Safety Warning over Unsafe Hoverboards
Christmas shoppers across the UK are being warned to beware of unsafe ‘hoverboards’ after a number of seizures by Inverclyde Council Trading Standards officers.
All of the hoverboards – or self-balancing scooters – failed safety tests prompting warning notices to be sent to importers.
Suspension notices against five variants of the boards have now been issued by Inverclyde allowing trading standards officers across the UK to remove them from shops and retailers. 88% of the hoverboards seized were found to be defective – many have plugs without fuses, chargers that can catch fire or faulty cables.
Education & Communities Convener Councillor Terry Loughran said: “More than 17,000 imported hoverboards have been checked at ports and airports –with over half of them arriving in the West of Scotland. Nearly nine out of ten have been detained at the border because they are unsafe but some have filtered down to local shops and businesses and that is what we are concerned about. Many of them have been found to have plugs without fuses and defective cut-off switches that risk them overheating or catching fire.”
Five Inverclyde traders have been visited by Council Trading Standards Officers and all seven hoverboards seized failed safety tests.
The faults have been responsible for extensive damage from fire in a number of homes across the UK. Trading Standards and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute are also urging consumers to be vigilant this Christmas.
Leon Livermore, chief executive of the UK Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “Criminals and irresponsible manufacturers will often exploit high demand and attempt to flood the market with cheap and dangerous products. Consumers should not let a new fashion or craze cloud their judgement and remain vigilant at all times, to avoid taking home an unsafe product. Some products that are made abroad, principally for the overseas market, are not fitted with the correct plug and fuse for use in the UK. As a minimum the three pin plug on the device should state it’s made to BS 1363. If it doesn’t include this information, then don’t buy the product“
Inverclyde Council’s Communities Vice Convener Councillor James McColgan said: “It is all too easy to get swept up by the latest craze for that ‘must have’ Christmas present but consumers should not let it cloud their judgement when it comes to safety. They should also be aware that it is actually illegal to ride these hoverboards on pavements or on roads. They can only be used on private land.”
Inverclyde Council’s Trading Standards want consumers to following some simple advice if they are thinking about buying a self-balancing scooter:
Never leave the device charging unattended – especially overnight:
Check the device. The first unsafe products identified often had a clover-shaped plug.
Don’t be dazzled by a bargain. If the prices look too good to be true, they probably are.
If you believe that any online or face-to-face seller is selling potentially dangerous goods, or something you’ve bought has made you suspicious, report it to Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.
Photo: Councillor Loughran (left) with Vice Conveners Councillor James McColgan and Councillor Martin Brennan