Samsung Galaxy Note7 owners in Singapore will be able to indicate their preference for a refund or to have their scrapped Note7 exchanged on the company's website from Oct 26, said Samsung on Friday afternoon (Oct 14).
Announcing the details of its refund programme in Singapore, the embattled firm said customers can choose to switch to the Galaxy S7 edge, another Samsung flagship model launched here in March. This offer will come with cash and handset upgrade benefits, with full details to come shortly.
They need to provide their details for a free home delivery on the website www.samsung.com/sg/note7exchange. No details were given on the exact amount of the refund, and what customers who had bought the handset at a subsidised rate from telcos will get.
The announcement follows an unprecedented decision by the world's largest handset maker to pull the plug on its flagship Note7 device barely two months after its launch due to unresolved fire concerns.
"We are deeply sorry for the disappointment and frustration the Galaxy Note7 issue may have caused our customers and partners. Our focus now is to reduce further inconvenience to our customers who have trusted and waited for the Galaxy Note7," said Mr Eugene Goh, Samsung Electronics Singapore vice president of IT & Mobile.
Comparatively in the United States, Samsung is giving customers a US$100 (S$138) bill credit if they exchange their Note7 for another Galaxy phone. If customers switch to another brand, they get US$25.
The Note7, launched in August, received rave reviews. But an initially-identified battery fault had led to some units catching fire and exploding.
Last month, Samsung recalled some 2.5 million handsets worldwide, including tens of thousands of units in Singapore, and issued replacement Note7 devices.
But the fire problem persisted in even the replacement handsets, with one incident of a replacement phone emitting smoke causing passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight in Louisville on Oct 5 to be evacuated.
On Tuesday (Oct 11),Samsung and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission finally advised consumers to stop using the phone. The handset maker is now working with safety regulators around the world to investigate the continuing problem.
