Britain's Royal Mail Bans Delivery of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones

Royal Mail Plc, operator of Britain's main postal service, said on Wednesday it had banned the delivery of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 smartphones through its network for safety reasons, making it potentially difficult for many Britons to return the recalled devices.

Samsung recalled about 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s last month after reports some had caught fire due to faulty lithium batteries, and the company said on Tuesday it would stop making the devices after fires were reported in replacement phones.

(Also see: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall: The Name That Wasn't Meant to Be)

Royal Mail said the ban also applied to its Parcelforce UK and international courier service.

The company said it would ask customers to detail the contents of their packages to ensure that hazardous items such as faulty lithium batteries were not transported.

© Thomson Reuters 2016