Kindle Fire Tablet Chargers Are Exploding, and They’re Going to Kill Us All
UK tabloids report, and I can confirm, that Amazon has started a voluntary recall for the chargers that it ships with the Fire tablet in the UK.
According to the notice posted on the Amazon UK website, the recall only affects a couple tablet models:
We have determined that, in rare cases, when the power adapter included with the UK Fire 7” and UK Fire Kids Edition 7” tablet is pulled from the wall socket, the adapter assembly may detach and create a risk of electrical shock. Affected adapters were sold only in the United Kingdom and Ireland from September 2015.
Customer safety is our top priority, and we are proactively offering to replace these power adapters with a new adapter, free of charge. We encourage customers to exchange their original power adapters using the process below.
Please discontinue use of your original adapter. Until you receive a replacement adapter, you can use the included USB cable connected to a computer or another compatible adapter to charge your tablet.
The retailer hasn’t revealed how many faulty units have been reported, but according to an Amazon spokesperson, “This was a newly discovered issue and we sent out the customer notification as quickly as possible.” Amazon identified the specific model number for faulty charger on its website, so if you have one you should contact Amazon and get it replaced.
Or, you could instead give the possibly faulty charger to one of your annoying nieces or nephews. The choice is up to you, of course, but I don’t think you should waste this opportunity to have a little fun.
I mean, when is the next time you’ll have a chance to convince the kid to run with scissors, tease strange dogs, or dress up in aluminum foil during a lightning storm?
Jokes aside, chargers are one of the most cheaply made electronics components, so it’s a wonder that we don’t hear of more recalls. For example, just a couple months back Apple recalled millions of Mac chargers after reports that some had broken and were zapping users (Apple wants you to be shocked by the performance of your Mac, but not quite in that way).
image by Peat Bakke
