Grey import i900 from Singapore - steer clear or go for it ??

[Guest Midahed]

I just bought a sim-free i900 Omnia via Amazon in the UK only to find that it's a grey import from Singapore. I had avoided buying the cheaper units that are on offer on Ebay, and had assumed that I would be getting a genuine UK handset.

Should I be concerned about this? I understand that if it dies in the warranty period, I will have to ship it back to Singapore for repair. Of slightly more concern is the suggestion that some features of the handset may not work because it's 'in the wrong country'.

Are the Singapore Omnias really any different to a UK unit? Will a Singapore grey import handset work exactly the same in the UK as if it were a UK model?

When the warranty has expired I'll almost certainly want to flash the ROM to get the latest updates. Are there any problems that can result in it not being possible to flash a Far-Eastern phone because the new ROM software detects that it's a phone from a different region?

Thanks,

Mike

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

It should work fine, but I have no idea where you stand warranty wise?

I'm on my second singapore device and have no issues, but if something should go wrong that's when i'd be worried.

P

[Guest Ingvarr]

Warranty issue is single enough to steer clear from Singaporeans. Its quite a big chance that you will need service.

[Guest Shadowy]

I bought mine from Play.com and it turned out to be a Singapore version. I've had no problem with it yet, upgraded to HH3 and then HI1.

As far as I'm aware, if I have a problem with it I contact Play and they'll either tell me to return it to them or where I should send it for repair under warranty...assuming I still have one after the upgrades ;) I assume Amazon will do something similar.

[Guest Midahed]

It should work fine, but I have no idea where you stand warranty wise?

I'm on my second singapore device and have no issues, but if something should go wrong that's when i'd be worried.

I've just spoken to Samsung-Mobile in the UK. Apparently the key thing is whether or not the box contains an EU warranty card. All phones supplied within the EU should have such a card that provides all the contact details for warranty claims. Without that card, you're only warranty service is that provided in the phone's country of origin.

In other words. because my phone did not include one of these cards it's not an official EU-supplied phone. If it dies I'll have to ship it to Samsung in the Far-East (presumably Singapore) to get it repaired.

To be honest, while that was of some concern it's not necessarily a deal-breaker. Unless you can get your supplier to cough-up an exchange unit you're going to kiss goodbye to your phone for a while if it has to be repaired. Perhaps the extra few days each way to ship it back to Singapore isn't that significant? Also, electronic devices are pretty reliable these days, so the odds of having to rely on the warranty service should be fairly long unless you're unlucky enough to get one from a bad batch.

My biggest concern was that the handset was 'the same' (in terms of functionality and features) as a genuine UK model. The implication of what the guy at Samsung said was that this is the case. He said that all the handsets are manufactured in Korea and they're all the same.

I'm still undecided, though. I have a few days in which to return the handset for a refund. However, the official line of the supplier is that they charge a 10% 're-stocking fee' where phones are returned 'for no good reason'. I think their failure to disclose that it's a grey import is a very good reason for returning it, so I've asked them to confirm that I'll be entitled to a full refund.

Meanwhile, if anyone thinks I'm worrying over nothing, please let me know. I'd be interested to hear how long it takes to get phones fixed under warranty in the UK and how long it takes to get a grey import fixed back in Singapore.

I suppose another question is just how reliable is the i900? If having to have repairs done is a commonplace experience, then I'd be more inclined to be concerned about having to ship it back to Singapore.

[Guest WearTheFoxHat]

While that's true, there's a post on here about a guy in the USA who had a Singapore handset, and bricked it. Samsung had the local courier pick it up send it to the Texas Samsung Center, then shipped it to Singapore, fixed it, updated the rom and shipped it back.

Also how does the warranty stand with custom rom upgrades !?

Personally if it arrives and its working, give it a couple of days to make sure its ok. Then myself, I wouldn't worry about the warranty. I know they are expensive handsets, but once we start to customise them, then I guess its up to the goodwill of the manufacturer to get it fixed!

[Guest Midahed]

While that's true, there's a post on here about a guy in the USA who had a Singapore handset, and bricked it. Samsung had the local courier pick it up send it to the Texas Samsung Center, then shipped it to Singapore, fixed it, updated the rom and shipped it back.

Also how does the warranty stand with custom rom upgrades !?

Personally if it arrives and its working, give it a couple of days to make sure its ok. Then myself, I wouldn't worry about the warranty. I know they are expensive handsets, but once we start to customise them, then I guess its up to the goodwill of the manufacturer to get it fixed!

Yeah, I saw that post from the guy in the USA. Good on him, but I doubt that's a fair reflection of Samsung's normal response. :wacko:

I still haven't heard back from the supplier, but Samsung UK have checked the IMEI and have confirmed that it's an import from Singapore. I'd contemplate sending it back for a full refund because I could then pay not very much more and buy a replacement with a normal UK warranty. However, I'm not prepared to accept the supplier's 10% re-stocking fee on the basis that they consider the phone is being returned 'for no good reason'.

They responded very quickly to my initial contact, but now they've gone all quiet, the implication being that they are trying to avoid committing to a full refund. Hmmmm.... not good. They're probably trying to 'wait me out' until the 7-day return period has lapsed, and then claim that a return is no longer an option.

The problem is that I'm falling in love with the damn thing, so I'm not sure that the quickie divorce that I was planning is any longer on the cards. It really is a great phone ;)

Oh well, we'll see what the next couple of days bring. If and when they offer a full refund I'll probably send it back and get a UK replacement. If they still want their 10% returns fee, I have the choice of arguing it out or keeping it. I suspect it will be the latter.