Samsung tv firmware update ruined my tv

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  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    Sounds like your best option.

    Yes. I had a phone call from Martin Dawes when I got home saying that Samsung had been in touch about a repair but I explained I'd took the refund instead so wouldn't be needing one. I asked out of interest what would the repair entail and explained what the problem was. He said the only option would have been to replace the motherboard with one which contained an earlier firmware version but said that because of the faulty new firmware I'd not be able to update it so I'd be stuck with it. He said that the repair could have taken up to a week by which time I'd be over my 28 day time limit for a full refund so if I wasn't happy with the repair, my only option would be a replacement. He said by choosing the refund I did the beat thing. At least now I have more time to shop around.

    In a way it's a blessing that I updated the tv when I did. Another 4 days time and I wouldn't be entitled to a full refund as I'd be over the 28 day statutory period.
  • TassiumTassium Posts: 31,639
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    28 day statutory period is a new one on me.

    Obviously the TVs have the new firmware on them, nothing can just connect to your WiFi without the wifi password which I assume was not input during the setup phase.
  • suziequesuzieque Posts: 300
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    The Wizard wrote: »
    Because at the time the particular model I'd set my heart on was only available in several places. One was an unknown online retailer who I didn't know to trust and the others were Amazon and John Lewis who were both over £100 more expensive at the time. Even now they are still more expensive. Couldn't afford to spend over £100 more for exactly the same thing as I'd already gone over my budget and wasn't prepared to buy from an online retailer who I've never heard of or had dealings with. I wouldn't normally touch places like Currys or PC world with a bargepole but they were the cheapest by far.

    I looked at Richersounds at first but they didn't stock it.

    Yes but John Lewis price match and give a free five year garrantee.

    So your supplier was £100 cheaper but now are you paying for it dont you think?
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    Tassium wrote: »
    28 day statutory period is a new one on me.

    Obviously the TVs have the new firmware on them, nothing can just connect to your WiFi without the wifi password which I assume was not input during the setup phase.

    I updated my original tv to the new firmware which was bad. Originally it came with version 1009 but after the update it took it to v1111. Took it back today and got another one exactly the same but this time the new firmware was already built in as default. We proved this on the test bench by setting it up with no aerial or internet attached and when it had finished going through the initial setup we went into the menu and it said v1111 which is the latest bad firmware meaning all the latest models since buying mine now have the new bad firmware installed as default.

    Clearly this is an issue as they are now being shipped with faulty firmware which is why an exchange wouldn't solve the problem. Not unless there's a way of getting one with the old firmware on it which you can't guarantee until you buy it and get it home and find out. Seeing as they haven't yet released a fix and they can't tell me when or whether one will be released any time soon and the fact they say that mine couldn't be rolled back to the old firmware, I thought it best to just return it for a refund.

    The woman in Currys told me that she'd had 2 more customers in this morning prior to me, complaining about the same issues since last week's update so I'm not the only one.
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    Winston_1 wrote: »
    He is probably still talking about Currys good will policy which is totally irrevelvant.

    Since under SOGA for the first 6 months you don't have to prove it is faulty, the retailer has to prove it isn't, I would have thought a total refund would be available for six months.

    I'm rather puzzled by Samsungs response that the mother board would need replacing, surely they could zap the old firmware back, and why is the faulty update still available?

    They told me that it's not possible to flash old firmware over a later version and the only way to roll back was to install a motherboard which had the old firmware on it. Other than that I could wait for a new firmware to be released which would fix any issues but that could take weeks or months as they need to collate all the issues off the customers then wait for the new software to be written. I've read on the SammyGo website that it's possible to write old firmware under a new version number so the tv will accept the update but according to Samsung it's not something they do. Apparently there are ways to hack and install the firmware yourself if you have a copy of the old firmware but Samsung wont release old firmware and there's no copy on their website and even if I could I could risk bricking my tv in the process which would most certainly void any warranty.

    According to Samsung today they said that within 28 days if an item goes faulty you can insist on a full refund but after 28 days it's up to the shop's discretion whether they refund, repair or replace like for like. If they refuse a refund and I'm not happy with a repair or a replacement I can still take them to small claims court where they will have (under 6 months) to prove such goods were fit for purpose and I may have a case for being reimbursed.
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    suzieque wrote: »
    Yes but John Lewis price match and give a free five year garrantee.

    So your supplier was £100 cheaper but now are you paying for it dont you think?

