My Disappointing Experience with Samsung TV Support

As a long-time fan of Samsung, I’ve proudly used their appliances for over a decade. From TVs to washer-dryers, microwaves, refrigerators, and dishwashers—Samsung has been my go-to brand. Their products have always been reliable, and I’ve rarely had complaints—until now.

A Tale of Two TVs

Thirteen years ago, I purchased a 65" Samsung 3D TV, and to this day, it still works beautifully. Encouraged by that performance, I decided to buy another Samsung TV for my family room—a larger 85" model (UN85AU8000FXZA with Crystal UHD technology), which I purchased just over three years ago.

Initially, this new TV worked flawlessly. However, a month ago, I began noticing some troubling symptoms. A bright patch of light started to appear at the lower right part of the screen, fading vertically. That area also became hot to the touch—sometimes too hot to even place a finger on. Whenever it got noticeably bright and hot, we had to power off the TV for safety.

Community Concerns

Trying to figure out what was going on, I turned to the internet. To my surprise, I found that several users of the same TV model were experiencing similar issues—light bleed, heat above the power button, and vertical dark areas developing over time. Most of these complaints surfaced 2–3 years after purchase—eerily similar to my timeline.

Sure enough, within a few weeks of the initial symptoms, dark vertical bands started to appear on the right side of the screen. That’s when I contacted Samsung support.

The Service Visit

Samsung scheduled a free service visit through a third-party vendor, Home Service Network, Inc. The technician arrived on time and performed some remote diagnostics with Samsung support over the phone. He then disassembled the TV, inspected the inside, and took several photos to share with the support team. Based on their analysis, he concluded that the screen was defective and would need to be replaced. There was even a chance the entire unit could be replaced, depending on Samsung’s decision.

Oddly, when he reassembled the TV, it wasn’t done properly—there were noticeable gaps along the edges. He said it didn’t matter because someone would be back soon to replace the screen. However, after he left, the situation got worse: the screen was now almost completely black.

Radio Silence, Then a Rude Awakening

I waited a week, but nobody from Samsung reached out. When I followed up, it was as if they had no record of the previous visit. They started the process from scratch, and once again scheduled a service appointment. I specifically requested that the next visit be for a repair, not just another inspection. That’s when I received a text from the same service company saying the TV was out of warranty, and I’d need to pay $620 for the service, not including parts and taxes.

This felt unfair. There was no physical damage, and the issue clearly stemmed from a design or manufacturing flaw. The TV was just over three years old. I contacted Samsung support again and explained everything. I expressed how disappointed I was that a high-end TV we spent thousands of dollars on had become unusable due to a defect. Despite my efforts, Samsung politely declined to help, reiterating that the product was out of warranty and that they couldn’t cover any repairs.

Final Thoughts

• Samsung still makes great products. Many of their appliances and electronics are reliable and long-lasting.
• However, if something goes wrong due to a manufacturing flaw and you're out of warranty, don’t expect any help. Even loyal, long-term customers are left without support.
• Customer service is not a priority. It’s frustrating and disappointing to see a company I trusted offer so little assistance when it mattered most.

As much as I love Samsung products, this experience has left a sour taste. I hope Samsung reconsiders how they handle long-term customer satisfaction and stands behind their products—especially when the issue is clearly not user-caused.