Best Buy will soon stop repairing Samsung phones

Summary

• Samsung was recently under fire when a leaked contract came to light, which indicates that the company demanded third party repair shops to collect and share customer information in exchange for access to genuine repair parts.
• iFixit, for an unrelated reason, ended its partnership with Samsung, saying that the South Korean tech giant’s approach to repairability does not align with its mission.
• Best Buy has now reportedly ended its repair partnership with Samsung, creating inconvenience for US customers seeking authorized service.

Samsung’s anti-consumer repair practices have landed it in hot waters. Last month, a leaked Samsung contract with third-party repair shops sparked outrage. The contract, which suggested that Samsung demands customer information from repair shops in exchange for access to genuine parts, raised privacy and customer rights concerns.

Subsequently, on an unrelated note, and that too on the same day as the leaked contract came to light, iFixit ended its partnership with Samsung, saying that the South Korean tech giant’s approach to repairability does not align with its mission. “As we tried to build this ecosystem we consistently faced obstacles that made us doubt Samsung’s commitment to making repair more accessible,” wrote iFixit in a blog post.

Now, major retail giant Best Buy has reportedly ended its repair partnership with Samsung, as pointed out by The Verge. This, too, seems to be a move unrelated to the third party repair shop contract coming to light, but a major blow to Samsung’s repairability front nonetheless and an inconvenience for Samsung customers in the US who now have one less authorized service provider they can visit to get their device repaired.

Trying to schedule a Samsung repair on Best Buy’s website now doesn’t show any authorized service locations, alongside an error text saying “The closest Best Buy store to you is over 200 miles away. Give us a call at … so we can help you schedule your appointment.” The error does not persist when you follow the same steps to schedule an Apple repair.

For reference, Best Buy is/was an authorized service provider for Samsung’s repair program. This means that customers could essentially walk into a Best Buy store and get their Samsung devices repaired with genuine parts as part of a Samsung authorized service provider program (SASP).

Internal communication seen by The Verge suggests that this would no longer be possible. The publication spoke to a Geek Squad employee who indicated that the program was ending, and provided a screenshot of internal communication suggesting the same. The screenshot also reads that employees should expect to see a reduction in Samsung repair appointments “due to scheduling being turned off.” This is likely why the scheduling portal mentioned above now shows an error prompt.

It’s worth noting that if you bought your Samsung phone from Best Buy, and opted for Geek Squad Protection, Best Buy will honor the insurance and repair your device. While trying to schedule a repair appointment, select yes when the prompt asks if you have Geek Squad Protection, and you should be able to schedule a repair.

Best Buy and Samsung haven’t publicly confirmed the program’s end

In statements given to The Verge, both Samsung and Best Buy have acknowledged the situation, but none have explicitly said that the partnership is ending.

“We know how important it is to our customers that we’re there for them with the right services and expertise for their technology, and we’re currently working together with Samsung to evaluate the best way to support our mobile customers with authorized services and repairs,” wrote Best Buy spokesperson Katie Klister.

“We’re in discussions with Best Buy to determine how Samsung can best support our customers moving forward,” wrote Samsung’s head of mobile customer care Mario Renato de Castro.

It remains unclear if the two companies had a falling out, or if the program is ending for a different strategic reason. As the internal communication screenshot suggests, ASP stores are currently required to continue repairs and await further information. This might suggest we’ll hear more about the program ending from Best Buy once the two companies have finalized the program’s end. Elsewhere, the development might make way for Google Pixel repairs at Best Buy stores.