Samsung has issued a global recall of its Note 7. It seems this process is still in chaos for some users plus there is a different rule for customers dependant on which country they live in.
Daniel left a comment yesterday and needs your help too –
“I’m a Singaporean Note 7 user and it’s terrible Samsung Singapore isn’t offering any other option but to wait for a replacement (of the same colour) to arrive. no refunds, no swap with an S7/Edge. when I bought the phone, I wasn’t expecting it to brick on me after just 5 days, and then get subjected to so many restrictions on usage. they’ve locked us in to the replacement, which still can’t be used on aircraft. we’ve got absolutely zero choice in this whole madness that nobody knows will last for how long or develop in which direction. no idea also if the bootloop/bricking is still gonna affect the replacements they’ve been issuing since 16 Sept. the replacements are still exynos variants, so that’s possible i guess. anyway over 500 of us now have signed a petition demanding refund (i’d estimate 5k-10k pre-recall Note 7 customers here)”
So please help Daniel and sign this petition below.
The boot loop issue has impacted many people.
Samsung UK has issued a further statement saying that a software update will limit the battery to charging to 60%. Plus it now has an IMEI checker to confirm which phones are dangerous.
So prevent a phone from charging to full, meaning a person is going to have to charge it more often which is not a good idea, surely.
So how does anyone tell if the new Note 7 is safe? A new Note 7 owner can be fully confident that their replacement device is not affected by the battery cell issue, courtesy of a new UX update to the battery icon. Any Note 7 device that shows a ‘green’ battery icon (previous software version is white) on the device notification bar, the ‘Power Off’ prompt screen or the Always-On Display can be assured that the device is safe for charging. This UX update will be rolled out from tomorrow in UK and Ireland.
Has Samsung not heard of apps that skin the status bar and can change the icon. Samsung need to deactivate any phones not returned.
In the US there are incidents from stores refusing to let customers return the phone, to others which were unable to offer a replacement or loaner phone, or attempted to charge customers for missing boxes and accessories (which Samsung stated weren’t required when returning a handset), there seems to be a lot of confusion in stores as to what the returns process should actually be. UPS & Fedex will not accept the phones for return back to Samsung.com.
There are also issues with Note 7 bought in a different country to where the current owner is living. Samsung UK refuses to exchange a dual sim Note 7 with another dual sim version. Instead, they will only offer a single sim.
This is not an easy situation for Samsung, but the message is still not consistent enough. The methods and compensation, and loan devices should be identical across the globe. A lot of replacement devices have now reached people, but my concern is the Note 7 as a model is ruined.
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 
My experience with Samsung Gulf and Samsung UK.has been very positive. I await my replacement, which won’t be dual SIM but a least it’ll have a 2 year warranty.
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Do you have a date yet for the exchange?
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No date. Just reminded them today. Hoping they let me exchange at their Oxford Street store.
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One possible positive is that anyone looking to buy one second hand 6 months down the line might get a good deal as the reputation of the note 7 is tarnished.
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THANK YOU so much Gavin! really appreciate your support 🙂 there’s been no sign of any change so far and it’s been really frustrating, but we’re still trying. they gave us only 2 weeks, from 16 Sept to 02 Oct to ‘voluntarily exchange’ our Note7s, and there are still plenty people who haven’t had a chance to book an appointment to exchange their phones or just don’t wanna. gonna keep fighting this oppression as long as they don’t wrap this up properly.
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I use a Noe 7 and it has been working fine so far, In fact, I have not seen the phone reboot itself at all. The exchange process is generally all right and I have booked an appointment for this Saturday.
Deactivating the phone seems a fair deal. Can Samsung, with the operators, do that to all the Note 7s still not brought in for exchange?
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Yes. The mandatory update is coming next that restricts battery and will keep displaying a pop up message to return the phone.
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Thought I would like to talk a little about the exchange experience, as a little follow up.
I did the exchange on Saturday a centralised location at Suntec City (huge shopping mall easily accessed by public transport). The whole experience was fuss-free and swift, perhaps aided by me being in the Concierge program. The queue was well-managed and the staff courteous and professional to a fault.
I joined the queue for my time slot and quickly received a queue number, together with a goodie bag. In it were bottled water, Famous Amos cookies and candy floss. There was also an envelop with $30 shopping vouchers and a screen protector. Within minutes, I was being served at one of the numerous counters.
I handed over my phone sans accessory and stylus. The staff never asked any questions and duly gave a new phone, complete with all the accessories. She politely walked me through all the steps to wipe the phone and getting my new phone ready (restoration needed to be done at home). Within half an hour, I was out. Pretty decent, if you asked me.
Could Samsung have done better? Definitely, on hindsight. The public relations and the recall should have been better handled. There are many other companies who have done much worse.
Should they be given a second chance? Probably yes. My original Note7 had no issues, as far as I know and was working well. I took the precaution not to leave it charging overnight. I charged the phone intermittently wirelessly throughout the day and only charge maximum an hour at one go.
While badly hit by this misstep, I’m sure Samsung will bounce back.
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Good to hear your exchange went well.
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