Costco Missouri Recall: 2 Power Banks Deemed Unsafe

Thanks to the fact that smartphones have taken over just about every aspect of life, there's a good chance you may have one of the 2 popular power banks that Missouri Costco stores have just recalled over a possible fire and explosion risk.

I'm glad that Cheapism caught this urgent recall that has been issued that affects all Missouri Costco stores. It's power banks produced by popular brand Anker. Costco has issued two different recalls for these power banks. There are 19 reports of fires or explosions involving these units.

Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks A1263

Anker Power Bank (10K, 22.5W) — Model A1257

Here's what Anker said about the problem with these power banks. The problem involves the lithium batteries they contain:

"This issue can cause the battery to overheat, leading to melting of plastic components, smoke, and fire hazards."

What do you do if you have one of these Anker power banks from a Missouri Costco store?

You can return them to the Missouri Costco store where you bought them originally for a refund or a replacement. Even if you don't do that, it's important that you not use these power banks if they match the model numbers under an circumstance. As a general rule, I don't leave anything charging overnight especially if it's out of sight in a room I'm not in. Any charger is capable of a malfunction which can lead to tragedy. No smartphone or gadget is worth that risk.