It’s been a rough ride for Barnes & Noble’s new Nook Tablet 7. Just weeks after it suspended sales of the $50 device in response to reports of the power adapter’s casing breaking off, the company has now issued a total recall of those adapters.
The budget 7-inch tablet launched at the end of November 2016 togo up against Amazon’s cheapest Fire tablet. When the fault with the adapter was discovered last month, Barnes & Noble told owners to stop using it until a replacement could be provided.
However, it appears the company has since concluded that the adapter is, in fact, a little on the dangerous side, prompting it to post a recall page on its website.
The company, which is of course more famous for selling books than tablets, fails to mention the reason for the recall on its Help Center page. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), however, has been good enough to furnish owners with a little more information, explaining that the adapter, which doubles as the device’s charger, could potentially cause an electric shock.
“The power adapter casing can break when plugged into an electrical outlet, exposing its metal prongs, posing an electric shock hazard,” the CPSC says on its site. It adds, “Barnes & Noble has received four reports of the power adapter breaking or pulling apart exposing the metal prongs. No injuries have been reported.”
Just under 150,000 of the China-made adapters are included in the recall, which Nook Tablet 7 owners are told to “immediately stop using.”
If you have one, hop over to the company’s special webpage to take the first step toward obtaining a free replacement. You’ll also receive a $5 Barnes & Noble gift card for your troubles.
Once you’ve registered, you’ll be prompted to print a pre-paid UPS label to return your adapter to Barnes & Noble, after which you’ll receive a replacement in the mail.
The good news is that while you’re waiting, your Nook Tablet 7 needn’t become a paperweight, table mat, or indeed a projectile in a fiery family dispute, as you can still charge it through your computer using a USB cable.
