When buying a major item like a car, a new PC or an appliance, most of us always consider what kind of warranty is being offered. The longer the warranty, the more likely we are to consider buying the item if it meets our needs.
In my time living in the Philippines, more than a decade already, I can recall dealing with warranty issues three different times.
My first warranty experience in the Philippines involved the warranty on my automobile, a 2000 Mitsubishi Adventure AUV (Asian Utility Vehicle). Anytime you purchase an new automobile, invariably there will be things that need adjustments, or parts that may fail within the warranty period. When I had such issues, which were actually very few, I always received excellent service from the Mitsubishi Dealer in General Santos City, where I purchased the vehicle. In terms of the quality of service, and the treatment we received, it was at least as good as a car dealer in the States would have given us, and we were always very happy.
My second experience in dealing with a warranty issue was not as good, though. In 2002, I purchased a CD Writer for my computer. I bought a high end one, one of the higher priced units being offered at Columbia Computer Center in Davao City. I used the CD Writer for only a month, and it quit working. I removed the unit from my computer and brought it to Columbia Computer Center for service. The unit had a 1 year warranty, and it was a major brand, although I do not recall the brand name any longer. Columbia Computer Center sent the unit to a service facility in Manila. Although I kept calling and visiting the store to check on the status of my unit, it took 11 months before I got it back. When I tool it home and hooked it up, the CD Writer still did not work. So, let’s see, I used it for one month, and it was in the service facility for 11 months, so the 12 month warranty had already expired. I went back to the store and explained that the unit still did not work after warranty service, and they basically told me – “too bad.” So, basically the warranty was useless, even though this was a high end major brand name product. At that time, about 8 years ago, a CD Writer was not cheap either, although they sure are today. I had no choice but to throw it away.
Back in February, I bought a new PC, and also a new 22″ Samsung Monitor. I loved both the PC and the Monitor. Without a doubt this was the nicest Monitor that I had ever had for a PC. I use my PC extensively, it is my business, and also my lifeline to the outside world, so owning a high quality monitor was something that I thought would be worthwhile for me. I had a bit of a hassle buying the monitor, but I considered it all worthwhile, because when I finally was able to purchase it, I really loved it, and felt that the quality was very high.
Back in mid-July, though, I came into my office to check my e-mail, and the Samsung monitor did not work! I tried all kinds of things to check it, but could not get it to function. I even hooked it up to a different PC in case the video on my PC had quit working. All of this, though, was still not able to get the monitor working. The next morning, we contacted the store where I purchased the monitor, and they advised us that since the monitor was 6 months old, it was still within the warranty period, which was 1 year. They advised us to take it to the Samsung Warranty Center, and told us the address where we could find the Samsung Center. We took the monitor to them on July 24. They told us that since it was a warranty issue, they would work on the monitor right away for us. We called 5 days later, and they said that they were waiting for a new main circuit board from Manila. We called again in about 5 more days and they told us that the monitor was fixed and ready for pickup. I was very happy.
When I sent my niece to pick it up, though, they told her that the monitor still did not work. They said that they were in error when they told us that it was ready for pickup. They advised us that if the monitor could not be fixed within one more week, they would give me a new monitor. By the end of that additional week, they were still unable to fix the monitor. So, at that time, we asked where we should go to get the replacement monitor, but they told us that before they could give us a new one, they had to “get approval from Manila.” Hmm? They said nothing about that earlier. They told us that it would take up to a maximum of two weeks to get the approval required, but no longer.
Over the weekend, as two weeks had already passed, Feyma called to inquire about the replacement monitor. Remember, by this time, they had my monitor for one month already. They advised Feyma that they still had not heard from Manila, and it would not take much longer because all that was required was an e-mail from the Manila Samsung Philippines Headquarters. Well, an e-mail only takes seconds to transmit, and they already had been waiting for two weeks! Why should more time be needed?
Over the weekend, I filed a complaint via e-mail with the Samsung Headquarters in Manila, and I also posted a message on Samsung’s Worldwide Facebook page, explaining the situation. So far, no word from Samsung, though.
At this point, I am starting to think that my warranty experience with Samsung is going to be the same as what I experienced with that CD Writer years ago – they will keep dragging it out and end up giving me back a broken unit with the warranty expired. Is this the way that manufacturers deal with warranty issues in the Philippines? Samsung is a major worldwide company and they should take care of their customers, but at this point, it appears to me that they don’t care about their customers.
We shall see what happens as time goes on. At this point, however, I am left unimpressed with how manufacturers handle warranty situations in the Philippines.
Update: Apparently, somebody at Samsung Philippines reads LiP. I got a phone call from Samsung in Manila today. They mentioned this article, apologized to me for the problem, and told me that the new monitor was approved for me earlier today. They told me that they only have to work out the logistics of getting the monitor to me. We shall see what happens!
Geez, what a crock …me I’d type up a legal letter saying your an attorney and your going to sue the store on your behalf and sign it under an alias as acting attorney. Have it LBC’d to the store and call a day later.
Hi brian – Only thing here is that the store is not the one who handles warranty issues.. it’s the manufacturer of the monitor who should take care of that. Whoever it is… I just wish I could get some satisfaction!
