Chinese consumer sues Samsung after Note 7 catches fire

A pedestrian walks past an advertisement for Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in Nanning city, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, October 11, 2016. [Photo/IC]

SHANGHAI - A Chinese consumer has filed a lawsuit against Samsung and a Chinese online shopping platform, after a Note 7 smartphone caught fire.

The plaintiff, Yao, claimed to have fallen in love with the Galaxy Note 7 after it debuted in August, but cases of the phones catching fire or overheating on the mainland left Yao undecided.

Yao said that in September, Samsung China made a statement that the Note 7 smartphones on the mainland were manufactured with different battery cells from those in the global market and would not be recalled, which led to the purchase of a Note 7 on JD.com.

On Sept 18, the phone caught fire while Yao was playing games and burnt holes in the mat, bedsheet and cushion on Yao's bed.

The plaintiff accused the two defendants of fraud and causing economic losses, demanding the return of money for the phone, as well as a compensation of 19,964 yuan ($2,956).

A local court has accepted the case.

Samsung filed a plan with China's consumer quality watchdog in October to recall 190,984 Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold on the Chinese mainland, due to an overheating problem.