New Zealand's phone carriers will prevent customers using Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smart phones on their networks after November 18 for safety reasons.

South Korean phone giant Samsung electronics halted production of the phones on October 11 after there were dozens of reports of battery fires in them just weeks after its launch in September.

It warned customers to turn off their devices and take them back because of safety fears as New Zealand phone shops also stopped offering replacement Note 7s.

But with some owners refusing to hand in their Note 7s, New Zealand's telecommunications industry has said it will use each phone's unique identification number to prevent them accessing their networks.

New Zealand Telecommunications Forum chief executive Geoff Thorn described it a further safety measure to to assist with the recall process.

"Numerous attempts by all providers have been made to contact owners and ask them to bring the phones in for replacement or refund, this action should further aid the return of the remaining handsets," he said.

Samsung recently reported its net profit for the third quarter had fallen by 16.8 percent year-on-year, following its massive Galaxy Note 7 recall.