[Galaxy S III General] Behram:
Update

[March 1, 2013]

I phoned the Lhr M&P service center today around 9:40am and was not surprised when they refused to answer my phone calls! I kept trying for a good 20 minutes (once I even got a busy line on the other end proving that someone was present). Finally, I decided to call using my mother's cellphone at around 10:05am, and voila, an operator answered! I asked him politely why they weren't picking up the phone and he replied that the office opened at 10:00 [Note: I'd previously been told that the office timings were from 9 to 5, and i know for a fact that some of my previous calls had been made before 10 for sure]. Then suddenly the operator added that there was a problem with the exchange, and also that the electricity was out! (What?! very unprofessional and bad service)

Khair, I asked him about my Galaxy s3, and even before i'd told him my IMEI #, he started to tell me about the shortage of spare parts and how Samsung was trying its best to resolve the problem. I firmly told him that it had been almost 43 days that i've been without my phone and that I'd like a replacement set since i couldn't wait any longer. I told him I didn't care about what problems Samsung was being faced with; my concern is solely with the warranty that i've bought from M&P, and that there should be a policy which makes it necessary for a warranty company to REPLACE a set after it fails to REPAIR it within a specified time period (within 20 days for example)!

He started saying that Samsung is dedicated to providing the best service to its clients, and that sometimes they even replace faulty devices, but that in this case, thousands of users from all over Pakistan had been affected by this problem (i.e. Sudden Death) and therefore REPLACING so many devices was not a feasible option!

I asked him why they couldn't just take out motherboards from new (or even old) working s3 sets and repair the faulty ones, to which he replied that Samsung only settles for the best and will only repair faulty devices with BRAND NEW, UNUSED spare parts! He even said that any device that is deemed non-repairable is promptly smashed to bits by Samsung (quality control)!

I complained that I was stuck with using my old cheap nokia, to which the operator (kindly) offered to send me a "non-executive class phone" (like the Samsung S3310) which i could use until my s3 was repaired. I asked him why i couldn't be given a temporary second hand s3!! All he said was that executive phones can not be given as per policy...

Finally, the operator told me that although it was possible to repair my SDS s3 (without waiting for the spare parts to arrive from Dubai), it would still have the risk of being afflicted with SDS again. (Is it possible to repair SDS without changing the motherboard??)

By this time I was so desperate that I told him that I'd like to take that risk and that I'd like my s3 to be repaired and sent back to me ASAP! I was shocked when the operator REFUSED to do so!! He said that Samsung policy does not allow for risky repair, they only settle for the best service blah blah blah!!!

I angrily told him that it was MY s3 and I was giving M&P permission to repair it (with the acceptance of risk on my behalf); the operator pleaded with me at this point to wait a little longer. It actually became so funny at this point, i really didn't know what to say. Suddenly, the operator said that I should call him at 3pm today and he would tell me (for sure this time, i hope) by when the spare parts shipment is going to arrive from Dubai. (I'm also hoping they might make an exception in my case and give me a brand new s3!)

Fingers crossed...