US Customs Officials Intercept 16k Faux Hoverboards
The United States Customs and Border Protection has announced that it confiscated more than 16,000 counterfeit hoverboards worth more than $6,000,000 USD. These counterfeit hoverboards, like ones before them, are potential safety hazards; more than a few faux hoverboards have caught on fire, prompting airlines, the postal service, and more to ban them.
The CBP announced the seized goods on Wednesday, saying the products featured fake trademark logos and batteries determined to be "unauthorized." The cache was confiscated in Chicago, and the total number of hoverboards claimed is expected to rise in coming weeks. Says the CBP, there are still additional shipments that haven't been processed.
Counterfeit hoverboards have proven to be both proliferate and dangerous, with unaware buyers being caught off guard when the unit begins to smoke and, in some cases, catch on fire. This usually happens during charging, though it has also happened at times while a faux hoverboard is being operated.
This isn't the first time a load full of fake — and potentially dangerous — hoverboards have been confiscated. Last month, officials in the United Kingdom seized more than 15,000 faux hoverboards, which were part of a 17,000 or so unit shipment...meaning most of the imported hoverboards failed to meet safety standards.