US carriers suspend sales of Samsung Galaxy Note 7

By Park Si-soo

Two U.S. mobile carriers have stopped sales and exchanges of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones because of reports that some replacement phones are catching fire, just as the original phones did before they were recalled last month.

“We’re no longer exchanging new Note 7s at this time, pending further investigation of these reported incidents,” A&T said.

AT&T, a major phone retailer, encouraged customers with Note 7 phones to exchange them for other products.

T-Mobile followed, with CEO John Legere tweeting that the company was recalling the replacement phones “out of an abundance of caution.”

T-Mobile, which encouraged customers to stop using their devices and power them down, said Note 7 buyers could bring their phones and accessories in for an exchange or refund.

The carrier also said that customers could expect a $25 credit on their monthly T-Mobile bill.

Verizon said in a statement to CBS News that it had sold out of the phone, and “any customer concerned about the safety of their replacement Note7 smartphone may take it back to the original point of purchase to exchange it for another smartphone.”

Samsung announced a global recall of the phone in mid-September after batteries overheated or caught fire. It said its replacements were safe, but several people have said those phones also caught fire.