It is a fact that many South African consumers use batteries and chargers that are not compatible with their selected brand of mobile device, or more accurately, that are not authentic to the specific brand. The use of third party accessories could have far reaching consequences for not only the consumer, but also for Samsung’s commitment to offer quality products and service to their consumers.
“At Samsung we aim to enrich the consumer’s brand experience by offering an end-to-end solution right from the purchase of products down to delivering on their service expectations. Education is also an important element to make consumers aware of how to optimally use and care for their devices to ensure performance and longevity of their products,” says Craige Fleischer, Director of Mobile Communications at Samsung South Africa.
“Many consumers are buying and utilising accessories such as chargers and batteries, which are not approved for their specific device, without realising the true costs involved.”
There are a number of real disadvantages to using non-authentic accessories which consumers need to consider before using these items.
Possible negative outcomes of using third party batteries or chargers include:
* Reduced lifespan of the device, or damage to the battery;
* Device malfunction such as overheating;
* Physical damage to the device; and
* In some cases, product failure could cause personal injury.
Consumers also need to be aware that the choice to use accessories that have not been endorsed by the device manufacturer could impact, or void, the warranty. In most cases, device manufactures do not test universal accessories for compatibility with branded devices, and are unable to guarantee the performance or protect the consumer against damages which could occur.
Authentic accessories can optimise your battery’s life and reduce the frustration which poorly performing batteries create.
“At Samsung we employ strict quality control measures to ensure that all our products meet the highest safety and performance standards.
“It might not seem that batteries and chargers are an important accessory, however, we would like to continue to encourage all our consumers to use original Samsung batteries and chargers with their Samsung mobile phones to ensure they receive the performance and reliability they have come to expect from our devices,” concludes Fleischer.