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General discussion

I Can't Get Service for my mp3 player bought less a year ago

Mar 4, 2009 4:34AM PST

Hi,

I purchased a refurbished Samsung YP-K3JABXAC from a vendor on Amazon.com in July 2008. The unit was supposed to come with a full warranty.

I loved the player. But now there is no sound coming out of the player. I called Samsung USA and they told me this unit needs to be serviced by Canada (I reside in California). I called Samsung Canada, and they told me they cannot service my mp3 player because USA customers cannot ship to Canada.

Is there any recourse for me?

Discussion is locked

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Service...
Mar 4, 2009 6:51AM PST

StephenLC,

I'm terribly apologetic for the information you were given. I've personally shipped one of my mp3 players to one of our two available repair centers here in the United States.

I would call 800-SAMSUNG again, and re-request a repair for your K3 unit. If that doesn't work, get a service ticket number (like 4001xxxxx or a derivitive of that number) and let me know. I see what I can do to help.

Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.

--HDTech

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Thanks! Will try again.
Mar 4, 2009 7:00AM PST

Thanks for the quick reply. I will try again tomorrow.

Stephen

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Great...
Mar 4, 2009 10:35AM PST

StephenLC,

Keep me posted. Happy

--HDTech

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Have you called the seller yet?
Mar 4, 2009 1:28PM PST

I am guessing that is a Canadian model? Was the seller located in Canada? I know that some companies warranty become void on gray market items (genuine products imported from another country). I would send the seller an email (or call them if you have their number). In the past, I have looked at a "gray market" item and questioned the seller about the warranty. The response was that their is no manufacture warranty, but that they (the seller) would honer it.

Also, there is no problems shipping products to Canada. I have shipped stuff there before myself. You do have extra paper work for customs, etc. But I am sure that MP3 player is cheap enough that it will not have any duty fees.

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Got a response from the seller
Mar 5, 2009 5:41AM PST

I sent an email to the seller yesterday and just received a reply today. She has informed me that the warranty from them is for 90 days only. I'm past the 90 days. The seller is based in USA, and according to Samsung this is a Canadian model. This is a refurbished item. I guess I'm out of luck?

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Refurbished....
Mar 5, 2009 8:42AM PST

StephenLC,

I'm going to check with my contact in Canada tomorrow morning to see what I can find out.

The_Pickle, I don't think the issue is necessarily shipping the product, but facilitating the service via regional guidelines (meaning: US repair ticket = US facility, not Canada). I'm being straightforward in saying that this is likely the issue, even though the answer itself may be unpleasant.

If the warranty can't be honored in the country of sale, it is therefore, not a warranty that can be redeemed, which is part of the sale. In my view, a suitable replacement should be made available by the seller who made such claims without verifying the information from the distributor OR the manufacturer first. The seller saying, "I didn't know" doesn't mean the buyer should be out of luck after being promised a service by the seller.

I would challenge their 90 day policy; perhaps a "proposed" letter to Amazon's dispute center might make them reconsider. I don't know what the ad says, but no seller wants a fly in the ointment over an mp3 player. A warranty is only good if you can use it within the timeframe promised, and that's part of what you paid for. Make it clear that a one-year-warranty was part of the sale, and now you expect resolution, or you'll let someone higher take a closer look while you're figuring out how to get it fixed on your own.

Let me see what Canada says in the morning, and by then, you might have some options to consider, and hopefully a solution.

--HDTech

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Thanks!
Mar 5, 2009 11:32AM PST

Thank you for taking the time to look into this. I appreciate it.

BTW. I should clarify that the purchase was made from a vendor who was selling the mp3 player on Amazon.com.

Interestingly, a slip of paper that came with the box said to contact Samsung for any repair issues which seems contrary to the 90 day warranty provided by the vendor/seller.

Regards,

Stephen

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Checked with Canada
Mar 6, 2009 4:45AM PST

StephenLC,

Unfortunately, to receive service on a unit in Canada, it has to be purchased in Canada with the user having a Canadian address. I asked if there were any exceptions, and the answer was no.

--HDTech

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OK.
Mar 6, 2009 5:01AM PST

Thanks for taking the time to look into this. To my Samsung K3...RIP. Happy

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What did the ad say?
Mar 6, 2009 11:24AM PST

If the original add implied that it carried the same warranty as a new model, you might want to fight it. See what their current adds read. Also, do they mention anything about being a "authorized dealer?" If so, I would post that here. Not sure how Samsung would feel about a dealer selling gray market goods.

