So we’re at the point again where Amazon has decided to shut down the hoverboard sales for now. We at hands-free-segway.reviews have been trying to get an answer on when they might be introducing them again without any luck so far. So for now all we know is that Amazon has taken the hoverboards/self-balancing scooters of market as have many others including Walmart have done.
The hoverboards which isn’t really hovering and are more correctly known as self-balancing scooters have been removed due to safety precautions once again. This came hasty and just a day after the director of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) that test electric and tech product safety, said that no hoverboards had yet passed their certification process.
If you bought yourself one before the last time they shut the self-balancing scooter sales down you might have ridden it quietly and had a bunch of fun for the time being without a thought in the world about all the fuzz and buzz of fires. There has actually only been 52 hoverboard fires across 24 states and those hoverboards have been low rip-off brands.
However according to Drengenberg the consumer safety director of UL new safety standards have been introduced on February 2nd and that we can expect to see some devices getting a green light within the near future.
The hoverboard safety testing usually takes a couple of weeks said, Drengenberg in an interview with the wire.
So should you be afraid if you’ve bought a hoverboard already?
There are no reason to be afraid, however there are a few key things you can keep in mind when handling your device. You can read more about that in our hoverboard safety guide where we go through the most important steps and things to keep in mind.
Amazon isn’t the only one to retract the selling of hoverboards, in fact Toys “R” Us and target had already halted their sales. This after receiving a letter from the Consumer Product Safety Comission (CPSC) asking the manufacturers, resellers and importers to ensure their hoverboards meet the required safety standards set for these type of devices.
How did this happen
Well it’s quite simple, during the Christmas rush inexperienced manufacturers and resellers who were thinking about cashing in on the hoverboard craze hurried to much and many devices ended up with low-budget lithium ion batteries or other low quality technical parts. Which in return could cause their devices to suddenly catch fire. There has been seized shipments, airports banning them and a bunch of youtube videos going viral where you can see the hoverboards on fire.
If you search on Amazon’s site today for “hoverboards” or “self-balancing scooters” all you’ll end up with are spare parts, protective decals and extra rechargers.
Amazon did the same thing in December and we never got a straight answer to why they decided to put them back up in late January. They did however offer all previous customers a chance to get a full refund in return of their previously purchased hoverboards.
They have yet to confirm their current position, but if some manufacturers can get a green light from UL we expect to see their online store blooming with professionally made and safe hoverboards in the near future.
However there are hoverboard retailers still selling the devices on their own homepage.
