Samsung phones not so smart

AUSTRALIA’S c onsumer watchdog is taking Samsung to court for marketing phones as suitable for use in pools and oceans, despite knowing they were not sufficiently water resistant.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has sued the Korean technology titan, alleging it misled and deceived customers with representations of various Galaxy phones across more than 300 advertisements since February 2016. Ads depicted the phones being used at pools and beaches, while Samsung also advertised them as being water resistant up to 1.5m for 30 minutes, the ACCC said.

One ad showed a phone being used under water at a pool, another described “capturing your Saturday surf session at the beach”, and another showed a man floating on an inflatable raft with a watersplashed phone on his sternum.

The ACCC said the ads were false, misleading and deceptive because the phones were not suitable for use in all types of water, which Samsung acknowledged on its website by advising against using the Galaxy S10 at the beach or a pool.

“Samsung showed the Galaxy phones used in situations they shouldn’t be to attract customers,” ACCC chair Rod Sims said yesterday.

“Under the Australian Consumer Law, businesses cannot mislead consumers about their products’ capabilities.”

The ACCC has launched Federal Court proceedings against the electronics company.

Samsung said it intends to defend the proceedings.

“Samsung stands by its marketing and advertising of the water resistancy of its smartphones,” Samsung Australia said.

The ACCC alleges Samsung did not sufficiently test its phones to back its advertised claims and denied warranty claims from users whose phones were damaged in water.