[cdubzzz]

Try getting Samsung support in the US, hah. Where I work most of the employees prefer iPhones, but a few have Samsung. One of the Samsung users had an issue with his screen blanking randomly after about a year so I figured we'd find a local certified dealer or something and get it repaired under warranty. Turns out that in the US there are only three Samsung stores (LA, NJ and NY) that can do warranty repairs on site.

So we scratched that and went through an excruciating online form and eventually sent the phone to some repair center in Texas, I think. After about a month the ticket was updated (but no alert email sent about it, the user just happened to check the website) saying that the phone's warranty was void and it could not be repaired (no further explanation).

After a couple of calls, I finally got someone to tell me it was void because the battery was replaced with a third party one (which was, admittedly, news to me). Then, similar to your issue, they shipped it back to the wrong address (leaving out the suite number) so it took another month just to get the phone back.

I was really stunned at how awful the process was overall, compared to driving ten minutes to an Apple store and usually just having an in-warranty phone with a legitimate issue swapped out on the spot.

[taspeotis]

Technical merits of iOS vs. Android aside, one reason I like buying Apple products is their after-sales support (if you need it) is fantastic.

[pjmlp]

In US most likely.

At the Düsseldorf Apple store, they manage to give such an wonderful service three times in a row that a friend of mine doesn't care about any Apple product anymore.

[ghshephard]

That's odd. Here in Singapore we don't have an official Apple Store - but the "Authorized Retail" store (Wheel lock) has done repairs on my keyboard, on my power connector inside phone, and on my keyboard a second time (I'm very rough with my gear) - two of the three times they were able to do it while I waited by the counter, third time it was trickier, they quoted me '5 days' - but had it done the next day.

Also - nice thing about wheel lock - they have fifteen+ simultaneous counters available, so wait to check in gear is almost always less than 10 minutes, no advance appointment required.

I agree with Parent though - 10 years in, and probably twice as many apple care appointments later - being able to just take in broken gear under apple care and have them fix it is a major benefit of buying the (admittedly expensive) gear.

On the flip side - Dell has onsite repair for their Desktops/Laptops.

[pjmlp]

As I answered to sibling comment on her case it was a matter of failed expectations.

Regarding other PC manufacturers I have long learned not to expect anything.

[hnal943]

This feels like a blast from the past to say, but I have been a lifelong Gateway customer and they have always provided me great support, even replacing things that I clearly broke on my own.

[ghshephard]

"had been" - Blast from the past indeed. Gateway ceased to exist around 2007.

[cdubzzz]

Yeah I imagine the experience is very different by region (and perhaps even regions in the US). I was just surprised how bad Samsung's support is here in the US given the popularity of the phones. But I'm sure it's the exact some way with Apple in many places outside the US.

Incidentally, I also support a number of users in various countries in SE Asia and they also mostly have iPhones but I don't think any of them have ever had issues that required warranty repair.

I certainly do find vast differences in support from computer manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo (and a higher rate of issues with the region-specific models out there).

[pjmlp]

Not saying the others are in any way better, actually I don't have positive stories to tell about PC OEMs.

On her case she was put off, because the experience was just like other companies instead of what most people talk about.

[happywolf]

Singapore as well. My iPhone 6 had a bloated battery, instantly replaced without any question. My LG Nexus had a bloated battery, all emails and FB messages ignored. Tell me who to love.

[tdkl]

And you paid what money for iPhone 6 and how much for the Nexus ? That's the merit how they love you back. ;)

[taspeotis]

I'm in Australia.

[ceejayoz]

> After a couple of calls, I finally got someone to tell me it was void because the battery was replaced with a third party one (which was, admittedly, news to me).

Wait, using a third-party battery voids your warranty?!

[cdubzzz]

I wish I had more documentation to back it up, but that is what I was told (and I believe ultimately it came down to somehow qualifying as "tampering"). I am a very unreliable source here, hah. At some point in the whole process I became so put off by the service that I just wanted to be done with it.

Ultimately it was the limited service options, crappy website, slow response times and bad phone support that I found appalling for such a popular product line.

[mindslight]

Obviously not, unless the replacement battery actually caused the damage. But like anything you might have to go to court to force the issue.