Galaxy Note 7 recall proceeding smoothly
A Galaxy Note 7 owner visits an SK Telecom retail store in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, Monday. The nation’s three mobile carriers ― SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus ― started a Note 7 exchange program, replacing handsets with new ones, after a worldwide recall over “exploding” batteries. / Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon
By Lee Min-hyung, Choi Ha-young
The country’s mobile carriers started to exchange Samsung’s flagship Note 7 handsets with new devices, Monday, but their retail stores were less busy due to a supply shortage.
Observers had expected that customers would line up for the exchange, as the 5.7-inch handsets set a sales record of 400,000 here. But weak supply led the carriers to send notices to customers, requesting them to visit stores when there were enough new phones in stock.
“Our retail store is not busy as we notified customers of the supply shortage and asked them to visit when we have enough in stock,” said a store manager at LG Uplus in downtown Seoul.
“On Monday, three customers are supposed to visit our store, as we have yet to get enough replacements,” he said.
Customers visited stores over concerns of possible battery fires; but were satisfied with Samsung’s quick response to the problem, instituting an exchange program.
“It’s like a yellow card for the company, but not a red card yet,” Yang Nam-gyu, 31, said while exchanging his device at SK Telecom’s Hongik University Station store in western Seoul. “Last week, I got a text message from the store, so I visited as early as I could over concerns that my phone might explode. But I am satisfied with Samsung’s response and the recall.”
An SK Telecom retail store manager agreed with Yang’s opinion.
“The latest scandal may have tarnished the firm’s brand image to some extent, but the decision to recall all the Note 7 handsets with quick notifications was the best option the company could have taken,” said Lee Jin-woo, the store manager there, adding that only four out of 130 Note 7 buyers decided to get a refund.
Another customer, who bought the Note 7 handset on Aug. 19, said he decided not to get a refund, as he was satisfied with the state-of-the-art functionality of the handset.
“I can cancel the order by Monday, but I won’t as no other handset is equipped with the functions that the Note 7 has,” Lee Kyung-woo, 36, said.
Samsung will recall the Note 7 until the end of March next year. Customers, who purchased the handset from SK Telecom and KT, have to visit retail stores in which they signed a contract, while LG Uplus customers can exchange their phones at any of the company’s stores across the country.
Samsung Electronics will start the exchange program in the United States no later than Wednesday, with the company planning to expand the recall worldwide shortly after.