The recall process is kind of annoying, but it seems fair if it works. They gave me the option of a $30 Amazon gift card (which is more than I paid for it), or a replacement/updated charger.
They insist you take two photos, and one of them has to include the serial number. The serial number is incredibly small, and it’s very low contrast on the black version of the charger. Getting a photo that actually shows the number was nearly impossible. They also require that you affirm you will “safely dispose of the device” per their instructions.
I’m still waiting to hear if they approve my request, but it’s only been a day.
Edit: it’s been 7 days since I filed the recall, and they finally acknowledged that they received the request. It seems like they’re kind of swamped with requests. As a result, “the earliest estimated shipping date is September 2025”. I opted for the replacement charger; I’m not sure if the Amazon gift card option would have been faster.
They’ve clarified that their disposal instructions are just “Stop using it. Store it safely. Don’t throw it in the garbage. Take it to a facility that accepts lithium batteries.” I don’t find those instructions particularly helpful, but Best Buy has accepted used power bricks in the past, if that’s an option for you. I just walked in and said “You guys take these, right?”, and an employee said yes, and took it from me. Couldn’t have been much easier!
It’s nuts how companies get to pass on the disposal costs of a defective product to the consumer. “Contact your local municipal waste handler” as a million batteries get thrown in the landfill.
I agree that this is a sickening amount of e-waste, and companies should be responsible for processing/recycling their own waste, but what’s the alternative in this case? Mail the faulty batteries back to Anker?
Yes, because mailing would be dangerous and they’d be forced to collect in an expensive way. Maybe they’d be more careful about generating faulty products then.
Many places have ways to drop off a bit of e-waste for free. In my area electronics manufacturers who sell their products in the state have to facilitate free recycling of e-waste. In practice this means pretty much any large electronics shop has a bin somewhere you can freely leave stuff to get recycled.
Yes but for this recall it’s not traditional e-waste.
From their website below. The onus of safe disposal is entirely on the consumer:
How to Safely Dispose of Your Power Bank
Do not throw this recalled lithium-ion battery in the trash, in the general recycling stream (e.g., street-level or curbside recycling bins), or in used battery recycling boxes found at various retail and home improvement stores. Recalled lithium-ion batteries must be disposed of differently than other batteries, because they present a greater risk of fire. Your municipal household hazardous waste (HHW) collection center may accept this recalled lithium-ion battery for disposal. Before taking your battery to a HHW collection center, contact it ahead of time and ask whether it accepts recalled lithium-ion batteries. If it does not, contact your municipality for further guidance.
The recall process is kind of annoying, but it seems fair if it works. They gave me the option of a $30 Amazon gift card (which is more than I paid for it), or a replacement/updated charger.
They insist you take two photos, and one of them has to include the serial number. The serial number is incredibly small, and it’s very low contrast on the black version of the charger. Getting a photo that actually shows the number was nearly impossible. They also require that you affirm you will “safely dispose of the device” per their instructions.
I’m still waiting to hear if they approve my request, but it’s only been a day.
Edit: it’s been 7 days since I filed the recall, and they finally acknowledged that they received the request. It seems like they’re kind of swamped with requests. As a result, “the earliest estimated shipping date is September 2025”. I opted for the replacement charger; I’m not sure if the Amazon gift card option would have been faster.
They’ve clarified that their disposal instructions are just “Stop using it. Store it safely. Don’t throw it in the garbage. Take it to a facility that accepts lithium batteries.” I don’t find those instructions particularly helpful, but Best Buy has accepted used power bricks in the past, if that’s an option for you. I just walked in and said “You guys take these, right?”, and an employee said yes, and took it from me. Couldn’t have been much easier!
It’s nuts how companies get to pass on the disposal costs of a defective product to the consumer. “Contact your local municipal waste handler” as a million batteries get thrown in the landfill.
I agree that this is a sickening amount of e-waste, and companies should be responsible for processing/recycling their own waste, but what’s the alternative in this case? Mail the faulty batteries back to Anker?
Yes, because mailing would be dangerous and they’d be forced to collect in an expensive way. Maybe they’d be more careful about generating faulty products then.
Many places have ways to drop off a bit of e-waste for free. In my area electronics manufacturers who sell their products in the state have to facilitate free recycling of e-waste. In practice this means pretty much any large electronics shop has a bin somewhere you can freely leave stuff to get recycled.
Yes but for this recall it’s not traditional e-waste.
From their website below. The onus of safe disposal is entirely on the consumer:
How to Safely Dispose of Your Power Bank Do not throw this recalled lithium-ion battery in the trash, in the general recycling stream (e.g., street-level or curbside recycling bins), or in used battery recycling boxes found at various retail and home improvement stores. Recalled lithium-ion batteries must be disposed of differently than other batteries, because they present a greater risk of fire. Your municipal household hazardous waste (HHW) collection center may accept this recalled lithium-ion battery for disposal. Before taking your battery to a HHW collection center, contact it ahead of time and ask whether it accepts recalled lithium-ion batteries. If it does not, contact your municipality for further guidance.