Consumer Reports says that Samsung’s Note 7 recall ‘isn’t official’

After reports came out that some Galaxy Note 7 units were exploding due to a battery issue, Samsung quickly responded, issuing a recall of the device and a free exchange program for customers. The company stated that 35 incidents had been noted so far and that it was taking the necessary steps to ensure replacement devices would not have the same issue. Through it all, Samsung has seen a lot of praise for how it has handled the matter, except from Consumer Reports that is…

In a post this past Friday, Consumer Reports criticized Samsung for the way the company has been handling this issue. Even though Samsung had stopped sales of the device, including through its carriers, Consumer Reports said that it wasn’t enough. It says that Samsung should have been in touch with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to make the recall official.

In its own search, Consumer Reports still found Galaxy Note 7 units for sale from multiple retailers. By getting the CPSC involved, Samsung would have been able to better ensure that the Galaxy Note 7 was taken off the market completely by making it illegal to sell the device in the United States. With the battery issues plaguing the Note 7, Samsung technically should have done this since the exploding battery falls in line with the Consumer Product Safety Act’s authority with respect to a “substantial product hazard” as well as “an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death.” The latter of those two, of course, assumes a worst case scenario.

Consumer Reports further states that a government official has said that Samsung has not taken the steps to make an official recall with the CPSC, and the company has not responded to a request for information regarding the subject.

While Samsung’s current method of recalling the Note 7 will take care of the problem, getting the CPSC involved here in the United States would be a wise move by the company, ensuring that the Note 7 is taken completely off the market until new units have been made available. It also would have helped Samsung in making the best decisions on how to recall the devices as the CPSC does work with companies to determine the scope of the issue and the best way to handle it.