U.S. urges Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners to stop use, return after 26 burned, 55 property damage fir

Posted:
in iPhone edited September 2016
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today issued an announcement urging anyone using a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 purchased before today to "immediately stop using and power down" the device and seek a replacement or refund, due to the risk of battery overheating and fires.


Samsung Galaxy Note 7


While Samsung reportedly issued an informal recall of the defective phones two weeks ago, the official CPSC announcement of this recall today triggers Federal U.S. law that "prohibits any person from selling products" involved in a publicly-announced recall.

That obviously includes mobile carriers who until recently were continuing to sell the defective phones they had in inventory.

The CPSC recall means buyers can ask for a refund, or trade in the Galaxy Note 7 on another product. Samsung says plans to have replacement Galaxy Note 7 models by September 27, meaning that buyers will have a week to find another phone or will have to continuing using what they have and hope nothing bad happens.

The same day the company first acknowledged the seriousness of the problem on September 2, Consumer Reports urged Samsung to officially recall its Galaxy Note 7 to prevent the resale of a dangerous product. Samsung spent another 13 days discussing the issue with officials in the U.S., Korea and other countries where it had sold the Galaxy Note 7 with defective batteries.

Roughly 1 million of Galaxy Note 7 phones have been sold in the U.S. and about 2.5 million globally, but according to analytics data compiled by Apteligent, despite an earlier voluntary recall, "usage rate of the phone among existing users has been almost the exact same since the day of the recall," which occured on September 2. The firm noted that only about 15 percent--or 130,000 U.S. devices--had been returned since the problem was first announced.




A snapshot of Internet comments posted to Consumer Reports indicates that many people who have a Galaxy Note 7 phone don't understand the risk involved, while others are offering their personal opinions, claiming that most phones probably aren't defective and that nothing really needs to be done about it.

Others expressed concerns about the amount of time they'll waste in dealing with the recall and refund or replacement, or recounting horror stories they encountered in trying to get their device replaced.




The lack of action taken by Samsung and by its customers has now prompted multiple U.S. government agencies to step in, along with authorities in Canada, Mexico and other countries, to rapidly stop the use of Samsung's defective phones by people who are not equipped to make basic life decisions on their own.

Samsung has reported 92 occurrences of overheating Galaxy Note 7 batteries within in U.S. alone, including 26 that burned people and 55 incidents that caused fire damage to vehicles or to a garage.

Additional fires and burns related to Samsung phones have also been reported, including a Samsung Galaxy Core Prime that burned a six year old boy in Brooklyn, New York. The MTA warned riders not to use or charge Samsung's defective phone on the subway or on its busses.

MTA customers are urged not to use or charge their #Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile device on trains and buses.

— MTA (@MTA)


A report by the Wall Street Journal cited U.S. officials as saying that Samsung "appears to have exacerbated the situation in the way it has communicated with regulators and consumers," initially offering "conflicting information."

The report scolded Samsung's "apparent failure at the outset to coordinate efforts with U.S. safety authorities."

Last week, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to airlines about the fire hazard posed by Samsung's phones, resulting in warnings prior to takeoff that urged passengers to completely power off Samsung phones and not to attempt to charge them during their flight.

Today, the Associated Press reported that Department of Transportation began "ordering airline passengers not to bring Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones on planes unless they keep them turned off and don't charge them during the flight."

The instructions also forbid users from shipping the Samsung devices in checked luggage, where a fire would have even more serious consequences than within the cabin. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx issued a statement requiring anyone traveling with a recalled Samsung device to "take precautions to ensure its safe handling."
tallest skilDeelroncali
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 40
    I saw on the news last night, that the Galaxy 7 has now been banned on busses and subways in my city.

    I will keep my eyes open, and if I see anybody using a Galaxy 7 the next time that I am on public transportation, I will report them to the authorities. 

    Fandroids watch out! :#
    jbdragonmacseekerviclauyycxmhillxmuadibeSpamSandwichrcponenostrathomaswatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 40
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,007member
    Karma

    jbdragonlamboaudi4jahbladeviclauyycmuadibecaliwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 3 of 40
    Only 24 in 1 million my ass.
    jbdragonmacseekerlamboaudi4viclauyycmuadibemagman1979caliapplepieguypalominewatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 40
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    Seriously? People are still using the Galaxy FireBomb? What does that tell you about its users. 

    Where's Al Franken and his senate hearings about this?
    jbdragonnolamacguystompylamboaudi4muadibemagman1979calibadmonkapplepieguywatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 40
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Apple fanboys poo-pooing antenna gate is one thing. No one was getting hurt. They were "holding it wrong" ha ha ha. For Samsung fanboys to be dismissing the battery issue is downright scary and dangerous. Now there are numerous videos on YouTube of fanboys charging their Note 7s and proclaiming there's nothing to be worried about, advising users not to accept the charge limiting patch that Samsung is going to release. But the real irony is that these fanboys are always blabbering about Apple fans being mindless lemmings who take whatever Apple is offering without question. Their hypocrisy is mind bending.
    jbdragonlamboaudi4radarthekatjahbladeviclauyycxmhillxmuadibemagman1979creativeonecali
  • Reply 6 of 40
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    I was on 2 flights today. On both they made an announcement to whoever has a Note 7 to shit it down immediately and not to try and charge it, in multiple languages. What a PR catastrophe for Samsung. 
    jbdragonlamboaudi4viclauyycmagman1979ronncaliapplepieguypalominemrboba1watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 40
    Good ole Sammy not coming clean. Giving 'conflicting information' about what's happening with their product. This company is truly sad and has no conscience whatsoever. 
    jbdragoncaliwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 8 of 40
    This seems like it's going to be a logistical nightmare. How many rectangular Notes will have to be examined? And how will the "safe" Notes be distinguished from the "unsafe" ones? Feels like I'm going to side-eye anyone with a recent Note.
    muadibemagman1979calibadmonkpalominewatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 9 of 40
    kenckenc Posts: 195member
    So, doesn't that mean they only sold 2.5M Galaxy N7 in 2 weeks of being on the market, Aug 19 to Sep 2nd? Isn't that like paltry?
    anantksundaramviclauyycmuadibecalibadmonkwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 10 of 40
    It sure is quiet in android forums, no outrage about this as the audio jack; it is as if nobody owns this model.
    muadibecalibadmonkapplepieguywatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 11 of 40
    Now, now, let's not get nasty. We all know how karma works. Samsung still makes great products and this could've happened to anybody, including the almighty Apple. Oh my, can you just imagine the PR on this if it were Apple? Samsung is still a major parts supplier for Apple, correct? So let's not bash Samsung. I don't like the Android OS in any way, but have you seen the Samsung OLED displays and the amazing color on them lately? Wow, what vivid colors! And the cameras take amazing photos. Buuuut....I still can't wait for my black iPhone 7 Plus to arrive (next) Friday
  • Reply 12 of 40
    I've tried hard to feel bad for Samsung. Really hard. 