Another question to ask is how did you pay for it? If you paid with a credit card, you might want to give your credit card company a call (or try to find your credit agreement papers). Some credit cards have extra protections for stuff you buy. Especially if you have any records that claim the unit was supposed to have a full 1 year warranty (fraud protection).

But, if you run out of options and there is truly nothing else to do, I would sell it on ebay for parts. If the case and screen are good, you should be able to get something for it as I am sure someone out there has one who needs a new screen, etc.

Good luck!

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Can I fix it myself
Mar 11, 2009 5:48AM PDT

I was just wondering... Can I fix the mp3 player myself? It seem like something is just loose. Sometimes when I shake it or hold the mp3 player at a certain angle, I get sound. From looking at the mp3 player, it does not seem to have screws. Do I just pry open the cover?

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Maby
Mar 11, 2009 11:17AM PDT

I do not have this MP3 player, so I am going to do some guessing based on similar type devices I have messed with. There are sometimes hidden screws under labels, or behind the battery. But, usually, you will have to pry open the case. There are special pry tools out there that can be used so you don't mess up the case. Look around the net for instructions to replace the LCD screen on popular devices and you will get some ideas (you might even find some instructions for your mp3 player).

Once inside, you might find some small, fragile flat cables, or other wires to go between the lcd, and the buttons on the front of the case. So, when you start to pry the case open, take care that the case does not fly open too quickly.

Once you get inside, you might get lucky and find that a cable has come loose. But, most likly, the headphone jack is attached directly to the main circuit board. You will want to look where the pins from the headphone jack are soldered onto the circuit board. There is a good chance that the solder connection broke due to a cold (bad) solder joint. IF this is the case, it should be fixable by re soldering the connection.

Another possibility is that one pads on the circuit board where the headphone jacks was soldered onto "lifted" or broke off of the circuit board. In that case, it is still sometimes possible to fix it by following the trace on the circuit board from where it broke to where the trace connects to another component. Then, using a very fine wire, connect the headphone jack to that point. However, unless you are skilled at soldering, and have good equipment, this type of repair can be difficult (beyond my skills to be honest).

If you have totally given up on getting the store you bought it from to replace it, and Samsung cant help you (or you decide it is not worth it), it can't hurt to crack the case open and see what things look like.

If you don't care about some nicks on the side of the case, some small screwdrivers, or some other thin prying device should get you inside. Once inside, you should be able to see what broke and then decide if it is within your skills to fix. Being that you can get it working by giggling things around a bit makes it sound like a loose connection or possible cold solder joint, so I would give it a shot.

Just for kicks, have your tried another set of earphones? I have shad a MP3 players where the case actually prevented some headphone jacks from properly seating all the way.

Of course cracking the case open will void any warranty, but, it sounds like there isn't one anyways...

Good luck! Let me know if you have any success.

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Will try this weekend
Mar 12, 2009 5:18AM PDT

Wow. Thanks for the informative post. I will try to fix the mp3 player this weekend. Hope I don't break anything else!

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How weird...
Mar 16, 2009 3:12AM PDT

I took off the label and could not find any screws. The case itself looks very tight. I don't think I have anything narrow enough to pry the case. I also found a review on this mp3 player that suggests the case is actually glued together. Sad Then I decided to swap out my expensive V-Mode ear plugs for a cheaper set of Sony ear plugs. Whoaaa.. it worked! Thanks for the suggestion!

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Great news!
Mar 16, 2009 10:51AM PDT

That is very possible that the case is glued shut. I am glad you tried swapping headphones before busting open the case! Have you tried the V-Mode ear plugs in another device yet? (sure will be a kicker after all this discussion to find out the plug on the V-Mode is messed up).

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good idea
Mar 16, 2009 2:06PM PDT

I hooked up the V-Moda to my laptop and the sound is intermittent. So I guess the problem is with the V-Moda headphones. What a shame. The headphones sounded great and they looked cool too. My Cheaper Sony headphones sound kind of muddy in comparison.

Thanks to everyone for all their help. I really do appreciate it. I'm glad my Samsung mp3 player was not broken. I really like the quality of the music coming out of this player.

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Awesome....
Mar 18, 2009 5:03AM PDT

Hey, thanks for posting your "fix". Happy

Good to know that you're back up and running. If there's anything else I can help with, please let us know.

--HDTech