Samsung Z Fold 7 Inner Screen Failure

[Members_meeRsbG]

Pre-ordered the Samsung Z Fold7. Hasn't even been a year yet and I have the same inner screen failure that Samsung knows exists on this type of phone. I was watching a video on the inner screen just fine at work. Close it. Drive 20 mins home. When I wanted to continue watching my movie on the inner screen, as a slowly opened up the phone, I begin to hear cracking noises. Soon, I see the outer front screen start displaying dead pixels. I close the phone. Turn it off so no power to it. When I open the phone, I find the infamous crease crack. I called Samsung Customer Support and they tell me I need to send it in. I let them know I have no other phone I can use in the meantime and I live off my phone. Work, emails, business, all done over that phone. Hence why I got it. Multitasking. I was told that if I was willing to drive 2 hours to the nearest uBreakiFix store near me, they'd be able to fix it same day if they have the replacement part. I said yes I was willing to do that because I need my phone. I called the store and asked if they had replacement parts and they said yes. I asked if I needed to schedule an appointment. They said no I can walk right in.

I work 2 jobs so only day I have off is Saturday so today Saturday, April 25, 20206 my family and I took a road trip to get phone fixed. Once I got to the store and was in line, a young lady  in front of me who was in to get her Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 inner screen fixed as well. Big surprise. When she told the store employee that she just opened her phone and caused the infamous crease crack, that Samsung chooses to ignore and falsely deny warranty claims for, the guy took the phone behind some wall for a quick second and instantly came back saying is user fault. The young lady cried saying its still new, less than a year old. No physical damage on phone. uBreakiFix employee said, "You see these tiny dots on the inner screen? That means you closed something on the screen." Again the young lady cried saying she never closed anything on it. Guy lies and says even the smallest particle like dust can cause it. Are you serious?! I've seen stress tests on Youtube done by JerryRigEverything and that does NOT happen to the screen over a little dust. So then I knew, come my turn I was going to get the same response and sure enough I did. He pointed to a couple of scuffs on my phone and said that was the cause. I asked how would he know without opening the phone up. Didn't want to response. Said they're just following Samsung standards.

So I called Samsung support and asked how they can say its user fault if they didn't even bother to open the phone and investigate the cause. Samsung Rep said I had a valid point and if I was willing to drive to another store they would help me over the phone and talk to the people in the store. She also said even if its user fault, being a new phone they should have still offered a repair at a discounted. I was never offered any such offer. So again we drive further to the second store and again rejected. This time guy doesn't mention the scuffs. No he tells me "You see how the pixels are doing this, this is sign of user damage. Wait. What? So I called Samsung like I was instructed to do for help and got none.

I don't understand why Samsung, knowing the problem exists, doesn't have a special procedure for such repairs. Long ago I had a problem with my S9. I was sent the same  S9 from Samsung and was asked to transfer all my info to the phone I was sent and to send in the damaged phone. If not done within a certain time I'd be charged for the device that was sent, in full. When I sent in my damaged S9, on time, to Samsung they determined it was manufacture defect and let me keep the replacement phone even though it wasn't new, but refurbished. Honestly I didn't care. I was glad to have a functioning phone, which I still have to this day. I was told Samsung can still do that on a case by case basis. So I assumed spending $2k on a phone and having a well known, class action lawsuit causing, defect was a great case, but no. Luckily I recorded all my phone calls with Samsung Customer Service agents for quality assurance. Also something note, when I spoke to a supervisor, I asked for information so that I may file a dispute for resolution with the BBB and when I mentioned I too was recording the call, the call ended. 

At this point I'm most likely going to have to send my phone in. I will be without my phone for two weeks. In that time, I got a feeling Samsung will receive the device and deny the factory warranty as well. They'll inform me the warranty claim was denied due to user damage and try to get me to cough up $500+ for a repair. When I say no to paying for the repairs, they'll just send me back my broken phone and I'll be right back to where I am now. I'm doing this to see, if by some miracle, I can get my phone fixed under warranty, but if not, at the very least, this can used as proof that I've attempted and exhausted any and all forms of support from Samsung before my warranty expires in August of 2026. This should help once the class action lawsuit gets started and picks up steam. Heck, I might even be the one to start it. If anyone else is going through this, I suggest document everything and start recording customer service calls to catch these reps lying. They're all outsourced to India anyway. 

[Srb79]

Screen damages are almost impossible to prove that damage is not done by user and this is why almost all manufacturers deny screen warranty. For this reason, i always take Care +.

[Members_meeRsbG]

Its even harder when they don't even bother to open the phone to investigate. I assumed, like most repairs under warranty, the tech would note any damages prior to working on the device. Then they'd open up the device and see what the find. If they find something, the tech would then figure out how their findings connect to user damage. If they cannot, then its covered under manufacture warranty. As a former automotive mechanic, I cant imagine denying manufacture warranty claims  just because the problem could have been caused by the customer without a detailed report on the findings PROVING such is the case. If I'm in the middle of a warranty repair and find signs of user abuse, I stop right there. Call the customer. Tell them what I found and how that relates to the problem. Then I say if you'd like for me to continue with the repairs I can, but it will be out of pocket. If not, I can button it up and give you back your vehicle as it was. 

In my situation how do I know its not a defective flex cable underneath the screen that caused the damage, without opening up the device first. And before people say, well that's why you send it in. When I spoke to the Samsung rep I asked if the uBreakiFix stores follow the same evaluation and repair procedures and she said yes they should. I asked shouldn't they at least have to open the device to determine whether it was user fault or not. She replied yes. And one thing to note, The Samsung rep said even if it was due to user error, being a new fold less than a year old, I should still be getting a discounted rate for a screen repair out of warranty. I told her at the very least I want them to open up the device there at the uBreakiFix store, like Samsung procedure dictates and show me its user fault. And if that was the case, Id be willing to pay right then and there for the discounted repair price. But they didn't even want to do that after driving an additional 2 hours to a second store. Guess I'll send it in just go get the same warranty denial. Even the Samsung rep that told me to go the second store said the 1st store's evaluation procedure was odd and they were going to do a follow up investigation on the store. And here I was looking forward to trade it in for the Fold8 wide if rumors are true. Sadly doesn't look that way now.