Hoverboard (Photo : Twitter)
Amazon is pulling Swagway and Phunkeeduck hoverboards, and other models from its online store following explosions of the floating boards showing up in headline news such as airline bans, and viral videos. The retail giant has started requesting that board makers provide solid proof that their products' components such as batteries and chargers meet safety standards.
Swagway was one of the companies that received an Amazon notice. It was identified as the brand of the board that recently caught fire while charging in a New York home. It explained to The Verge it had been requested to confirm that its hoverboards meet safety standards in terms of their batteries and chargers.
Swagway reported that it welcomed the safety check. That is because it is concerned about the reports of low-quality batteries catching fire, according to The Verge.
The company is also asking consumers to purchase authentic Swagway hoverboards from authorized retailers. It plans to provide them with tips about how to determine if a product is an original Swagway.
Best Reviews first reported that some of Amazon's links to certain brands of levitating boards have disappeared. That includes Swagway and Phunkeeduck hoverboards.
High-end brands including Jetson and Razor, and some cheap models are still available in Amazon's store. It is not clear why that is true.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating the 10+ hoverboard fires that have taken place in the past few weeks. Major airlines have even banned the floating boards from their flights due to public safety concerns.
However, e-commerce company eBay is still promoting hoverboards, according to eCommerce Bytes. The company sold almost 7,500 boards on Cyber Monday, or one unit every 12 seconds.
This exploding hoverboard was blamed for destroying a house:
