Feeling burned by the Note 8 already, or Wasting $1,225(Note 7 Buyer)

[DaltonM]

TL;DR

Spoiler

I paid $1225 in taxes just returning and exchanging phones during the recalls, only to end up still owing the full price of a phone I didn't even want 

 

 

Back in august last year, I was at the height of the busy season of work, building student housing. At the time I was working in Nebraska where I got almost no T-Mobile service. The closest T-Mobile was 40 miles away from me. 

 

I was an Android junkie, on the bleeding edge of custom roms and experimental software, I was a power user. My phone of choice was obviously the Note 4. I swapped my battery everyday and the S-pen was indefensibly for note taking at work. 

 

I wasn't thrilled with Note 5, so I skipped it. But the Note 7 had finally convinced me to jump ship from Note 4. And I did. 

 

It was August 19th, I had to schedule one day off and miss a week long trip of work to ensure I would be in my home state for the release. The T-mobile opened at 11:00 on release day, I arrived at 9 and was the only person in line.

 

I was elated to receive my new phone, I paid off my balance on my old phone and instantly popped my sim in my new note 7. It was from here things took a turn for the worst.

 

Being a self professed tech guy, after set up, the first thing I did was cold booted both phones after closing the apps to do some speed tests again the Note 4. Weather it was opening a text message, watching a video, going into the settings or opening a file, the Note 4 did it faster in every aspect. I shrugged it off as something I wouldn't notice in day to day use (I would). 

Next up was the screen comparison. I knew that all OLED screens were different, but I never knew HOW different they could be. I set both displays to the 'Basic/no filter' color settings and set out to compare them. The N7 had greenish tint to everything, while my N4 had a bluer tint. This made skin tones look better on the N4 because blue is slightly more natural. It wasn't something I could tell unless the two were side by side. But I did consider the N7 to be more washed out, but this could be a software effect.

 

Speed aside, display aside, I was loving the S-pen features, taking notes was 1000% faster now, making gifs was fun, and the extra horse power made the art apps I used much more fluid. I figured I would keep this phone..

 

And then recall number one happened. At first I was excited for this, I kept my s-pen and all the accessories it came with, returning only the phone to t-mobile. But when I got there I was met with a horrible realization..

In order to return my phone, I would have to enter t-mobile's refund process. They don't refund the tax you paid on the first transaction. They also don't pay tax on the refund. So each time I had to pay $175 in tax. We're at $350 aside from what I paid for the phone I actually wanted.

At this point I was livid, but I tried not to go off on the employee, it wasn't his fault. After this exchange, I was asked to pick a new phone to use in time without my N7, this being the first recall, I was getting my phone back. 

 

I had never used an iPhone, so I chose the 6S+ because of the headphone jack. I did another transaction, the same as my initial note purchase. Another $175. So we are at $525 and I still don't have the phone I want. 

 

A week and half later, I get a text from T-Mobile, come get my phone. I get to the store and the employee regretfully tells me that they didn't get enough phones in and I would have to choose a different color or wait even longer. **** you T-Mobile. 

I begrudgingly take the coral blue N7. But first, I have to return my iPhone.. Here we go, T-Mobile's famous $350 refund program. Here we are already at $875 and I FINALLY have at Note 7 that I still owe $650+ for. 

 

Let that sink in, just paying sales tax, I've already paid for this phone, and all of it's top of the line accessories in theory. But we aren't done.

 

It finally happens, samsung pulls the plug on the N7, prompting the 2nd recall. 

 

Refund and exchange: $350 for a total of $1,225 

 

I ended up with an iPhone 6S+, which I cracked the screen of. 

 

As we get closer to the Note 8's launch, Samsung has rolled out an exchange offer for those of us who purchased the Note 7. Up to $425 for your current phone. But there's two stipulations that failed me. 

1. The phone can't be cracked. Fair enough, whatever.

2. The phone must be paid off. (in a GradeAUnderA voice) WHAT THE **** MATE?! It's been a year Samsung! Phone contracts a for TWO YEARS! No one has paid off their phone you limey bastards. So I could pay off the rest of my phone and negate and cost savings of this program.

 

 

I'm done. I could have bought the best phone in the store for the amount I've paid for NOTHING. And now you're telling me to **** off and pay for a phone I don't like, that I ended up with because of YOU (samsung). 

Samsung has burned all good faith I had in them. 

Even though I love the S-Pen and the Note features, I will never purchase another samsung product ever again. They wasted my time and money, neither of which they will ever get again. 

 

Rest in Peace, Note 7, I barely knew ye. 

