any Samsung products ever again.
2. March 26, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 I bought my Samsung LN40A750 in January of 2009. Around six months ago and since then, when I turn on the TV the picture is distorted and doesn’t clear up for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. March 24, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 Please note that every TV manufacturer including Samsung should recall all their HDTVs that have side connectors for HDMI and USB. The placement of side connectors creates a great safety hazard. To use such connectors with HDMI cables, one has to loop the cable outside the TV unit, creating an area where a baby/small child can be caught in the loop, causing severe damage or strangulation to the child. We purchased a new LED 32-inch Samsung yesterday and returned it today because of the hazard. Please send this message to all TV manufacturers and concerned individuals.
4. March 24, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 I purchased the TV (Samsung LCD LN52B610A 52-inch TV) about two years ago; now the TV will not turn on. I called Samsung and they said they would send a technician to look at the TV, but they would not give me an approximate price on how much it would cost for the technician to come look at the TV or where they would be coming from. I paid about $1,200 for the TV and averaged watching it maybe an hour a week. This is ridiculous, that a TV would just stop working after only two years. Anyone else have this TV model and had this happen?
5. March 23, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 I started seeing black vertical lines on my 47-inch Samsung HDTV screen three years after I purchased it. When I spoke to tech support at Samsung, I explained what the
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problem was and gave my phone number. A few days later, a TV repairman called me and asked what the problem I was having was. So I explained about the black lines on the screen. The repairman told me it is not worth the money to fix it because it’s about the same price for a new TV. When I called back Samsung, they said I did not renew the extended service plan. I understand that, but I shouldn’t have any problems with a three- year-old TV which I paid top dollar for. I feel they should fix it or replace it. After all, I have a 15-year-old TV that never had any issues. Why is that? These Samsung LCD HDTVs are defective, as I read all the complaints.
6. March 23, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 My Samsung flat screen TV was taking a long time to warm up until the picture comes on. Then it stopped coming on altogether.
7. March 21, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 Three and a half years ago, we bought a 46-inch LED Samsung TV for $2,000. Six months ago, the screen display began to malfunction when initially turned on. The left side of the screen had a double image superimposed over itself and there were horizontal lines dividing the screen into thirds. After 15 minutes, the screen would clear up and all would be well. One week ago, the problem progressed to a moving bar code on the left side of the screen with the horizontal lines. This now lasts the entire time the TV is on. I called Samsung and was told too bad, the TV is beyond the one-year warranty. I called Best Buy and was told too bad, I didn’t buy their four-year protection plan. I called a TV repair shop and was told the problem is the main board. Total for new board, labor, and tax is $400. Are you kidding me? That is halfway to the price of a brand new television. I am so angry. Apparently, Samsung does not expect their product to last beyond the first year or you wouldn’t need to purchase an extended warranty. I have a television in my basement that is at least 15 years old and still working. I have a beautiful JVC l’Art TV that is eight years old and still going. But the TV I spent the most on can’t last beyond its three-year mark. I will never buy another Samsung product. What a shoddy product!
8. March 21, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 This is our third Samsung. We have two homes. Our first Samsung started having snow in it after one year. Last year, I replaced it and as of March 16, it has a red line down the center. Last Thanksgiving, we had a Samsung 51-inch plasma delivered to our Cucamonga home and it blew up that day so we could not watch the football games. Now we have to replace another one.
9. March 21, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 My 42-inch plasma television is experiencing the same issues that other Samsung LCD
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and plasma televisions are experiencing, but was not included in the class action settlement. It started by cycling on and off with a clicking noise, and now does not turn on at all but just makes a clicking noise when plugged in. I talked with three different people and spent a total of 1.5 hours on the phone with Samsung only to be told that I would have to pay for any repairs out of pocket. I was blatantly lied to by uninformed Samsung representatives in an attempt to explain to me why Samsung would not repair my television, stating that the problem was only with LCD TVs, when there are actually nine plasma TV models included in a settlement over this very same issue. Free repair of the faulty capacitors should be covered by Samsung for my TV just as it has been for others.
10. March 20, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 I had purchased a Samsung LCD TV, model LN46A550P3FXZA, at Best Buy on 12/15/2010. The TV would take too long to come on and made a weird clicking sound. I called 1-800-SAMSUNG to complain and troubleshoot to get it fixed. Samsung’s customer service is terrible. I was on hold several times with no results. After months of wasted effort, I finally gave up and purchased another TV with a more reliable manufacturer. I called Samsung for a copy of my complaint and they conveniently no longer have a copy of the information. I will never do business with Samsung. I’m very angry even after two years.
11. March 19, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 My new Samsung D7000 LED TV crashed after eight days from buying it. They fixed it by changing the board; then when they delivered it I discovered they used a different board which disabled some options. So they took it again and did a batched-up job by upgrading the firmware of the new board and allegedly installed a built in Wi-Fi adaptor, etc. They refuse to change the TV.
12. March 19, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 We had not had our Samsung 42-inch plasma TV very long when the main board assembly had to be replaced. Parts and labor cost were $275.
13. March 19, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 I bought this TV today at Sam’s Club (I exchanged a Vizio I bought from them a month ago because the TV didn’t want to turn on anymore) and figured Samsung would be a superior product. Guess what? It did the same thing! The Samsung logo is on the screen, then it turns itself off. What is the deal with these capacitors? Doesn’t anyone believe in marketing quality products anymore? Please contact me on my e-mail about joining in any kind of lawsuit that would teach these companies that they can’t do this to the consumer. We can and will fight back.
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14. March 17, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 Samsung TV makes clicking noise when powered on. It takes a long time to discontinue the clicking and come on. The problem has gotten much worse.
15. March 16, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 Just found out there was a recall on my TV; never knew it. I called to have it looked at and was informed by the repairman that there was a recall about what was going on with my TV. I called Samsung and the woman informed me I would have had to call by March 2. I said sorry, my TV did not break sooner. She said they would have fixed it for me if I would have called sooner—if you sell a product that has a defect you should pay for it no matter when it breaks. I paid $3,000 for the TV. The least that Samsung could do is give me the money that I paid to have it fixed. If you sell a lemon, you need to take the responsibility and re-pay me.
16. March 16, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 I bought the TV (32-inch, Model #LNS3241DX/XAA) in 2006 for $1,499. The TV lasted until November 2011. I was watching the TV and the picture went to a single line on the screen. I have sound, but no picture. I am not happy with the life of the TV. I had a TV in my bedroom that we have had since 2003. This TV is a Sylvania brand and was much cheaper than the Samsung and is still working fine. I don’t feel that I would buy another Samsung product. I was very disappointed with my experience with this TV since it was highly recommended at the time.
17. March 16, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 My girlfriend’s mother, her sister, and I all bought Samsung 40-inch TVs, LN-T4061F, which cost around $1,200. All three have had the capacitors on the power board replaced within the first three years. Now, all three have green and white dots on the screen when it gets hot. We called the repairman who replaced the capacitors before and he said they need a new screen and it is almost as much as a new TV today, and from what I have been reading on the Internet, a lot of people who bought them. It’s almost like this is planned obsolescence.
18. March 15, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 We purchased this 55-inch Samsung LCD TV about 18 months ago and paid around $1,400 for it. The picture started to flutter on all channels, making it unwatchable. We had a repairman out and he tried changing out the capacitors but it did not repair the problem. He said it is likely the voltage system, and if he replaced the power supply it may not last long. It looks like we bought a lemon.
