Update 10/13: After earlier asking customers to stop using the Note7, today the company has expanded the matter to a full recall in the United States. All Note7s, originals and replacements, are now being recalled by the company. As most users are expected to want to swap to another phone, the actual processing of the recall is being handled by both Samsung (for direct sales customers), and retailers/carriers for remaining customers.

Meanwhile, along with the refunds/partial rebates being offered by retailers to either cover the cost of the phone or the price difference between it and its replacement, Samsung has also announced that they are expanding their US bill credit program. In short, customers who stay with Samsung will receive a $100 bill credit, while customers who replace their Note7 with another manufacturer's phone or opt for a full refund will receive a $25 bill credit.

U.S. Note7 Refund and Exchange Program

Under the terms of the U.S. Note7 Refund and Exchange Program, you have the following choices and can take these next steps beginning October 13, 2016 at 3pm ET:

  1. Exchange your current Galaxy Note7 for any Samsung smartphone and replacement of any Galaxy Note7 specific accessories with a refund of the price difference between devices
  2. Obtain a refund at your point of purchase

In addition, you may be eligible for additional incentives described below:

What if I want to exchange my Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone?

As a sign of our appreciation for your patience and loyalty, we are offering up to a $100 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets if you exchange your Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone, less any incentive credits already received.

What if I already exchanged my Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone?

If you already exchanged your Galaxy Note7 device for another Samsung smartphone, you will receive up to a $75 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets in addition to the $25 you previously received.

What if I want a refund for my Galaxy Note7?

If you choose to obtain a refund, you will receive up to a $25 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets as a token of our appreciation and acknowledgement of your inconvenience, less any incentive credits already received.

What if I want to exchange my Galaxy Note7 for another brand of smartphone?

If you choose to exchange your Galaxy Note7 for another brand of smartphone, you will receive up to a $25 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets as a token of our appreciation and acknowledgement of your inconvenience, less any incentive credits already received.

 


Update 10/12: Seemingly set to put an end to this saga, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Samsung has informed South Korean regulators that it intends to permanently cease production of the phone. Given the issues Samsung has experienced, it goes without saying that this is not surprising, and this will mean that the Note7 will not get a third shot in the market.


Samsung made it official today that it is suspending all sales and exchanges of its beleaguered Galaxy Note7 smartphone, and it is also asking all partners to do the same.

After reports of several phones catching on fire after it initially went on sale, Samsung initiated a global recall while it investigated the source of the problem, which traced the issue to defective batteries from a specific supplier (Samsung sources batteries from more than one supplier). With the problem seemingly solved, Samsung initiated an exchange program where customers could trade in their defective Note7s for new, supposedly safe, ones or a new Galaxy S7 or S7 edge instead.

Unfortunately, it did not take long for fresh reports of battery fires to surface. Several of the replacement Note7s have caught fire too, including one that forced a Southwest Airlines flight in Louisville, Kentucky to be evacuated on October 5th. Another replacement Note7 caught fire in a Farmington, Minnesota girl’s hand on October 7th.

Here's Samsung's official statement:

We are working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note7. Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7 while the investigation is taking place.
 
We remain committed to working diligently with the CPSC, carriers and our retail partners to take all necessary steps to resolve the situation. Consumers with an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 should power down and take advantage of the remedies available, including a refund at their place of purchase. For more information, consumers should visit samsung.com/us/note7recall or contact 1-844-365-6197.

These new incidents suggest that the Note7’s issue is not limited to a single battery supplier like Samsung first thought. The Note7 is clearly a safety risk at this point, and we recommend that anyone that currently owns a Note7 heed Samsung’s advice and immediately power down the device and store it in a fire-safe location until it can be returned or exchanged.

Source: Samsung

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  • Gigaplex - Wednesday, October 12, 2016 - link

    They originally thought a batch was bad. They've recalled all devices globally now, not just a select batch.
  • halcyon - Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - link

    Gigaplex understands the scope of this.

    1. When you get issues, you need to understand: why, for what reasons (could be many), under which conditions, which mfg series might be affected, how many models does this extend to, could this be competors ordered hit-piece (worse things have happened in business history), do a probability/sensitivity analysis. -> you can imagines this like "fog of war". Only afterwards, with the fog cleared, is everything "obvious"

    2. At this stage bean counters and lawyers butt in: "we could, but it's too expensive", "we'd be liable for lawsuits." -> all this costs time and delays decisions

    3. Combine this with a publicly traded company, with all managers bonuses tied to results. They don't personally want to believe that they need to recall (cognitive dissonance). Combine with Korean face-saving culture (nobody wants to show public, humiliating, failure). Combine this with the fact that Samsung culture is riddled with corrupt and pretty much controlling/blackmailing the Korean media on many occasions (so the media closest to the source, who has the best ability to know, doesn't want to talk truth about the issue)

    I'm not saying Samsung did the right thing or acted in the best possible way, but I'm trying to convey that knowing what is the best outcome in the midst of chaos is mostly luck. Only hindsight gives you near perfect clarity and accuracy in decision making. Real-time business has no such luxury.
  • Lavkesh - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link

    Really flagship of the year which was crapped all over by a year old iPhone? Samdung is the biggest KIRF company on the planet. Karma is a B!
  • ruturaj1989@gmail.com - Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - link

    Wrong website brother, not a place for trolls.
  • halcyon - Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - link

    Don't feed the rolls :-D
  • KoolAidMan1 - Sunday, October 16, 2016 - link

    Yup, flagship of the year which is outperformed by an iPhone from 2015.

    Real winner there. At least it doubles as an IED in a pinch.
  • StevoLincolnite - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link

    I bought the Note 5 a couple months before the Note 7 was about to drop.
    Glad I did now!
  • poohbear - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link

    so the note 7 is no longer for sale or available? I think this is unprecedented for any smartphone company? A model's full line is pulled and customers are told not to use them. just wow.
  • gipper51 - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link

    What are the ramifications of just continuing to use the phone, besides the obvious risks ...which is like 1:10,000 odds? Will Samsung still warranty it or provide updates? Should I just take my chances and keep it for the next 2-3 years like I planned? Besides this issue, the phone is fantastic for me, and I really don't want something different.

    I really don't want to switch the phone out again for something else. What a hassle. If I have to switch, the LG V20 is what I'd probably go with, but it's not out for another 3-4 weeks.
  • VulkanMan - Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - link

    How do you calculate those odds?
    While it isn't a rampant issue of all phones doing that, nobody knows the root cause at this time, so it is impossible to calculate the odds.

    All we know for sure is, it isn't fun for a phone to burst into flames, and it could catch whatever on fire which could cause an even bigger problem.
    Just return it, a fire risk just isn't worth it.

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