Anker also stumbled! More than 40,000 products were found to have problems

Product safety is no small matter, and Anker has also made mistakes. Due to safety hazards, more than 40,000 power banks of Anker have been recalled. Even the top sellers have not been able to avoid such problems, let alone other sellers.

Anker products have problems, 42,000 power banks are recalled

According to foreign media reports, a mobile charging product sold on platforms such as Amazon and Target was recently recalled. Surprisingly, the product came from Anker, a top domestic cross-border seller.

On March 9, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that U.S. distributor Fantasia Trading voluntarily recalled Anker 535 power banks (PowerCore 20k). According to the notice, the power banks come in a variety of colors and can charge a variety of devices, including laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. The products come with two USB charging cables to connect the devices to the charger.

The recall involves chargers with model number A1366. The model number can be found on the back of the charger, which is compact, about 3 inches wide, 6 inches long, and 1 inch deep, and has the word "Anker" on it.

It is understood that from October 2022 to January 2023, approximately 42,000 mobile power banks were sold online through Anker, Amazon and eBay, and sold in Target stores across the United States. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission noted that the product was also sold in Canada. About 620 units were sold. Each charger retails for about $70.

Anker's recall page states: "Due to manufacturing conditions, we have discovered that a small number of Anker 535 Power Banks may overheat and pose a fire safety risk. Ensuring the safety of our customers is Anker Innovations' top priority, and we have voluntarily recalled all Anker 535 Power Bank devices."

The CPSC said Anker has received 10 reports of overheating incidents, one of which resulted in a "minor injury." The products in question may contain lithium-ion batteries that overheat. Because lithium-ion batteries are "potentially hazardous," they must be handled with care and should not be thrown away or recycled with regular trash. As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains, if thrown away with regular trash, lithium-ion batteries may be damaged or crushed by sorting equipment during transportation, posing a fire hazard.

For defective products, consumers can initiate a refund through Anker by submitting a refund application on the company's website and making sure to attach proof of purchase or receipt.

Product safety issues frequently occur, and sellers suffer heavy losses

Top sellers who focus on R&D and products can also have product problems, and other sellers’ products are no exception.

Recently, manufacturer Cosori recalled air fryers sold at Target, Best Buy, Amazon and other retailers after receiving hundreds of reports of the products overheating or catching fire, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Cosori said about 2 million of its air fryers in the U.S. are affected by the recall. An additional 271,000 of the products were sold in Canada and Mexico, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recalled products have a defect that could cause the wire connections to overheat and cause an accidental fire.

The Cosori air fryers are available in black, blue, gray, red or white. From June 2018 to December 2022, they were sold on Amazon, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, Macy's, eBay and other channels.

Cosori advises customers to stop using the product and sign up for a free replacement on its website. The company has received 205 reports of the air fryer catching fire or overheating. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said 10 of the reports involved minor burns and 23 involved property damage.

In fact, there are many products with potential problems, such as Anker's power bank and Cosori air fryer, such as electronic products that are sold more by Chinese sellers.

Previously, consumer Kim Carpenter bought a hoverboard on Amazon as a Christmas gift for her daughter. As a result, the product accidentally caused a fire that burned down their house and killed his dog. The hoverboard was sold by a Chinese third-party seller Paradise 00. As the party who suffered the loss, Kim Agrella sued Amazon and demanded that it bear responsibility.

Some batteries are also very likely to cause safety problems. American consumer Allstate once bought a laptop battery for her daughter on Amazon. Not long after, the laptop caught fire inexplicably on her daughter's bed and burned down the house. Allstate filed a lawsuit in the New Jersey Supreme Court and sued Amazon in the federal court; American Jabricia Pratt bought an iPhone battery through Amazon and it exploded in her car, causing her car to burn. Such cases are not uncommon.

There was also the previously high-profile fire incident involving balance bikes. Due to frequent fires, Amazon took action to remove related products from the shelves, causing a large number of Chinese sellers to suffer heavy losses.

For cross-border sellers, once there is a problem with the product, it will inevitably be removed from the platform. If the product is recalled or sued for damaging other people’s property, the seller will face huge losses.

Amazon strictly reviews product safety issues

As platforms, Amazon, Walmart, eBay and other companies are determined not to allow third-party sellers to sell products with potential safety hazards, because once consumers are harmed, they will sue the platform.

In order to avoid being dragged down by problematic products sold by third-party sellers, platforms such as Amazon will strictly review product safety issues. Amazon not only requires relevant certification for some products, but also requires sellers to purchase insurance.

On February 16, 2021, Amazon sent a notice to many sellers to purchase insurance. After receiving the notice, some sellers purchased insurance, while the sellers' stores that did not purchase insurance received a small red flag warning. Later, some sellers received an email that if they could not provide proof of liability insurance within 30 days, they would no longer be able to sell.

On September 1, 2021, Amazon updated its insurance requirements. Sellers with sales of $10,000 on Amazon for three consecutive months must purchase product liability insurance. Failure to purchase insurance may result in the suspension of their accounts.

As insurance incidents escalate, many sellers have purchased insurance to avoid having their accounts shut down. The demand for insurance services has increased suddenly, but insurance service providers are mixed. In order to prevent sellers from being deceived, Amazon officially recommends several reliable purchasing channels.

Ping An Insurance is an insurer officially recognized by Amazon. It has currently provided a worry-free purchasing channel for multiple sellers. Whether it is an individual seller purchasing insurance or renewing insurance, Ping An can resolve the issue quickly.

In fact, for sellers, buying insurance can indeed provide protection for themselves. An insured person said that the rechargeable heating device he sold caught fire, causing damage to the buyer's bedding, clothing, etc., so he reported the case to Ping An for compensation. After damage assessment, Ping An finally assessed the loss amount to USD12,000; an electronic product sold by the insured through the Amazon platform purchased by an overseas consumer exploded while charging on the bed, causing furniture to burn and second-degree burns to people. The final compensation was USD7,605.76, equivalent to RMB48,567.

Sellers can avoid unnecessary troubles and effectively reduce losses by purchasing insurance. Recently, Ping An Insurance launched a preferential feedback activity, with the minimum premium reduced from 1670 to 1271, which can really help sellers to buy insurance with peace of mind and save costs. Sellers who need to renew their insurance can scan the QR code in the picture below, or click to read the original text for details.

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