Samsung has admitted to making misleading claims about the water resistance of seven of its phones. The damage caused to the South Korean giant will cost just over 9 million euros.
Most smartphones today meet waterproof standards. Waterproofing that you can also test on your Android smartphone using a small application. real marketing asset, It is actually a relative resistance to water. Some smartphones can indeed only receive a spray while others can only withstand rapid and non-constant immersion in water.
detail it Looks like Samsung forgot to specify, notably in its advertising campaigns in Australia. The damage would cost the South Korean tech giant just over $9 million.
Samsung lied about the water resistance of seven of its smartphones
Via a press release from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Samsung admitted to making false claims about waterproofing On the following models of its smartphones:
The facts took place between 2016 and 2018, when Samsung Australia ran ads praising the water resistance of some of its phones. The advertisements showed that the phones in question were suitable for use in swimming pools or seawater, and these advertising campaigns were widely distributed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the brands’ official channels.
However, Australian users noted that Their smartphone sometimes stops working after being immersed in sea water or in a swimming pool. The corrosive substances present in this water have already caused numerous breakdowns in the brand’s appliances.
The South Korean giant is fined 9.2 million euros
After receiving numerous complaints, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was shut down. And the organization’s press release is very clear: “Samsung Australia’s water resistance claims encouraged a major selling point for these Galaxy phones; many consumers who have purchased a Galaxy phone may have been exposed to misleading advertisements before making their decision to purchase a new phone.
Due to its false advertising campaigns, the company is now being asked to pay a little more 14 million Australian dollars (9.2 million euros). A real blow for Samsung, which will quickly have to pay a fairly large fine. What’s more in a country where more than 3 million Galaxy phones have been sold.
The source : Australian Competition and Consumer Commission