As if Samsung already has enough problems, they can add a couple more to those. Now that Samsung has halted production of the Galaxy Note 7 due to fires and now wants them all returned, it seems as though there is a problem on how to send them back. FedEx Express and UK Royal Mail are refusing to handle shipments because of their possible volatility. FedEx Ground is still offering to ship new units to customers as long as those units come from retail stores. UPS says it will only ship ground in their special packing. The United States Postal Service has not yet gotten back with their policies. You cannot blame FedEx or UPS that fly almost every package. If a Note 7 would explode or catch fire in the plane’s cargo bay, it could be disastrous. Samsung may have to pay to have them dropped off, specially wrapped, and driven by truck to a ship that is willing to take them to Korea.
It seems like it was just yesterday when Samsung proudly announced its new Galaxy Note 7. It was highly praised by the reviewers, pre-orders were piling up, and when the official day came, they started flying off the shelves. Then one caught fire – no big deal, probably a defective battery. Then another and another and all of a sudden Samsung starts to investigate, determines it is a battery issue from one supplier and ends up doing a complete recall. By this time, all stores have suspended sales. Most turned their Note 7s in at a company store and exchanged them for something temporary or permanent. Two to three weeks past and Samsung was ready to ship out a new and improved batch. Many went in and picked up a new Galaxy Note 7 only to later find out some of the new devices caught fire as well. Samsung decided on the only option they had really left – they pulled all of the Galaxy Note 7s and are no longer producing them. Retail partners are also no longer selling them.
We may never know the real reason of what caused the fires in the Note 7s and Samsung may decide to get rid of the ‘Note’ moniker altogether. Before Samsung does anything, they need to figure out how to get them sent back to Korea, and it doesn’t look like it will be via FedEx or UPS.