Are your cellphone batteries safe?
By dolce_vita78
@dolce_vita78 (8062)
Philippines
October 4, 2009 1:29am CST
Verizon Wireless has recalled 50,000 cell phone batteries, some of which may be counterfeit, after reports suggesting that they may cause minor fires and injuries.
The TM-510 batteries, which carry the LG Mobile Phones brand, don't have the circuitry normally installed to prevent overcharging, according to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which issued the recall with Verizon. According to the notice, when they are charged, the batteries can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to users.
There have been 18 such incidents, all involving batteries purchased separately from the phones as spares or replacements, Verizon said. In some events, the phones became hot enough to sear the seats and floorboards in a car or cause a minor personal injury, the company added.
This is the second recall in the United States this year related to cell phones overheating, and both involve Verizon Wireless models. The incidents raise health-related concerns over handsets, which are already the subject of scientific speculation regarding cancer risks.
LG Mobile Phones said on Friday that it has traced the source of the counterfeit batteries and has initiated legal action against a U.S. importer. "These counterfeit batteries are not manufactured by LG but illegally bear the LG trademark and closely resemble actual LG batteries," the company said.
LG also said it is working with government agencies to stem the flow of counterfeit batteries into the United States. The company plans to add authentication software and/or labels to verify a battery's authenticity.
We have to be very careful in our purchases especially on things that we frequently use.
1 person likes this
51 responses
@blizchell08 (22)
•
11 Apr 11
Yes we must be careful in our purchases like the cellphone batteries. If we don't attention on it, there is a tendency that it may cause a fire. we should be aware, just like in this case. It is good also for the company to produce that don't cause like this problems. We should think that the issue here is our safety.
1 person likes this
@tintinmorales (17)
•
10 Apr 11
LG is has done its responsibility because even if they are not the one who manufactured the batteries they still recalled the battery to secure safety to buyers of their phone, and I think for them to protect their image.
1 person likes this
@khatty01 (32)
•
10 Apr 11
It is good that the company have already a plan that would be a best remedy to the problem. It would be helpful if they will make a product that cannot be easily imitated. It is also much better if the customers are very careful in buying batteries of their cellphones. Nowadays, there are lots of stores, especially in the sidewalks, that sell batteries which are not original. In buying cellphones, I prefer to buy it on trusted stores because I know that it is more safe.
1 person likes this
@ravenclaw_samwise (23)
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10 Apr 11
yes we should have to be extra careful in purchases especially on the things that we daily use because those things that we frequently use are the things that are subjected to imitations and piracy so we have to be very careful about it, we have to be very keen and observant on every details of the products that we buy.
1 person likes this
@jhoverly (21)
• Philippines
10 Apr 11
We, consumers should be very careful in buying cellphone accessories. We should buy to the registered dealers of the accessories to ensure our safety in using such product. We should always consider the quality of the products that we are purchasing.
1 person likes this
@khimmy_30 (12)
•
10 Apr 11
now a days many imitation of product are coming out. most of this are from china. people also, to save money, buy to this product. but for a wise customer we must always consider our safety. we must buy for those legal and qualified stores. be wise, and think twice in buying goods.
1 person likes this
@bezini (44)
• United States
4 Oct 09
I had a problem with two of my previous cell phones because of battery problems. First it was with me AT&T quickfire, which deserved that name because the battery was at risk of spontaious combustion. So when they were recalled, I was given a pantac Martix to replace it. Which would have been fine, had it ended there. But of course it didnt, and that one was recalled to. NOW i have an iPhone, and i'm hoping i have no problems with that one, but who really knows??
The problem is though, that companies are looking for any way to cut costs and corners, even if that means producing a sub par cell phone battery.
1 person likes this
@JAMartinez (16)
• Philippines
17 Oct 09
The plan of the company is good which is to add authentication software and/or labels to verify a battery's authenticity. They should see to it that their customers can identify what is counterfeited and not.
Buyers of batteries should see to it that the battery is authenticated not the price of the batteries.
@JAMartinez (16)
• Philippines
20 Oct 09
It is sometimes the fault of buyers because they choose price not the quality. Well we never also blame them because life today is getting more harder. ^_^
@fjahrenband (5)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
There are so many batteries out side on our place witch is not good so i better prefer to buy original ones from those cellphone shop with license rather buying those cheap batteries with no assurance of its capacity or compatibility to my cellphone.
one experience that i have is that when i buy my Motorola cellphone i have accidentally destroy its charger, so what i do is to buy a new charger and a extra battery for my cellphone, i immediately use the battery and it takes only 10hours and when i charge it, it charge for along time and still it was not yet full so i thought maybe my battery was been damage but when i use the original batter it's the same my battery is charging for long time and when i remove it from the charger its empty. So what i do is that i return it to the one whom i bought it from,but they don't want to change it and they're saying that my cellphone maybe defective so what i do is turn back and look for other shop and suddenly i came to this shop whom offer me an original charger and battery and when i use it's good the price is a little bit higher than those i bought from the other shop but it function well. So what i can say is that its not only the charger,battery whose defective but also those who sell DEFECTIVE accessories for cellphones their brain was totally damage.
