[wadewilson]

Originally Posted by Aditya

My experience in pre-ordering a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 from Flipkart - Posts moved to a new thread.

Thank you so much for moving my posts to a separate thread. I appreciate it

Originally Posted by d3mon

It was a bad experience for you, for sure. But the blame should really go to Samsung in this case, not Flipkart.

The supply constraints are real. I had pre ordered the Z flip 3 from samsung directly, and even that order was delayed by a couple of weeks due to supply issues. They were nice enough to call and inform me about it though.

Exactly. Which is why I didn't blame either Flipkart or Amazon but mentioned that it might be due to supply constraints (on the part of Samsung). At the end of the day, the companies are also run by people trying their best to manage and deliver a huge inventory of orders so I don't really blame Flipkart or Amazon. However, I would definitely advise anyone against preordering (especially if its a very in-demand product) - while there are definitely benefits, if you are unlucky, you might end up waiting for a long time for your order and that applies to both online and offline stores as well.

On a side note, I feel I should update this thread with new information so here goes

Flipkart Z Fold 3 Preorder Update - 23 September, 2021

So yesterday I received an email from Flipkart which I updated here with regards to the fact that the seller cancelled the order from his end. After talking with multiple customer care executives (about 5 or 6 of them), I reiterated my stand that they should not ask me to cancel my order but instead fulfill their preorder promise and ship it at the earliest.

Today, in the morning, I received a very welcome and surprising SMS, that my order is ready to ship. The delivery date has also been changed on the Flipkart orders page and now it shows shipping date as - 23rd of Sep and delivery date as - 30th of September.

Earlier, I did not receive any SMS from Flipkart regarding my order (for eg. Whether it has been packed or is ready to be shipped). After 29 days of waiting, they have confirmed shipping and that my order is ready to be shipped.

Update - While I was typing this post, Flipkart has finally shipped my order. Since its just shipped (today at 10:26 am) there's no tracking number, but probably by evening they'll add that. Now waiting excitedly for the delivery of my Z Fold 3

[NiInJa]

Been there done that on Flopkart Its been ages since I logged into Flipkart, let alone installing the app on my phone. They did the exact same thing with me few years back when I wanted to buy a Lenovo phone. Only thing is, since I wasn't in a hurry I placed another order and received it after a long delay. But pre-orders here work purely on luck, and I've found local shops better in that aspect, you tell them that you want a specific model/color and they will get it for you! ​

I don't think I will ever go and buy anything expensive from Flipkart/Amazon going forward, in fact, I stopped doing it way back, but the people around me wont listen. My wife got a Samsung smartwatch from Amazon and it conked off, went to the service-center only to find that the model is an 'overseas' one and you will have to get it replaced from the source country. Now, the problem is we don't know which country it is exactly. I am following it up with Amazon, but its an unnecessary hassle and wastage of time for something as trivial as fixing a watch.

[VigneshMC]

Originally Posted by wadewilson

Update - While I was typing this post, Flipkart has finally shipped my order. Since its just shipped (today at 10:26 am) there's no tracking number, but probably by evening they'll add that. Now waiting excitedly for the delivery of my Z Fold 3

Glad to know that your product was shipped. I may be wrong here but I think there is something going on between Flipkart and Samsung . I was waiting to order base variant of Galaxy watch 4 from Flipkart , when pre-orders opened I could not find the base variant listed, when I contacted Flipkart they told me that may be seller did not have stock (of course Flipkart was the seller) . So I thought it will be available post launch , but till now base variants were never listed and other variants say coming soon. But Galaxy watch is available both in Amazon and Samsung site. Same with Z flip as well, if you check Flipkart , it says out of stock, but available in other sites.

[wadewilson]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

Been there done that on Flopkart Its been ages since I logged into Flipkart, let alone installing the app on my phone.

I've also deactivated as well as removed the app from my phones. Will explain in the following paragraphs.

Originally Posted by VigneshMC

Glad to know that your product was shipped. I may be wrong here but I think there is something going on between Flipkart and Samsung.

Yes, generally Amazon seems more reliable than the other ecommerce site. Of course, in India, its a gamble purchasing things online and usually customer support leans more heavily towards supporting the company. As NiInJa has mentioned, his wife bought a Samsung Watch which turned out to be an overseas one and now he is stuck in a quagmire of attempting to get support for it. Anyway, my story took a sad end today, will update in next paragraph.

Flipkart Preorder Update

As previously mentioned, Flipkart (or rather the seller, who is a subsidiary of Flipkart) shipped my order and it was in transit. I checked the morning and it reached Guwahati (Assam). I was ecstatic because that meant I would get the phone the next day but my joy was short lived. I received an email from them a few mins later that my order was cancelled. The reason being "your order for SAMSUNG Galaxy Z Fold3 5G (Phantom Black, 256 GB) was cancelled by the seller as there was a prolonged delay in the delivery of your order and they did not want to keep you waiting."

So after reaching Assam, they cancelled it by stating that the seller did not want to keep me waiting. Waiting for a day more I now doubt whether the order was shipped at all. Regardless, I am going by the word of the company that they shipped and as per the tracking ID that was active until they cancelled, the order reached Guwahati today, on 24 Sep and it was rejected.

They said that the amount would be refunded back to my credit card and I have to contact my bank to stop the EMI. With this bit of news, a smile lit up on my face and I deactivated my Flipkart account as well as deleted the app. Will be advising my near and dear ones to not get swayed by preorder offers and if required, to place an order with the OEM themselves, like for example Apple (IN) or Samsung (IN). Anyway, I am now planning to travel to Guwahati (in the coming week or by October) and buy the device from an offline store instead, but the only problem being I have lost the preorder offers and would have to spend extra for SamsungCare+.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by wadewilson

... only problem being I have lost the preorder offers and would have to spend extra for SamsungCare+.

You've probably lost peace of mind worth a lot more than the lost discounts.

All these convoluted offers and conditional discounts feel great, until one factors in the intangible losses incurred in availing most of these.

There are very few actual 'no strings attached' discounts worth spending time, effort and mindspace on.

Personal opinion only. YMMV.

[wadewilson]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

You've probably lost peace of mind worth a lot more than the lost discounts.

All these convoluted offers and conditional discounts feel great, until one factors in the intangible losses incurred in availing most of these.

There are very few actual 'no strings attached' discounts worth spending time, effort and mindspace on.

You're right. Ever since I placed the order on the 24th of August, till today, the 24th of September, I was worried about whether the product would get delivered or not. After the product cancellation, I felt a sigh of relief since one part of the ordeal was over. Though, another thing weighing on the back of my mind is how long it would take for the money to get reflected back in my account. Once this entire fiasco is cleared, I would have some peace of mind

In my frustration (since I have bought so many accessories like cases, keyboard, tempered glass, skins, etc. in anticipation of the phone), I called up the Samsung Smart Plaza in Guwahati and they said they have the Fold 3 in stock but told me to make an advance booking amount of Rs. 30,000. I flatly refused and told him to keep it for me in good faith since I would be undertaking a 600 km trip (back and forth) tomorrow just to purchase the Fold 3. Anyway, so I'm travelling to the city to purchase the Fold 3 tomorrow

[BennyA23]

This is not so much of an issue with Indian e-commerce, its more with Flipkart. I find them or their sellers extremely shady. I've pre-ordered as long back as an HTC One, iPad, HP Omen, S9+ and what not and received them absolutely fine.

I once paid 2k for an official smartphone charger and received what was a cheap train station type charger. Despite them promising me refunds, returns, exchanges, I haven't seen even 2 Rs of that 2k half a decade later.

[wadewilson]

Originally Posted by BennyA23

This is not so much of an issue with Indian e-commerce, its more with Flipkart. I find them or their sellers extremely shady. I've pre-ordered as long back as an HTC One, iPad, HP Omen, S9+ and what not and received them absolutely fine.

I once paid 2k for an official smartphone charger and received what was a cheap train station type charger. Despite them promising me refunds, returns, exchanges, I haven't seen even 2 Rs of that 2k half a decade later.

Yes, their service sometimes is often a hit or miss. I decided not to take any chances and deactivated my account and deleted the app Really sorry to hear about your ordeal btw. Regarding customer care, for me, Amazon (India) has been absolutely phenomenal. I once ordered 4 STP (Son of a Gun) Protectant, and out of the four, two were damaged in transit. Rather than have me ship the remaining two back, Amazon sent me 4 STP protectants again (free of charge). In another instance, I had ordered two sets of measuring cups (for baking) and the seller didn't send me the second set. Complained to Amazon and they resend me two extra sets of measuring cups Although that was from when they were new-ish, I've been hearing a few complaints about them from my friends and relatives who say that Amazon customer care has also gone downhill these days (though I haven't had any negative experiences from them in this regard and have found their customer care to always be quick and responsive).

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by wadewilson

Anyway, so I'm travelling to the city to purchase the Fold 3 tomorrow.

Congratulations Wade, happy to read you are finally getting your hearts desire. Better late than never friend. Six hundred kilometres to purchase a phone, that’s some dedication to the cause

Please do post your initial impressions after you get it and play with it for sometime and more in-depth views after using it for awhile.

There are loads of commercial reviews out there, it would be really interesting to hear from a non-biased real owner.

Thank you.

Cheers

[dust-n-bones]

Originally Posted by wadewilson

I wonder how a reseller like flipkart is able to discontinue service to a phone. I can understand carriers (mostly in the US) can do this on their 'network locked' devices. Would flipkart have installed a snooping app which gets cleaned out on full payment?

And then they can pretty well mis-use the 'upfront discount' with data mining the device?

[wadewilson]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Congratulations Wade, happy to read you are finally getting your hearts desire. Better late than never friend. Six hundred kilometres to purchase a phone, that’s some dedication to the cause

Thank you, hope all goes well tomorrow and I am able to reach back with the Z Fold 3 in my hands.

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Please do post your initial impressions after you get it and play with it for sometime and more in-depth views after using it for awhile.

There are loads of commercial reviews out there, it would be really interesting to hear from a non-biased real owner.

Will definitely post my initial impressions as well as an in-depth review on the Android phone thread after using it for a while - though I'm not much of a writer, I'll try my best Cheers, will update the thread tomorrow

[BennyA23]

Originally Posted by wadewilson

Yes, their service sometimes is often a hit or miss. I decided not to take any chances and deactivated my account and deleted the app Really sorry to hear about your ordeal btw. Regarding customer care, for me, Amazon (India) has been absolutely phenomenal. I once ordered 4 STP (Son of a Gun) Protectant, and out of the four, two were damaged in transit. Rather than have me ship the remaining two back, Amazon sent me 4 STP protectants again (free of charge). In another instance, I had ordered two sets of measuring cups (for baking) and the seller didn't send me the second set. Complained to Amazon and they resend me two extra sets of measuring cups Although that was from when they were new-ish, I've been hearing a few complaints about them from my friends and relatives who say that Amazon customer care has also gone downhill these days (though I haven't had any negative experiences from them in this regard and have found their customer care to always be quick and responsive).

LMAO, I know this feeling! I've got extra sets of mercurial bulbs and cushions lying around at home courtesy Amazon!

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by wadewilson

Thank you, hope all goes well tomorrow and I am able to reach back with the Z Fold 3 in my hands.



Will definitely post my initial impressions as well as an in-depth review on the Android phone thread after using it for a while - though I'm not much of a writer, I'll try my best Cheers, will update the thread tomorrow

Your first post after getting the phone had better be a before and after of the accessories. Like the ones you see on late night tele-sales for face cream. Maybe a sepia before, and a psychedelic after.

[wadewilson]

Originally Posted by dust-n-bones

I wonder how a reseller like flipkart is able to discontinue service to a phone. I can understand carriers (mostly in the US) can do this on their 'network locked' devices. Would flipkart have installed a snooping app which gets cleaned out on full payment?

And then they can pretty well mis-use the 'upfront discount' with data mining the device?

I think Flipkart partnered with Samsung in this regard. Samsung might use the Knox security platform it created in order to grant the Flipkart App device admin rights. After successful repayment, the Flipkart app might have its device admin rights rescinded. Though if it's like the US carrier locked devices, I guess a CSC change might have worked. Anyway, I think I wasn't able to uninstall the Flipkart app before but after making the payment, I was able to delete the app. Though the data mining aspect that you mentioned worries me. Thankfully I don't have any sensitive data stored on this phone.

Originally Posted by mayankk

Your first post after getting the phone had better be a before and after of the accessories. Like the ones you see on late night tele-sales for face cream. Maybe a sepia before, and a psychedelic after.

Sure, I'll try and oblige Taking all the accessories with me tomorrow as well. Will try to make a Vlog style video of the experience

[wadewilson]

Got the Galaxy Z Fold 3 yesterday after an 8 hour drive (4 hours + 4 hours). Thankfully traffic in the city was light compared to regular days. The phone is every bit as awesome as I expected I am typing this post on the Z Fold 3 right now with Youtube playing in PIP mode. A few first impression points:

1. Gorgeous Display - Both inner and outer display sport gorgeous 120hz AMOLED displays.
2. Excellent Dual Speakers - though I found the bass lacking.
3. The Folding action is smooth and refined. Watching Youtube reviews about this thing does not do it justice. It's surreal watching a screen fold in front of our eyes
4. Charging speed is slow at 25W compared to the 65W of my earlier phone but it's just about good enough.
5. Speaking of the charging, battry life is good at first glance. After charging fully to 100% and using it till 5%, the screen on time was about 5 hours and 5 minutes.
6. The bigger display is a boon to use, especially in the split screen mode. Today, I bought the SamsungCare+ (which I would have gotten for free as part of the preorder but since Flipkart cancelled I had to purchase it seperately). The comprehensive 2 year plan cost me about Rs. 17,999 and it covers accidental and liquid damage as well. Anyway, I had the bank details of the Samsung Store on one side and the banking app on the other. It was lovely to be able to use the device like that.
7. The cameras are about average (usable), especially for a phone that costs Rs. 1,50,000 (MRP on the box was Rs. 1,71,999). Not disappointed since I went with limited expectations regarding the camera quality of the phone.
8. The Under Display camera also isn't the best to use however, its good enough for video calls.

Anyway, that about covers it for my first impressions. Will post a proper review on the Android phone subtopic in our forum soon. This brings my Flipkart Smartphone fiasco to a close. Was disappointed about losing the preorder benefits (especially after waiting for a month, from 24th August to 24th September) but nevertheless, it also taught me a valuable lesson. Nevertheless, I do not have any ill feelings towards Flipkart since I understand that perhaps there might have been shortages, however, just a little disappointed. Thank you TeamBHP for allowing me to air my grievances here and also to dear members for pitching it with your valuable comments.