 

 

 

What do you guys think? Anyone else fall victim to this too? Do we have a class action on our hands? 

I'm getting the V30 btw. 

[TukangUsapEmenq]

Still nicer than that Note 7 would be a bomb someday....

[The Sloth]

6 minutes ago, DaltonM said:

The phone must be paid off.

...that's the point, that's how trades work. 

7 minutes ago, DaltonM said:

Do we have a class action on our hands? 

no

 

7 minutes ago, DaltonM said:

I'm getting the V30 btw. 

i am wondering if the lg v30 will get added to the LG boot loop class action lawsuit 

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/04/lg-bootloop-defect-lawsuit-expands-to-cover-g5-v20-and-nexus-5x-devices/

 

[DaltonM]

1 minute ago, nerdslayer1 said:

i am wondering if the lg v30 will get added to the LG boot loop class action lawsuit 

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/04/lg-bootloop-defect-lawsuit-expands-to-cover-g5-v20-and-nexus-5x-devices/

 

Probably, not, it's not even out yet. 

 

As for the trade in thing, I think samsung could have done more for the people they so thoroughly screwed over. 

[The Sloth]

1 minute ago, DaltonM said:

Probably, not, it's not even out yet. 

 

lgg6 has reports of boot loop, i would stay far away from LG phones. 

 

1 minute ago, DaltonM said:

As for the trade in thing, I think samsung could have done more for the people they so thoroughly screwed over. 

i agree 

[DaltonM]

1 minute ago, huilun02 said:

Note 7

Note 8

T-Mobile

V30

 

lol...

SPEN BAYBEEE

 

But I really want a high quality DAC for my phone and LG seems to care. 

 

I'll also be the first to tell you t-mobile sucks, but my plan is so good. I regularly hit my 34gb/mo data cap, and I never notice a slow down. I pay $50 (and $30 phone payment) a month for what I feel is a hell of a lot of data. 

[Mooshi]

Something sounds off. I know TMobile is pleb tier carrier, but I dunno. When the recalls were going on, Verizon refunded amount paid for the device installments, accessories and Samsung themselves gave incentive to switch to an S7 at the time.

 

I'm having a hard time believing TMobile is that low tier a carrier that they would not do returns (taxes included) for a phone recalled twice when their PR budget is used exclusively to shit talk Verizon.

[DaltonM]

1 minute ago, Mooshi said:

Something sounds off. I know TMobile is pleb tier carrier, but I dunno. When the recalls were going on, Verizon refunded amount paid for the device installments, accessories and Samsung themselves gave incentive to switch to an S7 at the time.

 

I'm having a hard time believing TMobile is that low tier a carrier that they would not do returns for a phone recalled twice when their PR busget is used exclusively to shit talk Verizon.

Oh yeah, they refunded the whole cost of the phone and any payments I made. But not the sales tax on all of these $500+ transactions. The employee told me no matter what phone I chose, it would cost the same as N7 unless it was cheaper. 

[NinJake]

Never had an issue with the G2 or G3. My buddy has the V20 and never had any issues. Must be luck of the draw with LG phones. I currently have the OnePlus 3T and it's amazing for it's price.

[DaltonM]

1 minute ago, NinJake said:

Never had an issue with the G2 or G3. My buddy has the V20 and never had any issues. Must be luck of the draw with LG phones. I currently have the OnePlus 3T and it's amazing for it's price.

Both my parents have V20 and I hate software modification to android (silly because I loved samsung so much lol) but LG does it well. I LOVE customization and LG has it in spades. 

 

Luck of the draw is real with just about every phone. 

[Light-Yagami]

It feels to me like this could've been avoided if you didn't use T-mobile?

Feels like less of a Samsung's mess up than it is T-mobile's stupid ass refund system.

 

Samsung did f'ck up big time, I agree. But most of what you've experienced is connected with T-mobile, if I'm correct.

The new N8 is overpriced as f*ck and nobody should buy it. They're trying to compete with Apple's upcoming offering. Which will be expensive as shit as well because Samsung controls the OLED display supply. Get rekt Apple, and good job Samsung. 

 

Sony Experia XZ premium seems like a good phone, my brother got it a week ago. I'm using the regular S8.. good phone. But we're not quite in the seamless android experience yet..

[Hiitchy]

That's absolutely balls. Over here in Canada, the first recall involved the carriers recalling the phone and giving them the 'fixed' Note 7 at no cost. The second recall before the OTA Brick for Note 7 devices was the same. Give us your device, except this time everyone was credited the difference for a new device since they were pulling Note 7's from the market and didn't have to pay anything out of pocket.