    No I disagree. The problem has nothing to do with Currys. This would have happened no matter where I purchased it from. And just because JL give a five year warranty doesn't mean they'll refund you in that time. All they're obliged to do is replace or exchange. I agree that the customer service of JL is second to none and they may well have an extended refund policy but to be honest I found the staff at Currys very helpful which I was very very surprised at. They offered me a full refund no questions so I couldn't say that was being unhelpful. The issue here is with Samsung not the retailer.

    The only thing I would say I wasn't happy with was that they refuse to accept goods back (even after 1 day) if I get them home and find they're not suitable/to my liking. I said to the salesman, 'I thought you had 7 days now to change your mind' but he said once a tv has been opened and setup it can't then be sold again which is why they don't accept it back unless it's faulty. This is where places like John Lewis have the advantage as I think they give you 7 days to try something out. Don't know how true that is but if you buy something over the internet at least you're protected by the distance selling regs and can send it back if you don't like it. The main issue with buying over the net is that you can't take the item back to a shop and speak to somebody and get an instant replacement.

    Also my nearest John Lewis is 25 miles away whereas my nearest Curry's is 5miles so if I had bought it from John Lewis I would have had to have done a 100 miles travelling. It's difficult to know what to do for the best sometimes.
  • Admiral StarAdmiral Star Posts: 2,114
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    The Wizard wrote: »
    I can't because it wont let you install a lower firmware version over a higher one. That is how all firmware works. Only way to roll it back is to ask Samsung but they have told other people it can't be done. However if it's a faulty update they are obliged I think to release a fix via another update.

    I'll call Samsung tomorrow and if no joy I'll take it back to the shop. Didn't really want to do that though and risk it getting damaged in transit.

    Oh dear of course yes. Sorry Wizard, had a bit of a dim moment there. :D:o
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    Winston_1 wrote: »
    Does it occur to you Samsung could be wrong? There is nothing in the SOGA about 28 days.

    I don't know why you keep mentioning the sale of goods act because you know as well as I do that you can quote as much legislation as you like to the store manager till you're blue in the face but if you're stood in a shop and they say 'sorry I'm not giving you your money back', the only option available is to take them to court or fight it through trading standards.

    The SOGA quite clearly states that you are not automatically entitled to a full refund once you have accepted the goods and had them for a reasonable length of time but it doesn't make clear what exactly a reasonable length of time is and it's up to the retailer to decide (usually 28 days) and if the shop offers an exchange or repair then this is all they are obliged to do by law. They can refund, repair or exchange or offer a credit note and which one they decide on is at the store's discretion.

    If the store offers a repair or an exchange and you are not satisfied with this solution say for example because you've lost all confidence in the brand or already had a replacement which has gone faulty again then you could have a valid case to ask for your money back. Likewise if the store insist on giving you a credit note and there's nothing available or suitable on which to spend it on, you may have a case for claiming your money back.

    However the store are not bound by law to do so. You do have the right to take them to court for your money back but this doesn't guarantee you will win depending on the circumstances. Sometimes depending on how long you've had use of the item you may only be entitled to a partial refund to take into account that you've had fair usage of the goods prior to them going faulty. Again this is for a court to decide and most people don't want the bother and potential expense or stress of going down that route so often just opt for the exchange or the repair.
  • suziequesuzieque Posts: 300
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    The Wizard wrote: »
    No I disagree. The problem has nothing to do with Currys. This would have happened no matter where I purchased it from. And just because JL give a five year warranty doesn't mean they'll refund you in that time. All they're obliged to do is replace or exchange. I agree that the customer service of JL is second to none and they may well have an extended refund policy but to be honest I found the staff at Currys very helpful which I was very very surprised at. They offered me a full refund no questions so I couldn't say that was being unhelpful. The issue here is with Samsung not the retailer.

    The only thing I would say I wasn't happy with was that they refuse to accept goods back (even after 1 day) if I get them home and find they're not suitable/to my liking. I said to the salesman, 'I thought you had 7 days now to change your mind' but he said once a tv has been opened and setup it can't then be sold again which is why they don't accept it back unless it's faulty. This is where places like John Lewis have the advantage as I think they give you 7 days to try something out. Don't know how true that is but if you buy something over the internet at least you're protected by the distance selling regs and can send it back if you don't like it. The main issue with buying over the net is that you can't take the item back to a shop and speak to somebody and get an instant replacement.

    Also my nearest John Lewis is 25 miles away whereas my nearest Curry's is 5miles so if I had bought it from John Lewis I would have had to have done a 100 miles travelling. It's difficult to know what to do for the best sometimes.

