3rd party company handling Galaxy Note 7 returns for Samsung

Samsung is having a rough time with the Galaxy Note 7, as reportedly the South Korean company has halted production on the devices after several replacement Galaxy Note 7 devices caught fire. Carriers have stepped up and all four major US carriers are now offering refunds and replacement devices for Galaxy Note 7 owners.

Despite that, Samsung itself has been quiet about the issue and the possibility of a second recall. In fact, it appears as though customer service representatives at the company have very little idea what to do, as seen in an email exchange obtained by The Verge.

The customer sent two emails to Samsung in an attempt to get answers about what to do with his recalled device. A Samsung representative finally replied with a link to a third-party site that specializes in recalls. Here’s how the Samsung representative describes the process:

Through the web page you set up your exchange or refund, and have the option to ship the phone (they mail you the special packaging to send the phone back in), or you can arrange for an agent of this company to come to your home and pick up the phone directly. This does not apply in some areas as they do not have agents stationed in some of the more rural areas. In that case the packaging will be sent if the agents are not available to your area.

It is also an “advanced” exchange. We basically will ship you the phone and the packaging independently of each other, but from when you place the exchange order. So if you choose to exchange, they will begin processing both items to go out. You will not receive them together, they may arrive at different times, but you will not have to return the old phone before they begin to process the new phone.

With a third-party site seemingly handling Samsung refunds now, your best bet if you still have a Galaxy Note 7 is to return the device to the carrier store your purchased it from. All four major US carriers are offering exchanges and/or refunds on the device now, so you really have no reason to keep it. It’s dangerous until Samsung gets this mess sorted.