Amazon Profits off of Deceptive Lithium-Ion Battery, Says Class Action Lawsuit

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Deceptive Amazon Lithium-Ion Battery Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

• Who: Customers filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon.
• Why: Plaintiffs claim Amazon knowingly makes false claims about its lithium-ion battery and continues to sell the products despite complaints and safety concerns. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Washington federal court. 

Amazon customers are suing the retail giant for an alleged history of making false and misleading claims about its lithium-ion 18650 battery and knowingly selling defective and dangerous products.

The lead plaintiffs, Craig Crosby and Christopher Johnson, want to represent consumers who purchased the allegedly defective Amazon battery. 

The plaintiffs accuse Amazon of making false claims about the capacity, safety, and charging power of its lithium-ion 18650 battery and products that contain the batteries. The plaintiffs allege that at some point, Amazon should have knowledge of their defective batteries due to the amount of negative and one-star reviews on its website. 

Deceptive Amazon Lithium-Ion Battery Remains for Sale Despite Complaints 

Crosby and Johnson claim that Amazon purposely publishes false claims about their batteries in order to maintain sales. Customers complain that, compared to Amazon’s claims, the defective battery has less capacity and inadequate safety features, and are therefore overpriced. 

Amazon works around product problems by reposting a product that has garnered too many negative reviews with a new identification number, claims the class action lawsuit. This “new” product page does not carry over any of its previous reviews. 

Although Amazon is aware of the product’s issues, the plaintiffs claim this practice prevents future customers from learning about other customers’ negative experiences. 

Safety Concerns Surround The Defective Amazon Lithium-Ion Battery

The plaintiffs maintain that if action is not taken against Amazon, current and future customers may be harmed. Thousands of Amazon listings for its lithium-ion 18650 batteries contain customer reviews and photos of burnt or exploded batteries. The plaintiffs claim this is a result of the batteries lacking the “proper, adequate, or often any safety measures.” 

The lithium-ion 18650 batteries are also sold within products like flashlights. These products then become a fire hazard due to the risk of exploding or igniting, alleges the class action lawsuit. 

Crosby and Johnson have previously filed a similar Amazon battery class action lawsuit in California. In addition, the company has recently faced allegations concerning an exploding laptop battery. 

In this lawsuit, the plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that Amazon violated the law, repayment of attorney’s costs, and prevention of Amazon from repeating these practices.  

Did you purchase a lithium-ion battery from Amazon? Tell us how the product worked out in the comments section below!

The plaintiffs are represented by Karin B. Swope for Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP.

The Deceptive Amazon Lithium-Ion Battery Class Action Lawsuit is Crosby, et al. Amazon.com, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-01083, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle.

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