14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung has announced today its decision to halt sales of the Note 7 and suspend the recall program as it’s investigating recent reports of exploding phones which allegedly involved units marked as safe too.
What the company didn’t say, however, is that a second recall program is also kicking off. Samsung has quietly updated the “Consumer Guidance for the Galaxy Note 7” to state that, while the recall program has been suspended across the world, you can still exchange a Note 7 with another Samsung phone.
Specifically, you can no longer replace a faulty Note 7 with a new one should you want to stick with the flagship, and Samsung is only offering customers two different options: either get a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge and a refund of the price difference between devices or get a full refund for the Note 7.
The updated Consumer Guidance for the Galaxy Note 7 says loud and clear that “this applies to the original and replacement Galaxy Note 7 devices” (emphasis is ours).
Furthermore, Samsung says that customers “who exchange a Note7 device will also receive a $25 gift card, in-store credit, in-store accessory credit or bill credit from select carrier retail outlets.”
Contact the carrier where you purchased the Note 7
Should you want to return your Samsung Galaxy Note 7, be it original or replacement, you are recommended to contact the carrier or retailer where you purchased the phone.
Surprisingly, Samsung hasn’t said clearly in the original statement regarding the ongoing investigation and halt of sales and recall that customers can actually return their safe Note 7 units for an S7/S7 Edge or a full refund, so most likely, the firm hopes that most customers would stick with their devices until the investigation comes to an end and more information becomes available.
“We remain committed to working diligently with appropriate regulatory authorities to take all necessary steps to resolve the situation. Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 device should power down and stop using the device and take advantage of the remedies available,” the original statement reads (emphasis is our).
The company, however, does not detail what “remedies available” it refers to and neither does it include a link to the updated Consumer Guidance page.