Hi Bob, I’m a Filipino who symphatizes with your situation. Right now i am also presenting a warranty claim for my Xperia phone at a Sony dealer in Makati City, Philippines. I needed to carefully read RA 7394 The Consumers Act of the Philippines. Without my basic knowledge of this Consumers Act, the people handling my concern at the store tries to mislead me into believing that my rights are limited. No seller can decide on its own how and when shall they act on your warranty claim without due consideration of RA 7394. You may also refer to Department of Trade and Industry website for additional reference. Somehow it would guide you in enforcing your rights as a consumer.
Thank you Audi – luckily, my situation was resolved.
Your referring to Samsung Philippines right? Not Samsung.
Hi Boss – I am referring to both. Of course, Samsung Philippines is the one who is supposed to be handling this. I have also contacted Samsung’s main headquarters, and they have not even replied to me.
Well Bob in guess youve about had it with waranties,i must say ive had good luck with my comp getting it repaired.After owning my compaq laptop for six months the LCD went bad ,i took it to the service center and they replaced the screen in five days.I found Hp and the employees to be very helpful and courteous here in Cebu…I hope you get your problems fixed soon Bob.
Good morning, maynard! I’m glad that your experience has been better than mine! I hope, as well, that I can get my monitor fixed or replaced soon!
Hi Bob;
So it’s not just me? The other part of the warranty story is what you must present when you ask for warranty work, Receipts, proof of purchase, which I thought was the receipt, but I was wrong, it’s the card that came with it. I’ve noticed that they’ll do every thing in their power to stall, or find someway to void it. It’s easier to board a plane in the U.S. carrying
an AK-47.
The other thing I’ve found is you’ll never, I mean never get you cash back after you’ve purchased an item, a replacement, maybe but not money.
Now for the up side, many of my friends have new cars, and were treated very well by the dealers, so that’s a good thing, but anything else… When pigs fly! It’s just part of life here!
I hear ya, my friend. Your experience mirrors mine to a tee. It is very frustrating. I’m not headed to the airport, though. 😉
#$%^&*(&^%$#$%^&*&^%$! You know what I mean. We bought a Samsung ref, 64,000 pesos, six weeks ago. It broke after a month. The authorized service rep. who came to the house (an hour out of the city where we bought it) told my wife that we were “unlucky” in that our unit had a problem with ice forming around the compressor unit. So he put a piece of foam mat under the unit to . . . . . . have no ide why. This worked for two weeks, then same problem. So we went into Solid Mart and complained. Yesterday, they sent another repairman. We were on the road, so don’t know what he said. When I asked the manager of Solidmart about a replacement if the unit still did not work, he said that company policy was that the Service Center had to sign off that a new unit was needed. I told him that, if the unit broke again and Samsung did not replace it, my policy would be to make that the worst day of his life (said with a low voice and a smile) by going to the newspapers and radio station with my complaint and then to Sumsung in Manila with the same stratgey. We will see what happens. But can you imagine a company employee tasked with repairs to say, “You are unlucky with this unit”????
Hi Don – I think your experience is pretty standard! Unfortunately. I have seen this kind of thing many times. What I do when I buy stuff is hope that I will be lucky! 😯
We have the same experience with a Panasonic ref. A 19,000 pesos ref and it never worked properly. The eggs are frozen inside the ref. Every time they replace something but it’s never fixed. Every time we have to wait for the new item for weeks because it has to come from Manila.
Hi Luc – I have a ref in my office that is similar… stuff sometimes freezes in the refrigerator section. Not always, but it happens. I just looked to see what brand it was, as I had forgotten… oh my… it’s Samsung again! ARGHH!!!
Hi Don and Bob,
Got the same problem early this year with a side by side ref that we bought. I am from Davao and now resides in Manila. Just before the two year warranty expired, the compressor broke down and there is a rust formation on the door. The compressor was replaced after around two weeks. And with that two weeks, we have to put our food in our neighbor’s ref.
The rust on the door is an interesting problem. I just made a posting in Samsung’s facebook on this problem. See below:
Hi Samsung,
I am sharing my experience on customer support. I bought a 2 door, side by side, refrigerator from a retailer in Alabang and they told me it is a stainless steel door. So I bought it and just beginning of this year, my wife see some brown formation of stains on the edges which I thought was just stains but came out to be rust formation. So, I called Samsung service center on both the rust and the failed compressor as the compressor also broke down just before the two year warranty expired. The ref was two years last February 2013.
The compressor was replaced after we have a two weeks of no refrigerator and we have to ask our neighbours for help that we can store our food with them.
The never ending saga of dealing with customer support began on the rusting door replacement. There was a long wait and a lot of discussion between February to May on the door replacement as apparently the door still has to come from Korea. Then apparently only one door arrived and the second door that arrived did not matched on the first door. Then more discussions and apparently, they cannot order such doors anymore and that they will just refund the product instead.
I told Samsung customer service that I do not need a refund but a replacement of the refrigerator that I purchased. I purchased the refrigerator in good faith that it is a product that is supposed to work properly and now that it is not living up to expectation, Samsung said they will refund me the ref cost less depreciation of two years. After some discussion, I said yes to them even though I find it a hassle as I need to find a new ref again to replace the rusting two year old ref.
Today they called me that they will pull out the ref on Friday and give to me the cheque? I was a bit puzzled as I thought they will just provide a refund and not pull the ref. Now, I have a new dillemma that I need to find a new ref fast and pray that someone can deliver it fast before Samsung pulls out the ref as they never informed me about the ref pull out up until today. So I started searching in the internet on rusting Samsung ref under warranty and what does Samsung do to them. I found a lot in the internet of discussions (at least in a discussion site in Australia) on rusting Samsung ref door and according to the discussions, those ref doors are either replaced promptly or that the whole ref is replaced, if a door replacement is not found.
