Samsung Refrigerator

Ddubya · 06-10-2017, 06:59 PM

Well on our third stop on a month long trip we awoke to a dead Samsung refrigerator. Power is on but no compressor. Powered down and back on several times but no results. I called Samsung and while they tried to help it boiled down to them saying that someone would call me in two business days. This was Friday which means Monday. Called around Estes Park area but everyone I spoke to said they would not work on a refrigerator that was in a RV.
Plan "B". We purchased a small freezer from Best Buy and packed our non-freezer items in coolers. Monday we will purchase a small refrigerator and continue on our trip.
We will deal with the Samsung when we return home.

gearhead · 06-11-2017, 03:48 AM

I'm wondering what is the solution. My Dometic is a pain in the rear, residential refridges are heat sensitive. I see that Cirrus cabovers are using European Thetfords. Totally different system I think.
edit add...it's just a new model not the different compressor style.

Ddubya · 07-03-2017, 10:22 AM

OK, Just returned from a 6000 mile trip with the dead Samsung refrigerator. Bought a small refrigerator from Lowes and a small freezer from Best Buy in order to complete the trip.
I will attempt to remove the Samsung so I can check it out and if I cannot fix it will call Samsung. Most if all refrigerator repair companies will not touch a residential refrigerator if it is installed in a RV.
Question is. Has anyone removed one of these?? If so any tips?

captcolour · 07-03-2017, 05:38 PM

Sorry about your frig. We were just in Estes Park 6/2 - 6/6. Stayed at Mary's Lake. Had a good time. Weather was great.

Ddubya · 07-03-2017, 08:38 PM

We stayed at Mary's Lake also. Got there on the 10th.

Mboys · 07-04-2017, 02:07 AM

Sorry to hear about your Samsung issues. I feel your pain!. We have had nothing but problems with our Samsung residential frig from day one, literally. First day out on our shakedown trip, frige would not cool, top or bottom. Computer boards were blown and had to be replaced. Of course had to take it back to CW where i bouught the Alpine. 8 weeks later, got it back after i had to coordinate repairs between Samsung tech and CW. What a mess. Fast forward 4 months, as i write this, im setting next to an ice chest and the Samsung frig that wont cool below 60 degrees. Coils freezing up apparently. We are so frustrated with this frig. Did i mention we are in Fla and its 90 degrees on a four month trip. Meeting up with Samsung Tech in Tampa in 2 days who we had to call two weeks ago. Told them it was in a fifthweel, hope they heard me. Good luck with your problem.
Hope you get some satisfaction and unit repaired. Maybe someone here would be interested in a good boat anchor.

Mboys · 07-04-2017, 02:59 AM

Also wanted to add, while I'm sure all brands of refrigerators have issues, Samsung has a multitude of negative comments on reviews regarding this residential frig with freeze up problems. Something Keystone may want to revisit. Very disappointing to have these kind of issues after purchasing a new fiver, warranty or not.

BrentB · 07-04-2017, 03:10 AM

Sorry you guys are having these problems. In my experience, Samsung makes great looking products, but they don't last very long.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Ddubya · 07-10-2017, 09:37 AM

Well we arrived home with our broken refrigerator. I contacted Samsung again and they put me in touch with a service center in Colorado (I live in Texas) which is where I first reported the problem. I contacted them again and they had a very hard time understanding that the refrigerator had moved from Colorado to Texas. They then told me that they would email me the name of a local service company . That did not happen. Another call resulted in them giving me the number for another service company that was out of business. Another call, now they say that I will get a call from yet another company but they cannot send a tech out until Thursday or Friday. This was Friday. So another week to wait. In the mean time I have removed the refrigerator from the slide-out as I have been informed that they will not service it unless it is accessible. Remove all of the doors and maneuver carefully around the island. I wish I still drank!

Ddubya · 07-10-2017, 09:54 AM

UPDATE!!!!! I contacted the repair company and informed them that the refrigerator was in a RV and they said they would not work on it. I explained that I had removed it out of the slide and that it was totally accessible. They said that they would not work on it as long as it is in the RV. They said that I could bring the refrigerator to them and they would work on it.

**JRTJH** · 07-10-2017, 10:06 AM

I have to ask this question, maybe you've answered it already, but....

Why isn't Keystone handling this problem? Your trailer is in the 1 year Keystone warranty and it "SHOULD BE" (unless you've been denied coverage) the responsibility of your dealer to fix this problem.

I know some members have had issues with the dealership being "unable or unwilling" to fix their Dometic refrigerator problems and have gone to a separate appliance repair facility, but that's only after the dealership failed. In your case, before doing anything else, what has the dealership done for you and/or what have they refused to do? Seems to me you're making this far more complicated than it ought to be on a trailer that is still in the factory warranty.

Am I missing something?

