Benjamin Destrebecq30 August 2021 at 08h3518 © Samsung
Following theft concerns, Samsung South Africa explains that it can block Samsung televisions remotely.
This does not concern the French or European market for the time being, but the announcement means that such an act is quite feasible for the brand.
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To contextualize the problem, Samsung recently had to deal with thefts at a logistics center in South Africa. Burned, the warehouse was therefore emptied and rendered unusable. Sold within this country as well as across Africa and the rest of the world, high-end televisions have been purchased at a lower cost.
As you can imagine, this does not please Samsung in any way. It was therefore announced in early August that a feature had just been activated on stolen televisions, called TV Block. Installed by default on all new televisions sold, it allows Samsung to identify stolen models using the serial number. As soon as the product is connected to the Internet (a step it seems mandatory for many models), the TV is purely and simply rendered unusable.
It is still possible to reactivate blocked televisions by calling customer service. You will then be asked to provide legal proof of purchase. A measure that can therefore come to bother the naive customer first rather than the thief.
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Although TV Block is not yet activated on our European televisions, the functionality still exists, passively. Given Samsung's animosity towards modified devices such as smartphones, or stolen, it is not impossible that the Korean brand will end up activating it by default on all models around the world. A welcome security for Samsung, which undoubtedly wishes to avoid the creation of secondary markets.
It is therefore very important to pay attention to products purchased second-hand, especially if it is a Samsung brand television. We recommend that you always ask for the purchase invoice for the product and check the serial number to compare it to the one on the TV. If the seller is unable to provide you with this evidence, it may be time to look for another offer.
Source : Samsung