Troubleshooter: Pink phone mixup has Cary man seeing red

Diane Wilson Image
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Troubleshooter Diane Wilson
Troubleshooter Diane Wilson helps man get refund on wrong phone.

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Cary resident Ronald Carr said it was a return runaround when it came to getting a refund for a phone he mistakenly ordered.

The problem revolves around a cell phone is ordered from Samsung. When Ronald ordered it online for a gift for his son, he realized he made a mistake after it arrived.

Ronald said his son immediately said, "Why did you order me a pink phone?"

"I was like pink? I'm taking it back," Ronald recalled. "I didn't realize I ordered pink."

Since this pink phone was a no-go, Ronald went online, ordered the black phone his son wanted and put in a request for a return with Samsung.

"I was granted a return authorization. We packaged the phone up in the same manner in which we received it with all the same protective packaging on it," Ronald said. "We hadn't as much powered the phone on. There was no need; he didn't want a pink phone."

About a month later, Ronald got the phone back. The documentation from Samsung stated it was refused because of modified software.

He disputed the return refusal and then Samsung sent an email along with these photographs that Samsung claimed are the phone in question and it stated that it shows the software was modified because on the screen of the phone, one code says "fuse blown" and system status "custom."

Ronald said this angered him even more.

"We haven't even powered it on, and I certainly wouldn't know how to modify the software on a cell phone," Ronald said.

The email Ronald Carr received from Samsung rejecting his claim.
Courtesy of Ronald Carr

Ronald got in touch with me and after I reached out to Samsung, a representative with Samsung reached back out to Ronald and instructed him to send the pink phone back in. This time, after returning it, he got a full refund for the pink phone.

"It's turned out great," Ronald said.

Samsung worked directly with Ronald on this and did not provide any comment.

The Troubleshooter takeaway here is that before you place any online order, double, even triple check that you are ordering exactly what you want.

Also if you do have to return it, take pictures and video of the item before you return it to show the condition of the product.