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19. March 14, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 I am so frustrated. I have a Samsung LCD TV (Model No. LN32A450C1DC) where the screen “whitewashed” after only 18 months, and it wasn’t even the main television in the house (light use). I called customer service immediately, tried a few things with the rep, but nothing fixed the problem. She said there was nothing they would do except send out a repair person for a fee. I didn’t want to pay, so the TV has just been sitting in a corner, looking all pretty and new. Today I received info about a class action suit against Samsung for capacitor problems with some of their models. Unfortunately, my model is not included, yet I have searched the Internet for people with the same model with the same problem after only 18 months and found plenty! I am wondering if there is anything I can do to get help. I really feel wronged. I called Samsung customer service right away, but they wouldn’t help me. I did not realize I purchased a very expensive disposable television. I’m still very upset, especially since this class action suit doesn’t include mine.
20. March 14, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 The 55-inch TV (model #UN 55 B 8500 XFX 2A) keeps going black even though I can hear the sound and change channels, but then I need to wait until the picture comes back. Sometimes I turn off the TV and it stays on even though the sound is off, and then the TV will reboot in a few hours. The repairman said the replacement part is $1,400. The TV is three years old and I paid $5,000 at Best Buy and they said they only sell Samsung and have nothing to do with how they work. I think there must be some kind of rebate on such failures. Please contact me for some kind of settlement.
21. March 14, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 I bought the LCD TV Model LNT4071F8 in December of 2007 as a Christmas gift for my husband. About eight months ago, we noticed that when we turned the TV on, the picture would flicker for a few minutes and then return to normal. The problem quickly got worse. The flickering got worse and the TV had a very dark color to it. If we turned off our TV, it would take a while to come on and then we would have to leave it on for a few days for the flickering and darkness of the screen to go away. We received a class action lawsuit letter stating that there have been problems with the capacitor. We called and Samsung had someone come look at our TV. They replaced the capacitor, which made our TV turn on, but the flickering and darkness were still showing. Then, at our expense, they replaced the main power board, which fixed the flickering but not the darkness. So now, the TV repair shop took our TV to see why it was showing such a dark screen. The TV repairman said this should not be happening to such a young TV. I am very angry with all the problems that we are having with the TV and all the extra money we are putting into the TV.
22. March 13, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 Samsung has a class action lawsuit for faulty products, and they agreed on March 4th to
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send a technician for an in-home repair of said faulty product. Samsung took all our information and said the repair technician would contact us within 48 hours. They have an online tracking form that said we would be repaired by March 11th. Today is March 12th, and after speaking with two customer service representatives and holding now for 39 minutes to speak to a supervisor, we have not received any contact or anyone that is able to follow up to make this repair happen.
23. March 12, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 I have never posted before to complain about a company or business. I do read the reviews when buying, so I guess the accuracy of information is as good as the input. Samsung has messed up! Here is my input for my two-and-a-half-year-old Samsung LNT4661F. Lines across the screen, blurring, and color blotching. The repairman said it was the LCD panel and around $800 to fix it. Samsung stood strong in saying there was nothing they would do. I asked them if Samsung was satisfied with their product lasting two years. Giant pause. I was told that normal wear was expected. We are not big TV watchers and have Friday family movie night. We stretched our budget to get the Samsung experience. Beautiful picture when it worked. I even had my father-in-law buy one. I tried to appeal to them and was not asking for a new TV, as that would not be fair. I tried to get the part covered and I would pay for the repair. I tried asking for a “goodwill” certificate to buy another Samsung product, just to take the sting out a bit. Again, they were not interested. When we can afford it again, I guarantee it will not be Samsung.
24. March 11, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 The TV takes several minutes to come on. When it does finally come on, little green and purple dots show up all over the screen.
25. March 11, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 I purchased a Samsung TV in 2008 and now the picture went bad; its color is neon splash.
26. March 11, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 I bought this TV, 55-inch smart TV, only five weeks ago and there is a blue line going through it. I called Best Buy. They said the return policy is only 30 days. I told them my son was in the hospital for five weeks and the TV wasn’t even used that much. They said, “You have to make appointment to repair it.” I don’t want to repair it. I should be able to get a whole new TV. They said, “No, call Samsung. Maybe they could help; call them.” Same thing. They said we can’t give you a new TV. I think it’s ridiculous. It’s only a five-week-old TV so I didn’t get anywhere. I told them I’m not buying from Best Buy and Samsung products again and I even told Best Buy I spent over $3,000 in a two-week span but that didn’t matter. I guess consumers don’t come first anymore. They’d rather lose a customer than try to help you.
