When will they flip the kill switch off!

[jgraves1107]

Can carriers block/disable service to Note 7 devices if they see users still using the device?? Could anyone sue the carrier of someones exploding device for not taking anymore preventative measures???

Not likely. The user of the device is responsible if the don't turn it in during a recall. But the cpsc has yet to officially say it's a recall. They most likely will not block the imei because they want that money from the user. Doing so could cause user to switch carriers. I was told they don't care one way or the other as long as they get paid. Which they will make you pay to keep the device. My reuleaux mod is known to burst into flames and I still use it. It's usually cuz someone set the battery cut off too low but still it could burst into flames. You actually stand a better chance of walking out into the street and being struck by a drunk driver after finishing this sentence than you do having your N7 go up in smoke.

 

[LeoRex]

Can carriers block/disable service to Note 7 devices if they see users still using the device?? Could anyone sue the carrier of someones exploding device for not taking anymore preventative measures???

The thing with lawsuits is that lawyers tend to go after anyone involved, especially if they have deep pockets. It's all about liability. A carrier that continues to allow a phone that has been officially recalled due to a safety issue could be held at least partially responsible if something bad happened. Think it out... someone is driving along with a recalled Note 7, it catches fire and in a panic, they cause an accident with another vehicle. Now, of course, the owner of the Note 7 is at fault, but I could see how the carrier could also be held accountable... "Why would you allow a phone that is that large s safety risk to operate on your network? If you did not allow the phone to work in your network, do you think it would have been use that day?"

Blocking all those phones is actually quite easy... the mechanism is already there to block phones, and its not like Samsung doesn't know which ones are in use.

 

[cardboard60]

All the phones are registered with the IMEI card.

 

[GrooveRite]

The thing with lawsuits is that lawyers tend to go after anyone involved, especially if they have deep pockets. It's all about liability. A carrier that continues to allow a phone that has been officially recalled due to a safety issue could be held at least partially responsible if something bad happened. Think it out... someone is driving along with a recalled Note 7, it catches fire and in a panic, they cause an accident with another vehicle. Now, of course, the owner of the Note 7 is at fault, but I could see how the carrier could also be held accountable... "Why would you allow a phone that is that large s safety risk to operate on your network? If you did not allow the phone to work in your network, do you think it would have been use that day?"

Blocking all those phones is actually quite easy... the mechanism is already there to block phones, and its not like Samsung doesn't know which ones are in use.

Thank you! I know! Exactly why I asked!

If I was the owner of a carrier.....I would block ANY Note 7 device just to avoid potential liability because lawsuits can implicate anyone involved especially if they're capable of preventing individuals who don't want to return their devices. I would sue the individual, Samsung and the carrier for gross negligence!

 

[spridell]

Not likely. The user of the device is responsible if the don't turn it in during a recall. But the cpsc has yet to officially say it's a recall. They most likely will not block the imei because they want that money from the user. Doing so could cause user to switch carriers. I was told they don't care one way or the other as long as they get paid. Which they will make you pay to keep the device. My reuleaux mod is known to burst into flames and I still use it. It's usually cuz someone set the battery cut off too low but still it could burst into flames. You actually stand a better chance of walking out into the street and being struck by a drunk driver after finishing this sentence than you do having your N7 go up in smoke.

CPSC this morning issued the second recall and its now for ALL Note 7's

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/s...-Additional-Incidents-with-Replacement-Phones

 

[jgraves1107]

CPSC this morning issued the second recall and its now for ALL Note 7's

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/s...-Additional-Incidents-with-Replacement-Phones

Well now doesnt that suck. Still how is it that Samsung can't replicate the issue?

 

[joe.kent]

Note 7 Charging question..

So I'm currently still using my "Replacement" Note 7, and I noticed a while ago that while it's plugged in charging (Or laying on the inductive charger), once the battery is full, it seems to quit charging... No more lightening bolt in the battery symbol. Does anyone else notice that? So the question at hand is: If it gets a full charge, then shuts down the charging capability for a while... What exactly is going on that is causing them to explode?

 

[natehoy]

Re: Note 7 Charging question..

