Did You Receive A Hoverboard As An Xmas Gift?

By Okechukwu Okugo

Hoverboard, which can best be described as a self-balancing 2-wheel scooter, became a craze in America as a result of spotting many celebrities riding them in public.

Ebay  sold more than 5000 units on Black Friday; and also on Cyber Monday, claimed to had sold one hoverboard every 12 seconds, according to www.popsci.com.

Thus it is not surprising how it became a must-have 2015 Xmas gift.

But if you just received this self-propelled vehicle as a gift, there are 2 main reasons to be genuinely concerned.

1. U.K.'s Trading Standards seized 15,000 unsafe hoverboards after the London Fire Brigade reported that the three house fires within 10 days, were all traced to those trendy wheels according to Yahoo! News.
Also it's reported that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission was investigating 10 incidents of hoverboard fires in nine States, according to www.popsci.com

Airlines had banned boarding airplanes with them as a precautionary measure, that it does not explode midair.

Many incidences of hoverboards exploding abound.

The high-watt Lithium batteries, when faulty, had been severally reported exploding and starting a fire.
For this safety reason, Yahoo! News reported that Amazon in an email to customers, had urged those who had purchased hoverboards with "non-complaint U.K. plugs" to throw them away by handing them over to a "certified recycling center," and be refunded.

2. Laws regulating its usage are tightening. Apart from U.K. and New York that had already banned the use of this moving wheels in the public, other States in U.S. are stipulating laws to regulate its usage.
"A new motorized board law," referring to California Assembly Bill No. 604 which in part requires the rider to be at least 16; besides other regulatory stipulations that must be followed, would take effect January 1, 2016; as reported in www.snopes.com.

Finally, the two things you must have in mind for this trending device that costs between $300-$1500, if you had received it as an Xmas gift, are:

1. "As the laws vary from state to state, if you received a hoverboard for Christmas, you should probably read up on your local laws to see if riding the device in public is illegal," www.snopes.com advised.

2. And "If you are one of the brave souls who owns a hoverboard (and aren't planning on following Amazon's disposal advice), there are a few things you should keep in mind to keep yourself safe.
For one, never leave the device unattended while it's charging (like overnight).

Be sure to check the plug - if it's clover-shaped, you may be in trouble.
If you still want to purchase one of these guys online, do your research and ensure that you can contact the manufacturing company to vouch for its safety.

And of course, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is,"
the advisory piece reported in Yahoo! News.

"For the time being, we are not recommending any hoverboards until they are proven to be safe," quoting a consumer affairs site "Best reviews," according to www.popsci.com.  

(Opening image credit: www.247famous.com)