Asurion Corp., the largest global provider of wireless handset insurance and wireless roadside assistance programs, has its center in Smyrna, Tenn. recalling about 470,000 counterfeit batteries for refurbished BlackBerry PDAs because they overheat posing burns and fires.

The refurbished devices, distributed from March 2004 through October 2009, reached consumers through Asurion’s handset protection program.  It is not known where the batteries were made.  These fake batteries were used across all models of refurbished BlackBerry devices.  No other Asurion or BlackBerry products are recalled.  Reports of a finger being burned and minor damage to a sofa and car seat were reported.

Consumers can check Asurion’s web site to see if their batteries are included in this recall.

Other hi-tech gadgets recalled recently are Sony Electronics’ Vaio laptops which were recalled in June after complaints of overheating.  Walmart recalled millions of the low-cost DVD players because of the same overheating reason.  Same thing calls for Hewlett Packard’s laptops recalled last May where 54,000 batteries were cited the cause.  Even Apple Inc. has a class-action lawsuit filed against them claiming its iPad overheats and shuts down under normal operating conditions.

Want to earn some spare money as a writer for us? Send us an email!