Leading smartphone developer Samsung is at the centre of Federal Court proceedings after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged the advertised water resistance of Samsung Galaxy branded smartphones was deceptive.
The ACCC is using examples from more than 300 different Samsung advertisements shown since 2016 that claim Galaxy phones are water resistant. Examples included people jumping into pools, a man using his phone underwater in a pool, a lady underwater on a surfboard and a man lying on top of the water in a pool with his phone on his chest.
On a social media post in May 2017, Australian customers tagged the ACCC into the post and complained about the advertising.
While Samsung appears to have deleted the ads directed at the Australian market from Twitter and Instagram, a representative told Reuters that the company complied with Australian law and planned to defend the case.
The ACCC is claiming that Samsung had not sufficiently tested the phones’ water resistance and questions the company’s denial of warranty claims from customers whose phones were water damaged.
“The ACCC alleges Samsung’s advertisements falsely and misleadingly represented Galaxy phones would be suitable for use in, or for exposure to, all types of water, including in ocean water and swimming pools, and would not be affected by such exposure to water for the life of the phone, when this was not the case,” ACCC chair Rod Sims said.
Have you experienced issues with your Samsung smartphone after it was exposed to water?
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