The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning about AILUKI brand cordless drills, sold on Amazon, “because they pose a risk of serious injury and death.”
The CPSC says that AILUKI’s manufacturer has been unresponsive to their requests for information about the product or to conduct a recall.
There have been 9 reports of the drills “exploding, igniting, melting, smoking, or overheating,” including 3 reports of property damage and 1 report of a burn injury.
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The recalled drill was sold on Amazon and other online retailers from September 2020 thru September 2024, and retailed for between $26 and $51.
The CPSC urges customers to remove the battery packs from the drills and dispose of them according to local hazardous waste procedures. There are many options for Li-ion battery recycling, with collection boxes at many home improvement stores, office supply, and electronics retailers.
Release No. 25-023
Discussion
This isn’t exactly a recall; the notice only appears via CPSC press release, and not in their recall notices.
It seems that the manufacturer has not been cooperating or even communicating with the CPSC, leading to the recommendation that users stop using the product and dispose of the batteries in a safe and responsible manner.
There are other cheap no-name drills on Amazon with very similar designs – it might be best to stay away from those too.
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Jronman
Yeah Scamazon is a broken system. Dozens of no name brands selling basically the same thing.
Dave
“We have zero tolerance for counterfeit and knock-offs, etc., etc.”
LOL.
Stuart
You know why? Because people keep buying cheap no-name tools.
Some of this is absolutely Amazon’s fault for having an almost anything-goes marketplace rather than an intently curated catalog. But people keep buying garbage.
Rog
This is Amazon’s fault, not the buyer’s. Of course they’re going to buy it if it’s available, but Amazon should be the first line of defense against this garbage getting into the public.
Scott K
Amazon absolutely has a duty to ensure that products are safe. There should be stricter regulations to protect consumers from products with junk Li-ion batteries – it’s in axon’s best interest to avoid products that don’t carry UL and similar approval seals.
Jim Felt
Honestly if people continue to want and buy no name/unbranded cheaper and cheaper products how can they expect them to be truly “worthwhile”?
It’s a virtual online bazaar of crap.
Is Amazon the cop? Is UPS/USPS/FedEx for enabling deliveries of junk?
I dunno.
I’m pretty sure Amazon doesn’t either.
Stuart
That’s going to be tricky.
What about restaurants with meals that have over 100% the daily recommended fat or sodium? Coffee shops with drinks that have over 100% the daily recommended sugar?
Look at discussions about table saw legislation – there’s been strong pushback about regulations.
I absolutely do agree – that it’s best to avoid products, at least Li-ion batteries and similar, that aren’t safety-rated by UL or other nationally recognized testing laboratory. Not all tools or machinery have such approvals.
But even that gets tricky.
In a recent deal post, I mentioned the Ryobi power station, and a number of readers recommended other brands. A lot of consumer power stations and similar products are backed by reputable brands, but few have UL or similar safety ratings.
Jim Felt
Stuart. Remember the semi political complaint regards the so-called “nanny state”? These thread brings this idea to forefront. And not surprisingly I still don’t have a single simple to implement answer.
Who or what exactly would be the arbiter of any such notifications or ratings?
“America. Where everyone has the absolute right to make poor decisions”…. I think that’s in the Bill of Rights somewhere…? ;-)~
Stuart
@Jim,
That’s the problem. The way I see it, this is an online marketplace problem. Every major online retailer now has random products that don’t look to have been hand-picked to include in their catalogs.
While issues can arise over time, there are a growing number of issues with products that don’t seem to exist beyond online marketplaces.
The CPSC recently recalled a “Gimars” baby playpen – https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Gimars-Playpens-Recalled-Due-to-Entrapment-and-Suffocation-Hazards-Violation-of-Federal-Regulations-for-Play-Yards-Imported-by-Shenzhen-Jingdu-Technology-and-Sold-Exclusively-on-Amazon-com .
The website looks to have created just for the recall, and the contact email is @outlook.com .
