Nonsensical customer service

Memory Cards Mobile memory, professional cards and all other st
1

I purchased a 32GB Sandisk Micro SD card, it stopped working. I contacted Samsung tech support, since the card was in the Samsung Tablet. Samsung tech took remote control of the tablet, ran diagnostics and confirmed the card was faulty.

I emailed Sandisk tech support on 12/30/2014 and the fun started. Scores of back and forth emails with request for evidence.

I submitted (1) proof of purchase (receipt) (2) Picture of card in packaging (to confirm model) (3) Close up of card to read the serial number (to authenticate that it is original) (4) Transcript of Samsung tech support log showing card is faulty.

FINALLY I was issued a RMA number : Return Authorization ID: RX931185

I thought this was done, and honestly did not read the email. I assumed they had all the evidence and besides in all emails I kept on stressing send me a new replacement card. And till this final email I was not told that I would have to mail the faulty unit back.

I hold a Masters in Electrical Engineering and work as a Vice President for a Medical device company. I am not exactly a “lay person” when it comes to technical matters.

These SD cards are not worth the money it takes to ship them, even when it is working. Now to consider that anyone would be so silly to ask the faulty unit be shipped back (returned), was some thing I completely DID NOT expect. It does not make sense!

I never shipped the faulty unit back. And I threw it away… after all I had all the evidence in the world.

Now on 2/3/2015 I am being told my RMA is cancelled and I will not get a replacement card!

WTH?!!!??

Let me put things in perspective for you:

  1. I spent time and money to go buy your product.

  2. You sold me garbage

  3. You should be apologetic that your product does not work! But your emails sound like you don’t believe it!! Rude language.

4)  It has been a month and a half I am without the SD card, and my time and productivity is affected because you sold me garbage.

  1. Not once during the whole email dalliance was it mentioned that you would want the faulty unit back. Only in the final email.

  2. You have all the evidence in the world, but refuse to act.

Your rules do not apply to me, since I enter in to an agreement with Sandisk when I purchase a product, pay for it and in return get a working product. Since the product does not work, Sandisk violated the agreement in the first place.

Now you can expect:

  1. Complaint with BBB

  2. Complaint with the FTC Consumer protection

  3. California Dept of Consumer affairs (I am a Los Angeles resident and product was purchased in CA).

  4. Negative reviews on Amazon, NewEgg and every website I can think of!

You guys picked the wrong man to mess with!!

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Considering that any (and all) other manufacturers require a defective, or presumed defective product (whatever it may be), be returned to them when a replacement is authorized, do you really think SanDisk is being unreasonable in requesting the same?

If you buy a widget, clothing, TV or toaster oven from Target or Walmart and it’s defective, do you not have to return it before receiving another? Sorry, but I don’t understand your surprise or assumption that SanDisk would not want the old card returned. If for no other reason than to test it in hopes of finding the issue that caused the malfunction so they can improve their manufacturing protocols so this doesn’t happen in the future.

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Tapeworm,

If you do not see the difference between a piece of clothing, a toaster or a TV and a micro SD card, then I cannot educate you. You claim to be a “SanDisk Guru”.

The initial cost of a microchip is in making the mask. Then you churn out chips… the more you make the cheaper it gets. Because the only real cost in here is the IP (intellectual property  i.e. engineer’s salaries) and the making of the mask. Once it is made, the more you sell the cheaper it gets.

Why do you think memory cards of one generation keep getting cheaper and cheaper.

The raw materials and labor involved are almost non-existent. And given the size, mass and logistical costs, once the memory card breaks even it’s IP and mask costs, it is pure profit.

Now comes the question of “testing” and “improving their manufacturing process”. Really? When a million cards can be produced in a day, you think any corporate manager worth his salt is going to do a CAPA (corrective and preventive action) for a single faulty card? Given the sheer volume of production unless there are significant number of defects, which are rare, given the exorbitant cost of the mask and IP, CAPA is not done for the odd 50 or 100 cases.

So that essentially answers your comment.

Now the issue here is common sense. Why would they make me go through all the hoops of sending the receipt of purchse, serial number, pictures, proof from Samsung that the card is indeed faulty?

Why couldn’t they just ask me to send the faulty card back to them in the first place?

Took 10 days and repeated emails to a bunch of lazy, lackadaisical European Customer service people. Then the RMA is approved. And for the 10 days, with over 5 millions exchanged, not once did they say they would like the old faulty unit back!

I had to borrow a friend’s camera to take close up pictures of the micro sd card to get the **bleep** serial number clearly focused.

WTH, so much trouble for something worth less than $0.002?

Its a slap on my face!!

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Hello Baron_Kaz,

I contacted the SanDisk Support team and it seems the RMA processing was delayed because the card was purchased from Ebay. Since the seller on Ebay is not an authorized reseller the card needed to be authenticated before the RMA could be processed.

When the product serial number was requested to authenticate the product you were unable to provide the serial number of the card. This is why they requested proof of purchase and pictures of the card for authentication purposes. I was also able to review the pictures of the card that you provided and the card is still in the plastic try and even when zooming in as far as possible the serial numbers are still not clear enough to be verified which caused an additional delay.

Finally as a courtesy an RMA was created. The RMA instructions provided clearly indicated the product MUST be returned. It seems instead the card was discarded and this resulted in a replacement product never being shipped. 

It is now my understanding that in lieu of returning the product SanDisk support will ship a replacement as a one time courtesy. If you have any questions about the replacement please feel free to contact SanDisk Support.

Forum Admin

slotmonsta

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