Anyone possessing the notorious Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in Pakistan can now get it exchanged or obtain a refund inside the country from Samsung.

Samsung has been struggling to contain a snowballing safety crisis as it recalls Note 7 smartphones with exploding batteries that have been catching fire.

Although Samsung did not launch the Note 7 in Pakistan, it has decided to cater to customers who acquired the smartphones from abroad or from local vendors.

In addition to its request to customers to back up their data and switch off their Note 7 smartphones, Samsung has given Pakistani customers the following options to get rid of the smartphone:

Get a full refund

Customers possessing a proof purchase for their Galaxy Note 7 will be refunded the full amount mentioned on the receipt.

In case a customer has no proof of purchase, they will be refunded a fixed amount of $817.

Exchange with S7 edge

Note 7 owners can also opt to exchange their smartphone, with Samsung offering its flagship Galaxy S7 edge and a refund of Rs10,000 in return.

The company has asked customers who pre-booked the phone to "contact the relevant retailers to get a refund".

PR disaster

The South Korean conglomerate called a halt to worldwide sales and exchanges of the troubled handset, as the federal US consumer regulator issued an alarming warning of the possible dangers the device posed to its owners, their families and homes.

The announcement came a little over a month after the world's largest smartphone maker announced a recall of 2.5 million Note 7s in 10 markets following complaints that its lithium-ion battery exploded while charging.

The unprecedented move has turned into a PR disaster for the company, which prides itself on innovation and quality, and the situation only worsened when reports emerged a week ago of replacement phones also catching fire.