Consumers are being warned against the use of cheap no-brand USB chargers, after a woman was found dead with headphones in her ears and her computer on her lap.
Burns to her ears and chest indicated that the cause of death was most likely electrocution.
The woman purchased the charger from a phone accessory store in Campsie in NSW, and the NSW Fair Trading Commission has seized a number of other cheap products for sale in that store that did not meet Australian safety standards.
As the woman’s death is still under investigation, no more details can be provided, but NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rob Stowe said that the public needed to be informed of the possible danger of these cheap no-brand products as soon as possible.
“We’re only familiar with this one incident and it does look like one of these devices are implicated in the electrocution,” he was quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Although the items have been confiscated and the store owner in Campsie now faces prison time and fines of up to $87,500, it’s probably not the only store selling cheap, no-brand phone accessories. Anyone with a smartphone could tell you that it’s pretty easy to find a cheap pair of headphones or a charger when you’re in a bind.
Anyone with information regarding the sale of rip-off and potentially dangerous unapproved phone accessories is advised to contact Fair Trading on 13 32 20.
Consumers are being told to dispose of any unapproved products, making sure to bend the pins so they cannot be used again. It’s also not advisable to use any electrical products while they are plugged in or charging.
Top Comments
Marniequin2 posting as Guest
Bending the pins back so they can't be used by anyone . . . Sure
but THEN . . .
any sane person would immediately chuck it out.
(Bending the pins back means that any person scavenging
at the Tip or Recycling depot can't use it either !)
I had NO IDEA that you aren't supposed to use devices while they are charging! I do it all the time. In fact, I'm doing it right now. Will stop now though...
Great, Jessica.
I just happened to read this somewhere.
I don't use a mobile phone as there's no reception in my
rural area
BUT
I'm curious . . . are there no warnings in the packs?
If not, this is an horrific 'oversight' (?)
Cheers, Marnie Q
There may be warnings, but I have never seen them so they probably aren't obvious enough.
Sure, we could say that I should make sure to read the packaging more carefully for a warning, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who hasn't done that so they should definitely make a more prominent warning...
You are fine if you are using a decent approved charger. The fake chargers are unsafe as hell and have grounding issues. IF your adapter was less than a Cheeseburger, toss it.