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The Recalled Latest Note Phone Keeps Popping up in the News for All the Wrong Reasons
I have a personal story about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Thankfully it isn’t about the device spontaneously combusting in a hotel room or blowing up into a highway explosion, and luckily, it isn’t even close to as stirring as either of those, but it’s relevant.
Things all began when my older Samsung Galaxy S5 fizzled out, unable to retain a battery charge for more than about five minutes. My husband had been eyeing up new phones anyway, so he was happy to upgrade to a new device and toss me his OnePlus One once he switched over and I was happy to get it. Except, that never happened.
My husband seemed to know he wanted the Note 7, but took his time deciding after noticing the great promotion Samsung was running for new Note 7 customers to get a bonus gift with their purchase — either a year’s NetFlix subscription, a fitness watch, or a ginormous-capacity MicroSD card. It took a little while to take the plunge on an $850-ish device purchase and also to decide which bonus to choose. Finally he made his decision and ordered by phone with our carrier.
A few days later his device arrived, but he couldn’t even use it as the stylus was jammed. An immediate call to our carrier assured him that a new, non-defective device would be over to him straight away.
Except that it wasn’t. In fact, we couldn’t even get a shipping confirmation or a tracking number.
So we called every few days and got some kind of run around or another – that it was escalated to a special kind of manager; that it probably just wasn’t in the system yet…
We got one rep that was really astute and she alerted us that it looked like the order hadn’t been placed at all. That’s pretty much when we found out about the Note 7 recall and realized his replacement wasn’t coming.
Now, a few weeks later, anyone who previously purchased a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 seems to be in a bit of a holding pattern with a few possible outcomes:
- Return it and get a different Galaxy device
- Return it for a loaner and get a new Note 7 when they are released
- Return it for a full refund
- Ignore the warnings, still use the phone, and allow the next software update to slash the battery life by 40%, potentially allowing Darwin’s theory to take effect (But really, why tempt fate? Just return it already!)
In short, customers are faced with a choice: remain a loyal Samsung customer with or without this phone, walk away from the brand, or play with fire by refusing to abide by the recall. The good news is there are a lot of options (and a few perks) so hopefully each person affected can find a satisfactory solution. The bad news is none of these are as easy or as satisfying as just buying a phone that works as intended in the first place. The worse news is one customer is stuck in limbo no matter how hard she tries to return her Note 7.
Fast Facts about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall
At least 35 reports allege fires or explosions have occurred as a result of the new Samsung Note 7 devices to date. CNET’s recent article elucidates just how something like this could happen, although the Note 7 is not the electronics industry’s first rodeo when it comes to exploding batteries. The contents of a lithium ion battery are highly flammable, yet tech companies continue to use them for their minimal weight and compact size.
The Note 7 recall is no joke. The FAA has recently issued warnings about toting along the Samsung Note 7 in flight. Some airlines have even flat-out banned the device from coming aboard.
Samsung shipped and sold 2.5 million Note 7 devices worldwide prior to the battery issue breaking. This situation has left Samsung scrambling to avoid permanent brand damage. The company already facesplummeting stock shares as a result of the Note 7 recall. It’s going to be an unbelievably expensive fix, and likely an unrecoverable one. Perhaps Samsung should just torch the Note 7 and move onto the Note 8 (pun intended).
Even after this Note 7 safety debacle costing the company a “heartbreaking amount,” you’ve got to hand it to Samsung – they do try to take care of their customers. The company has come out saying customers are welcome to keep their free promotional gifts, and as if that weren’t enough for the inconvenience, Samsung is also extending a courtesy gift card of $25 or a carrier credit to each customer who purchased a Note 7 prior to the recall and decides to remain a loyal Samsung customer. Of course, if you are one of the unlucky few, a free piece of tech swag and a gift card are hardly going to stop the company from going down in flames in your book.
If you are still using this device, why?! Get your money back, get a new phone, and stop worrying about burning your house down or injuring one of your kids.
Visit Samsung’s site for full and current details about how to exchange your Galaxy Note7.
This article originally appeared on Sparknet Technologies.
