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YouGov Samsung Samsung Galaxy

Samsung’s brand takes another knock as it recalls 2.8m hazardous washing machines

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By Jennifer Faull, Deputy Editor

November 5, 2016 | 3 min read

Samsung had been working hard to recover its brand following global recall of the exploding Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, but those efforts have been hit by another disaster as the electronics giant was yesterday (4 November) forced to recall 2.8 million washing machines.

Samsung

Samsung

The company said 34 models of the machines made between March 2011 and November 2016 may be faulty. At least nine people have reported washing machine-related injuries and there have been 733 complaints of excessive vibration or detaching doors.

John Herrington, senior vice president and general manager of home appliances, Samsung Electronics America, said: "Our priority is to reduce any safety risks in the home and to provide our customers with easy and simple choices in response to the recall.

"We are moving quickly and in partnership with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to ensure consumers know the options available to them and that any disruption in the home is minimised."

It remains to be seen this latest malfunction affects Samsung brand in the long-term but the Note 7 PR disaster from earlier this year has left it in an precarious position.

It was forced to axe its Galaxy Note 7 phone after reports that they were catching fire. But beyond the fall in profit this caused, Samsung also suffered a sharp decline in its brand perception, according to YouGov.

The brand's “recommend score” — a measure from 100 to -100 of whether people are likely to recommend the brand to a friend or tell them to avoid it — dropped in the US from 46 before the recall to 29after it.

Meanwhile, its purchase consideration — where survey participants are asked to pick the brands they would consider when they were next in the market to buy a specific product — fell from 42% to 31% in the same period.

YouGov Samsung Samsung Galaxy

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