Children’s jewelry set – https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/Childrens-Jewelry-Sets-Recalled-Due-to-Risk-of-Lead-and-Cadmium-Poisoning-Violations-of-the-Federal-Lead-Content-Ban-and-Federal-Hazardous-Substances-Act-Sold-Exclusively-on-Amazon-com-by-Newmemo , recalled due to risk of lead and cadmium poisoning.
High chair, exclusively sold on Amazon from “MJKSARE” – https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/MJKSARE-High-Chairs-Recalled%20Due-to-Entrapment-and-Fall-Hazards-Violation-of-Federal-Regulation-for-High-Chairs-Imported-by-Worldwide-Windows-Sold-Exclusively-on-Amazon-com .
CMF
Amazon has a duty? How exactly should they regulate these products?
Stricter regulations, typically are brought in by govt or govt related agencies.
For Amazon to regulate, they would have to setup an inhouse “Consumer Reports” or a UL type lab. This would add a lot of $$$ to the price of items, and time to get to market.
Or much simpler, they can impose that all items pass certification by UL or other certifications they deem as credible.
The latter would work but I believe it would cut there catalog to 20% of what they carry
Stuart
@CMF
A lot of consumer tools, machinery, and products, even from popular brands, are not UL or NRTL safety-rated.
It’s my understanding that UL or NRTL ratings are typically only required for OSHA compliance. There doesn’t seem to be anything regarding home use, but a lot of pro-grade construction brands work to ensure suitability in professional, commercial, or industrial spaces.
That also leads to price differentials at times.
Stuart
Yes, but there’s no turning back the dial on that, or without running into the same arguments that are happening across different consumer industries.
You might notice that I tend to avoid posting about no-name companies.
There are some exceptions, e.g. https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/survival-tool-kit-sale-102024/%3C/a%3E , and I try to make it clear where I stand.
Brad
Why isn’t it also the buyers’ fault? This is like not blaming someone who steps into traffic because there’s no barrier.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Well “garbage” can include cheap but serviceable tools, or it can include dangerous or fraudulent tools.
Sure, there’s some burdeon on the buyer, but the seller has incomparably more power, wealth and information. That’s why we have consumer protection laws and agencies.
Scott K
There’s a serious difference between a cheap tool that doesn’t have competitive specs, durability, or modern advancements and a tool that is likely to fail and cause harm. There are plenty of tools at various price points that are safe to use.
This seems indicative of Amazon’s platform decay – it’s gotten harder to find items shipped and sold by Amazon and differentiate between alphabet soup brands and real ones.
will
This Makes those 3.7v lithium ion batteries questionable as well. They sell Amazon brand but you can’t find eneloop anywhere or basically any brand name other than maybe energizer.
Bonnie
I am utterly not shocked by this news. The “manufacturer” probably doesn’t even exist anymore, these names are just disposable inventory labels.
will
They probably close down shop only to create a new product with the same electronics but a different color. Those add ons are a joke and if people thinks it’s wise to save $30 over a proven ryobi and a cheap bit set than that’s on them. Always do your due diligence,even if the companies at fault.
Jason M
Sent you a note about the FCC fake review ruling. Won’t be easy to enforce and won’t fix everything but hopefully helps with things like this
Stuart
I saw (thanks!), and you’re not the first to bring it up. Honestly, I feel that there are so many shady things going on that nothing will change.
A W
Thanks Jason!
Having a government reporting tool where I can report these scammy “please take down your negative review, I pay you $20.00” sellers is really helpful to know. Reporting out to Amazon has accomplished nothing.
Andy
I kind of feel that if you buy a new drill for $26, there is a reasonable expectation that it will explode.
Will V
Free visit from your local fire department with every purchase. Woo hoo
Lithium fires run real hot so the fd with drown it to extinguish it.
Matt
This is my shocked face.
