'It could've burnt down the whole house': Massage gun bought on Lazada catches fire when charging

Buying electronic devices online might be more affordable, but it is always a gamble since they might not meet the stringent safety requirements here.

This woman bought a massage gun on Lazada to relieve her sore muscles, but the device almost burnt down her house instead.

In a Facebook post by Kim Eun-ji on June 10, she shared that her massage gun caught fire and damaged her table, shelf and wooden floor.

"It could have burnt [down] the whole house. Luckily I was there to put out the fire fast," Kim said, while accusing Lazada of "ignoring" her request for help on getting compensation for the damages caused.

"[The] seller did process a refund for the item. However, the damage was already done," Kim added. 

In a screenshot of the Lazada listing that was provided by the woman, the massage gun had a retail price of $49 that was slashed to $17.56.

In the comments, netizens pointed out the risks of buying "cheap" electronic products online.

AsiaOne has reached out to Kim Eun-ji for comment.

Besides this incident, there has been other reports of electronic devices catching fire in homes. 

A fire with "electrical origin" broke out at a flat in Jalan Bukit Merah last month, burning down a bedroom and causing some 35 residents to be evacuated.

And in September 2020, an unused power bank exploded and caught fire in a condominium in Tampines.

To reduce such safety risks, here are some tips for consumers.

Consumers should look out for the safety mark when purchasing electrical and electronic appliances, according to an advisory from the Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO).

Products that carry the safety mark have been tested for safety measures against fire, electric shock and explosion, the regulatory agency added.

The CPSO also advised consumers to adopt the following practices when buying household appliances online:

• Contact the seller to check if the product is safe to use here by checking that it bears the safety mark
• Ensure that the product has no safety hazards or reliability issues by checking the reviews on past buyer's feedback and the seller's ratings

chingshije@asiaone.com