It's hard to be sure, because Samsung isn't even giving out any details. If it's a defective battery (the current theory) then it doesn't need to be overcharged in order to go Thermite. It just needs to be subjected to the conditions that cause the defect to trigger (and no one really knows what those conditions are - warming up (either from room warmth, or charging/heavy use internal battery heat) causing expansion, then two contacts touch, followed by sudden discharge? Degradation of an inadequate insulator that will suddenly fail for no apparent reason and allow two contacts to touch? Slightest impact causes contacts to shift and touch? Bad BMS that doesn't know when to quit charging, or is tripped by a specific voltage due to some internal flaw and shorts the battery? Combination of the above? Others?)

The upshot is - no one who really knows is saying anything. Normally the built-in BMS would prevent a discharge at levels fast enough to allow this to happen, so evidence points in the direction of something physically wrong with the battery - or maybe a bad BMS. And maybe what's wrong with the new ones is different than what is wrong with the old ones, so different conditions trigger the flaw.

This is why Sammy wants that phone back so badly. They don't know, or aren't saying, what the problem is. But they know it could flame up on you, because they aren't saying "avoid XYZ condition because we have determined that triggers the flameout and you can safely use your phone as long as you follow these instructions until you can return it". They are saying "turn it off, turn it off right now, we don't know why they flame up but we don't want it to happen to you"

 

[Kalious]

Re: Note 7 Charging question..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cd2WIxKRDk check out this video, it explains it very well.

 

[ddymond]

I have watched, read and listened to everything regarding this recall and what aggravates me the most is the lack of communication between Samsung and the carriers on how to do this to make the hassle for THEIR customers as painless as possible. I called my local AT&T corporate store and they have no clue as to what to do and do correctly. Every question I asked I was put on hold to get an answer. I was told that the $100 credit is not offered through AT&T and I have to go through Samsung and their customer service. Is this correct?
They said they would take back the Otterbox cover and screen protector I purchased so at least that is a plus. I have been a Samsung customer since the original Note and this nonsense has me really thinking about switching brands. I love the Note and Samsung's phones, but they have so royally botched this phone and how its been handled that its making me re-think which direction to go.
The logical choice is the S7 edge, but my wife has the phone and it doesn't impress me. The LG V20 looks like a good phone, but without them being in stock to look at and a "new" phone that is untested with the public who knows. The Pixell isnt even offered by AT&T, so I am left with 2 phones to chose from and neither impress me. I like the LG but without it having the wireless charging capability I'll lose that. Iphone isn't even an option.
Such aggravation over a cell phone. Going tonight to do the switch and its a flip of the coin on which way to go.

 

[natehoy]

Well now doesnt that suck. Still how is it that Samsung can't replicate the issue?

The issue could truly be limited to a specific subset of phones, and be something that is hard to replicate on demand.

Random hypothesis which fits the current crop of cases, but is not meant as an explanation - merely for illustration:

Let's say a battery manufacturer used an inferior or defective material as an insulator between individual cells in the battery - which can be done without even knowing it because their source may have sold them inferior product but claimed it was better.

Nothing that causes an instant failure - it looks and works great for a while - but something that degrades in a manner of weeks or months. Heat may accelerate this degradation and extreme heat may be somewhat associated with failures, but is not the root cause of it. Physical impact or vibration - even from tapping the screen - and even when the phone is completely off - may cause a degraded insulator to finally fall away and fail, but unless it's mostly degraded it's fine - so you can't associate it with that either. The root cause is something you cannot see degrading and letting two bits of metal touch, and there are a lot of things that will cause that final failure - but none of them are the actual root cause.

In any case, some (unknown) subset of batteries have this failure, which is as unpredictable as it is spectacular. And once a phone goes Thermite, it destroys all markings on the internal battery so you don't even have a way of knowing which lot of batteries it is.

Something like this would be very hard to pin down - especially if the batteries were used in a small percent of phones. You'd have to tear apart tens of thousands of phones, then tear apart the batteries in them, in order to determine the root cause. And then - if you finally did find a manufacturing run of batteries that did have this bad insulator in them - the information does you little good when you don't know which phones have the potentially-defective batteries (because you can't ask consumers to rip the back cover off and check a battery serial number - you glued the thing in).

