In the past few months, hoverboard companies have come under fire for issuing products that can suddenly explode.
Many of these occurrences were found to be a result of counterfeit devices.
One consumer found instructions that include: ‘Get off the bus, get off before you stop intelligent drifting scooter balance state, one foot down, the other one foot in the left drifting scooter again.’
KCC Trading Standards Operations Manager James Whiddett said: ‘The first thing consumers should do is check the packaging.
‘They won’t have manufacturer details on them.
‘Plugs won’t go into your socket properly and without a fuse, they’re very dangerous.
‘The product itself should have a CE mark on it and the ones we have found have nothing on them at all.
‘These things have batteries in them that can overheat and catch fire and we’ve seen that happen in the county already. Remember the golden rule, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.’
The instructions should contain all the information you need to use the product safely and the manufacturers name and address should be included so you can contact them if anything goes wrong.
Check for spelling mistakes on the box; this is a giveaway for counterfeits. They also often copy safety marks, so take a close look to be sure they are genuine.
