In a move aimed at protecting its customers, Samsung Electronics has launched an SMS check off point buying system dubbed e-warranty to enable them identify a genuine Samsung phones through the phone's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identification). The SMS costs  KSh 5.The initiative has been launched amidst the flooding of the market with counterfeit and stolen phones as well as refurbished and non-warranty phones.According to Patricia King’ori, the General Manager, Samsung Electronics, Mobile Phone division, East and Central Africa, the Samsung e-warranty is a new service developed to both register the Samsung users' warranty and at the same time check the phones' status.

“One of the biggest challenges in the mobile industry in Kenya today, is that the market is flooded with fake, stolen, refurbished and non-warranty phones. It is difficult for the consumer to figure what is genuine and what is not. Samsung believes the consumer would like to have a service that would allow them to check the status of a phone that they are buying", said King'ori
 It will also help determine if the phone is a genuine Samsung phone imported for this market and is covered under the one year warranty.
‘The E-warranty will help the consumer find out whether the Samsung phone they are about to buy has a one year warranty or not, if the Samsung mobile Phone they are about to buy has been reported missing or stolen, and  if the Phone they are about to buy is new or used. King'ori observed that the system will give its consumers the ability to identify what is genuine at the point of sale.”with this system, Samsung gives the consumer the comfort of knowing what it is that they are buying.This is yet another service adopted by Samsung to serve the best interests of the consumer and help prevent the sale and/or purchase of stolen or fake Samsung phones."To check for the authenticity of the phone, a prospective buyer simply needs to send an SMS with 'Check' followed by * then IMEI number, then #. A reply about the status of the Samsung phone is then automaically genereated.Upon purchasing a Samsung phone, a buyer can also have it registered as per the instructions in the warranty box. This is done by keying in 'Reg', followed by  * then the IMEI number, followed by another * followed by Date Of Birth (eg. If your birthday is January 15th 1967 you would enter 15011967) followed by another * then your SEX  (M for Male or F for Female).
Those who have bought Samsung mobile phones within the last 6 months  can also register their warranty using the following the instructions:
If you have a Safaricom or Zain mobile number, send the message to 5585
If you have a YU or Orange mobile number, send SMS to 0750 005585
Samsung's move is laudable given the upsurge in counterfeits and mobile phone thefts.