Nearly 500K power banks sold by Amazon are dangerous and have been recalled
Power banks are an important accessory, one that every smartphone user should own. Anytime your phone needs a charge, you can plug the power bank into your phone's charging port and have it charge the device even while you continue to use it. Power banks come in many different sizes usually based on the capacity of the batteries employed. Some power banks with a capacity of 1000-5000mAh are no larger than a playing card (albeit much thicker) while others with a capacity of 25000mAh and more can be much larger, heavier, and thicker.
Almost 500,000 power banks sold exclusively on Amazon over the last six years have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Power Safety Commission (CPSC). These power banks, manufactured by Charmast, were melting, overheating, expanding, smoking, and igniting. In other words, they are not safe to use. The recalled power banks were sold in black, blue, green, mint, pink and white colors. The brand name "Charmast" is printed on the front and "Model: W1056," which is the model number of the recalled units, is printed on the back.
If you do own one of these power banks, you need to stop using it immediately and contact Charmast to get instructions on how to receive a full refund. Consumers will need to send an envelope to the manufacturer that contains a photograph of their model W1056 Charmast power bank. The letter also should have the name of the device owner and the date the photograph was taken written in permanent marker above the label. You will also need to include the severed power cord belonging to the product.
Pictures of the Charmast power bank recalled by the Consumer Power Safety Commission. | Image credit-CPSC
Once you've sent the letter, you should dispose of the power bank following your local and state regulations. Charmast to date has received 44 reports of this particular power bank expanding, igniting, melting, overheating or smoking. The company also was told that four consumers suffered burns or blisters.
The product uses lithium batteries and these batteries must be treated differently than other battery-operated products. For example, the CPSC warns consumers not to throw the product in the trash or in used battery recycling boxes which you might find inside retail and home improvement stores.
The Charmast W1056 power bank was sold exclusively on Amazon from December 2018 through September 2024 price between $14 and $25. These power banks were manufactured in China. You can get in touch with Charmast by calling Recall Phone Contact at (929)-636-0293 Monday through Friday from 10 am to 3 pm EST. Or you can email the company at rcus@charmast.com.
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