Costco has recalled 567,000 portable battery chargers from stores across America.
There have been 120 reports of the device overheating while in use, including two very serious cases where they caused home fires.
The recall covers three models of the myCharge Power Hub All-In-One 10,000mAh portable charger.
Users must immediately stop using the devices, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said. Customers will get a free replacement from myCharge.
The chargers, priced around $40, were sold at Costco stores and online from January 2022 through November 2023.
Scroll down to see a full description, plus pictures, to held identify if you have a dangerous charger.
The recall covers three models of the myCharge Power Hubs
Costco is the exclusive seller of the myCharge Power Hubs
myCharge Power Hubs are charged directly in the wall
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Of the 120 reports of problems, myCharge received five – ‘including two reports of residential fires resulting in approximately $165,000 in reported property damage’.
Costco received 115 returns of the portable chargers ‘melting, expanding, smoking, fire, burning, exploding, or sparking.’
There have been no reports of injuries requiring medical attention.
Users should not just throw the batteries in the trash – or even battery recycling boxes seen in some stores.
‘These potentially hazardous batteries must be handled differently than other batteries,’ the commission said.
myCharge can be reached at (888) 251-2026 from 9am to 4pm ET Monday through Friday or by email at [email protected]. Customers will get free replacement.
The commission or myCharge have not released any details of the house fires.
But it is well known that lithium-ion batteries can spark house fires.
Last year, a grandmother, her son and her grandson died in a house fire in Brooklyn, New York, after a fire that was sparked by a lithium-ion electric scooter battery.
Albertha West, 81, Michael West, 58, and Jamiyl West, 33, were all killed in the flames that quickly engulfed the Crown Heights brownstone.
In 2023, there were 17 deaths related to lithium-ion batteries and 238 fires ignited by them.
FDNY Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said electric batteries spark up quickly and do not give smoke detectors time to react.
‘They explode- and the second they explode, there may be so much fire at that moment, you can’t get out,’ she said.
The fast-moving flames can be seen scorching through the windows as the FDNY arrived to the house fire within minutes
How to check if YOU have a dangerous Costco charger
See below for pictures on how to identify affected chargers.
This recall only involves the myCharge Power Hub All-In-One 10,000 mAh power bank with models numbers AO10FK-A, AO10FK-B, and AO10FK-C.
These are sold exclusively at Costco.
The recalled portable chargers are black and include two built-in cables for charging devices and a folding wall plug to recharge the power bank.
‘myCharge’ is printed on the front surface along the long edge. The model number is printed on the back.
The chargers have a four-digit date code printed on the outer surface of the wall prong, used to plug it directly into the mains.
- All models with date codes ending in 21
- All models with date codes ending in 22
- Four models with date codes ending in 23: 0123, 0923, 1523, 1723
