An Ebike Company Was Sued for Misleading Info on Safety. It Points to a Big Problem
Several Chinese ebike companies were sued for falsely claiming their products were UL-certified for safety. Despite a federal injunction, some companies continue to use the fraudulent safety marks in online advertisements.
Why it matters
The prevalence of fraudulent safety certifications on consumer goods poses significant fire risks to the public and highlights challenges in regulating e-commerce marketplaces.
The US companies accused the Chinese firms in January of claiming in Amazon listings and on Aipas’ website that the ebikes had been certified by UL, giving recognizable, brand-name assurance to online shoppers worried about risks like ebike lithium-ion battery fires. But that wasn’t true. On July 15, a federal judge signed off on a permanent injunction in which the companies agreed that they would no longer use the UL mark. It also bars them from “assisting, aiding, or abetting any other person or business” in doing the same.
The filing notes that the Chinese companies didn’t admit liability or wrongdoing tied to Amazon’s and UL’s accusations of knowingly using fraudulent safety-certification marks. (The enterprises involved are Jiangmen Meijiasheng Bicycle, Hong Kong Manchester International Trading, Shenzhen Aibosi Sport Technology, Guangzhou Aierfeile Sport Technology, and the individual Tang Shuhui, who the lawsuit alleges was involved in an Amazon selling account.)
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