No more compensation for Note 7 in Korea: Samsung
Samsung Electronics will not offer any additional compensation for Galaxy Note 7 users in Korea besides what it offered them following the recall, the company has said.
Around 2,400 consumers in South Korea who bought the Note 7 have filed a class action lawsuit to the Seoul Central District Court against Samsung, asking for 500,000 won in compensation for each.
The consumers said the recall forced them to visit stores at least four times: when they bought the device, when they had to check the battery safety, when they had to exchange the device for a new Note 7, and lastly, when they had to exchange their second Note 7 for another device.
In its reply filed to court on November 30, the company said it was not obligated to compensate consumers who received a new device after having their Note 7s recalled.
Samsung said it has offered the maximum compensation and benefits possible for consumers who bought the phablet.
It also stressed that it took near 10 trillion won in losses to fully refund the device. It said if the court finds that Samsung needs to offer additional compensation, it will set a negative precedent that will make future voluntarily, preventive, and active recalls impossible in the future.
Samsung ended the global sales of the Note 7 on October 11 due to the phone catching fire and two recalls that failed to find the cause.
It plans to offer a 50 percent discount on the Note 8 and S8 when they come out next year for those who bought the Note 7 in South Korea.
To offset losses, last month Samsung launched a blue coral version of the S7 -- a newly introduced color for the phablet.