Samsung Sold Chromebook Plus 2-In-1 Device Despite Known Defect, New Class Action Alleges

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Samsung Chromebook Defect Class Action Lawsuit Overview: 

• Who: Tony McCoy filed a class action lawsuit against Samsung.
• Why: The plaintiff alleges that Samsung concealed a known material defect in the Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 portable computer. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in New Jersey federal court.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc., allegedly sold Chromebook Plus portable computers with a known display hinge defect, according to a new class action lawsuit. 

Plaintiff Tony McCoy claims the device’s display hinges are defective in that they detach from their mounting point and break the screen. The defect renders the class devices inoperable by breaking the screen glass and/or restricting the user’s ability to open or close the display and adjust the viewing angle without causing severe damage to the screen glass, the lawsuit states.

The Chromebook Plus is a “two-in-one” device that is convertible from a laptop to a tablet, the lawsuit states. The display is a “360-degree rotating touchscreen” that can be folded to the back of the chassis along two hinges so the device can be used in various positions.

Samsung allegedly heavily marketed the “supreme flexibility” of the computer, claiming: they are “designed to be flexible—allowing the user to transform the Chromebook on demand. It is built with a 360-degree rotating touchscreen performing both as a notebook, and an ultra-mobile premium tablet.”

However, the defect deprives the plaintiff and Class Members of this defining feature, according to the lawsuit.

“One of the essential attributes of a two-in-one Chromebook is the ability to fold back against itself like a tablet,” says Nicholas A. Migliaccio of Migliaccio & Rathod LLP, who is representing McCoy. “Many consumers purchased Samsung Chromebooks that became practically unusable once a hinge failed after only months of use. This case seeks to vindicate class members’ rights and obtain relief for them in court.” 

Plaintiff Says Samsung Has ‘Refused’ to Fix the Issue

Plaintiff McCoy says he purchased a Samsung Chromebook Plus in December 2018. In August 2021, he attempted to open the device from its closed position. He heard a loud pop and saw that the hinge had broken off from the display and shattered the screen.

The plaintiff’s wife filed a formal complaint with Samsung’s customer service team. Over the course of several days, she spent hours speaking with customer service representatives on the phone and gradually escalated her complaint to a supervisor. The supervisor, however, dismissed her concerns and attributed blame to “opening and closing the laptop too much.”

The plaintiff conducted his own research into the cause of the defect and found many poor reviews referencing the defect on websites such as BestBuy.com and Reddit.

“On Samsung’s product page for the class devices … most of these negative reviews reference the defect and Samsung’s refusal to remedy the issue,” the lawsuit states.  

McCoy brings this lawsuit on behalf of himself, a nationwide class of consumers and an Oklahoma subclass of consumers, all who purchased the defective device.

He seeks an order awarding actual, statutory, punitive, treble and/or any other form of damages; restitution, disgorgement and/or other equitable relief; an order or orders requiring the defendant to adequately disclose and remediate the defect; pre- and post-judgment interest; and attorneys’ fees and court costs.

Have you purchased a Chromebook Plus with the display hinge defect? Let us know in the comments and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest class action news.

The plaintiff is represented by Gary S. Graifman, Esq., of Kantrowitz Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C., and Nicholas A. Migliaccio, Esq., and Jason S. Rathod, Esq., of Migliaccio & Rathod LLP.

The Samsung Chromebook Defect Class Action Lawsuit is McCoy, et al. v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-19470, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

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