hankyoreh

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 users exchange their phones before traveling abroad

Galaxy Note 7 users traveling overseas are experiencing major hassles as airlines in the US, Canada, Italy, Australia, China, and Hong Kong have prohibited travelers from taking the smartphone onto airplanes due to the risk of fire and explosion.

With travelers prevented from boarding aircraft even when the phones are shut off or in check-in luggage, South Korean users have been unable to go abroad with their Note 7 phones or come home with them from previous travels.

Now a controversy over reverse discrimination is raging once again amid complaints that Samsung Electronics’s exclusive counseling hotline for users to receive help by phone (1-800-726-7864) is available only in the US, while domestic users are required to use the existing customer center (1588-3366), which does not provide exclusive counseling services. Many are now calling for measures such as text message notifications once an exclusive help line has been sent up for overseas South Korean travelers to receive Korean-language assistance without incurring international call charges, or placing exclusive traveler counseling staff at existing telecommunications customer service centers where free international calling services are already available.

Samsung Electronics previously sent out a text message to Note 7 users offering “guidance on boarding aircraft.” According to the company, rental phone service corners have been set up at international airports to allow travelers to switch out their smartphones. Travelers who have gone overseas with their Note 7 phones while unaware of the aircraft ban are being instructed to exchange them for a rental phone, leave the country, and then replace them once again. Those hoping to do so need to arrive at the airport at least 30 minutes earlier than usual.

The most frustrating situation of all has been for travelers who have gone to countries where the Note 7 is banned on all aircraft, or for those who have to use those countries’ airlines overseas. Unable to bring their phones on board, they have been forced to leave the devices behind. Samsung Electronics has advised the users that they can store phone numbers, pictures, and videos from their devices on Google’s Cloud service, remove the USIM card, and acquire a rental phone at the airport upon their return, after which they can visit a Samsung Electronics service center to go through procedures to get a refund on their device or receive a Galaxy S7 or 7 Edge phone.

But the process is far from easy for users unfamiliar with how to operate the Note 7 or use Google’s Cloud service. Some do not receive proper guidance on where they should leave their devices overseas. Even for those who want to call and ask, Samsung Electronics has yet to provide a number.

“We are aware that there are difficulties with text message alerts alone, and with many inquiries coming to the company, we are working on additional measures, including setting up an exclusive call center,” said a Samsung Electronics source.

“Right now, the only way to inquire is through the Samsung Electronics customer service center,” the source added.

But problems with this approach include the possibility of high international calling charges and the inability to receive proper counseling when it is nighttime in South Korea.

Samsung Electronics is also reportedly considering approaches such as collecting Note 7 phones left overseas by travelers and bringing them into South Korea without their batteries to allow users to remove their information.

“The stumbling block there is the issue of protecting and handling personal information contained on the device,” a Samsung Electronics source said.

By Kim Jae-seob, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]