T-Mobile becomes the second of the major U.S. carriers to halt sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7

T-Mobile is halting sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 after a number of the supposedly "safe" replacement phones caught fire this week, according to a company spokesperson who spoke to The Verge. It will also give any customers who return their Note 7 a $25 credit on their bill. It makes T-Mobile the second major US carrier, after AT&T, to cease selling the product. T-Mobile also issued a statement addressing the situation:

While Samsung investigates multiple reports of issues, T-Mobile is suspending all sales of the new Note7 and exchanges for replacement Note7 devices.

Customers can still bring their recalled Note 7 or the new replacement Note 7, along with accessories they purchased from T-Mobile, to a T-Mobile store for a full refund and choose from any device in T-Mobile’s inventory. We’ll waive any restocking charges, and customers who purchased during pre-order can keep the free Netflix subscription and Gear Fit or SD card they received.

Customers should visit a T-Mobile retail store to begin the return process. For additional questions, customers can call our customer care line at 1-844-275-9309.

Again, we encourage customers to stop using and power down their recalled devices and return them to T-Mobile.

To help offset any additional costs our customers may have incurred throughout this process, anyone who returns their recalled Note7 will automatically receive a one-time $25 credit on their T-Mobile bill within two bill cycles

Samsung says it is "working diligently" with authorities to investigate the fires, which number at least five to this point in the US alone. A leaked memo from Australia’s largest carrier suggests the company has ceased shipments of the Note 7 entirely.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 you should immediately stop using it and return it for a refund — all the major US carriers will exchange the phone, regardless of purchase date. I don’t know why Samsung hasn’t been more forthcoming about what’s going on with these replacement devices, but it doesn’t really matter. Until I get more information, the simplest explanation is the best one: The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a fundamentally defective product and it should be pulled from the market without delay.