This makes me totally dismayed on the fact that whereas in other countries, Samsung makes effort to make up for their failed product by replacing it, they do not do the same thing in the Philippines. I just emailed their admin team on this observation and I hope they shed light on the differences in customer (after sales) support between Philippines and other countries such as Australia.
I think such as brand as Samsung, should treat their customer, for after sales, the same regardless of the country they are operating at. Moreover, they should improve their turn around time in helping customers and not get them to wait for 4 months to resolve issues.
Those people are blowing smoke up your you-know-what (about fixing a monitor). I had a monitor go bad last year and asked three different places if it could be fixed. Without even looking at it, at each shop, I was told it would be cheaper to simply replace than repair. (Cheaper for them to replace than repair). To say that they are trying to “fix it’ was probably just the first stalling process step.
Instead of paying for an extended warrant, if available there, I would recommend plugging it into a good UPS system with surge suppression and forget the warranty.
Hi Rich – No, it really is true that here in the Philippines, where labor is cheap, they really do fix stuff. They get right down on the circuit board, diagnose and fix. In this case, though, they have been unable to do that.
There are no extended warranties here on this kind of thing.
BTW, I’ve had 3 Acer brand LCD 22 (? or 24?) for 5-6 years and have nothing but good to say about them.
Hi brian – I love the Samsung monitor that I bought.. it’s a beautiful piece of equipment. I just want it to work! 😆
Hi Bob
When we recently brought some items (TV, fridge etc), they actually tried them in the shop to see that they were working. In Ace Hardware, they even unpacked a light bulb and extension cord and plugged them in to see them working. My wife said this is because it’s very difficult to get replacements for faulty parts (which you have already discovered).
BTW ‘lifetime guarantee’ just means they will kill you if you return it. No Life = No Warranty 🙂
Hi Barry – Yes, same here. Every store that I know of tests out all items when you buy them, before you leave. In this case, the monitor worked fine when I bought it, but it died six months later.
Ha ha.. I love your “lifetime warranty” explanation! It’s a classic!
I have been using a Samsung SyncMaster 730a here for several years without difficulty although that is not to say that I am sure some have been sold that prematurely fail. Fortunately the few electrical / electronic items I have purchased in The Philippines ( usually as gifts for friends there ) the items have surpassed their warranty and are still working ok. I am under the impression however that once the item leaves the place of purchase for the most part you are on your own. It is the manufacturer that warranties the item, not necessarlily the dealer.
Unfortunately I think many retailers in Philippines don’t consider repeat business and may not offer the customer ” service ” that retailers here in the USA are known for. Any time I bought anything with a plug on it there in Philippines the store took it out of the box, plugged it in to show that at least it ” looks like ” it works LOL.
From reading here, it sounds like ” The Manila Excuse ” is quite common with just about everything.
Bob you could always try writing a hard copy letter, send it to as many postal addresses for Samsung Ph that you can come up with such as corporate headquarters, etc. and maybe one of your letters will end up in the hands of someone that can do something. At least it is worth a try. As you know , hard copy snail mail has worked for me many times when all other methods have failed.
Hi Bob – You are so right… once you walk out the door with your item, you are on your own as far as the store is concerned. Any service would have to come from the manufacturer at that point, and I am finding that the manufacturer is not so willing to do anything. I do believe that the local service people are hog-tied by Manila… they are not authorized to do anything on their own without express permission. So it is in the Philippines….
When you are dealing with Manila, I still do not think you are dealing with the Manufacturer but rather the Philippines Factory Authorized Importer / Distributor, unless it is a Phiippines manufactured item. Writing to Manila, and, the manufaturers corporate headquarters, wherever they may actually be, multiple copies to multiple divisions, offices, etc. may bring some kind of results.
In many fine print guarantees I have read in recent years, even the manufacturer does not always offer a brand new replacement item, only an equivilent product or repair of yours with ” refurbished ” parts or sub-assemblies.
I know how you still have ” real ” repair shops there in The Philippines and I can really commend their efforts in this ” Built to Throw Away ” world we have these days. Here, there is just no profit in the repair business any more as there once was. Most of the parts distributors I used to do business with in the 60’s and 70’s are long gone.
Remember ” Rca Factory Service ” and similar for Sylvania and GE ? They are long gone too where people used to have service contracts on their Televisions. Maybe today with the high end big screen TV’s it may bring a little of the service business back but it will never be like it once was.
You have given me an idea though, next time I buy an electrical item there, I will have the store plug it in and leave it running, give them a deposit, put an erasable mark on the itme and ask them to leave it running and I will come back later to pick it up. At least that might give the item some burn-in time while still in the store.
Hi Bob – I personally would have no problem at all with a refurbished product replacement for my monitor.
Bob, I got a real kick out of your article. My first thought was ” Now How long has this guy lived in the Philippines?????” The land where car batteries come with a ONE month warrantee, and tennis shoes are blessed if they last more than a week. Perhaps things are a little better than that in Davao, but for those of us living in the rest of Mindanao, buying dead Everyready batteries at the store in a common occurance. ” So sorry Sir, Wala” is the usual response when one is foolish enough to bring defective goods back to the store.
