I bought a Samsung Refrigerator RT26FCTR1/CTL - Serial No.R0084PAC300134R on 03-05-2012 from S.V.R. Marketing Agencies, Brindavanam, Nellore-524001. On 03-08-2015, it developed trouble(there was no cooling) and on 04-08-2015, I went to report it to M/s SVR Marketing Agencies.
They advised me that servicing is now online and that I should contact the company direct over phone or email. I made a complaint to the company over their toll free number 1800110011 on 04-08-2015 at about 11.00 AM.
The person, who attended the call, Mr. Aravind, advised me to keep the refrigerator switched off for about 4 hours from then and then to switch it on, keeping the temperature settings at the maximum.
He said that it should run for 5 hours and that if no cooling was noticed, it should be reported again. I did as he advised and then reported to the company again in the evening.
I could sense that nothing else could be done for that day, since it was already 8.00 PM that day. Another person, who attended the call, said that she would arrange to send a technician'before 8.00 P.M.' the following day.
The next day(i.e., 05-08-2015), I had to make a few more calls all over again to find out whether any technician was sent. Each time I telephone, they ask me my name, my mobile phone number(over which I was talking to them then), my address, the model of the refrigerator and the serial number of the refrigerator and the date of purchase.
They say that it was for confirmation. And then, he/she would ask'What is the problem with your refrigerator, Sir?'If one telephones half a dozen times and faces this rigmarole as many times, will not one get irritated? But, one should not, as there is no use.
At last, the man arrived at 5.00 PM. He meddled with the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes and then said that he forgot to bring an important tool and that he would come with that in about 2 hours.
It was already 5.20 P.M. and it never appeared to me that he would come back that day. As expected, at 7.00 PM, he telephoned that he would come the next day.
The next day {i.e., 06-08-2015}, he came at about 10-20 AM, tested the refrigerator and found out that there was something wrong with the compressor. He said that he would report it to the company and that the company, in turn, would instruct and send another person to fix the refrigerator.
After a couple of hours, I telephoned and again, the person who attended the call, started the long-winded procedure all over again'Sir, this is for confirmation, what is your name Sir?is x your mobile number? What is the address?
What is the model number of the refrigerator? What is the serial number? What is the date of purchase?' Now, what is wrong with your refrigerator, Sir?' Patiently, I confirmed all details and told him what had happened till then. He said that he would look into it and do the needful. Nothing happened that day too.
The following day(i.e., 07-08-2015), I telephoned again, went through their rigmarole again and told them that refrigerator was not fixed yet.
They said that they would attend to it. Then, another person from the local service centre telephoned and asked for all details and at the end, asked what was wrong with the fridge? And, so irritating are these people, irrespective of whether they are at Chennai or at Nellore. He said that he would come to fix it. But, he did not.
The next two days being Saturday and Sunday(i.e., 08-08-2015 and 09-08-2015), no one visited. Even on 10-08-2015, there was no response.
I put a complaint online. I also got my name registered on their site( http://www.samsung.com/in) and complained to them. On their site, they have the unique style of giving a reference number to the complaint and closing it at the end of the day, stating that to be'resolved' by writing something
like'Talked to the client', 'Engineer Assigned' etc. About 4 complaints were registered by them and also'resolved' by them in this manner. But, my refrigerator is yet to be fixed. I placed a request online today also.
Instead of going for this'online service', I could have approached a local mechanic and got it repaired in a day. Since there is a guarantee of 60 months for the compressor, I have gone for this useless'online service' and I am paying for it now. I do not know how long this Samsung online service would take to fix my refrigerator.
Update: I am happy to inform that the technician from Samsung came to my residence today(11-08-2015) afternoon at about 12.00 noon and restored my refrigerator to working condition.