The chances of finding the root cause of the failure are fairly low. The chances of the information being terribly useful are even lower. So the correct response is "recall them all - RIGHT NOW - and then when we have them all safely ensconced in a fireproof warehouse - THEN we can start tearing them apart and finding a root cause to avoid this from ever happening again." Because they are still flaming out, and Samsung has a huge liability issue at the moment.

 

[keepnitreel]

Re: Note 7 Charging question..

So I'm currently still using my "Replacement" Note 7, and I noticed a while ago that while it's plugged in charging (Or laying on the inductive charger), once the battery is full, it seems to quit charging... No more lightening bolt in the battery symbol. Does anyone else notice that? So the question at hand is: If it gets a full charge, then shuts down the charging capability for a while... What exactly is going on that is causing them to explode?

That's normal. My Note 3 does this and so did the S7edge loaner I had... I'm assuming you've never noticed until the paranoia and caution kicked in

 

[cardboard60]

Re: Note 7 Charging question..

That's normal. My Note 3 does this and so did the S7edge loaner I had... I'm assuming you've never noticed until the paranoia and caution kicked in

If the note 4 just had wifi calling and video calling.

 

[7AndTRT]

Reposted for emphasis.. do what Alex says.. there are several reasons why you should return the phone... If you don't have another phone to fall back on, get one... You got the Note 7, and whatever money you outlayed should be returned to you.. money you can use towards a replacement. Will that replacement satisfy every use case that the Note 7 can? Not all of them... but such is life.

I just can't see how keeping it could ever be an option.

I can't believe people need to be hounded to do the right thing.

I almost hope someone who prefers their cell phone to safety has it go up and gets charged with criminal negligence causing damage/injury (preferably to themselves but since they have no respect for anyone but themselves so it'll likely be an innocent) - and then they'll cry that it's not their fault.

Cellphones > people. Amirite?

 

[my1december]

I spoke with three separate Verizon reps in the last two days and today was conferenced with a Samsung representative as well.

Now, let me start by saying I initially had no intention of being "irresponsible" and "careless" and keep my N7 despite the risk. However, it felt wrong to have to shell out $70 in "upgrade" fees and taxes and wait to be refunded bill credits on my next billing cycle. So 6 weeks for me. Plus I would have to, within the next year, pay approximately $400 before I could get a phone I truly want when it comes. That's a large financial burden to place on customers. Especially $70 simply to exchange.

So, each conversation revealed the same. They are not forcing return. There is (at this time) no deadline or "kill switch" plans. While they cannot say to keep and do NOT want customers to keep the device, there are no plans at this time to force returns.

I'm sure that could change at any time, but as they told me today, "It shows as paid off. It's yours. However, you assume liability if anything happens."

I still feel, and expressed, I still feel they share in some liability if they have not made exchange options affordable and find the attitude I got of, "It's not our problem if you can afford to exchange this potentially dangerous device" to be morally reprehensible.

 

[ultravisitor]

as they told me today, "It shows as paid off. Its yours. However, you assume liability if anything happens."

This should be reposted again and again and again.

 

[jgraves1107]

This should be reposted again and again and again.

You do realize that if they refuse to take it and give a refund he is not liable in any way? The recall is because of the 2nd round fires. The cpsc nor Samsung can replicate nor explain why this happened so they recalled. Cramming that statement down someone's throat over and over does nothing to help him replace his phone.

 

[cardboard60]

You do realize that if they refuse to take it and give a refund he is not liable in any way? The recall is because of the 2nd round fires. The cpsc nor Samsung can replicate nor explain why this happened so they recalled. Cramming that statement down someone's throat over and over does nothing to help him replace his phone.

Thank You !

 

[ultravisitor]

You do realize that if they refuse to take it

They did not refuse to take it.

 

[my1december]

They do refuse to provide an option for customers who cannot just float a giant corporation $70+ for 6 weeks. They do insult customers by charging an upgrade fee for a downgrade with a promise of, "Oh, it's fine. You'll get a bill credit on your next statement."

It's not acceptable and forces some customers to keep this device they're saying is so dangerous because they can't afford to exchange. That's wrong.