Anker is a pretty well known maker of mobile accessories, but the company is probably best known for its power banks. This includes one 535 Power Bank, also known as PowerCore 20K, which comes with a model number of A1366. Though as it turns out, there may have been a fault in the manufacturing process, as the company is issuing a recall for this battery pack.
As the company itself announced, a “manufacturing condition” has caused “a small number” of the Anker 535 Power Banks to “overheat and pose a fire safety risk”. Following this, the company is issuing a voluntary recall of all of these battery packs, and is apparently working with local government agencies to do this.
While it’s not exactly clear when the recall notice was put up, it has already done some damage. According to Herald-Mail Media, the Anker 535 Power Bank is linked to a house fire in Leitersburg, Maryland in the US. The report states that the battery pack was stored inside a suitcase with nothing connected to it, and was last used about a week before the incident. While the suitcase was destroyed, the fire was contained to the bedroom it was in.
In a statement to The Register, Anker earlier claimed that the 535 Power Bank “met all applicable industry standards prior to its sale” in multiple countries, one of which was Malaysia. The defect was discovered later, prompting the recall.
And while the company calls this a recall, it doesn’t look like it actually wants the Anker 535 Power Bank back. The recall notice itself tells owners to stop using the device, store it in a safe location, and dispose of it at a facility that accepts Lithium batteries. There’s also a form that those affected can fill to get a refund. On the Anker flagship store on Shopee, the affected battery pack comes with a price of RM449.
(Source: Anker, Herald-Mail Media, The Register, Shopee)
