The controversial Samsung Galaxy S23 that was bought by customer Baby Rose Javier in a Samsung store in Quezon City, which she alleged bears a photo of a former employee of the store.
Baby Javier
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A Samsung store is now under scrutiny for allegedly trading a used cellular phone to a customer, which the store denies, prompting the buyer to file a complaint with the Department of Trade and Industry–Consumer Protection Group (DTI-CPG).
According to Baby Rose Javier, a PR practitioner, in an exclusive interview, she bought a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra unit from the Samsung Official Store in a mall in Quezon City last 24 July 2025, amounting to P55,900.
The store listing and invoice indicated that the unit was explicitly described as brand new.
“However, after thorough inspection and diagnostics, I discovered that the device I received appears to be used/refurbished, which is unacceptable given the full price I paid for a new unit,” she said in her complaint, secured by the DAILY TRIBUNE.
Javier said after further scrutiny, the unit has a pre-installed anti-spy screen protector and a video and four photos saved to internal storage.
Furthermore, the unit’s photo details, location, and origin of the photos can also be seen.
“All of my photos are saved via Google Drive from my previous phone, a Moto G 5G Plus. Meanwhile, the photos and video dated May 17 are saved directly in the internal storage of the S23 Ultra, one month before I purchased the unit on 24 July,” she said.
Javier even investigated herself and reached out to the mall’s customer service, and she discovered, upon asking the security guard, that the photo of the man in the unit was a former employee at the Samsung store.
“However, during a conversation at the customer service office, this was suddenly denied. Fortunately, I was able to document a written statement from the security guard,” the complaint further stated.
She said she requested the Samsung store but was declined either a refund or phone replacement, and there have been no resolutions provided since September 2, prompting her to file a complaint with the DTI-CPG.
“In accordance with the Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394), and given the misleading nature of this transaction, I am formally requesting one of the following resolutions: a full refund of the amount I paid,” the complaint read.
A DTI source, meanwhile, said they will look into the matter and will investigate, which might take time as they lack the workforce to attend to the voluminous complaints being received by the DTI-CPG.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque earlier said that more than 18,000 consumer complaints were received in the first half of 2025, with a significant portion involving online shopping transactions.
