The hoverboard is gliding off of another retailer’s e-commerce shelves. Toys ‘R’ Us has pulled the plug on the trendy gadget.
As Mashable reports, the nation’s largest toy-focused retailer said it opted to halt sales of the Razor Hovertrax, saying it wants to ensure the product is safe for consumers.
The move isn’t exactly a big surprise. It comes just a few days after the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned of safety risks associated with hoverboards, in a letter that was sent to manufacturers, importers, and retailers about hoverboards (the CPSC calls them “self-balancing scooters). The CPSC claims that from the beginning of December through Feb. 17, it received reports of 52 scooter fires across 24 states–resulting in over $2 million in property damage.
The CPSC added it was encouraging retailers and manufacturers to review their product line to ensure that they items sold in the U.S. are safe.
The hoverboard has suffered from a speedy fall from grace. It generated a lot of buzz stateside at the Consumer Electronics Show and New York’s Toy Fair in early 2015 and by the time the holiday season kicked into high gear, the pricy gadget topped the year’s wish list.
But safety concerns were rampant, especially as cheap knock-offs that were thinly regulated quickly flooded the market. Retailers were caught in the middle–they wanted to cash in on the craze, especially because hoverboards command a high price point. But they were also exposed to risk. Amazon (AMZN), for example, is offering refunds on the hoverboards it sold.
