Samsung, South Korea's tech giant, is sending fire-proof boxes and protective gloves to clients returning potentially explosive Galaxy Note 7 phones.
This sparked a blaze of humor on social media about the new-fangled twist in the Note 7 recall scandal.
Samsung recently halted the production of its Galaxy Note 7 after series of controversies due to reports of batteries being caught on fire as well as explosions on airplanes and other public spaces.
In view that the FAA had previously moved to ban the devices from airplanes, Samsung is now sending Galaxy Note 7 owners fire-proof boxes to send their devices back in.
Samsung said in a statement that it was sending the fire-proof return kit to customers who bought the Galaxy Note 7 phone on its website.
According to Travel and Leisure, this isn't just a simple box-and-ship situation.
With this box, users are encouraged to put on the provided rubber gloves before placing the phone in a static-shielding pouch. The pouch then goes in an OEM replacement box, which then goes in a second box, which then goes in a third (and final) thermal box.
Printed on the front of these boxes: "Damaged/defective lithium ion battery, forbidden for transport by aircraft, ground and vessel shipment only."
The packaging also inspired mirth. As tweeted by user @Nataddda, "The ultimate prank is when you open a box inside a box inside a box to find...a bag."
According to Reuters, various U.S. wireless carriers, like Sprint and Verizon, described getting similar materials to return the phones.
Laura Lisec, Sprint Corp (S.N) spokeswoman, said that retail employees had been told to remove phones from packaging, power them down and secure them in the heat-proof boxes.
Sprint phones nationwide are being consolidated at a warehouse in Illinois before being forwarded to Samsung.
On the other hand, Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ.N) spokeswoman Kelly Crummey said that retail stores were keeping returned Note 7s separate from other merchandise but did not share details regarding shipping or packaging.
Crummey said returns were steady and that many customers were choosing other Samsung Android operating system phones, rather than switching to Apple and its iOS.
"The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are really popular with customers. From what we've seen with customers if they like Android they like Android and if they like iOS they like iOS," she added.
Meanwhile, shippers are also taking their own precautions. The U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS said they would not ship the phones by air, consistent with U.S. regulation. But FedEx will only take phones returned to stores, not from individuals directly.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
