By Choi Ha-young
Samsung smartphone users are gathering to file a damage suit next week over their inconvenience and anxiety from using the company’s Galaxy Note 7 which many have reported for a defect that causes the battery to explode while being charged.
Harvest Law Office, a local law firm, said Wednesday that more than 200 people have applied to join the legal action.
The firm will collect more participants until Friday before filing the suit with the Seoul Central District Court Monday, demanding 300,000 won ($267) in compensation for each of the consumers.
Ko Young-il, head of the law firm, is one of the participating consumers. “I bought the handset by presale reservation,” he told The Korea Times. “I had to take my time to exchange the device, make a backup of the data and set my login information again after the exchange.”
He said the consumers seek compensation for the time they had to spend for exchanges, as well as for safety concerns and mental shock from the loss of trust in the manufacturer.
“Customers’ psychological damage is clear,” Ko said, adding he is confident they will win the case.
After the first class action, the law firm will gather second and third groups to demand compensation. The litigation cost is 10,000 won per person.
Samsung Electronics, the nation’s largest smartphone maker, decided to stop producing its Note 7 model last week following continuous reports of battery fires. After its launch in August, about 3.8 million people have bought the model all over the world. In Korea, 550,000 customers bought the phone, but about 90 percent of them are still using it without seeking a refund or replacement.
Last Friday, three customers from the United States filed a similar damage suit against the company’s American branch, according to the country’s federal court records.