eBay Battery Scam May Be Deadly For Consumers

Consumers risk explosions, burns, and death from fraudulent 18650 Lithium-ion batteries.

February 25, 2020, Los Angeles, CA – LG Chem, a top producer of Lithium-ion ("Li-ion") batteries, is warning consumers that common individual 18650 Li-ion battery cells (often called batteries) are a dangerous and potentially deadly item for unsuspecting consumers. Full page Wall Street Journal ads from the company attempt to educate the public about the dangers.

Legitimate 18650 Li-ion batteries are used in laptops, flashlights, cameras, tool battery packs, hoverboards, e-cigarette and vape device batteries. Eight-thousand individual 18650 cells power a Tesla automobile. Unscrupulous China salvagers are re-labeling recycled unprotected used cells as "new" with wild capacity claims and selling them at low prices on eBay.

Overheating and fires turn individual 18650 cells into exploding bombs with serious or deadly consequences for consumers. Few consumers understand that the individual 18650 cells rarely have the built-in protective circuitry or venting claimed, which would protect against overcharging, overheating, fires, explosions, or other deleterious events. If you don't use them, why should you care?

• If you fly; the FAA identified 261 air/airport incidents (fires and smoke) between March 1991 and December 2019 involving lithium batteries carried as cargo or baggage. Three major aircraft accidents were reported where lithium battery cargo shipments were implicated, but not proven to be the source of the fire. Li-ion batteries are often illegally shipped or mailed in improper packaging or without required disclosure to the carrier.
• If you are nearby; the first reported death from a Li-ion battery was reported in May 2018 by the Pinellas County (Florida) Medical Examiner's office. A 38-year-old Florida man died when an e-cigarette device exploded, causing a "projectile wound to the head" and burning 80% of his body. His home had extensive fire damage.
• If you share or give a battery-powered device (especially to children); thousands of reported fire and explosion incidents resulting in emergency-room visits in the U.S. can be found, including acute injuries, meaning that the victim required hospitalization and may have suffered the loss of a body part. Batteries are often used close to the user's face or put in pockets.

eBay does not have a consumer protection policy on the sale or shipment of 18650 Li-ion batteries but claims the "safety of our community is a responsibility we take very seriously." However, an online search of eBay.com will reveal thousands of dangerous, fraudulent 18650 Li-ion batteries. For example, all the fraudulent Li-ion batteries below are listed on eBay:

Most 18650 battery listings highlight the energy capacity of the individual cell in milliamp-hours ("mAh"). Typical listings vary from 2,000 mAh to 12,000 mAh. Consumers will gravitate to the higher capacity batteries incorrectly believing they will gain the longest use. Unfortunately, most of these capacity claims are grossly exaggerated, unsubstantiated, and completely fraudulent. The space inside the battery case for electrolyte and protective components is the same, limiting legitimate manufacturers of authentic 18650 batteries to capacities under 3800 mAh. Despite hundreds of notifications to eBay, the dangerous, fraudulent batteries are still sold on eBay

The Counterfeit Report, an award-winning consumer advocate and counterfeit watchdog, purchased hundreds of fraudulent 18650 Li-ion batteries from online e-commerce marketplace sellers. All the 18650 batteries tested at only a fraction of the stated capacity, some as little as 400mAh, and none contained the labeled or claimed protective circuitry. Electrical shorting and a fire occurred in one test. eBay blocks all purchases by The Counterfeit Report.

A 2017 report by FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration concludes that "Lithium-ion batteries should not be used in e-cigarettes. While the number of batteries that explode and catch fire is statistically small, the catastrophic nature of the injuries that can occur warrants the use of another battery technology for e-cigarettes."

Consumers receiving a fraudulent 18650 Li-ion battery should stop using it immediately. Do not mail, ship, disassemble, or throw the battery in the trash. Find a qualified recycler or drop-off. You may be responsible for an injury or death, and in violation of federal law. Notify the e-commerce website and the seller you received a fraudulent battery and demand a refund, or cancel the charge on your credit card or Pay-Pal account. You may have additional legal remedies.