SELF-BALANCING scooters — which for some reason everyone has taken to calling “hoverboards,” and they most definitely are not—are sure to be among the most sought-after gifts this holiday season. But you might want to think twice about giving one.
According to TV reports, a Louisiana woman claims a “hoverboard” she purchased for her son caught fire while it was charging and destroyed their home.
Jessica Horne told the station that her son had the “hoverboard” for only a day when he plugged it in to recharge its battery. The board then began to spark and burst into flames, which spread through the house.
The local fire marshal’s office is still investigating the cause of the fire, so it’s a bit too early to definitively blame the scooter for the blaze. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said it hasn’t received any reports of injuries due to fires originating from “hoverboards.”
But this isn’t the first time these scooters have been associated with fires. As US Internet media firm BuzzFeed points out, a Florida man posted a video just last week in which his “hoverboard” is seen burning before its battery explodes.
In that incident, Timothy Cade said he was riding the scooter when it suddenly caught fire.
According to BuzzFeed, similar reports from the U.K. point to noncompliant power adapters as the culprits in “hoverboard”- related fires there that burned two homes.
If you’re dead set on buying a “hoverboard” for someone this holiday season, your best bet is to use common sense when shopping: Choose a reputable retailer, and, if you can, check the quality of the board and its charger before you buy.
John Soibatian, president of IO Hawk, which sells its own scooter, said the biggest problem is that many people are buying knockoffs that use low quality batteries and chargers.
Soibatian is no stranger to controversy himself, though. As BuzzFeed explains Soibatian is battling the likes of Mark Cuban over the intellectual property rights to the design of the IO Hawk, which was detailed by BuzzFeed.
You should also check out the local laws: Beyond their potential to barbecue your domicile, “hoverboards”—why do we call them that again?—may not even be legal where you (or your giftee) live.
In New York City, for example, riding a scooter on a street or sidewalk could get you slapped with a hefty $200 fine, Time reports. ll things considered, you might just be better off waiting until real Back to the Future–style hoverboards hit the market instead of buying one of these pretenders. (Yahoo! Tech)