Internet Law and Business Blog » Podcasts http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp Focusing on Internet law and marketing, Attorney Mike Young teaches entrepreneurs how to protect and grow their businesses online. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:05:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en © mike@mikeyounglaw.com () mike@mikeyounglaw.com() 1440 Focusing on Internet law and marketing, Attorney Mike Young teaches entrepreneurs how to protect and grow their businesses online. mike@mikeyounglaw.com No no http://www.mikeyounglaw.com/images/logo_sm.jpg Internet Law and Business Blog http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp 144 144 Samsung - Word-of-Mouth Marketing and Consumer Protection http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2007/11/07/samsung-word-of-mouth-marketing-and-consumer-protection/ http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2007/11/07/samsung-word-of-mouth-marketing-and-consumer-protection/#comments Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:02:31 +0000 Mike Young http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2007/11/07/samsung-word-of-mouth-marketing-and-consumer-protection/
I purchased a Samsung television several months ago that was defective because the menu screen popped on randomly and repeatedly unless the TV was turned off unplugged, and plugged back in again.You would think that Samsung would be embarrassed by having such a defect in one of its products. Nope.

samsung warranty

The warranty provided for the TV to get in-home service “where available.” Translation: Not available in the metro area where I live that has a population of 5 million. Hmmm. Just a hint of deceptive trade practices…and then it got worse.

Filling out the paperwork, scanning in the receipt and uploading it, packing the TV, and hauling it to UPS to ship (at my expense) for repairs was just the beginning.

Samsung received the TV ten days ago (per UPS tracking) but only acknowledged receipt after two lengthy phone calls that involved Press #5, Press #1 etc., being placed on hold repeatedly, and speaking to room temperature IQ drones who had memorized scripts but lacked either the authority or incentive to actually provide customer service.

Now here’s where it gets even better. Samsung provided an option where one could receive a refurbished model if it would take more than 3 business days to repair the defective TV. I chose that option.

However, the last customer service drone denied the existence of the option and said that I could expect to wait another 14-21 business days calculated based on their erroneous decision to claim receipt of the TV yesterday instead of 10 days ago when they actually got it. He’s probably still trying to anatomically do to himself what I recommended in response.

What’s the important lesson in this?

Word-of-mouth marketing is a double-edged sword. While I frequently refer clients and friends to goods and services that are excellent, when a company like Samsung displays this level of arrogance/incompetence/disdain for the customer, I’ll be happy to let others know of my experience too.

samsung warranty

As for Samsung, the company is about to get an expensive lesson in both word-of-mouth marketing and consumer protection laws…one that is more entertaining than a television show. I suspect they’ll try to shoot the messenger instead of fixing their internal problems.

There are important consumer protection laws at the federal and state level that may protect you in a similar situation. And if you own a business, you should be concerned about a consumer who makes a claim under those laws. Of course, in either case, consult your attorney to discuss your specific situation. This post isn’t legal advice.

For a related overview of consumer protection and word-of-mouth marketing, please watch the following video or listen to the podcast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujOSH7bi4oQ

…And stay tuned.

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]]> http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2007/11/07/samsung-word-of-mouth-marketing-and-consumer-protection/feed/ 00:01:01 I purchased a Samsung television several months ago that was defective because the menu screen popped on randomly and repeatedly unless the TV was turned ... I purchased a Samsung television several months ago that was defective because the menu screen popped on randomly and repeatedly unless the TV was turned off unplugged, and plugged back in again.You would think that Samsung would be embarrassed by having such a defect in one of its products. Nope. The warranty provided for the TV to get in-home service "where available." Translation: Not available in the metro area where I live that has a population of 5 million. Hmmm. Just a hint of deceptive trade practices...and then it got worse. Filling out the paperwork, scanning in the receipt and uploading it, packing the TV, and hauling it to UPS to ship (at my expense) for repairs was just the beginning. Samsung received the TV ten days ago (per UPS tracking) but only acknowledged receipt after two lengthy phone calls that involved Press #5, Press #1 etc., being placed on hold repeatedly, and speaking to room temperature IQ drones who had memorized scripts but lacked either the authority or incentive to actually provide customer service. Now here's where it gets even better. Samsung provided an option where one could receive a refurbished model if it would take more than 3 business days to repair the defective TV. I chose that option. However, the last customer service drone denied the existence of the option and said that I could expect to wait another 14-21 business days calculated based on their erroneous decision to claim receipt of the TV yesterday instead of 10 days ago when they actually got it. He's probably still trying to anatomically do to himself what I recommended in response. What's the important lesson in this? Word-of-mouth marketing is a double-edged sword. While I frequently refer clients and friends to goods and services that are excellent, when a company like Samsung displays this level of arrogance/incompetence/disdain for the customer, I'll be happy to let others know of my experience too. As for Samsung, the company is about to get an expensive lesson in both word-of-mouth marketing and consumer protection laws...one that is more entertaining than a television show. I suspect they'll try to shoot the messenger instead of fixing their internal problems. There are important consumer protection laws at the federal and state level that may protect you in a similar situation. And if you own a business, you should be concerned about a consumer who makes a claim under those laws. Of course, in either case, consult your attorney to discuss your specific situation. This post isn't legal advice. For a related overview of consumer protection and word-of-mouth marketing, please watch the following video or listen to the podcast. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujOSH7bi4oQ[/youtube] ...And stay tuned. Marketing,,Podcasts mike@mikeyounglaw.com no No Domain Names - What You Need To Know To Protect Your Legal Rights http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2007/11/03/domain-names-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-your-legal-rights/ http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2007/11/03/domain-names-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-your-legal-rights/#comments Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:12:10 +0000 Mike Young http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2007/11/03/domain-names-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-your-legal-rights/ If you’re not careful, you could get into legal trouble with regard to domain names. In fact, someone might have already stolen your domain name and you don’t even know it. Here’s a podcast that identifies key issues that you should know.

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]]> http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2007/11/03/domain-names-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-your-legal-rights/feed/ 00:01:01 If you're not careful, you could get into legal trouble with regard to domain names. In fact, someone might have already stolen your domain name ... If you're not careful, you could get into legal trouble with regard to domain names. In fact, someone might have already stolen your domain name and you don't even know it. Here's a podcast that identifies key issues that you should know. Domain,Names,,Marketing,,Podcasts mike@mikeyounglaw.com no No