But like you said, people keep buying crap, then getting upset that it’s crap. Race to the bottom
blocky
Here’s a wallet-friendly, compatible carry case:
https://www.harborfreight.com/waterproof-and-fire-rated-document-safe-64919.html
Stuart
No. Please do NOT use something like that to store batteries. Fire-rated safes are for keeping fire out. They’re not designed to hold flammable or explosive materials.
blocky
Yes, a lithium fire is actually quite hotter than this is rated for anyways.
Perhaps I should have suggested the fully-accessoried kit version with compact fire-extinguisher.
(Apology for the dry humor)
Farkleberry
But it looks to my untrained eye like any other drill on Amazon. I like the color, and it comes with all of those useful attachments/bits, a bag and a tape measure!
Worth the risk?
I see Amazon is still selling Ailuki, but only pet products, kitchen wares and maybe kids’ toys so no risk there…
Amazon is also selling a “Liki” drill that looks exactly the same for $22.
It has 4.5 star reviews and is more of a teal color, so it’s obviously safe.
Scott F
Except maybe lead paint…
AP
Bu bu but the hyper accurate tape measure! I remember learning a lot in home economics class. Perhaps we need to add that back to the curriculum along with learning about consumerism.
I suppose if you’re not into tools, can’t afford to have someone do it for you and you need it done people will continue buying this garbage. It’s almost literally garbage too ’cause it’s going to end up in a landfill sooner or later.
Goodie
I tell anyone who asks about tools and wants a “homeowner” tool for cheap that Black and Decker has options for about $10-$15 more. They’re not great, but they work and they are safe. Skil and Ryobi also have some good options for $25-$35 more and are very good for DIYers.
Buying battery powered tools from no-name brands is dangerous. Bombs are chemical devices that have extremely high energy density; kind of like poorly built batteries.
JoelLikestools
I saw a tool den where the guy was bemoaning a lack of 20$ drills in hardware stores/harbor freight. Honestly I can barely find an entree for under 20 at a restaurant. Cheap is not always good. Especially when the brands you mentioned have very reasonable options.
LE
That guy is….. something else….. I can almost guarantee he peddled this exact drill in question here on more then one occasion during his “deals of the week” 30+ minute video’s of Amazon junk.
Brad
Besides the batteries, sharp metal spinning at thousands of RPM doesn’t seem like the time to go for the cheapest option without even checking for some kind of safety listing (e.g., UL).
Goodie
😉
DC
I only buy name brand power tools – Milwaukee, DeWalt, Dremel, Makita and if from Amazon, “SHIPS” and/or “SOLD” (preferably) by Amazon.com. If not, then I go to HD, Ace or Lowes to get it. Sorry if I sound like a snob but I don’t trust those chinese knock-offs/counterfeits.
Bonnie
You probably already know this, but as a reminder to everyone else: Amazon uses shared binning, so you have no assurance that the product you get came from the seller listed.
AP
Wow, I did not know that. Makes sense from an efficiency standpoint.
BigBlueChicago
You are not being snobby and no need to apologize. I follow the exact same rule too. Better safe than sorry!
Rzorrok
Ships from Amazon means nothing as far as what the source or seller is. It just mean that Amazon has stock in their warehouse rather than being shipped from somewhere else. Sold by Amazon generally means what you are implying. That it comes from the manufacturer via Amazon.
PKS319
To my great shame, I still buy quite a few things on Amazon …..but never tools. I simply do not trust that they come from an authorize distributor. Other online stores have similar or better pricing, with Home Depot as one example.
Amatts
Cheap tools are for chumps….
Goodie
I generally agree, you get what you pay for. I tend to buy most of my tools from higher end brands (Metabo HPT, DeWalt, Bosch). I use them enough that I don’t want to use low-end tools. But folks like us are a bit of an exception.