@fjahrenband (5)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
Its not those batteries whose over heating i think it was those customers who buy defective products.jejejejejejejejejejejeje
@Bausta (15)
• Philippines
22 Feb 10
Maybe other cellphone batteries are not safe but it is always depend on the users on how they use it. Sample they always left it charging overnight. They always play there cellphones. For me, I don't want to left my cellphone charging the overnight. It might cause explosion. So be careful when you charge your cellphones during night time.
@harold1688 (40)
• Philippines
9 Apr 11
i am sure that my cellphone battery is original and safe..batteries of nokia cellphones have this markings that would indicate if it is an original or counterfeit battery.you can also send the serials of the battery to confirm weather it is authenticate or not.mobile phone companies should do something that would make their product hard to be copied and counterfeited by those illegal companies that produce fake products.there should be a sole manufacturer of every cellphone company.they should have their own to avoid this kind of issue.
1 person likes this
@nhovex (12)
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8 Feb 12
In buying Batteries we should choose the good quality of a cellphone and battery. We should be aware on the cellphones and batteries that were buying.For the Lg company it is good that they stated for the public that there are tracing their trademark so that their company will not be stained and users will not be afraid to buy their products.We should buy batteries that match to our cellphones so that we will not be a one victim of the such incidents.We should not let Our batteries charged for overnight.I though my cellphone battery are safe now because i used it for long time.
@estoestah_tilado (12)
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8 Feb 12
The public should not buy just anywhere replacement batteries even though it has a cheaper price. They should buy it to the vendors which are registered to the company. The buyers should also check if there is any valid authentication label of the company. But we should also be aware that seal can also imitated by any person with the help of technology. low quality products are more prawn to unwanted incidents than wanted incidents.Safety first!
@aims0824 (12)
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9 Feb 12
In my view, I would say that the company Verizon Wireless together with LG will bear damage for this. Since the recall didn't just happened once, most of the customers already lost their trust and confidence with the company. Unlike other recall with involve plastic contamination, this recall can't be fixed easily. There's a lot of serious incidence that took place. It's not gonna be that easy for the company to gain the trust of their consumers since it already took place twice. It seems like the company didn't really work on the said matter. If I were the company, I would have intensive product testing before sending it out in the market again to avoid any possible incident in the future....
@alethaleth (13)
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24 Feb 10
Yes, I could say that my cellphone battery is safe because it was original from nokia, and of course my phone is nokia. I do believe that nokia would not produce batteries which are defective. Nokia already got my trust with their products and so, I could say that my cellphone battery is safe.
@Geraldine012345 (22)
• Kuwait
12 Apr 11
As of now still there are a lot of issues about on those counterfiet batteries that are illegally distributed around the countries. The authority should focus on that issue because it can result more destruction to users. In buying such goods, customers should check whether the standard of the goods that they are buying is as good condition. Aside from that, those cellphone company should attach another authentication on the batteries that thay are distributing. For their clients to be safe.
@naelahfaisalmasacal (16)
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31 Jan 12
ADDITIONAL POINTS
Well, as of now, I don't have any problems with my cellphone batteries because it is original. But, nowadays we can't tell what's the original and not. So, it is also our responsibility to take into considerations about this matters, ofcourse for our safeness.
It is good that this counterfeit batteries are recalled and out in the market.
The LG Mobile Phones has still responsibility over this issue even though they are not the one who manufacture those batteries because it is still under their name. And also, they are the one who will be mistaken by their customers.
@devycornel (11)
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8 Feb 12
Maybe my cellphone battery is not safe because of experiencing the local one of China made. However, it is use only for emergency case like if my battery is empty that's the time I maybe buy another one. But, its not safe for using the battery. I prefer to check the battery that I am using for the safeness's of my health. We the user of the cellphones must know the features that we are buying and look for the quality that we need so can't encounter a hard time of using it.
@zshen18 (12)
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8 Feb 12
Speaking of LG batteries, LG batteries is not really ok to use it is a low quality product of batteries because i have experience LG mobile then i Charge it the it explodes after 30 minutes. I don't think it is overcharging. now i'm using Blackberry mobile and i think this is better.
