Hoverboards hover atop many holiday wish lists, but recent reports of fires associated with the boards prompted Amazon to pull most of them from its website.
The online giant is asking sellers for “documentation demonstrating that all hoverboards you list are compliant with applicable safety standards.”
And Overstock.com shelved them altogether.
If you have one, or are buying one, firefighters suggest you check for the “U-L label” which shows it meets safety standards.
Also, do not charge it unattended and don’t charge the board overnight.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating the fires, and hoverboards across the board.
The agency is collecting samples of hoverboards and shipping them to a national lab for analysis.
A spokesman calls the probe a “high priority investigation”.
An earlier statement from the toy industry association says: “similar to bicycles, segways, and powered scooters, hoverboards are primarily intended for transportation and are therefore not regulated as “toys.” Toys must meet over 100 rigorous safety requirements before they reach store shelves. The Toy Industry Association encourages users to always follow manufacturer’s instructions and to wear appropriate protective gear when operating any ride-on product, toy or otherwise.”
