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What Samsung owners need to know and the anatomy of a recall

OREM, UT - SEPTEMBER 15: A Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is held up as other Note 7 phones sit on a counter after they were returned to a Best Buy on September 15, 2016 in Orem, Utah.  The Consumer Safety Commission announced today a safety recall on Samsung's new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after users reported that some of the devices caught fire when charging.  (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 faces issues with its recall of 2.5 million phones.
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George Frey/Getty Images
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What Samsung owners need to know and the anatomy of a recall

Samsung was riding high.

It's last two releases of smartphone models have garnered rave reviews and strong sales. The Galaxy Note 7 was the latest and greatest.

But a big problem started surfacing soon after release. Dozen of the phones dramatically caught fire. Seems batteries from one of Samsung's suppliers tended to overheat and spark fires. The solution seems straightforward. Have users with the faulty batteries return their Note 7s for replacements. But most Note 7 owners haven't turned in their phones.

What's gone wrong? What owners of this phone need to do now? And how do recalls like this work? Is it always up to the company to initiate the recall and then for the government to be asked into the process? 

For more information regarding the recall, click samsung.com/us/note7recall or call 1-844-365-6197. 

Guest:

Chris Morran, Deputy executive editor for The Consumerist, a not-for-profit subsidiary of Consumer Reports