Samsung Class Action Says Certain Plasma TVs Have Defective Capacitors

Samsung is facing a class action lawsuit over allegations it manufactures and sells defective plasma televisions that malfunction as a result of faulty capacitors and leaves customers no option to repair or replace the defective TVs.

Plaintiff Charles McCallon file the complaint against Samsung Electronics in Utah federal court earlier this week, claiming certain Samsung plasma televisions contain faulty internal components, including capacitors, that prematurely fail and render the TVs useless.

Specifically, McCallon, who purchased a high definition 3-D Samsung plasma television from Sears in November 2011, says he is out the $840 he paid after his television went kaput in just two years. According to the Samsung plasma television class action lawsuit, McCallon contacted Sears and Samsung several times regarding his defunct TV and even brought it to an authorized Samsung repair facility. Here, he was told the television was “unrepairable” because the PSB needed to repair the defect was “no longer available for this model of TV.”

Plasma televisions have a number of internal electronic components which serve dedicated functions like enabling the TV to power on and off, tune to a particular channel, display visual images properly, and replay audio. Televisions are expected to have a lifespan of around eight years of continuous use. But according to the Samsung plasma television class action lawsuit, “In order to lower the costs to consumers, Samsung used inferior component parts to make their plasma televisions more ‘affordable’ at least on the outset.”

Instead, consumers who purchased Samsung plasma television were left paying more to repair the defective TVs. What’s worse, the lawsuit claims that many customers can’t even get their plasma televisions fixed because the parts to do so are not available since most manufacturers exited the plasma television market.

“Upon information and belief, sometime after November 30, 2014, Samsung failed to maintain adequate inventory of parts to repair/replace the components of Samsung plasma television sold with the Defect.’

So basically, by not having the necessary parts available to service these defective Samsung plasma televisions or offering any resolution to customers who bought the TVs, Samsung violated state consumer protection laws and was unjustly enriched, the lawsuit states.

This isn’t the first time Samsung has caught heat over its defective TVs. In 2012, a class action lawsuit was brought against the electronics giant over problems (specifically faulty capacitors) with its older LCD plasma and DLP television models. That case was settled and provided customers nationwide with an 18-month warranty extension, a “free service visit”, and refunds for repairs. And in November 2017, Samsung was hit a another class action lawsuit claiming the company cut customers who purchased Samsung TVs made in 2013 and prior off from YouTube access without warning.

McCallon is seeking to represent a certified Class of Washington state consumers who purchased the alleged defective Samsung plasma televisions manufactured since January 2009 and the present. The Samsung plasma television class action lawsuit is requesting injunctive relief along with an award of damages for Samsung’s alleged deceptive and unfair business practices.

McCallon is representing himself and the proposed Class.

The Samsung Plasma Television Class Action Lawsuit is Charles D. McCallon, et al. v. Samsung Electronics, et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-00114-EJF, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah Central Division.