Government Says It Will Go After Hoverboard Makers, Sellers

Any hoverboards now on the market with the UL logo aren’t actually certified by updated standards, which should be pretty scary for anyone on one.

The letter urged the recipients to ensure that the scooters they sell, manufacture, or import all comply with current applicable voluntary safety standards.

That came after Swagway, a popular Hoverboard maker, was busted operating with counterfeit safety marks from UL.

Hoverboards have been prone to defects, including but not limited to: catching fire while in motion and burning down entire houses.

Now the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has sent a notice saying it will seize, or even recall, hoverboards that don’t comply with its safety standards.

“In addition, if we encounter such products domestically, we may seek a recall of these products”, he wrote.

The safety of so-called hoverboard devices has been a hot topic of late, and now the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has weighed in on the issue.

A year ago online retailer Amazon stopped selling hoverboards over fire concerns, and reportedly asked manufacturers to provide documentation of safety precautions.

The CPSC’s warning letter doesn’t necessarily outlaw hoverboards – at least not yet. The CPSC notes that the recall applies to hoverboards of all shapes, sizes, variations, and prices.

“From December 1, 2015 through February 17, 2016, CPSC received reports, from consumers in 24 states, of 52 self-balancing scooter fires resulting in over $2 million in property damage, including the destruction of two homes and an automobile”, the government said in a letter dated February 18.