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Your support makes all the difference.Amazon has reportedly pulled the sale of self-balancing scooters from its store pending safety reviews after a string of incidents involving the machines bursting into flames.
According to The Verge, a spokesperson for Swagway said in a statement Amazon sent out a notice to all ‘hoverboard’sellers to “provide documentation demonstrating that all hoverboards you list are compliant with applicable safety standards, including UN 38.3 (battery), UL 1642 (battery), and UL 60950-1 (charger)”.
BestReview, which reviews products and rates them for consumers, reported links to 'hoverboards' disappearing from the Amazon store, including listings by Swagway and other popular brands.
Swagway, which calls itself “the original and official” seller of self-propelling scooters, added it already “meets all those certifications and is happy that Amazon has decided to take steps to weed out the low quality boards”.
“As safety is always forefront for Swagway, we’re glad this is taking place, especially in the light of recent concerns with the fires with the poor quality batteries,” they said.
A report by WIRED says the quality of the batteries is the culprit for the sudden combustions, especially used in cheaper, lower-quality versions of the scooters.
It also notes that the scooters use lithium-ion batteries, which, cheap or not, are susceptible to damage and can react violently if punctured.
There have been a number of reports of ‘hoverboards’ catching fire, with at least two houses in both the US and the UK nearly burnt down after the gadgets combusted while charging in recent weeks.
Some major airlines announced the scooters will be banned from flights due to the fire hazard.
The Independent is awaiting confirmation from Amazon.
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