STERLING: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 15 hoverboards with counterfeit and potentially dangerous batteries in Sterling, Va., on December 29. If genuine, the hoverboards, which were made in China and arrived from Japan, would have had a total estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) value of about $4,500.
Hoverboards—self-balancing, two-wheeled, motorized platforms—are some of this holiday season’s most popular items. However, major safety concerns have surfaced following reports of fires possibly caused by substandard and counterfeit lithium ion batteries that power some hoverboards.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is examining hoverboard fires across the country, and offers buying and safety tips. Consumers may also report incidents to CPSC via www.SaferProducts.gov.
CBP is partnering with CPSC and other Federal regulatory agencies on this issue.
“Customs and Border Protection will continue to work closely with our trade and consumer safety partners to identify and seize dangerous products, like these hoverboards,” said Wayne Biondi, CBP Port Director for the Area Port of Washington Dulles. “The men and women of CBP will remain vigilant in protecting American consumers from potential hazards posed by counterfeit and substandard merchandise.”
Counterfeit batteries are not a new area of concern for CBP. CBP seized a shipment of 445 hoverboards in Norfolk, Va., on December 16, 2015, for containing potentially dangerous and counterfeit trademark batteries. CBP estimated the total MSRP value of that shipment to be about $171,000.
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