Galaxy Note 7 users told to get refund, register complaint if stores refuse

A Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 saga has morphed from bad to worse.
With a potentially out-of-control situation looming, countries across the world have taken their own steps in an effort to stop the bleeding, stemming from fresh reports that more Note 7 devices have been heating up ending in catching fire or exploding altogether.
The UAE Ministry of Economy, in a somewhat unprecedented move, has released a statement urging all Note 7 owners to immediately shut down their devices, echoing an earlier statement from Samsung.
Furthermore, the MoE has encouraged users to get a refund from where they purchased their Note 7s, though this would require the receipt. In the event a receipt has not been kept, customers can check with retailers; most stores in Dubai have a record of this in their system.
Should shops refuse to give a refund, the MoE says "people can contact the Consumer Rights Department and register a complaint".
An online poll by Khaleej Times showed a close race: 34 per cent say that they would still buy the next Samsung flagship, while 30 per cent would ditch the brand; 36 per cent, meanwhile, say they would see how the next device will perform before making a decision.
$17 billion hit
On Tuesday, Samsung Gulf told Khaleej Times that, in line with Seoul headquarters, "we are temporarily adjusting the Galaxy Note 7 production schedule in order to take further steps to ensure quality and safety matters".
All that changed in a matter of hours.
The South Korean tech titan has "decided to halt production and sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in order to consider our consumers' safety first and foremost", according to a filing to the Seoul stock exchange.
Analysts have pegged the cost of the fiasco to shoot north of $17 billion.
About 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 devices were affected during the first recall on September 15, and more could be in line during the second, which was officially announced on September 27. Samsung said that "more than 60 per cent" of the original batch of Note 7s were replaced in South Korea and the United States, while sales of the fresh, "safe" devices resumed in several countries on October 1.
UAE retailers reported strong sales of the Note 7 during its initial wave, and this was no different during the second one, despite the negative reports.
The first refund cycle in the country progressed rather smoothly. A number of retailers, as at Press time, were preparing statements on their plans for the next. Sources told Khaleej Times that they are prepared for a possibly even more strenuous exercise.
"Truly sorry"
On Wednesday, Beijing announced that it would start recalling the almost 200,000 Galaxy Note 7s sold in Mainland China.
In Canada, when reports of new fire incidents were cropping up, Samsung teamed up with Health Canada to "take all necessary steps to resolve the situation".
Airlines, on the other hand, have gone from preventing its passengers from charging its Note 7s on-board to totally having it powered down during flights on fears that it may take an aircraft down.
In other major markets, including Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom, announcements have been made on Samsung's local websites for the same.
"To all of our Galaxy Note 7 customers, we are truly sorry that we have not met the high standard that you expect from Samsung. We thank you for your patience during this time, and apologise for the inconvenience we have caused," the company said on its UK Web page.
As at Press time, Samsung has not issued any statement regarding how or when the second return-and-refund process will take place.
Samsung Gulf told Khaleej Times on Wednesday that they are expected to release a statement today.
alvin@khaleejtimes.com