Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Replacement Issues Continue To Plague Giant

Samsung has been under fire since the global recall of its Galaxy Note 7, due to a hazardous internal battery.

First announced on September 2, the Samsung global replacement program for Galaxy Note 7 was initiated due to various reports of the handset catching ablaze. The voluntary global recall, also recognized in the U.S. by the Consumer Product and Safety Commission, has been nothing short of confusing for many customers.

Samsung issued a press release Tuesday stating that over 60 percent of recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones have been exchanged. This percentage accounts for defective Galaxy Note 7 devices that were sold in both South Korea and the U.S.

However reports from consumers claim that the phone exchange program has not been easy.

Following reports that a new safe Note 7 phone is now available at wireless carrier and retail stores nationwide as of September 21, Galaxy Note 7 owners who reside in the U.S. tell a completely different story. Some carriers are flat out denying Note 7 exchange if customers are missing the phone’s original box or if the device has a scratch on it. Since inventory varies by location, finding a store that has the new “safe” Galaxy Note 7 in stock is a task in itself so wireless carriers are providing customers with temporary phones to use until the new shipments arrive. U.S. wireless carrier Sprint is not offering customers a temporary device. Some AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon stores are accommodating some customers with loaner phones and some aren’t. Once the new Note 7 stock replenishes, customers can then return the loaner phone to their carrier for their non-exploding handset (restocking fee, activation fee and taxes may apply).

It’s unknown whether the decision to give out loaner phones depends on the store’s location or a case by case basis since some customers are receiving temporary phones and some aren’t. Sprint allows customers to exchange their faulty Note 7 with a Galaxy S7 Edge or Galaxy S7, but according to a Sprint rep, doing so counts as a final sales transaction. Now if you’re a Sprint customer who pre-ordered the Coral Blue Note 7 online, that’s another conundrum. You’ll have to process your replacement online or over the phone with a Sprint representative instead of going into the store. This special edition color of the Galaxy Note 7 will not be landing in Sprint stores and has to be flown in from Pluto so it’s on backorder for at least three to four weeks. Despite its proclaimed emphasis on the importance of customer safety Sprint is sticking to its no loaner phone policy. Coral Blue Galaxy Note 7 owners will just have to hold onto hope that their phone won’t explode while they wait another month for their new replacement phone to be shipped.

In midst of all the confusion, misinformation or lack thereof about receiving replacement units, the Galaxy Note 7 Recall saga continues. According to Bloomberg, a new “safe battery” Galaxy Note 7 purchased early this week in China, suddenly busted into flames while charging. The owner of the toasted Samsung flagship phablet, 25-year old Hui, Renjie says that he charged the Galaxy Note 7 overnight, less than 24-hours after buying the phone online at JD.com. The next morning he says he saw black smoke coming from the device before it suddenly burst into flames. "We are currently contacting the customer and will conduct a thorough examination of the device in question once we receive it," Samsung said in a statement to Bloomberg.