Ddubya · 07-10-2017, 11:23 AM

The warranty is through Samsung. I am talking with Keystone and they have been very sympathetic. They are aware of the situation with Samsung as they have had similar issues.
Yes I could have gone through the dealer but it would entail taking the RV to them and the same issues would have to be resolved. I feel that I am better suited and have more initiative to deal with Samsung than the dealer.
This is a warranty issue and Samsung for the most part does not understand that the refrigerator is in a RV or even what a RV is.
I will keep this forum informed as to what the outcome is and will relay the information to Keystone so they will have a better understanding of the situation.

**JRTJH** · 07-10-2017, 01:18 PM

While you're certainly free to make your own decisions about what you want to do with the refrigerator failure, this is on page 10 of the Keystone Owner's Manual. I changed some of the print to red to highlight it:

Appliance and component manufacturer warranties, if any, are separate from the Keystone Limited Warranty. Keystone administers those warranties only during the Keystone one (1) year coverage period except for tires, batteries, generators, and ASA supplied electronics. All warranty service claims on components must therefore be directed during the one (1) year coverage period to Keystone through an authorized Keystone dealer or service center. After the Keystone coverage period expires, all appliance and component warranty claims must be directed to the respective appliance and component manufacturers. Keystone is not warranting any appliance or components. In no way shall Keystone’s Limited Warranty be modified or amended by this provision.

It may be that Keystone can work the problem with Samsung more effectively than a single owner. As you said, the person at Samsung that you've been talking with doesn't even understand what an RV is. Obviously Keystone has a "million dollar contract" with Samsung to supply refrigerators for use in many RV brands. I'd suspect that there's two different divisions in Samsung, one that you're talking to and one that Keystone is doing business with. Might be better served if Keystone talked to their people at Samsung...... Also, it is very likely that if Keystone never hears about all these refrigerator failures from owners, their contracting division will keep buying Samsung's products, believing that they are working "failure free" for the thousands of "satisfied owners" who never took their functional refrigerators to a dealer for service......So, the problems continue because the "right people at Keystone" never hear that there's a problem through their "feedback channels".

Just my thoughts, do what you wish.

Ddubya · 07-10-2017, 02:03 PM

I am in contact with Keystone. They are advising me as how to handle the claim. If the dealer was involved I would have to depend on them to contact Keystone. I don't know who your dealer is but most or not very efficient when it comes to solving customer problems. I would rather have my fiver at my house in the barn than have it sit on a dealers lot for months while they dragged their feet.
You can handle your problems as you choose. I choose to do it this way.

**JRTJH** · 07-10-2017, 04:01 PM

Best of luck, keep us posted on how it goes, it may help another owner with the same problems.

Ddubya · 07-12-2017, 05:19 PM

Well the saga continues.
I have talked to Samsung eight times and they always tell me that they have someone lined up to fix the refrigerator. Every time the repair company says they will not work on if it is in a RV.
I have also been in contact with the dealer and they say that I have to go direct to Samsung.
Same story with Keystone. Keystone has at least listened to my story and have called Samsung on my behalf. They basically are in the same situation as I am and can only talk to the same Samsung people. Samsung only has one number for service. I even called Samsung Corporate in NJ and their system put me directly into the service merry-go-round.
I have never had to deal with any more incompetent group as Samsung.
I am now waiting for the fifth "we will contact you in 24 to 48 hours" to happen. I suspect it will turn out as the other times with Samsung assigning a repair company only to have them tell me no, they will not work on it if it is in a RV.
Most people do not have the patience or time to go through these gyrations but now it has become a game with me. In the end I know I will prevail but rest assure it will be a cold day in hell before I ever purchase another Samsung product.

kfxgreenie · 07-12-2017, 05:29 PM

Your best bet is to just get it out of the RV, and in the garage and then let Samsung come and fix it. You could let the dealer do this but like you suspect, it will sit on their lot probably til they can get to it and get the refer out. Then the dealer would contact Samsung and wait the period of time it takes Samsung to attempt to make the repair, probably order parts come back and hopefully get it completed. Then back to the wait time on the dealer to get it back in the RV. It will take you less time to get it out of the RV than the time you'll waste on the phone. When it comes to residential refrigerators in RV's Samsung is not alone in the repair nightmares.

stvncnd · 07-12-2017, 05:38 PM

tough stuff about the samsung. I have a norcold in my coach(Montana 3820FK) worked great one time. Now it wont get cold. dealer did a bunch of stuff to determine what the problem is and turns out the installation by Montana was not right and it is not getting proper venting.....
Sucks..

Ddubya · 07-12-2017, 06:57 PM

Kfxgreenie

You are right about taking it out my self but I am just hard headed enough to see this thing through.
I doubt many RV purchasers have thought about whether they would have to remove their refrigerator to have it serviced.
If nothing else my escapade may cause the manufacturer of the RV's to tell their prospective buyers about what the actual warranty process entails.

**chuckster57** · 07-12-2017, 07:21 PM

Taking a residential refer out of an RV is a very daunting task!! Do potential buyers think about having to remove it for service? I doubt it and the salesperson most likely has no idea what's involved. Will the manufacturers inform potential customers what the "actual process" is? I don't see them making any changes in the near future.

We have had to remove appliances from cabinets a few times, ain't no fun that's for sure!!

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