    You have missed my point, it is not what is legal or not legal it is that some retailors such as John Lewis and Richersounds are intent on giving max customer service and will bend over backwards to help the customer and make sure that the customer is king.
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    suzieque wrote: »
    You have missed my point, it is not what is legal or not legal it is that some retailors such as John Lewis and Richersounds are intent on giving max customer service and will bend over backwards to help the customer and make sure that the customer is king.

    Oh yeah I totally agree but John Lewis didn't stock the tv in question so they couldn't have price matched it anyway so it wasn't possible to buy it from them. Their equivalent model the F6740 is a lot more expensive. I'm currently looking at seeing if I can find it somewhere else cheaper then see if JL will do me a price match as I can't really afford to spend more than £700.

    Out of curiosity I phoned John Lewis customer services today to enquire about their returns and refund policy and they told me that I have 90 days to return an item if I get it home and it's not suitable providing it's still got all it's original packaging and hasn't been damaged but advised not to leave it that long and to call them as soon as possible if it wasn't suitable. They said that if I purchased it from the store in person it didn't matter and if I was unable to get it back to the store they would even send someone to collect it. She said it's like any other piece of furniture in your living room; you don't know if it will be suitable until you get it home and set it up/try it out. She wasn't clear however on the refund policy over faulty items. I asked her if an item went faulty and I wasn't happy and wanted a refund rather than a repair or an exchange,could that be possible? She said they would first attempt a repair or an exchange but if I still wasn't happy they 'may' depending on their discretion and how long I've had the item, offer a full refund but nothing was set in stone but said they would do everything they could to satisfy the customer.

    It's a whole difference from Currys attitude of, 'once you've bought it, tough luck.'
  • Mark_Cameron1Mark_Cameron1 Posts: 24
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    check the samsung website - there's a new firmware update via usb available
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 140
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    Plasma Power Cycling Firmware Update
    July 1, 2013
    We have recently become aware of a potential issue affecting specific Samsung Plasma TVs that may cause the TV to turn off and on randomly. This potential issue affects the following models:

    Models

    ● PN43F4500AFXZA

    ● PN43F4550AFXZA

    ● PN51F4500AFXZA

    ● PN51F4550AFXZA

    ● PN51F5300AFXZA

    ● PN51F5350AFXZA

    ● PN60F5300AFXZA

    ● PN60F5350AFXZA

    ● PN64F5300AFXZA

    While the issue affects only a small number of the TVs listed, we strongly recommend updating your TV via USB thumb drive to prevent any possible issues in the future. To download the software, click on your model above to be connected to the support page for your product.

    Before updating the firmware, please read the firmware upgrade procedure below carefully.

    [Software Upgrade Procedure]

    Important: Please read the upgrade instructions below thoroughly before you start. Do NOT unplug the power or remove the USB drive at any time during the firmware upgrade process.

    Update procedure:

    1) With the TV turned OFF, insert your USB drive into the USB port on the side (or rear) of the TV.

    2) Press the Power button on your TV to turn it on.

    3) Press the Menu button on your Samsung TV Remote Control.

    4) Press the Up (▲) or Down (▼) arrow key to select Support and press ENTER.

    5) Press the Up (▲) or Down (▼) arrow key to select Software Update and press ENTER

    Note: If Software Update is grayed out wait 1-2 minutes and check again.

    6) The message "Scanning for USB" will appear on the TV screen

    7) When an update is found you will see the message to start update, OK will be highlighted, press ENTER to begin installation.

    8) The Software Update will start automatically.

    9) When complete you will be notified and the TV will turn off and on automatically.

    Note: If at any point your TV does not turn back on automatically it is safe to do so manually after waiting 60 seconds.

    If you have any questions or need additional assistance with the firmware update installation, check out the how-to guide on your model’s support page or call Samsung customer service at 1-800-SAMSUNG (726-7864).
  • Mark_Cameron1Mark_Cameron1 Posts: 24
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    another firmware update on the website today, still no idea what it updates but my TV is progressively getting worse. When I turn it on and try to access apps it simply goes straight to the TV picture, I have to try accessing 3 times to get in. When I have a recording set, when the TV is off it works fine most of the time, when it is on and I'm watching something pre-recorded it says "weak or no signal" and doesn't record, and when I manage to get it to record if I access on-demand content (iPlayer, Youtube, etc), it plays the video with no sound.

