How Samsung Galaxy Note7 Owners in NJ Can Return Their Phones

Here's how owners of Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones in New Jersey can return the devices that were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Samsung said Galaxy Note7 owners can contact the carrier or retail outlet where they purchased their device.

New Jersey owners of the phones can return them to AT&T, Best Buy, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon stores.

Those who bought the Note7 at Samsung.com should call  844-365-6197.

The recall was issued for all phones sold before Sept. 15 as a result of at least 92 reports of overheated batteries and 26 reported cases of burns to phone users and 55 reports of property damage caused by the malfunctioning batteries.

NJ Transit earlier in the week told Samsung Galaxy Note7 owners not to use them on its trains and buses.

"Since the affected devices can overheat and pose a safety risk, if you own a Galaxy Note7, it is extremely important to stop using your device, power it down and immediately exchange it," the company said on its website.

About 1 million of the units were sold in August and September.

The phone can be exchanged for a new Galaxy Note 7, a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge or returned for a refund.

Townsquare Media Science and Technology Advisor Dave Loudon said that the lithium ion batteries used in the Galaxy Note7 holds a lot of energy.

"This problem and problems in the past with lithium ion batteries are because there was a manufacturing defect in the battery, not because the phone malfunctioned and not because the user did anything wrong. The batteries hold a lot of energy and if they are not manufactured correctly they can release the energy in a catastrophic way. That's what causes these fires."

Putting any phone in your pocket is not a good idea, according to Loudon.

"You put a lot of stress and strain on the phone. You run the phone warmer and you're putting a microwave transmitter between your legs. There's all kinds of reasons why carrying a phone in your pocket is a bad idea [and not just because] it catches fire. But people do it all the time anyway," he said.

Samsung's American headquarters is in Ridgefield Park.