 

It absolutely sucks that the procedure was completely different south of the border. I would be absolutely livid too. I decided to go with the V20 until I started getting similar bootloop issues, not sure if the V30 will have those same issues either. Someone needs to get fired. I'm now currently on the S8 because I missed the Samsung line of phones.

[DaltonM]

**** it, I'm getting a flip phone. 

[jcw150]

I have used a lot of this generations high end phones and the one I really recommend is the Oneplus 5, it just feels so much sharper and responsive compared to everything else I've used and I'm not entirely sure why but I bloody love it

[Mr.Meerkat]

Feelsbadman...if this happened in the UK, I would not be surprised if you reported it to ofcom, they would have fined the carrier and you got some reimbursement  

 

To be fair, VAT (i.e. sales tax) in the UK are only paid every 3 months so I guess its easier for a business to refund the tax to you...

[SpaceGhostC2C]

What you are describing seems essentially a T-mobile issue. According to your account of the events, T-mobile scammed you with some tax excuse, and for some reason you kept coming back for more. 

 

While I personally find it a bad idea to buy picked from carriers instead of manufacturers, there shouldn't have been such a big difference if it wasn't for the strange "tax yadda yadda" part. 

 

Regarding class actions, you can't really blame Samsung for the money your carrier stole from you. At the latest, the time to make a scandal was when they told you "we offer you a free replacement in the meantime, except it's not free". 

But even before that, giving you only a partial refund for a recall... 

[MorganO]

23 hours ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

Feelsbadman...if this happened in the UK, I would not be surprised if you reported it to ofcom, they would have fined the carrier and you got some reimbursement  

 

To be fair, VAT (i.e. sales tax) in the UK are only paid every 3 months so I guess its easier for a business to refund the tax to you...

but VAT is included in the price of everything* so you get everything back when you get a refund lol

i really don't understand the point of wow £500 (plus VAT) (can anyone from the US give an explanation of why they are seperate)?

 

 

*unless its excluded, and with the exception of business purchases 

[Mr.Meerkat]

1 hour ago, KOMTechAndGaming said:

but VAT is included in the price of everything* so you get everything back when you get a refund lol

To be fair, as VAT only has to be paid every couple of months, if their Taxes had to be paid immediately by the retailer, it would make it much easier for UK businesses to refund sales tax...  

[Radioactive Snowman]

10 hours ago, kk027 said:

I am from the future. I am here to tell you that the iPhone X costs $50 more than the Note 8 and has less futures. Also, unlike the Note 8 there is there no trade in program.

It's 200 more where I live for the iphone X. The 256gb is 400 more

[maizenblue]

First world problems.

[Radioactive Snowman]

2 hours ago, kk027 said:

Oh. The Note 8 has expandable storage with Micro SD which is not too expensive. (At least not as much as an iPhone storage upgrade.)

The note 8 is a bargain compared to it, hence why I'm buying one next week once my cases arrive

[MorganO]

21 hours ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

To be fair, as VAT only has to be paid every couple of months,

 

is this why it kept separate in the US?

[Mr.Meerkat]

42 minutes ago, KOMTechAndGaming said:

is this why it kept separate in the US?

Just checked and its typically paid monthly or quarterly (so every 3 months) so...looks like its basically the same as us  

In that case, they don't really have a reason do they? 

[maartendc]

On 9/11/2017 at 0:45 PM, Light-Yagami said:

It feels to me like this could've been avoided if you didn't use T-mobile?

Feels like less of a Samsung's mess up than it is T-mobile's stupid ass refund system.

 

Samsung did f'ck up big time, I agree. But most of what you've experienced is connected with T-mobile, if I'm correct.

The new N8 is overpriced as f*ck and nobody should buy it. They're trying to compete with Apple's upcoming offering. Which will be expensive as shit as well because Samsung controls the OLED display supply. Get rekt Apple, and good job Samsung. 

 

Sony Experia XZ premium seems like a good phone, my brother got it a week ago. I'm using the regular S8.. good phone. But we're not quite in the seamless android experience yet..

This.

 

I mean, what kind of company doesnt refund you the tax? If I buy something lets say on Amazon, they refund me everything, including tax.

 

At the same time, it was a recall, not a voluntary refund on your part because you 'changed your mind'. They should not have made you go through any refund process at all, but just a repair RMA.

 

Sounds like T-mobile is the one you should be angry at. Samsung messed up the two-time recall, but they did not make you pay that tax so many times. T-mobile did. I would hve been furious and refused to pay the tax.