Top UAE government officials met Samsung to discuss a recall of the troubled Note 7 handsets following consumer complaints over cash refunds.
The Ministry of Economy told Aletihad, The National’s Arabic language sister newspaper, that the meeting was in response to complaints it had received from customers who were refused cash refunds for the popular Dh2,999 device.
The handsets were recalled for the second time this month following a series of battery fires.
Aletihad reported that some customers were declined a cash refund at unnamed service centres, being asked to provide their bank account details to receive a refund via bank transfer or credit card refund instead.
Refunds to bank accounts take up to two workings days on average, while refunds to credit cards take between seven and 10 working days.
A representative for Samsung confirmed that officials had met with the Ministry of Economy to discuss the recall process for the Note 7, and that the two entities would issue a statement “in the next few days”, declining to give further details.
Samsung permanently halted production of its Note 7 earlier this month, after an initial worldwide recall of 2.5 million units failed to solve problems with the handsets’ batteries.
More than 500 South Korean Note 7 owners have filed lawsuits against Samsung demanding compensation for the time spent returning their handsets and transferring data to replacement smartphones, according to local media reports. Several US customers have also filed class action lawsuits against the Korean manufacturer.
The Ministry of Economy promised Note 7 owners based in the UAE they would get a full refund if they returned their handset to the place of purchase, instructing owners to stop using their handsets and power them down.
UAE retailers said that the recall process had been running relatively smoothly, with no reports of customer disgruntlement at a lack of cash refunds.
“The recall process has been extremely busy but has gone fairly smoothly so far,” said Ashish Panjabi, the chief operating officer of Jacky’s Retail, which runs Samsung stores in five locations. “We installed queuing systems in our stores and nearly tripled our staff strength to manage the extra load during this period.”
Mr Panjabi said that simple cash flow issues at certain stores may have been behind customer complaints.
“With credit cards being close to 60 per cent of sales today, they may not have had sufficient cash on hand,” he said.
“We have been smoothly processing refunds for all customers who have purchased a Note 7 device from Sharaf DG and offering customers the option to buy another device immediately at our stores,” said Nilesh Khalkho, the chief executive at Sharaf DG.
“While a majority of our customers have already taken the refund, there are a few who haven’t yet come back with their devices, and we are proactively contacting them to visit us and complete the refund process.”
* With reporting by Andrew Scott
jeverington@thenational.ae
Follow The National's Business section on Twitter
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