Hi Dave – You are indeed correct, and things are not much different in Davao from the rest of Mindanao. My only real point is that if the manufacturer says that an item has a one year warranty, they really should stand behind it. 😆
They are “standing behind it” Bob – so far behind it you cannot see them or speak to them! 🙂
Hi John – Ha ha… I just posted an update on the article, because Samsung called me today after reading the article, and they say that a replacement is on the way to me. We shall see!
Bob:
Understand your point that manufacturers should abide by their warranties… Unfortunately, reality is different.
I gave up on warranties years ago when I left the US. Outside of the West, warranties tend to be just another piece of useless paper thrown in the box. It usually takes far more time and frustration that the warranty repair is worth, in most cases. As you’ve written above, stores here tend to lack any sort of aftersale service, so, in almost every instance, it is “buyer beware”. That being said, if a warranty replacement is a giant hassle, fixing is usually cheap here.
In particular, something for people moving here to consider before shipping things: Warranties issue in one country are seldom honored in another country, even from the same manufacturer. So, if you buy that 32″ LCD TV I wrote about in China and ship it here, just forget any warranty. It was one of the reasons we did not buy an LCD or Plasma TV in Abu Dhabi before moving here… CRT is easy to fix, but LCDs get damaged easily and are not so easy to fix and no way would Hitachi honor the mideast warranty.
Hi John – Yeah, fixing is cheap… problem is, according to the manufacturer, this particular monitor cannot be fixed….
Hi bob,
I am just like john, I already gave up on warranties, most of them are for marketing hype and sales strategy but in reality it is a waste of time.
Nowadays, the cost of sending it back for warranty is a lot more compared to buying a new one, besides, most electronic gadgets are all “disposable” most of its internal components are so small and it requires a specialize tool just to replace it, not to mention the availability of the actual components, another factor to look at is, the manufacturer does not produce any serviceable component, most of the “repair shop” gets their “component” from a cannibalized one, so you are lucky if there is one broken identical electronic gadget where they can get your “replacement”
Hi dans – I was just thinking about what John said in his comment. Indeed, he said that he has given up on warranties. However, I also note that he said that he did not buy a TV in the middle east, because the warranty will not be honored in the Philippines… so perhaps he still believes in warranties more than he thinks he does! 😉
It sounds like the are going to give You the run around Bob untill your 1 year warranty is up and then say..sorry sir your warranty is up, so we can not do anything for you on this monitor..But! we have a nice newer model over here that you may be interested in and it has a 2 year warranty on the monitor for an additional xxxxx pesos.
HI Dan – I am not aware of any extended warranties being available here, so I am not sure I agree with that last part of your comment. However, I sure do think you hit the nail on the head on the rest of it!
Dan- actually those extended warranties are covered by insurance companies- and not by the manufacturer. There are several articles telling how – in general- you are better off not getting the extended warranty and taking your chances !
In Canada we tend more not to have that situation ie items come with lengthy warranties , whereas in the usa the prices are lower- but you get almost no warranty included- and have to pay extra to get a reasonable warranty.
Hi ian – The thing in the USA, though, is that most stores will replace items that stop working, warranty or not. Even months or more later, the item will just be replaced by the store if the customer complains.
Ok Ian..Ya..I know..I was just joking Bob a little on it all…I really did not belive that they had a extended warranty there in the Philipines but it sounded good! I have never bought a extended warranty on any thing. In the long run its a waste of money…but a big money maker for the places that sell you stuff. If you go in to a store like Best Buy here in the states…all their clerks are programed to try to get you to buy the extended warranty..that is where they make their money…for me I just take my chances and so far ahead of the game…
Dan- i never bought the extended warranties either- and most of the time in north america you can get away with it. What you soon learn when you come to the Philippines is that the brand names you have come to trust- whether Sony, or GE, or Nike- are definitely NOT the same quality here as those brands are where we came from.
Sure they usually cost less- but there is a big difference in quality. I remember when I bought my Mitsubishi suv which was made in Japan- the salesman showed me the difference between it and the same model made in the Philippines- quite a difference – especially in the thickness of the metal used in the body.
You Guys are TOO Funny ! Sorry Bob.
I don’t understand, Guy.
I’ve had mixed experiences. A TV and a DVD player from Makro both expired long before the warranty period and the response was basically tough, go take it up with the manufacturer (the brand name was Fukuda, which doesn’t seem to have an office in RP).
On the other hand, Ace Hardware replaced a water cooler no questions asked when it didn’t work properly within a week of purchase. Even better, we bought a high end Logitech webcam at Greenhills in January that stopped working in July. Back to the shop who said they would send it to Logitech. Three weeks later they very apologetically said the Logitech rep had not been to call and they would give us a replacement, which they did. Datacore Computer Systems is the name of the store, if anyone who goes to Greenhills in San Juan Metro Manila is thinking of buying computer accessories.
Hi Ken – I have found in the past when I bought something, if it goes out within a few days or so, stores have indeed been helpful in replacing the item. I should have mentioned that, because you are right.
Hi Bob
My mom made a small second kitchen in her house. The Ref has broken down several times (it cost $350 from Home Depot), it has cost twice as much in repair costs covered by the warranty. The repairman said the ref was built to last only a year. I asked if the company would replace the ref since the costs of repairs is already twice the brand new price, and he said no. Now the GE microwave is not working, just under a year old. Both these products were made in China. I firmly believe that many Chinese products while they may be inexpensive are really built cheap.
