By Sachin Kumar
DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce in association with Samsung Electronics Company has announced an immediate recall of Galaxy Note 7 from the local market for possible defects in battery.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry said that it has coordinated with the dealer to stop sale and use of the device.
The ministry has urged citizens and expatriates, who bought Galaxy Note 7 to contact the dealer, agent or distributor to get back the amount they paid to purchase the phone. They can contact the company at 8002255, added the Ministry.
Dealers in Qatar have confirmed Galaxy Note 7 will not be available in Qatar as the South Korean tech giant has asked local dealers to halt its sales after reports of faulty batteries in some devices.
Confused by the reports of several handsets catching fire while charging due to a battery fault, owners of the recently launched model are approaching dealers to know how to replace batteries or get a refund. Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker, on Friday had said it would recall 2.5 million units shipped globally to countries including the US and South Korea, and offer new devices to existing users.
“The company has asked us to stop the sale of Galaxy Note 7 immediately. So we are not touching the new stock. A few customers came to us to buy Note 7 but we advised them to wait for some more days as we are waiting for more clarity,” said Sameer, working at a smartphone shop at Old Airport Street.
“Samsung Note 7 is a high end phone launched a few weeks back. Some customers, who bought the handset from us, have called us to know about the recall. We requested them to contact the company’s main agent to get more clarity about the recall,” said owner of another shop in the same area.
The recall comes just over two weeks after the company launched its latest premium phone, which features an outsized screen and high-resolution camera.
Seeking more clarity about recall many residents in Qatar resorted to social media to get answers. “How are u going to arrange the recall of Samsung Note7 which I bought from you?,” said a tweet addressed to a local smartphone dealer.
The Peninsula
