SAMSUNG UPDATE: Authorities Recall 1.9 Million Galaxy Note 7s in the U.S.

CPSC Announces Recall of Every Galaxy Note 7

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) officially announced the recall of the 1.9 million Galaxy Note 7s remaining in the United States—which includes the 1 million recalled in September. The move comes two days after Samsung announced that they are pulling their flagship smartphone off the shelves of retailers and discontinuing the Note 7 indefinitely because of their alleged tendency to explode. The decision by Samsung came after several alleged incidents of replacement Note 7s also exploding. In addition, the CPSC claims to have received at least 23 new reports of exploding Note 7s since the initial recall on September 15^th.

Samsung initially pointed owners of the phone to their place of purchase for a full refund or exchange, but the CPSC has told Samsung that’s not enough. On top of the recall, the CPSC required that Samsung provide a safe way for consumers to return their defective products directly to the South Korean electronics conglomerate from the comfort of their homes.

The fire retardant return kits are extremely elaborate. On the side of the box there is a notice that states, “DAMAGED/DEFECTIVE LITHIUM ION BATTERY” and “FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORT BY AIRCRAFT,” as all Note 7s have been banned from air travel. Inside the kit are three additional boxes—one thermally insulated—a static shield to be wrapped around the Note 7, and a set of protective latex gloves to use while handling the phone.

Attorney Frank Melton of Newsome Melton on lithium battery hazards:

Some consumers have stated that they intend on keeping their defective smartphones because they have not malfunctioned to date, but the CPSC warns that owners, “should immediately stop using and power down all Galaxy Note 7 devices, including Note 7 devices received as replacements in the previous recall.” Samsung has still not identified a reason for the explosions of which there have been almost 100 reported incidents in the United States alone.

For more info, consumers can visit http://www.samsung.com/us/note7recall