An urgent recall has been issued for a portable battery sold on Amazon after consumers reported it was ‘expanding, igniting, melting, overheating or smoking.’
The recall affects about 488,000 of the Charmast Power Banks sold from between December 2018 to September 2024 at prices ranging from $14 to $25.
A total of 44 cases of the faulty battery were submitted, with four reporting injuries, such as burns and blisters.Â
‘They were sold in black, blue, green, mint, pink and white colors,’ the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said in their recall, adding that the faulty product has ‘Model: W1056’ printed on its back.
The notice urges consumers to stop using the power banks immediately and contact Charmast for instructions on how to receive a full refund.
CPSC also noted that consumers should be diligent about how they dispose of these faulty batteries, regardless of whether or not they pursue a refund.
‘These potentially hazardous batteries must be handled differently than other batteries,’ the recall notice warned.
‘Do not throw this recalled power bank in the trash,’ US CPSC said. ‘Do not deposit this recalled power bank in used battery recycling boxes found at various retail and home improvement stores.’
Anyone who has purchased one of the recalled Charmast devices, according to the US CPSC recall notice, can call the company collect at 929-636-0293 Monday through Friday, from 10 am to 3 pm Eastern to request their refund.
Nationwide, there were 445 lithium-ion battery fires, 214 injuries, and 38 deaths in 2023, according to a report by the global private safety company UL Solutions’ Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI).
Charmast’s recall services can also be initiated via email at rcus@charmast.com, online at https://www.charmast.com/pages/recall-info-page or via the company site’s main page by clicking ‘Recalls’ at the top menu.
