Samsung apologizes to Chinese customers, offers free repairs

Manufacturers are no strangers to criticism and discontented customers, but it becomes a bigger issue when a government itself is the one pointing its fingers at you. It seems that Samsung has found that out the hard way and is now offering its apologies and peace offerings to its Chinese customers.

The Korean manufacturer came under heavy fire last Monday when China's state-run broadcaster CCTV lambasted Samsung on air during a 30-minute program. The manufacturer was chided for shipping sub-par components in its Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III smartphones that were then sold in the Chinese market. It also criticized how the company handled warranty and repairs of the said devices, as well as the high cost of repairs that didn't effectively repair the units.

This is not the first time China has raised its voice against foreign tech companies, and for the same issues, in fact. In an unprecedented move, Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized to Chinese consumers in April for flaws in its repair and warranty system for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s smartphones. It seems that Samsung has decided to imitate Apple's mea culpa as well.

Samsung says that it is welcoming of media scrutiny and has laid the blame on management problems, offering its sincere apologies to their Chinese customers. To help alleviate matters, Samsung will be repairing the two problematic smartphones for free, refunding those who have already paid for repairs, and replacing units for free if the devices still fail to work even after being repaired twice.

VIA: The Next Web