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Ring, which sells video doorbells designed to make homeowners feel safer, recalled more than 350,000 devices after nearly two dozen of them caught fire, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“The video doorbell battery can overheat when incorrect screws are used for installation, posing a fire and burn hazard,” the agency said. “Consumers should immediately stop installing the recalled video doorbells.”
Ring has received 85 reports of consumers complaining of “incorrect doorbell screws” that led to 23 doorbells being fired, the agency said. There were reports of minor property damage and eight reports of minor burns.
The company, acquired by Amazon in 2018, said on twitter that the recall affected its “second generation” video doorbells, which can overheat if pierced during installation. Ring warned of “fire and burn hazards” and advised consumers to contact the company for “further instructions” using its app or website, or by calling a toll-free number.
“If the doorbell is installed correctly, there is no risk to consumers or potential danger present,” the company said on its website.
A spokesperson for Ring said in an email that “the safety of our customers is our top priority.”
“We have and continue to work cooperatively with CPSC on this issue, and have contacted customers who have purchased a Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) to ensure they have received the updated user manual and follow up. device installation instructions, ”spokesperson Emma Daniels told me. “Customers do not need to return their devices.”
The recall affects devices sold in stores and online through Amazon and Ring.com from June 2020 to October 2020, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The devices cost around $ 100. Approximately 8,700 of the recalled devices were sold in Canada.
Ring marketed itself as a company that provides “easy, proactive whole home security.”
On Twitter, the company posted videos of Ring Doorbell owners who rented the devices to help them scare strangers off their property or who captured neighborhood quirks, such as a tarantula descending along a wall or unhappy woman using leaf blower with broken bag.
Ring marketed doorbells in part as a solution to package theft and even found an ally in law enforcement. More than 500 law enforcement agencies have partnered with the company, accessing a service called Neighbors Portal, which allows users to “ask Ring to request video footage from device owners who are in the area of an investigation.” active ”, according to the company.
Law enforcement agencies often share images with media organizations for broadcast segments. The deal has been criticized by civil rights groups who said giving police such access could violate the privacy of users and people who appear in the videos.
The doorbell was designed by Jamie Siminoff, who pitched the idea for a home security device as a contestant on ABC’s “Shark Tank” show in 2013.
He called it “Doorbot” and said it would allow users to “see and talk with” people at their doors, using their smartphones.
The idea was rejected by the show’s judges, but its appearance caught the attention of investors, who together invested more than $ 200 million in the company, renamed Ring.
Now owned by Amazon, Ring sells a variety of doorbells and video security cameras, as well as an alarm system. Smart doorbells are particularly popular.
According to data from the NPD Group, a market research company, sales of smart doorbells alone increased 58% from January 2019 to January 2020.
John Herrman contributed reporting.
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