    And I just can't. Instead, a German word keeps popping up in my head...what's that... Schaden-something...
    tallest skilradarthekatmuadibemagman1979caliapplepieguywatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 13 of 40
    chiachia Posts: 713member
    but have you seen the Samsung OLED displays and the amazing color on them lately? Wow, what vivid colors

    There are  least 92 people in the US who've seen just how vivid and amazing the color of flames their Samsung can display.
    peterhartjahbladetallest skilmuadibeperkedelmagman1979ronncalibadmonkapplepieguy
  • Reply 14 of 40
    Now, now, let's not get nasty. We all know how karma works. Samsung still makes great products and this could've happened to anybody, including the almighty Apple. Oh my, can you just imagine the PR on this if it were Apple? Samsung is still a major parts supplier for Apple, correct? So let's not bash Samsung. I don't like the Android OS in any way, but have you seen the Samsung OLED displays and the amazing color on them lately? Wow, what vivid colors! And the cameras take amazing photos. Buuuut....I still can't wait for my black iPhone 7 Plus to arrive (next) Friday
    There is a major difference here. 

    Apple don't make their own devices, not even the CPU. Apple is pretty much a design house that sell their product.  Apple design a product then buy components from other manufacturers or ask manufacturers to make components according to their spec. After that, companies like Foxconn will do the assembly then Apple sell it on its own shops and channel.

    Samsung on the hand has a more vertical production line. They design their product excluded the OS, made their own components, assemble in their own factory and sell with their channel.

    Samsung's practice is very common in Japan and Korea big companies. Big companies like Sony, Toyota, Hyundai and Samsung has their own son and grandson companies that make components for their parent company. 

    So Samsung pretty much have absolute control over their product and no one to blame except themselves.  Vs when the good old PowerBook battery popped, Apple had Sony to blamed and take the fall. Sony lots shitload of money for that.
    applepieguyjony0
  • Reply 15 of 40
    stop the use of Samsung's defective phones by people who are not equipped to make basic life decisions on their own. 
      

    Oh AI, you are so bad.
    applepieguywatto_cobranostrathomasjony0Habi_tweet
  • Reply 16 of 40
    I had a guy on YouTube argue that not all Note 7s have caught fire. Which is undoubtedly true, sure. But that until all Note 7s blew up, there was no actual problem. Unbelievable amount of delusion, or stupidity, or whatever other descriptive noun is applicable. "How can it be a problem if not all the phones have blown up yet? Some are still fine."

    Some ppl have no concept of risk/reward, incident rates, statistics, etc. According the the article, this YouTube person isn't the only dummy. I'd understand if 0.1% of phones were getting blue screen of death; that's not a serious risk worth a formal recall. But an explosion or fire for 0.1% of possibly 10 million phones (if Samsung would've continued to sell them, lets say) means 10,000 exploding phones. Geezus, you can't focus on the "0.1%" and say it's a non-issue; it's 0.1% of how many, and look at the final number and the obvious risk vs reward.

    Reward = you keep using your phone. Yay
    Risk = the phone explodes, burns you or your car or your home or your daughter, or maybe kills you while it was charging by your head while sleeping.

    You're risking that much to get that reward? Ok..... When everyone is telling you to return the fucking thing, the US government, foreign governments, airlines, cell providers, even Samsung overlords themselves, and you say "my lords, this must a test. I will not fail you!! I will show you my devoted loyalty", you can't be on forums throwing around "isheep" without being so hypocritical.
    magman1979chiacaliapplepieguywatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 40
    slurpy said:
    I was on 2 flights today. On both they made an announcement to whoever has a Note 7 to shit it down immediately and not to try and charge it, in multiple languages. What a PR catastrophe for Samsung. 
    I take it by your "shit it down" spelling 'faux pas' both airlines implied flushing it down the lavatory! :-)
    magman1979ronncaliapplepieguywatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 40
    Where's the class action lawsuit?  Apple gets hit with one every month for stupid shite but Samsung still skating by with no concequence. 
    magman1979ronnchiacalibadmonkapplepieguywatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 40
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    djkikrome said:
    Where's the class action lawsuit?  Apple gets hit with one every month for stupid shite but Samsung still skating by with no concequence. 

    http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/09/construction-worker-sues-samsung-after-suffering-burns-from-exploding-phone/

    The first of many I fear.

    applepieguywatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 20 of 40
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member

    thrang said:
    Karma

    No it's not.

    Because the victims are ordinary people who are being injured and suffering property damage through a dangerously defective product.  Samsung will come out of this bloodied and bruised, but they will recover.
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