The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighCPSC·20139·Announced 2020-06-17

Republic Wireless Recalls Relay Charging Cables Due to Overheating and Burn Hazards

Republic Wireless is recalling approximately 15,000 Relay charging cables sold between May 2018 and May 2019 because they can overheat and partially melt, posing a burn hazard.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product (burn hazard) where injury has not yet been reported, which aligns with the High severity criteria in the rubric.

Plain-English summary

Republic Wireless Inc. is recalling approximately 15,000 charging cables for Relay Screenless Communication Devices. The recalled cables are three feet long with a USB Type-A male connector on one end and a charging head with a 5-pin pattern on the other. Affected cables do not have the Relay logo imprinted on the back of the charging head. These cables were sold individually and packaged with some Relay devices at Relaygo.com, Target, and Amazon beginning in May 2018. Individual cables were sold on Relaygo.com from May 2018 through May 2019.

The charging cables can overheat and partially melt, posing a burn hazard. Republic Wireless has received two reports of incidents where the charging cable overheated. No injuries have been reported. After October 2018, Relay devices were manufactured and packaged with cables containing additional circuitry in the charging head to address the overheating risk.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled charging cables and contact Republic Wireless for a free replacement. Republic Wireless is contacting consumers with active accounts to provide free replacement cables. Customers who purchased a Relay device but do not currently have an active account can contact Republic Wireless to determine if they have an affected product and to obtain a free replacement.

The recalled product

Product
Charging Cable for Relay Screenless Communication Devices
Manufacturer
Republic Wireless Inc., of Raleigh, North Carolina
Category
Consumer Product — Electronics Accessories
Hazard
Affected units
15,000

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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