I am with you on that neil! I think some of this stuff is designed to break down just after the warranty ends! 😯
Bought a new D-Link wireless router from Octagon. Died in 3 months. Told by Octagon ” too bad” . Contacted D-Link in Manila – was told routers have a life time warranty- and they had a new [ upgraded model] in my hand in about a month. –
Hi ian – I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! I hope it happens!
Hi Bob- no that was last year ! D-Link were fabulous to deal with. They did everything they said they would do.
Ah, that’s great to hear, ian! I hope that Samsung follows through as well.
Hi Bob,
Not had the time to read all the replies to this today, but yes, it’s a frustration for sure. I understand what you say about the warranty repair being dealt with by the manufacturer…same in other parts of the world, but in law, I am sure you will find that in buying it you established a contract with the retailer; after all, you never had any contact with the manufacturer to discuss the terms and conditions of the purchase contract. So, in theory, I guess you could press on and sue them; it should, again in theory, be hard to lose. But, I wonder if there is, hidden away somewhere, some kind of trading standards or chamber of commerce who have some clout…a warning letter from a government department might just shake them up a little.
If that all fails, arrive with a couple of heavies and some joinery and welding gear, and offer to weld up his door locks and hinges, unless, of course, your monitor is fixed or replaced!!! 🙂
Hi Jim – Ha ha… I need to get a few heavies to go around with me! Maybe me and a pack of foreigners! 😆
Jim – your chances of coming out ahead by suing- or even threatening to sue- a company here in the Philippines are somewhere between none and zero !! lol It will cost you so much, and take so long, that it just is not worth it.
And I dont mean just for warranties . This week I have been having a lot of fun with Bachelor Express bus- which from the looks of the numbers of buses on the road are the biggest company around. Their bus ran over my Pajero. Police investigated and gave the bus driver a suspension and declared Bachelor 100% at fault. I related the event to my attorney- who is the head of the largest law firm around- and his comments to me were ” good luck !!” with a lot of chuckles thrown in. He was right- they have tried everything possible to make my claim impossible. So I threatened to sue them! Their reaction- ” good luck ” !! hahaha
Now they tell me they dont even carry insurance and just fix repairs themselves . Will I sue them ? and spend more than the cost of the repairs on lawyers and spend the next 3 years in court- with the chances of actually winning the case questionable ? I doubt it.
But I have to tell you that altho it is easy to threaten companies for accidents , or warranties, etc even in North America most of the time it is a losing proposition. Think Samsung shakes in their boots when you threaten to sue them? or go to the local newspaper? Or report them to some federal agency? If you believe that you are delusional !! lol [And i say that in good humor ]
I agree with you ian… a lawsuit over something like this is of virtually no value here.
Hi Bob;
I’m with you and Ian on the Lawsuit; The lawyer will take the case, and work on it until his children finish school, or you run out of money or die. The apposing lawyer will work hand in hand with yours as he’s getting paid also. It’s a win-win, but only for them.
Hi Bob;
When I ran a Navy Exchange on San Clemente Island CA. This was my response to all warranty questions.
It is guaranteed not to rust, bust, collect dust, wear, tear, or gather hair,
It will never slip, slide, or come untied.
It is better than anything you’ve ever Held, dealt, or smelt.
If you really need it, you should buy two.
Ha ha… good answer, Paul!
Hi Paul – Yeah, I think that ian is right on track on that one! A lawsuit is really a “tuition payment plan” for lawyers! 😆
Yes, I know, of course, that you are quite right. It’s all part of living in the Philippines; just gotta take a chill pill. Interesting Ian, that insurance is not a legal requirement in the Phils.? The government could tax insurance and make it compulsory…sounds like a good earner to me. 🙂
So, it looks like you have to have a large website that encounters a very large number of hits to get things sorted…that’s at least the second time Bob, huh…or you have to resort to welding their doors shut right enough. 🙂
Auto insurance is indeed required for most drivers in the Philippines, and purchasing it is part of registering your car. However, from the way Ian describes it, I would say that the bus company is self-insured.
On the website thing, Jim…. this site has gotten things done for me many times. Sometimes, even just the threat that I will write something here gets action. 😆
Well Bob I just typed this long story about an LG refridgerator experience only to have my browser blow it away. I’ll take that as a sign, lol..Long story short maybe a P1000 ‘donation’ would help resolve your issue? 😛
Hi Mark – Sorry to hear that you lost your hard work there… anyway, the power of LiP trumped any possible donation…. as I said in the article update, because they saw this article, it seems that I have a new monitor on the way.
great result in the end, but extremely annoying that you were made to go through all this inconvenience to get what is rightly yours. worrying too for the rest of us without the ability to embarass large corporations into doing what is right. well done
Hi paul – Yes, I have had many times when the power of LiP worked for me to get the right thing done. I love it for myself, but I do sometimes think – “what about those who don’t have a site like LiP?”
The best ” Extended Warranty ” I ever heard of ( and it really is true ) is from the UK’s largerst retailer of consumer audio and electronics, ” Richer Sounds “. I have bought many things in their stores in various parts of the UK, some as gifts for friends and some items that I could just not pass up, I even bought some things to bring back to New York with me.
