Watch out for dangerous DS chargers!
Tuesday, 22 Jul 2008 15:38
If you bought your Nintendo DS charger on the cheap, you could be in danger
The Trading Standards office has warned the British public about "hundreds of thousands" of dangerous and unsafe Nintendo DS chargers in the UK.
The governmental body is trying to recall the dodgy DS and DS Lite chargers, which officers believe have been shipped from China to the UK in "vast numbers" and could cause electrocution.
Wires can easily become detached from the plugs after being used, leading to a substantial risk of an electric shock. Also, the pins don't fit properly in UK sockets, causing the charger to overheat.
One of the chargers concerned has the code 'DE62347066' marked on it, but others are simply called 'Travel Charger' and have no code.
Chris Holden, senior trading standards officer at Buckinghamshire County Council, told the BBC that the chargers are being sold for about £5 on the internet, with shops flogging them for £6.
Safe chargers cost around £15, incidentally.
"The UK appears to be flooded with them," he said. "It probably runs into hundreds of thousands or even millions."
The message is clear: buy cheapo chargers at your own peril.