Samsung is getting sued in Australia for allegedly misleading its customers about how water resistant their Galaxy phones are.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking Samsung Electronics Australia to court after over 300 ads were run in the country showing Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S10 series being used in saltwater conditions. However, the phones’ IP rating only implies getting dropped into freshwater environments.
ACCC says Samsung’s flagship phones are being advertised to mislead customers into believing that their phones would continue to work even when exposed to salt water, which is something that surrounds Australia. ACCC also points out that Samsung’s ad campaign brands itself as “Built for Australia”, which further adds to the South Korean company’s woes.
Samsung Galaxy phones till now have been certified with IP68 water resistance ratings which allow the phones to be submerged in water to up to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes. ACCC argues that this IP rating doesn’t cover all types of water, especially ocean water which is more corrosive in nature. The regulator says “Samsung showed the Galaxy phones used in situations they shouldn’t be to attract customers”.
In a statement to reply on the matter, Samsung said “Samsung stands by its marketing and advertising of the water resistance of its smartphones. We are also confident that we provide customers with free-of-charge remedies in a manner consistent with Samsung’s obligations under its manufacturer warranty and the Australian Consumer Law”.