If you receive my newsletter then you know I’ve been recommending a portable charger for travel for years so your phone battery doesn’t die while you’re out touring. The one I’ve recommended the most, because it’s inexpensive and an Amazon best seller, is the INIU power bank. It’s small, light and easy to carry yet still holds enough power to quickly charge your phone. It can charge up to three devices at once so you’ll always have backup power when you need it. Regularly $29.99 but often on sale for $18.69.
But lately many readers have written to me with questions after receiving safety notifications from Amazon about certain INIU chargers. Since so many of you purchased this power bank based on my recommendation, I want to clear up the confusion and explain exactly which models are affected, what the recall actually covers and what you should do if you own one.
Only certain units in one specific product line are part of the official recall. Here’s what’s included:
What is recalled
According to the CPSC:
- About 210,000 INIU 10,000 mAh power banks (model BI-B41) are being recalled due to overheating, fire and burn hazards.
- The recall applies only to units sold on Amazon in the U.S. between August 2021 and April 2022.
- Affected serial numbers: 000G21, 000H21, 000I21, 000L21
What is not recalled
- INIU says all other models and all other serial numbers are unaffected.
- The charger most readers purchased from my recommendation appears to be a different model, so it’s not included in the recall.
How to check your INIU charger
- Find the model and serial number (It’s usually printed on the back or bottom of the device.)
- Check it against the recalled batch (Your charger is affected only if it’s model BI-B41 and one of the four recalled serial numbers.)
- If it doesn’t match (It’s not part of the recall and is considered safe to use.)
What Amazon may do
Many readers have had good luck contacting Amazon. Some were told to discard the charger and were given:
- Store credit
- A refund
- or a replacement recommendation
…even for older purchases.
If you want to reach Amazon quickly, here’s my secret way to contact them.
Use this link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/express/c2c/popup.html
Just enter your phone number and your phone will ring almost immediately with a live Amazon representative. Their customer service on safety issues is usually excellent.
Thank you to everyone who reached out with screenshots, emails and alerts. The good news is that the charger most of you bought from my recommendation is not part of the recall, but it’s still important to check your model and serial number to be sure.