Tim
This is a PSA for anyone who pre-ordered the Galaxy Note 7 through T-Mobile the night it went live on August 2 (9PM Pacific) and August 3 (12AM Eastern). If you have attempted to claim your free promotional goodies from Samsung, beware, they are experiencing a technical issue that will automatically deny your claim.
Take my story, for example. I was in New York (Eastern time, obviously) for the Galaxy Note 7 launch event, then caught a flight back to Portland, OR later that night. During my flight, the clock struck 12AM (Eastern) on August 3, granting us access to pre-order the device through T-Mobile. However, when the purchase was complete and we received our receipt, the date stated August 2 at 9:07PM. Thinking this would be no big deal, we went about our lives.
Yesterday, when I received the device, I attempted to claim my free promotional goodie from Samsung. Oddly enough, on Samsung’s promotions website, there was no option for August 2 when selecting which date I made my purchase. I assumed it was a bug and selected August 3, since technically I was mid-flight and still on Eastern time when I made the purchase. This is where things get messy.
According to the Samsung’s own Terms and Conditions, the promotion is only valid if the device is purchased between August 3 and August 28, 2016. Since my receipt clearly states that I purchased on August 2, that’s bad news for me. Now, I have to assume this is just a mixup, as T-Mobile’s website allowed me to pre-order the device. I’m an early adopter and should not be punished (not given my free goodies) for being one of the first people to order the phone.
After submitting all of my paperwork (IMEI, MAC address, PDF of T-Mobile receipt), I received an email from Samsung this morning, declaring I was ineligible for the promotion because I did not purchase the device “within the retailer purchase period.” C’mon, Samsung, you and I both know that is bullshit.
After I received that email, I immediately reached out to Samsung’s promotions team via its 1-800 phone number listed on the website. I spoke to a representative who stated many people had already called about this issue, and they are coordinating with T-Mobile to resolve it. Thank goodness. Given we run an Android news website, we have received an email already, informing us there is a “contingent” of users on XDA who are complaining about the same issue. The good news is, Samsung and T-Mobile are working on it! I was told to keep an eye on my email as the companies work to resolve the problem. Even with that being said, though, Samsung could not give me a timeframe for when the time/date issue will be cleared up. However, I take comfort in knowing that they are working on it.
To everyone who received an email like this from Samsung support staff, please don’t freak out. Your free goodies will come!
Update: Much to my delight, it appears Samsung and T-Mobile have resolved the issue and those who were affected should now see “Approved” under their status. Hooray!
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