I’ve used plenty of “homeowner” tools (mostly with friends or relatives) that are not absolute junk. I’ll certainly wish I had something better, but they are usable. I used a little Black and Decker 8v drill ($40) and found it to be passable. It’s certainly not a professional experience, but there are options for folks to buy homeowner grade tools that will make a difference in their lives (Black &Decker, Skil, Craftsman (non-RP), Ryobi, Kobalt, and others).
Lots of people buying this stuff won’t ever buy anything beyond a drill.
MM
I generally agree as well but there are always exceptions. Sometimes I buy a tool knowing I will use it very little and in that case I’m happy to buy lesser brands. For example when it comes to mechanic type tools: I use ratchets often, most of mine are Snap-On, and if they disappeared I would buy the same ones again. I use them enough that the cost is justified. Disc brake caliper tool? I rarely use that, my Harbor Freight model suits my needs just fine, though if I were doing brake jobs for a living that probably wouldn’t be true.
Earlier in the year I needed chisels–some for carving & fine woodwork, others for making tool handles on a lathe. The designs I felt I’d use the most and/or where quality was most important I bought from fine Japanese makers with some being a few hundred dollars each. Designs I didn’t think I’d use as often but I didn’t want junk I bought from mid-tier makers like Kirschen (aka Two Cherries) and MHG. As far as the turning chisels which I knew I wouldn’t use often and where quality was not particularly important? Vevor from Amazon.
Brad
Vevor seems to be the king of these knockoff brands of highly questionable quality.
MM
It certainly seems they are among the most prolific brands of knockoff goods given the wide range of things they offer. I’ve seen some Vevor products that were absolute crap I’d never consider buying, but that lathe chisel set ended up being excellent value.
Chris
Nothing makes me madder than a tool that doesn’t perform right (not an innuendo at all)
I hate cheap tools. From screwdrivers whose metal is too soft, to magnets that can’t hold a single drywall screw, to batteries that are downright dangerous.
I can see the appeal of cheap tools if you’re not going to use them all the time. But I’m not risking my hands with a wrench that might slip or a drill that bursts into flames.
JoeM
Frankly… All the bits it comes with are worth the price alone. You could chuck the drill, AC Block, and Measuring Tape, and the whole kit would be worth it. So, the stuff that is dangerous is easily disposed of, and no loss, really.
It’s all pretty useless or niche bits anyways. Works just fine on a standard Functional brand of Drill. And who doesn’t love a good scrubber attachment, right?
Stuart
It’s likely all junk. Inflated parts counts are a tactic to drive up the price of cheap kits. It’s meant to create exactly what you demonstrated here, the perception of a good value. “Wow, it comes with all that?”
Stick to name brand stuff, even if it’s Ryobi or similar.
JoeM
Agreed. I’m literally only saying that, if you actually bought one of these, the safety concerns still net you a bunch of useful stuff. Stuff that isn’t mission critical in any way, so the quality doesn’t matter. Use them up like the consumables they are, and you still end up with no loss there.
I recently bought some jeweller’s tools and precision screwdrivers exactly for this reason. Are they the Swiss and Austrian made top-of-the-line models that make a Jeweller or Watchmaker’s heart sing? No. Will they help in the moment if one of my better sets has a malfunction? Absolutely. But it’ll still result in them being consumables, not prized possessions.
Funny enough, I was trying to look at the optimistic side of this recall. Scrubber attachments are a bit on the gimmicky side, sure, but on a really nice DeWALT/Milwaukee/Makita/MetaboHPT model of Drill? Who of us Hasn’t done a little washing of surfaces with some cheap cleaning brush kit? They can be very useful, simply by being brushes or pads on a hex shaft! One could slap one together with an old cut off 3″ hex bit, a screw, and a plastic circle with some Hook-and-Loop to make our own! It’s rare for me to be optimistic, I know, but in all honesty, at those low prices, if you got fooled, there’s no reason to be truly upset. You get the consumables out of it!
Stuart
You say “useful stuff,” I say “cheap no-name junk that’s likely to break or fly apart on the first use.”
