Samsung technician cracked TV display while replacing motherboard, company calls damage outside warranty, Samsung India ordered to pay 19,740

A television repair visit turned into a four year legal battle for a Mumbai customer after the technician sent to fix his Samsung set ended up cracking its display himself. The company later told him the damage fell outside warranty terms and offered only a reduced refund, a stand the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Mumbai Suburban has now rejected.

The customer had bought a 32 inch Samsung smart television in December 2020. The set stopped working in October 2021, still inside its one year warranty period. A technician from the company's authorised service centre visited to replace the motherboard, and in doing so is said to have rested the television on the edge of a bed. The screen developed a crack during this process.

What Happened To The Television


The customer told the commission the display was working fine right up to the point the technician arrived. Once the motherboard was replaced, black patches and a crack appeared on the panel. He backed his version with photographs showing where the set had been placed during the repair, along with emails sent to the company soon after flagging the damage. The technician, he said, refused to accept responsibility and instead asked for Rs 12,000 to replace the cracked panel, money the customer declined to pay for a fault he did not cause.

What Did The Company Say

Samsung told the commission physical damage and mishandling fall outside standard warranty cover, and argued the crack amounted to exactly that. It said it went beyond its obligations by first offering a free repair, which got delayed due to supply chain disruptions during the pandemic. When the customer did not want to wait any longer, the company offered a depreciated refund of Rs 7,329 after deducting the cost of the damaged panel. It also pointed out the customer later bought a second Samsung television of the same specifications, arguing this showed confidence in the brand and weakened his claim against the company.

What Did The Customer Argue

The customer maintained the sequence of events made the cause of the damage clear. The television worked normally before the visit, the technician handled it carelessly during the repair, and the crack appeared only after that visit. He also told the commission the unresolved complaint stretched across the Covid pandemic, forcing his family to take their children to a cinema hall for entertainment since the television at home was out of use, a step he said carried its own health risk at the time.

What Did The Consumer Commission Find

The commission noted the company itself had not denied the technician caused the crack, choosing instead to argue that any physical damage voided the warranty regardless of who caused it. It held that reasoning could not stand once the company's own service visit was established as the source of the damage. No separate technical expert report was needed, the commission said, since the admission of a crack occurring during the repair was proof enough on its own. It ruled the company guilty of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice for trying to charge the customer for its own technician's error.


What Was The Final Order

The commission directed Samsung to repair the television's panel free of cost, or alternatively pay the customer the value of the set along with 9 percent annual interest calculated from the date the complaint was filed in January 2022. It also ordered Rs 5,000 as compensation for the mental agony and inconvenience caused, and a further Rs 5,000 towards the cost of pursuing the case. The customer was told to hand over the television to the company only if the full refund with interest is paid within seven days of the order.