When my niece bought a house in London about 10 years ago, while I was visiting I ” outfitted ” her new house with all kinds of audio equipment, from Richer Sounds. It was about that time they came out with their Extended Warranty. For most items the cost for 2 year coverage was 9.95 ( UK Pounds Sterling ). Two year repair or replacement with an equivalent item and they would even give you the use of a ” loaner ” item while yours was being repaired ! At the end of the 2 year period if you made no claim on your Richer Sounds Extended warranty, if you brought your paperwork back to them plus or minus 30 days of the warranty expiration, you would cheerfully get your 9.95 UKP returned to you. My niece returned all the paperwork on the dozen or so extended warranties I had bought with the equipment for her and sure enough she got the money back with a smile , a complimentary cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and a few other useful freebies as well ! ( you wonder why I like their stores so much ? LOL )
In recent years here in the USA, it seems like almost every retailer is selling extended warranties on everything from electric can openers to new cars. When ever someone gives me the pitch on an extended warranty I always turn it around and give them the pitch about Richer Sounds and I tell them if they can match a deal like that I might be interested ! Otherwise I seldom buy an extended warranty.
Hi Bob – I don’t recall ever having purchased an extended warranty before. If I ever did, it was a rare occasion!
Hi Bob—-I experienced the same problem with warranty service on an Inkjet printer I purchased in Davao for a Internet cafe in Tagum last year. From all the traveling I have done to different countries, I find a lot of them just like the Philippines that have no ideal what the phrase, “complete customer satisfaction” means. Since you are from here in the USA, you know how much that phrase means here to most merchants. There are several stores here like Walmart, Home depot, lowes, Sears and etc. that we can take merchandise back for 6 months after purchase. In most cases no questions ask. WHY WE ASK THEY WILL DO THAT? We all know here how important it is to satisfy the customer, so they will come back. I had another issue with a purchase of a facial compact for my girlfriend. I bought it at Mercury drugs and walked 1 block with it in the bag and when i got to the cafe she opened the box and the lid was off the compact. It was a mess. I walked back to Mercury drugs and showed it to the clerk. She right away accused me of dropping it. I demanded the manager. I got very loud in the store. Finally, they went and got me another compact. they opened it and said this one is fine. they were calling me a liar. I looked at them and said you people are nuts. You gave me this hard of a time over an item costing 138 pescos. I will never be back in this store again. I took the compact and when I left I heard the clerk tell the other girls there that I was dishonest. I yelled back and said you are out of your mind. So, they lost me as a customer. I do hope you get your new monitor soon. Art
Hi art – In my experience, the USA is really the king when it comes to customer service. Perhaps other countries are great too, places I have not been to. In the US, though, they will replace anything that doesn’t work, no questions asked. You are so right – “complete customer service” is what you get there. Your story on the facial compact sounds maddening to me! I would have been livid!
Yesterday I returned a can of 555 meatloaf to Makro because it had an infestation of worms inside the can. Although the staff were polite and recognised my complaint they would do nothing more than replace the one can I returned and it took me some time of patient explaining to the department manager that the problem may not be an isolated can but the whole batch in the last delivery. After speaking to his area manager he agreed to withdraw all the 555 meat loaf from the shelves.
Of course he wanted to take the can of infected meat which I was agreeable to so long as I got a receipt for it stating the reason it was being exchanged. For this he had no authority and his area manager refused him permission as he was not authorised to give him permission.
What made me laugh was that because they had no equivalent product of the same price I would have to pay the difference.
I have written to the DoH and to Makro HQ about this incident but I don’t hold out any hope of reply as there will be no one who has authority to reply.
Throughout the procedure the Makro staff referred to it only as an inconvenience not a possible serious health hazzard.
Hi John – Unfortunately… your comment is not surprising to me. It seems that nobody has authority to do anything here. Everything must be approved by somebody higher in authority, and even he must go for approval. It’s crazy!
Hi, John:
This incident about worms inside the can of a canned product is more than just a matter of exchanging it for another one, getting a refund, or receiving another product of similar value. As you correctly stated, it IS a serious health hazard, not just a “possible” serious health hazard. That you were able to persuade the area manager to withdraw the entire stock from the shelves, then took the time to write to the Department of Health about it is very commendable on your part. A less-responsible citizen may not have bothered to do the things you did.
On the matter of your asking for a receipt with the company’s statement stating the reason why the infected can of meat is being exchanged/returned, I think the reason why authorization (to provide receipt) from the area manager was not granted was because of liability issue, rather than a reflection of the lack of employee empowerment that is pervasive in the Philippines.
Hi Bob,
I am having a lot of problems getting a top end Carrier air conditioner repaired.
We bought it in Butuan City at Imperial Appliance Plaza and then had it installed in
the family house in Mainit, Surigao del Norte province. It lasted for 5 minutes before
breaking down. We were told to take it to the Carrier Service Centre in Surigao City.
After a week we went back and picked it up. It lasted for 2 weeks before breaking down
again.
Back to the Service Centre again. Now the service manger says it needs a new motherboard.
The part is not available though anywhere. They don’t have the part in the main warehouse
for Carrier in Manila. So we asked for a new replacement because I believe this was a factory
defective unit.
“Sir we are still waiting for approval from head office to authorize a replacement.” That was
2 weeks ago. Everyday the same answer.
We bought Carrier because it is worldwide leader in air-conditioners but this unit is total
garbage!
Hi Randall – Oh man, I feel for you! What a terrible situation! It is my understanding that the Carrier brand AC units in the Philippines are not the same Carrier that has worldwide sales. I heard about 10 years ago that Carrier sold the name in the Philippines to Condura. That could be wrong, but it is what I have heard.
Good luck on that, Randall! I’m pulling for you.