Cheap precision screwdrivers are consumable. Quality precision screwdrivers will last a very long time and are far less likely to break free and spin freely in their shafts.
Lyle
Sometimes when I want to have a good laugh, I will search for something on Amazon and read the names of the “companies “ out loud. This is especially entertaining when looking for a computer display or accessories for a cell phone. It reminds me of when I’d walk around IKEA and try to pronounce those product names.
Vards Uzvards
In IKEA, product names sound/spell like a play on some Scandinavian (and sometimes even Slavic) words.
MM
That is correct. I happen to speak Danish which is very similar to Swedish so I don’t find Ikea’s naming to be confusing. Most Ikea product names are just ordinary Swedish words and would also be understandable to someone who spoke Norwegian. Sometimes there are puns involved or they use proper names from people or places but it’s not random alphabet soup.
Jim Felt
MM. Thank you on behalf of this English (only) speaker of Swedish decent.
I always assumed this but now I/we know. Most of their US employees I’ve mentioned these naming conventions to only seem to guess about this like I’ve done for decades.
fred
I sometimes feel that the alphabet soup names might be random. But it is also possible that legitimate ones might have some meaning to the native Chinese speakers who assigned some of them. I sometimes look up a “brand name” using the Justia Trademarks search site – to see if i can make any sense of them – or to try to discern ownership of the brand.
Jan M. Levine
In July: “The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today issued a Decision and Order against Amazon.com, Inc., a global e-commerce company with $575 billion in revenue. In a unanimous vote, the Commission determined that Amazon was a “distributor” of products that are defective or fail to meet federal consumer product safety standards, and therefore bears legal responsibility for their recall. More than 400,000 products are subject to this order: specifically, faulty carbon monoxide (CO) detectors, hairdryers without electrocution protection, and children’s sleepwear that violated federal flammability standards.”
https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2024/CPSC-Finds-Amazon-Responsible-Under-Federal-Safety-Law-for-Hazardous-Products-Sold-by-Third-Party-Sellers-on-Amazon-com
I teach Tort law. In California, Amazon was already liable for things like this causing fires and injuries.
JR Ramos
This is what I mentioned below and to Stuart when it was handed down…he didn’t seem to think it was very important but I thought it certainly could/will be. This cheap drill is just the latest example I guess. Where this Order goes is anyone’s guess and I don’t think it will cover all the bases well enough, but it’s an important step. Something higher up the chain may need to happen to effect impactful change.
Stuart
It’s not that I don’t think it’s important, but that it’s one of those things that sounds great but I doubt it will bring forth any meaningful changes or improvements.
Let’s say regulators take cheap 3rd party marketplace products out of Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other retailers. What about Temu and others?
Goodie
If regulators were able to impact Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and others in a meaningful way – one that affected their bottom line and put them in costly, reputation-damaging court cases – it would create a chilling effect on the other players in the market. All of these corporations have financial and legal departments that assess their financial and reputational risks.
Thus far, selling this junk hasn’t been enough of a legal, reputational or financial risk for them to stop doing so.
As I understand it, Temu operates in the US as a registered corporation in Delaware and Massachusetts. Temu (and similar corporations) use loopholes in our tax code to ship directly from China under an import duty ( “de minimis”) exclusion for “low volume” (in terms of orders to an individual customer) for packages valued under $800. Without that exclusion, the companies making this junk and distributing it have to deal with a business model that is much more complex (US customs, distribution, etc).
We can change this if we want to. It’s simply a matter of enacting laws, passing regulations, and changing tax code to make it happen.
I’m generally a fan of letting the market decide which products win and lose. However, there are regulations that govern everything we buy, from the quality of our food and medicine, our cars, and (yes) our tools.
Balancing those things correctly is a certainly a subject of political debate, which I won’t engage in here.
fred
As you imply – it is a complicated process fraught with social and political implications. Free markets can work to provide what buyers want and need at all price points- but there can be societal consequences and costs for bad buying decisions. A “war” on shoddy and dangerous imported tools might well be undertaken – but like our almost whack-a-mole war on drugs – we might find that fixing the problem at Amazon, Temu et. al. only fosters others to pop up via new loopholes. As Walt Kelly’s Pogo said: “we have met the enemy, and he is us.” There will always be some consumers who think (no matter how others might try to educate them) that risks do not apply to them and cheaper is always better than more expensive. Nonetheless, I expect that when Li-Ion battery fires and injuries/deaths rise to some unacceptable level, we will gather enough political will to make changes.
JR Ramos
Well, firstly it’s an issue of product safety, not cheap or 3rd party in general…what ends up in consumers’ hands under the assumption that suitably functional/safe products are being sold. Online commerce has emerged well after many of these rules and laws were enacted and have been enjoying a profitable loophole for a long time. That needs to change (clearly) no matter who/what the platform is. We can certainly make it such that Temu and whoever else are included and deal with the particulars in various ways. It’s not hard, they just have to have the impetus and means to do it. That said, it may have to be settled in Federal courts or the legislature.
Getting companies to do things for the common good voluntarily is…well, it’s rare and always has been. Hit them in the pocketbook and that’s when things may change at least a little. I think this issue needs to be addressed (additionally) further upstream, as I said above, but with this ruling it’s entirely possible that Amazon may both curtail the questionable products and also institute a more comprehensive product determination program – they are big enough they could certainly do that. If memory serves, Amazon did incorporate some sort of safety review something many years ago but I think that was geared toward phone chargers or something small scope and I never heard anything else about it (and the issues were obviously not solved there as over the years many other incidences of electronics/electrical issues reared their heads).
When I made that comment months ago you sort of brushed it off as “it’s only pajamas and hair dryers” but my point was that the implications of the decision/classification as a distributor would be major and could be far reaching across all product categories…because it holds them accountable and costs them real dollars/time when they must address issues that crop up. Cheap poorly-marketed table saws included…and all the other tool problem/safety things that have been discussed here over the years. I believe it to be major and quite important and it (if things stand) will change the landscape in a favorable way for today’s consumers. Maybe I’m wrong or maybe it won’t play out in a beneficial way without stronger rules and statutes that are not yet in place.
Stuart
I didn’t blow you off – here’s the conversation: https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/sawstop-table-saw-regulations-update-012024/#comment-1554482%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I said:
and
If there is a recall, known brands such as Dewalt and others would roll out updated products following an effective date, similar to what has been done for other product changes and developments brought on my evolving safety standards. For example, that’s why compact table saws now have 8-1/4″ blade size instead of 10″.
Amazon might then be held accountable if they keep selling AKJKJAS brand table saws or whatever that don’t comply with effective safety regulations. If there’s a safety issue and the CPSC cannot work with the no-name company to pull the product, then they might hold Amazon accountable, and Amazon has the resources to deal with the supplier.
In this case, the CPSC didn’t issue an official recall, they just issued a press release warning customers. *IF* there is a recall, then I expect them to hold Amazon accountable. Or it could be that they cannot, and that’s why they issued a press release rather than a recall, since Amazon pushed back on it.
I don’t argue with your thinking that the ruling could be major and quite important, but it doesn’t seem to have been applied to this situation. At this time, no one is being held accountable for what the CPSC is describing as a defective drill or battery, and so consumers are the ones losing out. Without an official recall and cooperation between the CPSC and brand or seller, there’s no remedy, leaving users holding the bag and financial loss.
What we disagreed about was whether the ruling regarding Amazon potentially being held accountable for product safety recall would apply to potential table saw safety regulations. You seem to believe it would, and I do not, at least given how the industry has been treating evolving tool safety guidelines in the past.
