Hoverboard seller jailed after explosion

A MAN has been jailed after a hoverboard he sold burst into flames and exploded after being on charge.

Aktar Hussain sold three hoverboards to a woman in Newport through his eBay shop in November last year – but on Christmas Day one of the hoverboards started to smoke after a period of being on charge, Newport council said.

Hussain, 35, of Aston, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and was sentenced to six months in prison by Newport Crown Court.

Newport council said the woman had bought the three hoverboards from Hussain, from his seller account Move4ward2011, as Christmas presents for her children. But on Christmas Day, one of the hoverboards started to smoke.

The hoverboard was taken outside where it burst into flames and exploded, with fragments hitting patio doors at face height.

The woman contacted Newport council’s trading standards team who investigated. An examination of the hoverboard chargers was carried out by an expert electrical engineer.

The examination concluded that the chargers failed a number of aspects of electrical safety regulations.

Hussain said he was unable to say where he had bought the hoverboards and said the eBay shop was run by a friend and he merely sold the hoverboards through it.

But the payments made by the woman were paid into Hussain’s Paypal account which had a balance of more than £32,000, and had received £2.8m into it since 2004.