A new ” Motherboard ” In an Air Conditioner ? Control board would be more likely if it has an electronic control system. If you get no place with Carrier Ph ( or for that matter Carrier anywhere else ) as long as the sealed refridgeration system is intact, I am sure a local repair chop can custom install a manually operated service switch and thermostat for you, at a modest cost. ( the way they used to make them ) or perhaps even a complete control panel from another unit.
Sure, it may cost you a modest amount but at least you will have a workable and useful air conditioner. You could also try contacting Carrier yourself and completely bypass the ” Manila Excuse “. You might even be able to find the part on Ebay !
When ever anyone has told me they can not get this or that part for a production unit ( unless it is of the throw-a-way kind ) I don’t stop when someone tells me ” out of stock ” or, not available. I just start writing hard copy letters and eventually I do get the results.
I bought a Carrier AIr Conditioner 1 Hp window type unit from Imperial in Iligan City, maybe I was lucky that it is still working. I am going to look into the Carrier Brand in Philippines. With their world reputation, I did not think they would license out their trademark to someone else.
According to Carrier World Headquarters in Farmington, COnnecticut ( not far from where I live ) Carrier Air Conditioner products for the Asian Market are handled by Carrier Global Sales Asian Pacific Region, in Singapore. Their international phone number as given to me by Carrier USA Headquarters is 65 654 96519 .
Hi Bob New York,
Thanks for your advice. I will do what you suggest if nothing
happens in the next couple of weeks.
Well Randall- it appears you have a lot of company- and also that you are going to have a hell of a time trying to get any help from Carrier!!
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/carrier-air-conditioning-philippines-c34587.html
Hi Ian,
Thanks for the link. I realize this will take time to resolve so I went to
the appliance dealer’s Surigao branch store. The manager there was aware of the problem
after talking to the Butuan branch store manager.
The manager in Surigao offered to sell us a 1/2 hp. LG air-con for 20% off the regular
price as there was still no authorization to give us a replacement Carrier from head office. I bought the LG air-con and am very happy with its performance.
If and when the Carrier ever gets fixed, I’ve found a suitable room to use it in, the CR!
Hey, Randall…. I hate to travel so far so often, but I’m thinking I might start coming up your way whenever I need to use the CR. Are you OK with having frequent guests! 😯
Wa’y problema, Bob!
You’re welcome anytime!
You certainly are neighborly, Randall!!
Hi Bob, As you know I’m moving there and I’m wondering what is the best means of traveling across the Philippines. I do understand that it is made up of hundreds of islands. But taking a boat sometimes is cheaper verses a plane ride. I’m aware of Jeepneys, trikes and taxis. Plus I can buy a scooter or car. Depending on how long I plan to stay. Also do you have a rule of thumb for tipping. It would be great if you could do a future article on that as it would help me from being ripped off and having a guy take me on a tour of the city. Also, does a GPS work there.
Thanks, Bill
Hi William – I have personally traveled the Philippines by car, boat, airplane, jeepney, etc. I guess about the only transportation method that I haven’t used yet is riding on the back of a carabao. The method of transportation just varies on where you are going, and what you choose, William.
Tipping is not required here, but I always tip though. It’s not like in the States or much of the rest of the world where you tip 15% or anything like that. If I am in a super nice restaurant, and have a meal for two, I usually tip P100. Smaller, less fancy places, give P20 to P50 and you have your bases covered.
I have no experience using GPS here, but I believe that maps for the GPS are not generally available for the Philippines, except perhaps for Manila.
Warantees, a mixed bag of experiences for me in the US. My previous computer and monitor set were Gateway computers, bought over the phone ( in about 1997) for mail shipment to my home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It arrived fine and worked fine until the (CRT type) 17 inch monitor started arcing inside and went black, about 6 months after the purchase. I phoned the Gateway number on a Saturday morning, and they had me do some various trial exercises to see if we could get it working. I held the phone to the monitor so they could hear the sounds. A referbished 19″ CRT monitor was shipped and on my doostep by the following Tuesday, with a note saying that they wanted me to return the bad monitor within 30 days, together with the prepaid shipping forms for it. I am still using that 19 inch CRT monitor with a newer computer today, ( also a newer Gateway computer.)
I bought some new tires for my Pontiac Vibe: 2 in Nov. 2007, and two more in Oct. 2008. They are Goodyear Tripletread all weather tires warrented for 80,000 miles, and I bought the extra puncture protection warrantee also. I had a puncture in one in Feb. 1010, and since I have not drive the car more than 15,000 miles since the tires were purchased, I expected a free replacement. They claimed the tire serial number on the sidewall did not match the serial numbers recorded on my warrantee purchase receipt, and would not honor the warrantee. I had to buy the replacement tire, etc. Cost $163. Be sure to check that the tires they put on the car have the same serial numbers on the sidewall, that they record in the warrantee purchase receipt.
Oops the puncture was in 2010, not 1010
Note that the puncture was in the side of the tread, nxt to the sidwall, where the tire flexes. Not safe to patch for use on the highway at 75 miles ano hour like we drive.
Hi Larry – I am happy to report that I got a personal delivery yesterday of a brand new monitor to replace the defective one! I am very happy, although it’s really too bad that I had to write about it here to get any action.
Bob, as you know this is correct as far as it goes. The new monitor was, indeed, due to your posting. BUT there is a bit more than you wrote on how Samsung reaqd the blog in the first place.
Hi Don – Thanks for your assistance.
