AT&T and Samsung Quietly Recalling Blackjacks

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/11/26/atandt-and-samsung-quietly-recalling-blackjacks/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/11/26/atandt-and-samsung-quietly-recalling-blackjacks/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>&quot;...according to users on AT&amp;T's official support forums, Samsung Blackjacks manufactured between November 2006 and February 2007 are the subject of a quiet recall due to an antenna issue. Apparently certain internal components are wearing oddly over time and causing the antenna to loosen and disengage, causing dropped calls and poor signal strength. A service advisory has apparently gone out to warranty centers, so if your Blackjack is acting a little flaky, now's the time to get on the horn.&quot;</em></p><p><img alt="" border="1" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/500/spt/auto/1196117863.usr6.jpg" /></p><p>Rocco was good enough to get on the phone to confirm this as well for us. The recall is being handled by Samsung. You will need to call them at <strong>1-888-987-HELP (4357).</strong> As&nbsp;stated above devices made between November 2006 and February 2007 are the ones being recalled. The date can be found under the battery in the form YY.MM according to engadget. Has anyone had this problem with their Blackjack?</p>

[Rocco Augusto]

NOTE: I was also told by my old AT&T Rep that you can call AT&T's XBM (Exchange By Mail) phone number and get help there as well. That number is 1-800-801-1101.

Please make sure to call this number from a land line and not your cellular device! :o

[mbranscum]

Interesting....
There was a thread with several hundred posts over in the Samsung subforum of the Cingular Forums complaining about this very issue:
http://forums.cingular.com/cng/board?board.id=samsung
...but the thread seems to have disappeared.

I'm glad they finally admit a problem. I went through 3 of these damn things and ATT fianally switch my BJ out with another model and brand.

Good ridance!

[Rocco Augusto]

I love my Blackjack and lately I was having this problem, but I just thought it was because I haven't done a master wipe in forever :confused:

[srsabu]

I've been having problems with mine (11.06 date code) and tried the XBM number last week. The rep knew exactly what I was talking about when I mentioned the Blackjack advisory and I'm currently backing up my old one in preparation for setting up my new one (07.07 date code) that hopefully will do better.

[mpaquette]

Hmmm, mine has had horrible call quality along with dropped calls lately. This just started 3-4 weeks ago. I just figured AT&T was having capacity issues in my area. Mine is a 01/07 manufacture date.

[ScooperJay]

Its funny...i just went around and around with both samsung and att and neither of them knew anything about the recall. Samsung said it was att that must be conducting it, they know nothing about a recall. Att said that it was at their discretion...lol



I did eventually get them to switch it out though.

[webguy248]

just called Samsung and they directed me to AT&T. I was told Samsung wasn't handling the recall.

[mpaquette]

So what are they providing as a replacement? Refurb Blackjack?

[weffner]

I just called ATT and they are sending me a replacement. I have been having issues with reception almost since day one. Hopefully this will resolve them. Y ou do have to call ATT since Samsung knew nothing about this.

[Rocco Augusto]

So what are they providing as a replacement? Refurb Blackjack?

Correct, you become the proud recipient of someones already broken phone that was fixed! :rolleyes:

I never really liked that policy and it always annoyed me when they try to sell it off as there is nothing wrong with the phone and it is certified and working great... yet they still only give you a 90 day warranty on it! If those refurbs were really working as great as they claimed they are, then there is no reason to not extend them to a full one year warranty! It's all a scam I tell you! :D

[Gavino1212]

Is this recall for 'all' Blackjacks? 1 & 2? The 2 looks pretty nice.:confused:

[Jerry Raia]

The 2 is not part of this.

[hotdram]

Back in about January, I called the XBM number and they sent me a "new" Blackjack. They stated the "new" phone would carry the remainder of the warranty of the original one. This meant that the warranty on the "new" one was good until the end of April 2008 for me (bought my original BJ end of April 2007). The "new" BJ seemed to work well for a while, but in the last month or so, I have not been able to receive calls in my house or access the internet with regularity (in the Dallas Metroplex area, not out in the sticks somewhere). I finally got fed up with it enough today to call the XBM number back and calmly explained to them the situation. When I read them the date code etc, she sighed and said that one was part of the original recall and never got "fixed", so it shouldn't have been sent to me to begin with. I then asked her if they would upgrade me to the BJ II and I even offered to pay a small upgrade fee. She said let me speak to my supervisor. When she came back, she said "We will send you a BJ II at no charge since we erred on the first replacement and we understand how frustrating this can be" :)
I couldn't be happier with AT&T right now.

Your results may vary,
~Rob

[Rocco Augusto]

"We will send you a BJ II at no charge since we erred on the first replacement and we understand how frustrating this can be" :)
I couldn't be happier with AT&T right now.

Your results may vary,
~Rob

Awesome Rob! Great news. Hopefully its a brand spanking new handset and not a refurbished one. :)

[hotdram]

Awesome Rob! Great news. Hopefully its a brand spanking new handset and not a refurbished one. :)

It appears to be brand spankin' new :)
Date code 08.02
Still getting used to it. Not a fan of the shiny case, but not a big deal. Doesn't have that solid feel in my hand that the original BJ had (can't describe it better than that). Of course, now I have to buy another sync cable for work and another car charger because Samsung brilliantly made the connector different between the BJ and BJ II.
Love the memory and speed (at least it seems faster, haven't researched the processor in it to see if it is different). But the trump card is the built in GPS :) I am a GPS junkie and can forgive a lot of sins if GPS is included (even if I did have to go find a cab file that connects the built in GPS to COM4 so that the user can use the GPS with any GPS application, not just Telenav).

~Rob