Novelty and Warranties
Last time I wrote on this blog, I said I finally caved in and ordered the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and that I should receive it soon. I did, I was able to use it since its launch and then I decided to return it. Of course, I didn't forget to get some camera samples and write down some observations on the device, but not a full review due to my very, very busy schedule. Same goes for the S21 FE, for which I'll publish the partial review I made on it soon.
| Note trap
My disappointment with the Note22 Ultra is due to its many, many regressions, in comparison with my trusty Note20 Ultra. First, the terrible, terrible vibration motor. The vibrations are so mute, they feel like some sort of echo you probably imagined and promptly forget about. Awesome for notifications! Then, the devices generates more heat than the Note20 Ultra. As it doesn't perform any better in day-to-day tasks, owing to the fact that the N20U already handled those beautifully, this wasn't a great or worthwhile change. Of course, we also have the removal of the MicroSDXC slot, a change I'll always complain over. And finally, the battery life appears to only match the endurance of an almost 2-years-old smartphone, whose energy cell must've already degraded at least partially. Not impressive, knowing the new device has a bigger battery at 5000mAh (versus 4500 for the N20U).
These are all small things, granted. However, they all affect significantly the elementary user experience. So, what do you get in return of all these sacrifices, again in comparison of the Note20 Ultra? Frankly, not much. You get a mostly improved camera, a better display and that's it. And, as I needed the 512GB model or bigger, that is not a lot of reasons to spend 1900$+tax. There were much better things to invest this much money over, such as my fittingly future tuition fees of 2000$ per quarter, or simply saving up for when I'll have to enter the absurdly inflated housing market in a few years. I thus made the decision to return the overpriced device. I did fall prey of the novelty effect and excitement but thankfully I may now rectify this mistake. My current device will continue to serve me well for the foreseeable future, and I'm quite happy about it!
| What about "warranties"?
That is another thing I'm not quite proud about. When I made the purchase, I also took the Samsung Care+ protection plan. Heed my warning: these things are scams! Not only here in Quebec, even if they're even more of a gullible-indicator here. Let's start locally and then I'll pass on a massive discovery given to me by a friend.*
* No, this won't end up with a link to enroll in a pyramid scheme, even if that wording suggests it is.
| Je me souviens of the law
What's so specific about Quebec that makes the purchase of these extended warranties even more of a bad idea? A simple law called the Loi sur la protection du consommateur. The part that interests us here is the article 38, which states "Un bien qui fait l’objet d’un contrat doit être tel qu’il puisse servir à un usage normal pendant une durée raisonnable, eu égard à son prix, aux dispositions du contrat et aux conditions d’utilisation du bien", or that a product should remain usable for a reasonable amount of time, according to the price paid and the intended use case.
Granted, that sounds vague. Nothing in this law quantifies what a reasonable amount of time is. However, there are precedents! The Office de la protection du consommateur thankfully gives us a convenient link to a variety of judgements related to this law. Not only smartphones but all sorts of goods are covered and many, many past judgements are available for you to consult.
Back to the point, your device shouldn't stop working properly on its own, even past the initial warranty period. If it does, depending on what device you purchased and at what price, either the merchant or the manufacturer should fix it, replace it or refund you (article 53). Important highlight because otherwise, they'll keep telling you that it's the other person's problem and they'll laugh at you running in circles until you give up.
For other provinces, I haven't looked at their laws so you can search in your province's legislation to see if such a law is available to you. If not, you might also want to contact your MP and express your interest in such a legal protection.
| And everything else
This all concerned the device's normal usage. What about the accidental damages? Well, you can always insure your new purchase with your insurance company! With the right insurance, you can have full protection for the device for a much cheaper price per year, without deductibles. And yes, these do cover physical damage, in addition to loss and theft. The person who told me about it only pays 30$/year, far cheaper than the 250$, 2-year S Care with deductible fees. It is important to specify you do not want an insurance with a deductible but overall, this is a far superior protection plan than Samsung's, or pretty much anyone's protection plan. Finally, also check if your credit card has any such accidental damage protection already included for free. These shouldn't hold any surprises or deductibles, either.
You have many affordable ways to protect your purchase, so why waste money for a protection you may already have?