Last Saturday, I contacted Samsung in Manila. I told them of the problem, and I told them that if it was not resolved quickly, I would write about it on my site. I wrote the article and scheduled it to be published on Monday. They got back to me on Saturday evening and asked if I could hold the article and give them until Tuesday. I never heard back again. On Wednesday, I published the article which I had been holding since Saturday. By mid day on Wednesday, I got a phone call from one of the management people at Samsung in Manila, and also an e-mail from Samsung saying that they were rushing to take care of the issue. On Wednesday evening, Feyma and I had dinner with you and your wife, at which time you told me that you had told one of your Samsung contacts about my article and that it also put him into action. So, through a combination of my contact last Saturday, the article on Wednesday, and your contact with Samsung on Wednesday, they got it done. So, I am very grateful to you for pushing the issue with another person. Between all of the contacts, I got a new monitor, which is what should have happened.
Thanks again, Don. I really appreciate your assistance.
Did not kow of your phone call on Saturday. Hope you can help me with my on-going fridge problem. WHY do so many people in this country wait until they are threatened or coerced into doing what they should have done willingly and easily in the first place? And then more often than not, they are mad at you for making their failure clear to then and all the world to see? One would think that since they are so hypersensitive about “losing face” (being corrected, being shown what to do, being told that they are wrong), they owuld make every effort to do it correctly the first time.
Hi Don – Actually, my saturday contact was through e-mail at their website. That lead to phone calls and e-mail responses as well. I do hope that you can get some satisfaction on your fridge too! I agree with you that I also can’t understand why many businesses here must be practically threatened before you can get action out of them.
Is it possible they are missing the concept of ” Repeat Business ” from the same customer ?
Quite possibly, Bob! I think that it might not even occur to them.
I purchased an extended warranty for around $500 when I bought a 2008 Mazda CX-9 recently that had 40,000 miles on it from CarMax. The car is in showroom condition inside and out, but with that kind of mileage, I will have peace of mind for the next 50,000 miles until the car hits 90,000, by which time I would probably trade it in again for a newer one. Cars are the only item I would purchase an extended warranty for. I consider others just a waste of money.
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the information.
My request is a little along the path from warranty…. Can and does Insurance operate in the Philipinnes! I want to get basic contents, flood insurance for the house we have just built. Any ideas how I go about this,? Who would do you recommend in Davao? If I did get it, would it pay up if required? I think the answer is ” Are you kidding!” but I thought its worth a comment…..
Hi PaulB – I am going to do something on this comment that I have never done before… I am going to specifically NOT answer your question. The reason is because what you are asking is too complicated to put in a comment. I need to write an article about this, and I will do that soon. So, tune in again, and I will write an article in the next 2 weeks answering your question about insurance, and my experience with insurance in the Philippines.
Bob,
Thanks, looking forward to the article.
As an aside, I’ll be in Davao on the 10th Sept for a week, how would I get in touch with you ?
Hi Paul – Give me a call or text me when you are in Davao. My cell number is (0915) 216-0300.
Reading the comments above serve to convince me that the Philippines has become a dumping ground for factory rejects – why else would a company have a one-week warranty. That situation will continue until the Philippines Congress passes Consumer Protection Laws – and enforces them. The guiding principle in the UK is that a purchased item must be fit for purpose (have a reasonable lifetime) and if not fit for purpose have a full cash refund. I suspect that because of the close ties between Congressmen and businesses that will never happen. An alternative is to complain – and I mean REALLY complain – but that is not in the Philippines character. As a Brit, maybe I should hold classes to supplement my income.
Hi Steven – Yes, I also believe that in many cases the Philippines is a dumping grounds that a lot of companies use to unload below-par merchandise. It’s very sad too.
IAM TRYING TO FIND SERVICE IN DAVAO CITY FOR SYLVANIA LCD TV CAN NAY BODY DIRECT ME? THAX
Bob:
After being on Mindanao since 2001 (nearly as long as you!) my experience w/warranties and “service” is just the same!
I joke w/my wife that in the Philippines “customer service” means: “what the customer can do to service the business”!! After +10yrs w/Home Depot, this “Philippine” service still drives me crazy!
Forget about threatening lawsuits, I’ve noticed you can get “resolutions” written that say anything, it does not matter because the enforcement of “the law” here is like the lines on the highway, “only a suggestion”, I actually had a Highway Patrolman tell me last year after nearly being run off the road by one of these “private passenger vans” on my way to Butuan City and stopping to report the plate # to him, that that was the only reason that the “little white and yellow” lines were there, “A SUGGESTION”!!!!
So you are right, lawsuits are simply an “annuity plan” for the attorneys!
Hi Eric, what you say rings very true! Glad to hear from another long term Mindanao resident!
Hi Bob,
I don’t know if you can remember me, we met so many times in Mindanao Bloggers and Davao Bloggers event, the recent was the Social Media, I’m the one with the crutches.
anyway, I researched about warranties in the Philippines and your blog came up in Google, so I think I leave a reply cause same thing is happening to me not with Samsung but with Sony Xperia I just recently bought.
and like you I also created a post on my blog.
I do really hope these kind of problems will not be like the Columbia Computer you mentioned oh man! I pray.
Hello ice9web – Nice to hear from you! It’s been a while since I saw you.. gee the Social Media day was what, 7 or 8 months ago, maybe more? Yes, warranties can be a problem here. I hope your blog post about Sony helps you get resolution as mine did with Samsung! Good luck to you.
Well, you could ask the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry.