Phone Model 'Scam' Or Just Business As Usual?

UCDVet

I recently had an unpleasant experience with one of the major cell phone providers and I'm wondering if it is a scam/fraud/illegal?

Basically, as I understand it...cell phone manufactures release a phone. In my particular case, we're talking about a Samsung Galaxy Ace - 5830. It has great reviews and was well received by users.

After some months or years, the manufacture stops producing that phone, and instead, starts producing a different one. In this case, Samsung introduced a new phone, a Samsung Galaxy Ace - 5830i.

The name is very similar, and this would confuse consumers even if they were honest about it; but retailers in Ireland are still advertising the 5830, listing the hardware specs of the 5830....but the consumer is sold a 5830i.

The phones *look* identical. The same body is used, but the internals are entirely different. And really, the difference between a 500 euro phone and a 100 euro phone is all about the components that go *inside* the phone, not how the outside looks.

The phone I was sold has a completely different CPU and GPU. Benchmarks show that the new revision of the Galaxy Ace is *substantially* slower. Yes, they brand it the 'Galaxy Ace' and it looks the same, but it's a completely different processor and it's actual performance is significantly worse!

The camera, while still having the same number of pixels, performs worse in the new model as well. A consumer who reads about the 5830's camera and purchases the 5830 from a retailer will get a different camera! Aside from more subjective stuff like 'image quality' - the original phone can record video at 640x480 resolution, the new 5830i can only record at half that!

Anyway, I ordered 5830 which is, in my opinion, a vastly better phone. That opinion is shared by pretty much everyone I've found online who understands the issue. I was sold the 5830i, despite the website showing the 5830 and describing the hardware of the 5830.

Now, as an individual, I'm just going to return my phone. It's within seven days or whatever, so I won't have any hassle (except my wasted time) - but I've noticed the offending retailer still has the incorrect model and description on their website. I've been informed they've been selling the 'imitation' 5830 since *December*....so I can only imagine how many unsuspecting consumers have been duped into buying the wrong phone.

I feel like this is some seriously deceptive marketing and that it's not an innocent mistake. Again, I'll just return my phone and the retailer will just continue on taking advantage of people; but is there anything I can do to encourage them to be honest? Is this illegal/is there an agency I can report this to?

For example, if I skillfully replaced the internals of an iPhone4 with *some other parts* and sold it as an iPhone4 - would I be criminal?

EDIT: Naturally, if the 'new' phone that they sold performed comparably or better than the original, I'd have no objection. But the new phone is substantially worse performing, and I can only see that benefiting the retailers as they can now drop the price and get more sales.

dudara

I am more likely to attribute this to general dumbness on the part of the mobile phone network rather than any deliberate attempt to dupe people. Someone in marketing probably has no idea of the differences.

First thing I'd do is get in contact with Head Office to ask why they advertise the 5830 but supply the 5830i

slavetothegrind

as well as a complaint to the seller. do report it to the national consumer agency

NO harm mailing samsung direct either to let them know how their phone is being missold and damaging their reputation.