Amazon pulls most 'hoverboards' from store over safety concerns

[Shawn Knight]

"Hoverboards" are one of the hottest toys this holiday season and I mean that quite literally. If you've paid attention to the news over the last several weeks, you've no doubt seen multiple reports of fires related to the trendy two-wheeled electric scooters.

Last week, major airlines including American, Delta and United banned the devices over concerns that they might explode at high altitudes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, meanwhile, is currently investigating at least 10 incidents.

Overstock.com pulled boards from its website last week and now, it would appear as though Amazon is doing the same.

Swagway, makers of one popular hoverboard, told The Verge that Amazon recently sent out a notice to all hoverboard sellers. In it, Amazon requests documentation showing their products are compliant with applicable safety standards. The company said it already meets all of the required safety standards and is happy to see Amazon taking action to weed out low quality boards.

As of writing, I only see two brands - Jetson and Razor - currently offered on Amazon. According to Swagway, Amazon has removed 97 percent of boards from its site (although curiously enough, I don't see any products from Swagway either).

Fire-related safety concerns aside, the misleadingly-named hoverboards are featured in several "fail" compilations on YouTube. Rather than hop off the device when losing their balance, most riders try to recover and end up wiping out. Naturally, hardly anybody wears safety gear while riding.

Lead image courtesy Mashable

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https://www.techspot.com/news/63136-amazon-pulls-most-hoverboards-store-over-safety-concerns.html

 

[VitalyT]

Naturally, hardly anybody wears safety gear while riding.

That's because people are naturally stupid.

I can understand why segways eventually made it on the market, though not as wide as they wanted, but swagway - noway!

This product is for people who suffer from excessive health and keen on testing their medical insurance, aka I-D-I-O-T-S.

 

[Mr Mister]

The other I saw a guy on the buying tv channel ,what ever nsmew it is, dancing while riding the thing. Sure ut seemed fun but with the shape turns he was making I was certain he was to fall off soon or later. The camera quickly took the camera off him and went to a commercial. When it came back less than the 3 mins later, he was off it replaced by a woman. I burst out laughing.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I would've loved to have one of these when I was a kid, it would've given me hours of fun until I eventually broke it.

 

[kanehi]

Dangerous for older people who are more prone to fractures when they fall

 

[mailpup]

Dangerous for older people who are more prone to fractures when they fall

True but you'd think most of them would know better. Still, if they want to risk it, it's on them.

 

[stewi0001]

The fails are going to be worst if a REAL hover board is ever created and sold on a consumer level.

 

[wastedkill]

Why is no one talking about all these hovercar accidents? heck what about the hovercar emission problem we currently have!

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Lol! Swagway! like a Segway, but more gangsta!

 

[captaincranky]

I would've loved to have one of these when I was a kid, it would've given me hours of fun until I eventually broke it.

Quite unlike the "minutes of fun", the cheap toys they gave me lasted.

Is anyone here a therapist?

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Quite unlike the "minutes of fun", the cheap toys they gave me lasted.

Is anyone here a therapist?

They had to last me as well otherwise I'd found myself without anything to play with and having to wait patiently for my birthday or Xmas. Damn! Kids toys are so exciting (read expensive) these days.

 

[captaincranky]

They had to last me as well otherwise I'd found myself without anything to play with and having to wait patiently for my birthday or Xmas.

Face it, we were born too soon.

The price of a kid's iPhone these days, would have been the sum total of our presents up until about 6th grade.

Come to think of it, my father sold my "American Flyer" train set at the bar he hung out, when I was in my late teens...

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Face it, we were born too soon.

The price of a kid's iPhone these days, would have been the sum total of our presents up until about 6th grade.

Come to think of it, my father sold my "American Flyer" train set at the bar he hung out, when I was in my late teens...

And 'Unlike' I don't like the fact your old man sold your American Flyer at the local watering hole, he could've got a lot more for it from a passerby.

 

[captaincranky]

And 'Unlike' I don't like the fact your old man sold your American Flyer at the local watering hole, he could've got a lot more for it from a passerby.

This makes me suspect you're not the therapist I'm looking for, are you?

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

This makes me suspect you're not the therapist I'm looking for, are you?

I could be...Maybe we could help each other.