By Andy Dahn
BLOOMINGTON – One of the most popular gifts this holiday season has encountered a bit of a speed bump.
Social media has been flooded with video clips of the old and young taking tumbles on Hoverboards. Technological and social media specialist Nile Nickel explained another danger behind some Hoverboards.
“They’ve been exploding and catching fire even if you’re not using them,” Nickel said. “So Amazon is telling customers to throw them away and they are giving refunds. This is a safety issue and they want to make sure that you’re clearing your house of it.”
Nickel said a variety of problems are causing a number of the boards to burst into flames.
“They’ve had plug issues, cabling issues, charging issues and even battery issues,” said Nickel. “There’s also a cutoff switch on the board which is meant to prevent it from overheating, and that’s failing frequently. Many of these companies in China also made them and shipped them too fast.”
A recent safety study found that 88-percent of the Hoverboards are unsafe, but that didn’t stop them from being a top gift during the holidays. Amazon is reportedly contacting customers and offering immediate refunds on the boards.
Nickel said those who purchased boards from other sellers should contact them and attempt to return the product.
Andy Dahn can be reached at andy.dahn@cumulus.com.
