Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Belkin Recalls Portable Wireless Charger Due to Fire Hazard

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
67,781
38,370


Belkin is recalling the Boost Charge Portable Wireless Charger + Stand Special Edition (WIZ003) sold in Apple retail stores and online through Apple and Belkin due to fire and shock hazards, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (via The Verge).

belkin-recalled-wireless-charger.jpg

A manufacturing defect with the power supply unit can cause the charger to malfunction and overheat, leading to a fire risk. Belkin says that no injuries or property damage have been reported, and no other wireless chargers are affected by the recall.

Belkin is offering a full refund to all customers who purchased the charger, and recommends that customers who own the charger stop using it immediately and contact the company for further instructions.

The Boost Charge Portable Wireless Charger + Stand Special Edition was sold by Apple and Belkin from July 2020 through October 2020, and it was priced at $80. It features a removable 10,000mAh power bank that can be charged at the same time as an iPhone.

Article Link: Belkin Recalls Portable Wireless Charger Due to Fire Hazard
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/13/belkin-wireless-charger-recall-fire-hazard/
  • Wow
Reactions: J.J. Sefton, TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ and TheAppleFairy
The problem is that Belkin isn't being punished for placing people at risk. It doesn't matter if no one got hurt. Considering the obscene markup of the their products they should have plenty of room for refunding plus compensating. It's a shame someone has to be injured to hold companies accountable.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: Huck, vmistery, 480951 and 2 others
I hope that new (expensive) 3 in 1 I just bought is truly magSAFE.
 
I'm not thinking it's the 'same problem'. I'm thinking that a subcontractor/manufacturer did some shoddy manufacturing, or Belkin did some shoddy engineering, and Belkin didn't catch it. Quality control is hard when your manufacturer isn't in the same building, or same side of the planet. Billions of products have been found to be either toxic, or dangerous. My sister worked at a company that shifted all of their programming to India, and she said that managing them was a real PITA. Their schedules weren't on the same start/end times. and the language, and 'intention' of the language held back much of what they needed to get done. Plus the usual stuff of bugs popping back into the products, etc.

There is a guy that takes apart foreign made 'junque', and examines it for chances of killing people. So many are using lower grade wire, floating grounds, cold soldered boards, no power side separations, no fuses, inadequate or not filters, etc... Sometimes too, what is speced isn't what ends up going into production. The manufacturers just substitute parts, and have apparently on occasion even altered boards, and the company whose name is on it doesn't catch it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iGüey and Madhava
Apple_Robert said:
I guess playing "Burning down the house" by the Talking Heads would be in bad taste as you charged your phone with this Belkin Charger? Glad I didn't buy this. At least no one has been injured.
Click to expand...

Hah! First thing I thought, and plus they did say 'special edition': It can provide that warm glow of a romantic fire on your nightstand next to your bed. Oops...
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Madhava and Apple_Robert
PinkyMacGodess said:
I'm not thinking it's the 'same problem'. I'm thinking that a subcontractor/manufacturer did some shoddy manufacturing, or Belkin did some shoddy engineering, and Belkin didn't catch it. Quality control is hard when your manufacturer isn't in the same building, or same side of the planet. Billions of products have been found to be either toxic, or dangerous. My sister worked at a company that shifted all of their programming to India, and she said that managing them was a real PITA. Their schedules weren't on the same start/end times. and the language, and 'intention' of the language held back much of what they needed to get done. Plus the usual stuff of bugs popping back into the products, etc.

There is a guy that takes apart foreign made 'junque', and examines it for chances of killing people. So many are using lower grade wire, floating grounds, cold soldered boards, no power side separations, no fuses, inadequate or not filters, etc... Sometimes too, what is speced isn't what ends up going into production. The manufacturers just substitute parts, and have apparently on occasion even altered boards, and the company whose name is on it doesn't catch it.
Click to expand...
Does that absolve Belkin from being responsible? If they are going to hand something off they should have internal review before they ship it out. It sucks, sure, but they can use some of the money they saved outsourcing to pay for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huck and DCIFRTHS
4jasontv said:
Does that absolve Belkin from being responsible? If they are going to hand something off they should have internal review before they ship it out. It sucks, sure, but they can use some of the money they saved outsourcing to pay for it.
Click to expand...
Sometimes, it makes one wonder if the pressure to release a product first causes other failsafe manufacturing steps to be missed or worse, purposefully compromised at times. I am not saying the latter happened here but, this could have ended very badly for a family while they were sleeping.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ModusOperandi
That’s too bad, But also a sign of responsibility. I really like Belkin products, their car chargers are first class. And their old Pure-Av audio products were great too. I wish they would bring back audiophile grade products. 2008 was a turning point when allot of their stuff was downgraded, maybe now the economy is strong enough for those products to return again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iGüey
tgwaste said:
I hope that new (expensive) 3 in 1 I just bought is truly magSAFE.
Click to expand...
If you have a 12 Pro Max with any case on it you will be disappointed. It probably fulfills the safe part.......but the Mag component leaves much to be desired. It would not hold any phone(tried 3) with a variety of cases despite them being thinner than what Belkin said would work. Even without a case the hold on the phone is questionable which is an issue when it is suspended. Luckily they sold it through Apple and the return policy is great.
 
4jasontv said:
Does that absolve Belkin from being responsible? If they are going to hand something off they should have internal review before they ship it out. It sucks, sure, but they can use some of the money they saved outsourcing to pay for it.
Click to expand...

I don't think I was absolving anyone of anything. It's just so popular to find out that something from outside the US (and even sometimes from here) turns out to be toxic. Lead paint, cobalt coatings, electrical design problems, cord and wiring problems, chemical treatments, I mean, it's almost endless. Finding melamine in dog food too...

It's tragic how much crap comes into the country untested... Belkin owns this. They should make people whole for the experience.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: ModusOperandi
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back