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Samsung is offering Note 7 owners up to $100 credit to return their phones

Samsung is offering Note 7 owners up to $100 credit to return their phones

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The Note 7 recall is now backed by the CPSC

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The Galaxy Note 7 is officially dead but Samsung is still dealing with the fallout. The company's latest move is to offer financial incentives to US customers who might be unwisely hanging on to their devices.

Samsung's new Note 7 Refund & Exchange program (which goes live October 13th at 15:00ET) will let customers choose between the following: up to $100 bill credit if they exchange a Note 7 for "any Samsung smartphone," or $25 in credit if they exchange a Note 7 "for a refund or other branded smartphone." (As Samsung makes clear, you get more money for sticking with the company's brand as "a sign of our appreciation for your [...] loyalty.")

Beyond the new credit offers, today's announcements doesn't differ in practical terms from Samsung's previous statements. The message is this: if you've got an original Note 7 or a replacement Note 7, turn it off now and return it — either to Samsung or to the store you bought it from. You can find more details on this process on Samsung's site.

However, while in previous statements Samsung has described the recall of the Note 7 without using the word recall, that's not the case today. The company makes clear it's now acting in coordination with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) — the US agency that manages recalls. When the recall of the original Note 7 began in last month, Samsung was criticized for not properly informing the CPSC. It's obviously keen to correct that.

"We appreciate the patience of our consumers, carrier and retail partners for carrying the burden during these challenging times," said Samsung's US president and chief operating officer, Tim Baxter, in a press statement. "We are committed to doing everything we can to make this right."


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