Amazon Treads Carefully With Hoverboards Sales During Probe

Every year at Christmas time, there’s that one hot toy that every kid wants. And some adults, too. This year, the hoverboard was on its way to being that toy.

But then, they started spontaneously combusting, freaking everyone out -- and getting parents to back off of the idea of bringing the hoverboard into their homes, no matter how much their kids begged.

Burning hoverboards have become such a problem that Delta, American, and United airlines have banned hoverboards on planes because they pose as a fire danger.

Well, it just got worse for companies like Swagway (a major seller of hoverboards) because Amazon has taken them off their site… at least until a safety review can be performed.

To be clear, here, not all hoverboards have been banned. Just certain makes and models. And, the companies that have been banned have a chance to prove that their products are safely made – and make another run at getting them listed on Amazon.

According to reports, the retail giant is halting the sale of some models of hoverboards it deems not safe enough.  Swagway, one of the biggest hoverboard sellers, revealed that Amazon sent out a notice to hoverboard sellers asking them to provide documentation that demonstrates the products they have listed are compliant with applicable safety standards.

Amazon does appear to have banned sales of many of the popular scooters that it believed weren’t adequately complying with safety standards. It’s a much needed step when at least ten reports of hoverboard related fires in nine states have been recorded over the past few weeks.

Before you buy the popular item for a gift, research the safest models.

But, it must really sting to get blacklisted two weeks before Christmas. That’s gotta hurt the bottom line. And it also shows that global manufacturing standards may need to be more closely examined. 

FYI -- Last I checked, hoverboards should NOT have wheels. So I hope they fix that as well. Please.