The whole recall program has had a strong impact on Samsung, as the company now expects its mobile division to post lower numbers for this year.
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There are many, of course, who have dealt with no issues whatsoever with the recall process, which only makes it more infuriating for those whose efforts have been met with inexplicable hurdles.
This appears at odds with Samsung’s official statement on Tuesday where the company admitted that while it had started replacing the faulty phones with updated models, it only had 500,000 in stock for United States replacements, which is just 50 percent of the 1 million units it sold in the USA before sales were halted. Considering the scale of the recall and the bureaucratic complexities involved, 25 percent is a really good figure.
Amidst an explosion of controversy, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 handsets are back on shelves. For those of you just now waking up from a coma, the Galaxy Note 7 got off to a rocky start due to the use of defective battery packs that were prone to overheat and catch fire. The other will display a short notification to owners of old Note 7 phones, telling them to turn off the device and take it in for a replacement.
At a downtown Seoul store operated by carrier KT Corp., a store manager said that none of the more than 20 customers who purchased a Galaxy Note 7 from his branch had requested a refund. Instead, the store had received about six more preorders since Samsung announced the smartphone recall on September 2, he said. Literally. A critical battery flaw in a seemingly small number of Note 7 handsets caused some units to spontaneously combust.
Samsung, working with wireless carriers and retailers, initiated a formal exchange program in conjunction with USA safety authorities last Thursday that allowed customers to receive a new Note 7, a refund or a different Samsung phone.
Baxter said last week that, at that time, approximately 130,000 Note7 devices had already been exchanged. Another one is reportedly coming that will add the controversial green battery icon that indicates new and safe Note 7.
Sprint does not mention anything about the recalled Galaxy Note 7 models on its listing. “Available now the new Galaxy Note 7”.
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A Verizon spokeswoman said consumers should be able to return the phones even without the box or accessories.