    Trying to go via Samsung support to resolve but as usual utter rubbish, will continue pushing but will never waste my money on a Samsung TV again - this is now my second un-Smart Samsung TV. Thank god I haven't wasted cash on more of their products.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    When I turn it on and try to access apps it simply goes straight to the TV picture, I have to try accessing 3 times to get in.
    That could be a network or server issue.
    When I have a recording set, when the TV is off it works fine most of the time, when it is on and I'm watching something pre-recorded it says "weak or no signal" and doesn't record, and when I manage to get it to record if I access on-demand content (iPlayer, Youtube, etc), it plays the video with no sound.
    Does the tv say it can do these at the same time? My (older) samsung can only do one of those at a given time.
  • Dan SetteDan Sette Posts: 5,816
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    Probably too late to ask, but what TV did you end up with Wizard?
  • Mark_Cameron1Mark_Cameron1 Posts: 24
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    tealady wrote: »
    That could be a network or server issue.
    Does the tv say it can do these at the same time? My (older) samsung can only do one of those at a given time.

    Yes, it can do both at the same time - my older model Samsung managed it fine, I spoke to Samsung this week and they confirmed something is wrong but not sure what it is so investigating further. I'm not holding my breath, I've tried their tech dept in the past and service is worse than useless but no other choice at the moment
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
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    The Wizard wrote: »
    I don't know why you keep mentioning the sale of goods act because you know as well as I do that you can quote as much legislation as you like to the store manager till you're blue in the face but if you're stood in a shop and they say 'sorry I'm not giving you your money back', the only option available is to take them to court or fight it through trading standards.
    That is absolutely untrue.

    Rule No. 1 - NEVER contact the manufacturer about a fault. The contract is between you and the retailer. It is the retailer's responsibility to spend their own time and money if the manufacturer needs to be contacted.

    Rule No. 2 - If the shop manager tries to fob you off, ask for his name and his job title. Take some paper with you, so that you can write down everything that he has said and then get him to sign it. (That ought to focus his mind on his responsibilities under the law).

    Rule No. 3 - Don't be conned into buying a warranty. Expensive electrical items are now expected to perform satisfactorily for six years. You shouldn't be paying for any extras at all.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,330
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    barbeler wrote: »
    That is absolutely untrue.

    Rule No. 1 - NEVER contact the manufacturer about a fault. The contract is between you and the retailer. It is the retailer's responsibility to spend their own time and money if the manufacturer needs to be contacted.

    Rule No. 2 - If the shop manager tries to fob you off, ask for his name and his job title. Take some paper with you, so that you can write down everything that he has said and then get him to sign it. (That ought to focus his mind on his responsibilities under the law).

    Rule No. 3 - Don't be conned into buying a warranty. Expensive electrical items are now expected to perform satisfactorily for six years. You shouldn't be paying for any extras at all.

    I suggest you try reading the SOGA, most of what you posted there is utter rubbish :p
  • GroutyGrouty Posts: 33,944
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    My Samsung Tv (40ES6710), has just gone faulty after only 9 months, got a red dotted vertical line going down the screen, about an inch in from the right hand side, luckily ive still got my old one to use while its away getting repaired, an old one thats never missed a beat in years, yet my new one couldn't last 1 bloody year :(
  • MrGiles2MrGiles2 Posts: 1,997
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    You are quite right. Your contract is with Currys where you brought it. They try this con on a lot as they assume people are stupid not to know about SOGA.

    http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/sale-of-goods-act/

    I agree with the comment in this case the problem lies with the shop from where the product was bought.

    I had the same problem with Sony Centre a few years back, the Blu-ray discs wouldn't play, so went to the shop. They gave me a number for an engineer who wouldn't do anything about it because it wasn't within his area.

    The "Passing The Buck" annoyed me so much I put in a written complaint to the local trading standards. As soon as the manager got the letter, he backed down and asked me to bring in the player to the shop which was sorted the next day.

    The point I am making here is that the shops know perfectly well the buck stops with them, yet they rely on customers ignorance of consumer law in order to get away with their responsibilities.

    Furthermore, the heavy reliance of warranties which many of these shops push are worthless because faulty goods are covered by the Sales of Goods Act which can cover for up to six years (with the exception of normal wear and tear.) The shops don't want you to know this either; these expensive warranties are one of the biggest scams going and yet they still sell them. Surely, they should come under gross miss-selling in the same way as the Banks and other finance houses which has cost the financial sector billions so far in compensation.
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