Recalled gadget linked to explosions and fires found for sale on Facebook after mass blacklisting

The Sun

16-05-2025

A DANGEROUS e-bike battery previously blacklisted by the government has reportedly been found for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
Households are being urged not to buy models of a UPP (Unit Pack Power) branded e-bike battery as they pose a serious risk of fire and even explosion.
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The government issued a withdrawal notice to online sellers such as Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba in February 2024.
The notice warned of "potentially fatal consequences" if the battery fails.
This meant the dangerous triangular-shaped UPP e-bike battery was no longer available for purchase on these platforms.
However, the risky model has since been found for sale by private sellers on Facebook Marketplace, according to The Independent.
Facebook was not directly issued with the original withdrawal notice.
But a follow-up warning from government in February of this year was reportedly circulated online to reach the wider business community.
While Meta, which owns Facebook, confirmed it had removed the listings, The Independent reported that several listings for the U004 and U004-1 models were still online.
These listings were reportedly found to be advertised for sale in Greater Manchester, Greater London, Hull, Derbyshire, Southampton and Reading.
One battery for sale, seen by charity Electrical Safety First, was described by the seller as being "a little bit burnt" from being "left near a radiator", according to the report.
The batteries suffer from thermal runaway - which causes them to reach up to 600C, during which they can release toxic gases and start fires that are almost impossible to extinguish, Electrical Safety First warned.
In a statement earlier this year, Graham Russell, chief executive of the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), said: "Unsafe e-bikes batteries are still in use around the country.
"When they are being charged, they can catch fire with horrific force, threatening the lives of those who use them, their families and their neighbours."
He added: "While OPSS takes action to remove these wherever we can, it is vital that consumers are aware of the risks and that they check that their own e-bike, or any e-bike they see for sale online, does not contain these UPP batteries.
"If anyone finds one, don't use it and contact the seller."
A single unit of this affected battery being sold online could put a household at serious risk. It's essential all online marketplaces and businesses proactively engage with the published government warning.
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said online sellers must ensure they are not unknowingly passing on dangerous e-bike batteries.
"A single unit of this affected battery being sold online could put a household at serious risk," said Capanna.
'It's essential all online marketplaces and businesses proactively engage with the published government warning."
Capanna also warned that the current rules policing online marketplaces and protecting shoppers from dangerous goods are not good enough.
It comes as the government's Product Regulation & Metrology Bill progresses through the House of Commons.
A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson told the Independent: "We take the risk of e-scooter and e-bike fires very seriously, and it is an offence to sell a product that a distributor knows or should know is unsafe.
"Users should check that their own e-bike, or any e-bike they see for sale online, does not contain these UPP batteries, and anyone with information about the continued sale of these dangerous products should contact the Office for Product Safety and Standards."