Alert: Defects with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phones
This website has been created in order to alert the public to a defect with the motherboard and/ or battery of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. I purchased this phone new in December of 2014 at a cost of over $800. I rarely used it, and it remained in my home at most times. The battery began to expand after a year, but I did realize it was the battery. I knew the phone seemed thicker as the button on the front was less indented. I shrugged off the change in the phone shape and did not take the phone to a repair shop or contact Samsung because the phone was still working.
Flash forward to July 27, 2017 or two and a half years later. The phone was now so thick in shape that it was very hard to use the button on the front. I took the phone to my service provider who instructed me to take it right away to be repaired. I was given addresses for two nearby shops. I went directly to one of them.
The repair technician was shocked by the thickness of the phone and said he could not believe it had not exploded on me. He said it was very dangerous to be near the phone. He said it was a manufacturer's defect and that there have been other complaints about the Samsung Note 4. He quoted me a price of $88 to replace the battery, to dispose of the bad battery, and to repair the casing of the phone that was out of alignment due the bad battery.
I said, "Maybe I should mail it back to Samsung since it is a manufacturer's defect."
He said, "That is not a good idea. The phone could explode. It could injure someone or could cause a hole in the plane that carries the mail. There could be a crash. You do not want to be responsible for that. You definitely do not want to put this phone in the mail."
I decided to go ahead and get the battery replaced and have the repairman dispose of the battery in a safe way. Frankly, I was afraid to leave the shop with it.
"I cannot believe your phone still works," he added. "I have never seen a cell phone battery this large."
After the repair, I noticed articles online about people who had been injured by exploding Samsung Note 4 batteries. I was surprised there was no recall.
I contacted Samsung customer service and asked them for a refund for the repair cost which came to $88.49. They refused. They had no interest in giving me any compensation whatsoever. I asked why there had not been a recall, and they had no answer. Apparently, some of the Note 4 phones have the same battery as the Note 7 phones; the latter has been recalled.
The receipts from the repair shop are below with the photos that the repairman took. It is a little hard to read on this blog, but the receipt says, "Battery ballooning most likely caused by manufacturing defect, swollen 4.5 mm outwards. Pressure build up in cell likely caused by electrolyte boiling either from internal short or excessive heat."
Please stay safe. If you own a Samsung Note 4, please get the phone checked. People have been seriously injured, even disfigured, by these phones. There are many articles online about this, including this one in The Sun and this one in the Daily Mail and this one on ABC News.
Update: I learned there is a class action lawsuit against Samsung for the Note 4. There is a defect with the motherboard, which can cause the phone to get too hot and then the battery expands. By this time, my phone with the new battery was again malfunctioning and getting hot. The battery would drain down to zero in half an hour. I phone Samsung and told them that I would join the class action suit unless they agreed to fix my phone at no charge. They agreed. I mailed them the phone. While they had it, they told me there would be a charge for the repair. I reiterated that I knew about the class action lawsuit and would join it. They agreed to fix my phone for free. I recently received it back. So far, so good. I will keep you posted.
Photos of the receipt are below. If you need additional information about my experience, I can be contacted at Charlotte Laws (818) 346-5280 or drlaws@roadrunner.com
Flash forward to July 27, 2017 or two and a half years later. The phone was now so thick in shape that it was very hard to use the button on the front. I took the phone to my service provider who instructed me to take it right away to be repaired. I was given addresses for two nearby shops. I went directly to one of them.
The repair technician was shocked by the thickness of the phone and said he could not believe it had not exploded on me. He said it was very dangerous to be near the phone. He said it was a manufacturer's defect and that there have been other complaints about the Samsung Note 4. He quoted me a price of $88 to replace the battery, to dispose of the bad battery, and to repair the casing of the phone that was out of alignment due the bad battery.
I said, "Maybe I should mail it back to Samsung since it is a manufacturer's defect."
He said, "That is not a good idea. The phone could explode. It could injure someone or could cause a hole in the plane that carries the mail. There could be a crash. You do not want to be responsible for that. You definitely do not want to put this phone in the mail."
I decided to go ahead and get the battery replaced and have the repairman dispose of the battery in a safe way. Frankly, I was afraid to leave the shop with it.
"I cannot believe your phone still works," he added. "I have never seen a cell phone battery this large."
After the repair, I noticed articles online about people who had been injured by exploding Samsung Note 4 batteries. I was surprised there was no recall.
I contacted Samsung customer service and asked them for a refund for the repair cost which came to $88.49. They refused. They had no interest in giving me any compensation whatsoever. I asked why there had not been a recall, and they had no answer. Apparently, some of the Note 4 phones have the same battery as the Note 7 phones; the latter has been recalled.
The receipts from the repair shop are below with the photos that the repairman took. It is a little hard to read on this blog, but the receipt says, "Battery ballooning most likely caused by manufacturing defect, swollen 4.5 mm outwards. Pressure build up in cell likely caused by electrolyte boiling either from internal short or excessive heat."
Please stay safe. If you own a Samsung Note 4, please get the phone checked. People have been seriously injured, even disfigured, by these phones. There are many articles online about this, including this one in The Sun and this one in the Daily Mail and this one on ABC News.
Update: I learned there is a class action lawsuit against Samsung for the Note 4. There is a defect with the motherboard, which can cause the phone to get too hot and then the battery expands. By this time, my phone with the new battery was again malfunctioning and getting hot. The battery would drain down to zero in half an hour. I phone Samsung and told them that I would join the class action suit unless they agreed to fix my phone at no charge. They agreed. I mailed them the phone. While they had it, they told me there would be a charge for the repair. I reiterated that I knew about the class action lawsuit and would join it. They agreed to fix my phone for free. I recently received it back. So far, so good. I will keep you posted.
Photos of the receipt are below. If you need additional information about my experience, I can be contacted at Charlotte Laws (818) 346-5280 or drlaws@roadrunner.com
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