What’s the Problem?
According to the CNN report, at least 1,500 customer reviews associated with 70 AmazonBasics products have complained of potential safety problems since 2016. In almost 200 cases, the electronics caused property damage, including damaged cell phones and burned walls.
Affected products include:
- Surge protectors
- Phone chargers
- Batteries
- Power banks
- USB cords
- Paper shredders
- Microwaves
- Space heaters
- And more
At least 30 items with 3 or more reviews where consumers complained of fire hazards were still for sale at the time the CNN report was published on 9/10/20, despite Amazon being made aware of the situation. Other items became unavailable shortly after the report was made public, and at least 4 product pages were removed from the retailer’s site entirely, CNN said.
To date, Amazon has only recalled 2 AmazonBasics electronics in response to customer complaints of overheating, burning or sparking — power banks and space heaters. The company said it notified the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) of its intent to recall the items.
In January 2019, Austin Parra filed a lawsuit against Amazon over damages caused by an AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable.
“On or about January 12, 2017, the plaintiff was using the aforementioned charger cable when …some type of electrical short/arc occurred, causing the charger cord to heat up and ignite a piece of upholstery causing the plaintiff serious personal injuries and losses,” the complaint states.
Parra told CNN the cable caught fire on his chair while he was sleeping, and he suffered second-degree burns as he carried the chair out of the house to prevent the house from burning down.
Amazon settled the case out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Do I Have an AmazonBasics Class Action Lawsuit?
The Class Action Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in AmazonBasics Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new personal injury and property damage cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one was injured by an AmazonBasics product, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.