2 weeks Ago By Varun Godinho
Amazon Australia appears to have pulled several thousand Govee space heaters after a recall notice was issued over concerns that they can overheat and pose fire as well as burn hazards. However, other platforms such as Ebay and Ubuy are yet to stop selling them with serious questions being raised as to whether there should be a formal mechanism by way of which all imported electric products must be tested to ensure compliance with Australian safety standards, and who bears responsibility for faulty products that land up in the homes of unsuspecting consumers. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a voluntary recall notice last week for more than 500,000 Govee and GoveeLife smart electric space heaters.
It applies to GoveeLife and Govee smart electric space heaters with model numbers H7130 (including the H7130101 variation), H7131, H7132, H7133, H7134, and H7135. The majority were sold on Amazon, the Govee Home App, and the TikTok Shop between September 2021 through September 2024. The CPSC said that testing had determined that the smart electric space heaters did not comply with the voluntary industry safety standard, UL 1278, posing an overheating and fire risk from wireless control features.
There have been 113 reports of overheating, including seven reports of fires and one report of a minor burn injury reported too with these heaters. “Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled electric space heaters and contact the brands for a refund. Unplug the electric space heater, cut the power cord, and send an image of the destroyed electric space heater, the manufacturer’s label and SN Code on the bottom or side of the unit to GoveeLife or Govee,” said the CPSC.
The CPSC has said that affected consumers should receive a refund. Customers who purchased the device through Amazon likely received an email from Amazon’s customer service department about the recall. In a decision that put the onus on platforms such as Amazon to ensure product recalls of not just its own branded items, but for those sold by third-party retailers via its e-commerce platform, the CPSC recently said that it is not third-party sellers, but Amazon itself who is responsible for properly recalling hazardous that are sold on its marketplace.
The CPSC noted that Amazon failed to adequately notify the public about more than 400,000 recalled products. The Amazon products, sold between 2018 and 2021, include faulty carbon monoxide detectors, hairdryers that pose an electric shock risk, and flammable children’s pyjamas. In the event that products are recalled, the CPSC said that it wants Amazon to go beyond just blocking the retail of those products on its platform and alerting buyers.
It says that Amazon must follow approved recall procedures that have been put in place to prevent not only those customers from using the recalled products, but from also further giving them away or reselling them..
