Costco has ordered an emergency recall of 567,000 portable chargers due to the danger that they may overheat and cause a fire.
Three models of the myCharge POWER HUB All-In-One 10,000mAh portable charger were deemed to pose a risk to the public by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an independent federal agency.
The recall of the product, which retails for $40 apiece at Costco, was initiated after it was observed that the charger would overheat during charging.
The charger is manufactured in China and imported into the United States by a Birmingham, Mich.-based company called RFA Brands LLC.
RFA Brands LLC and Costco were not immediately available for comment.
According to the commission, it has received 120 reports from consumers who say they bought the chargers and that they overheated.
In two instances, the chargers caught fire, which then spread throughout the homes — resulting in cumulative property damage totaling around $165,000.
“Costco received 115 returns of the portable chargers mentioning melting, expanding, smoking, fire, burning, exploding, or sparking,” the commission said.
There were no reported injuries.
Customers who bought the myCharge are encouraged to contact the company’s recall page and ask for a replacement product.
Anyone who bought the item are warned not to throw them out in the trash. People are also encouraged to refrain from putting them in recycling boxes.
“These potentially hazardous batteries must be handled differently than other batteries,” the commission said.
The batteries “should be disposed of in accordance with any local and state ordinances, following the procedures established by your municipal recycling center for damaged/defective/recalled lithium batteries,” according to the commission.
The recalled chargers in question were sold at the big box retailer between January 2022 through November of last year.
The models in question have date codes ending in the numbers 21 and 22 as well as four models ending in 23 — 0123, 0923, 1523 and 1723.
