When reports started to surface about the Samsung Galax Note 7 catching fire or exploding, the Korean tech giant voluntarily started to recall the units that were already being shipped out. Furthermore, it provided deals to clients that had already purchased the handheld - either a complete refund, or a fixed unit in exchange. Now, the company is getting some help from the US government in its continued efforts.
The Beginning
As Recode notes, the US government initially feared that Samsung was breaking protocol as the company started recollecting the Galax Note 7. Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration released its own statement urging owners to stop using the units.
The Partnership
Since then, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has confirmed that it is working closely with Samsung to recall all the compromised Galaxy Note 7 units.
The Plan
For now, both parties are requesting that consumers halt use of the phone altogether. An official statement was made by Tim Baxter, the president of Samsung Electronics America.
"Samsung continues to ensure that consumer safety remains our top priority. We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note 7s and exchange them now.
New Note 7 replacement devices will be issued to exchange program participants upon completion of the CPSC process. In the interim, consumers can return their Note 7 for another device."
In addition, use of the Galaxy Note 7 has already been banned in US, European and Asian airlines.
The Cost
As Reuters reports, the recollection effort of Samsung is going to cost the company dearly. Some 2.5 million units need to be recalled and replaced. Other than these costs are the refunds and incentives that are being provided to initially Galaxy Note 7 owners.
"The cost of the recall is going to be astronomical," said Jahan Rasty, who is a product liability expert and the chief executive officer of Real-World Forensic Engineering. "They have to compensate people, fix the problem and give them a revised version of the product that doesn't have the same manufacturing or design defect."
Furthermore, Samsung needs to act quickly, because the longer it takes to recall all units, the longer this story will stay in headlines.