Robm11b
Oct 26, 2024
I hate saying this but no one but the buyers are at fault for what may or may not happen with no name/ cheap products. It’s up to the buyer when it comes to what products or services they choose to spend their money on. If people are to broke/ misinformed/ or lazy to do any sort of research on what they are purchasing, then it’s on them. I work long hours for my money, so I do my due diligence on the products or services I spend my money on. With so much cheaply made junk on the market regardless of brand name or no brand name. I think a little research is a vital part of today’s world. Also to blame the manufacturers or retailers for selling junk is childish, you don’t want garbage/ inferior products on the market, don’t buy them and encourage others not to as well. But since the state of the world economy is so poor. It’s a prime time to be a shady manufacturer and retail.
Jim Felt
If one is broke as opposed to merely lazy Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are teeming with ads for new and used name brand tools. I’ve seen some wonderful bargains over the years. And sold a bunch of such too.
JR Ramos
I wonder if that ruling earlier this year will come into play or not, holding the platform liable for these shoddy products. It really needs to happen, or to somehow clamp down more when they arrive at ports. Product safety is important but between marketing and “consumer awareness” there is a lot of unknown out there if you buy sight unseen, and at least in this country consumers do have the right and justified expectation that products will work as intended and in a safe way – especially anything with electronics, power supplies, or heat. Heaters are a big one and there are still far too many incidents with those despite inclusions of tip-over kill switches and such.
Important to note that this is not just with “no name” brands and catalog items. CPSC has been calling out tons and tons of lithium powered products in recent years (and they’re still hyper focused on small magnets, too…). Scrolling through the recent news and recalls I even saw some products from Anker, who has long been a well respected brand for chargers and juice packs (I think they had three currently listed on their website). Some other well knowns have also run into oopses here and there.
Lots of those uber cheap brands seem to do just fine and some even appear to be a real bargain with great performance. But never fail to respect the power density of today’s lithium rechargeable battery packs. I don’t care if it’s a major brand or a no name brand, get educated and practice some basic wise safety methods if you own and use them. Doesn’t matter if a random Milwaukee or Dewalt pack has an issue and manages to swell or vent or melt down…in that event it’s no better for you and your property than a no-name and you’re faced with the same mostly avoidable situation. But yes, getting more stringent in one or more levels of certification and such is needed…things have gotten lax and it’s hard to provide accountability or enforcement with e-commerce today…platforms, foreign importers and sellers, questionable certification standards/methods, etc.
Jan M. Levine
If you are curious about the California decision, go here: https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2021/b297995.html
Jan M. Levine
And here’s the status of the CPSC Rule as of late August (from https://www.arnoldporter.com/en/perspectives/blogs/consumer-products-and-retail-navigator/2024/08/amazon-must-provide-consumers-notice):
The Commission set aside the ALJ’s Order and replaced it with a new Order, under which Amazon is required to develop, in consultation with Complaint Counsel, a Proposed Notification Plan and Proposed Action Plan in accordance with the Commission’s findings and the CPSA. The Proposed Notification Plan is required to include direct and public recall notices for the Commission’s review and approval, in addition to recommendations for disseminating the public notice.
The Proposed Action Plan requires Amazon to propose:
A process for implementing refunds and replacements conditioned on return or proof of destruction
A quarantine and destruction process for Subject Products
A schedule for monthly progress reports and a records retention plan
Under the Order, Amazon would deliver the Proposed Notification Plan and Proposed Action Plan to Complaint Counsel, after which they would meet and confer and Amazon would eventually file the plans with the Commission. The Commission must approve the plans before Amazon is able to provide any notice or take any action pursuant to Sections 15(c) and 15(d), respectively. Once it has finished its review, the Commission would issue a second order. As noted above, Amazon’s request for a stay was denied.
However, under the CPSA and the Administrative Procedure Act, Amazon has the right to judicial review in federal court. As of this writing, such an action had not yet been filed, although Amazon’s request for a stay expressly stated that Amazon believes there are issues that are appropriate for judicial review and is at least contemplating seeking its day in court.
Goodie
Thanks for posting this.