Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
Verizon is recalling about 2.5 million of its Ellipsis Jetpack mobile hotspots following six customer reports of fires and two of burn injuries.
The recall was issued Thursday by Verizon and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The commission said the lithium ion battery in the hotspots could overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.
So far, Verizon has received 15 reports of devices overheating, including six reports of fire damage to bedding or flooring and two reports of minor burn injuries, the recall said.
The recall comes at a time that more people have been looking to hotspots to access the internet from home during the pandemic. The hotspot in the recall was also distributed to schools across the country, with many more students needing internet at home for remote-learning.
Verizon is not currently facing legal action over the recall, but Top Class Actions follows recalls closely as they sometimes end in class action lawsuits.
The recalled hotspots are dark navy plastic oval devices, about 3.5 inches wide and 2.25 inches tall. The name “verizon” is printed below the digital display window on the front of the device, and its charger has a sticker on the wire that states: Compatible: FWC MHS900L, Model: FWCR900TVL, DC151030.
The hotspot were sold at Verizon stores and to school districts nationwide, at Verizon’s website and potentially other stores, the recall said.
If you have the hotspot in your home right now, you should power the unit off, unplug it from its power source and put it in a place away from children, on top of a ventilated, hard surface and away from combustibles until it can be returned, the commission says.
The hotspots can be returned for a replacement for free.
Schools that gave the recalled Ellipsis Jetpack to students have been contacted by Verizon with instructions to receive free replacement hotspots and mailing packages to return the faulty hotspots for safe disposal. Parents whose kids received the hotspot from school should contact the school about the recall.
Other customers can request a replacement by going to ellipsisjetpackrecall.expertinquiry.com or by calling 855-205-2627.
Meanwhile, if a customer must use the internet on the hotspot, the recall has provided instructions to get an over-the-air safety software update before doing so. Click here for details.
Electronics with fire risks can often lead to class action lawsuits.
A class action lawsuit filed in California in September accuses Amazon of falsely marketing and selling defective and potentially dangerous lithium-ion 18650 batteries and products containing them.
Did you know mobile hotspots could heat to the point of burning? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