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27. March 11, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 I bought a smart LED TV from Eros–Mushreef Mall on February 29. At installation, this tech told me this is a faulty TV. At the same time, he called one guy and did something, then the TV worked. After a few days, the TV’s picture is coming negative. We called the agent and they said it is the TV’s problem and they will change the parts. But as of today’s date, they said the parts are not available. I’m waiting for the shipment. How many years do I have to wait? This is a horrible deal with Samsung.
28. March 11, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 Samsung LCD TV: I purchased our TV 18 months ago. About a month ago, it started flickering, which may last three to ten minutes. We called Samsung, and they told us it would be very costly to repair. We will never buy a Samsung TV again.
29. March 10, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 The Samsung LN52A850 TV we bought started to have image problems shortly after the warranty expired—problems such as the right half of the screen having four horizontal segments repeating the whole screen image. After contacting Samsung initially, I was asked to replace the screen, costing me over $800. The problem used to go away after beating the television a few times. The problem has become worse over the last year. Now, even hitting the edges of the screen does nothing. I just have to wait an hour or so before the image is watchable, with every possible visual artifact, showing jitter, judder, varying intensity, brightness, streaking, etc.—you name it, it shows it. I called Samsung again on Thursday in response to an e-mail regarding a capacitor problem, and to their credit they did send a repair technician to replace the capacitor. But the main problem remains video; it has become worse and it’s not clearing up even after an hour.
30. March 10, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 My Samsung LCD Eis, which is three years old, has all the classic symptoms of compositor problem. Lo and behold, it is the mainboard. Samsung’s response: “Too bad, so sad.” While they acknowledge that they are “tracking” the number of mainboard issues being reported, that is no consolation for those of us who paid hundreds of dollars for what has turned out to be a “disposable” TV. Samsung is not delivering and has lost integrity. Where is the justice! May 18th, there is a hearing in the compositor lawsuit. We need to be heard as well.
31. March 9, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 My three-and-a-half-year-old Samsung HPT4254X/XAC plasma is dying fast. I called the support line and got someone out of the Bahamas who knew everything about Calgary and said anyone could fix my TV! I called around and no one would fix it based on the
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problems, as it would cost more to fix than to buy a new one. Anyway, I purchased the HPT4254X/XAC three and a half years ago. After two years, I started to get black horizontal lines going across the screen. Now, the TV shuts off and takes forever to turn on after clicking for an hour.
The problem with this whole situation is that I researched this for the best TV at the time and Samsung came up with high rankings. To pay over $1,700 at the time of purchase and for this to happen now, coupled with the fool from the Bahamas (support group) makes me really think about the integrity of Samsung. I purchased a new Samsung 55- inch LED lately and am going to take it back and purchase an LG at a cheaper price. I am going to put a lot of comments where Samsung sells these products, including but not limited to Best Buy, Future Shop, Walmart, etc. Honor your product.
32. March 9, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 My Samsung T240 HDTV, which is a little over three months out of warranty blanked out a couple of mornings ago. I am an electrician by trade and recognized the burning smell and isolated it to my TV, which resulted in no picture but still has sound. After reading numerous posts that have the same issue with Samsung, I plan to launch a request for a recall because the issue could possibly result in a fire in one’s residence or business.
33. March 9, 2012 Satisfaction Rating: 1/5 My TV turns on and off spontaneously. The unit is only 19 months old. It seems others have experienced the same problem.
Source: ConsumerAffairs, “Samsung TV Consumer Complaints & Reviews,” http://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/ samsung_tv.html (accessed December 12, 2012).
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