Charger caught fire!!! help!! [ Edited ]

[roustabout]

Magnolia, did they explain to you how it is they promised you a replacement in February, and are only getting to it now?

And Mark, this deserves highlighting:

(Most folks don't connect the NC, then the power, but rather)  :They have the charger and cable connected to the AC supply, and then try and plug in the microUSB side."

Is the correct procedure documented in the user guide? 

I would guess that the majority of customers leave the cable connected to the transformer and plug the NC directly in when it's time to charge it. 

[Mark_OB1 Bibliophile]

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yocalif wrote:

...simply plugging in the the mini USB connector properly is critical !  If you have to force it then you are doing something wrong, make the connection with enough light so you can see what your doing.  I have even had to warn my wife about being patient and making the connection with only a little pressure and certainly no jamming.

Yes!  Once you do get the angle right (and that's not always trivial), I've found all the units I've used (5 so far) will slide in quite smoothly.  So (in my limited experience) if you're forcing it, I'd concur that you're doing it wrong.  OMMV.

- Mark

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[chuck4prez]

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roustabout wrote:

Chuck, play nice.  Next you'll go quoting Shakespeare. 

When you want a lawyer, you really do want one.  Having access to a tame one is very valuable. 

@tenagail:  "CS said it was ok to use the charger and device until the replacement arrived"

Now, that's a response from customer support that's not headed in the right direction.  The BN physical stores need to be encouraged to replace the chargers on the spot, and provided with the inventory to do so. 

The policy change that ladytonya describes is the wrong way to go.  Nook junkies will keep their NCs charged if they hear that it's ok to do so while they wait. 

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In all seriousness, I meant it as a complement. In my opinion, practicing law requires a pretty high intelegence, and the ability to retain a rediculous abount of information. From Rbentley's past posts, it seems to me that he is has both.  I just lack the willpower to pass up the opportunity to use a worn out and exhausted cliché, which I currently believe he intentionally set up in the first place, so by my perspective I was playing nice.

@ Magnolia 87:

Im sorry I hijacked your thread, and I am really happy that you were able to resolve the NC, charger, home damage issue, and that BN seems to have treated you with the seriousness and respect that your situation deserves.  I really do like the way BN does business as a whole, but like any large corporation, location results may vary. Very glad it worked out.

[Mark_OB1 Bibliophile]

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DeanGibson wrote:

Note that the creation of a charging cradle (a la https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/38342/p_country_code/US for my phone) would do wonders for the NC, and some additional revenue for B&N as well.

Yes, good suggestion!  I think it would be great if they had charging cradles for the NC, in both orientations. 

That would make them good candidates for slide-show viewers (as was already pointed out in another thread), or for things like weather monitors, clocks with internet radio or Pandora, stock-market tickers, and many other continuously powered "counter-top" applications.  Some could even have an amp and stereo speakers built in.

B&N already has a portrait-mode "cradle" ( http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/Travel-Stand-for-NOOK-2nd-Edition/e/9780594011934/?cds2Pid=35725 ), but it's not what we have in mind ...

No, and if they're charging 15 bucks for a folded piece of plastic, I'd hate to see what they'd charge for an active device. 

- Mark

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[chuck4prez]

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Mark_OB1 wrote:

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yocalif wrote:

...simply plugging in the the mini USB connector properly is critical !  If you have to force it then you are doing something wrong, make the connection with enough light so you can see what your doing.  I have even had to warn my wife about being patient and making the connection with only a little pressure and certainly no jamming.

Yes!  Once you do get the angle right (and that's not always trivial), I've found all the units I've used (5 so far) will slide in quite smoothly.  So (in my limited experience) if you're forcing it, I'd concur that you're doing it wrong.  OMMV.

- Mark

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 I agree.  never had an issue with connection, but all micro usb connections can be tricky at times. Sometimes it takes me up to 10 sec. to get the cord in, but my being gentle, the receiver almost "pulls" the cord in when it is ready. For the record, that is NOT a euphemism, just my experience with micro USB.  I am still surprised that a connection style so fragile, with other options that are much more resiliant, became a standard.

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[DeanGibson Distinguished Bibliophile]

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Mark_OB1 wrote:

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DeanGibson wrote:

Note that the creation of a charging cradle (a la https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/38342/p_country_code/US for my phone) would do wonders for the NC, and some additional revenue for B&N as well.

Yes, good suggestion!  I think it would be great if they had charging cradles for the NC, in both orientations. 

...

B&N already has a portrait-mode "cradle" ( http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/Travel-Stand-for-NOOK-2nd-Edition/e/9780594011934/?cds2Pid=35725 ), but it's not what we have in mind ...

No, and if they're charging 15 bucks for a folded piece of plastic, I'd hate to see what they'd charge for an active device. 

- Mark

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The Motorola one was only $29, and included the cable and charger.  I bought two of them when I bought my phone.

[Mark_OB1 Bibliophile]

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kingskidjan wrote:

The fact that the charger is at the bottom of the NC is a design flaw.  If I'm into a good book, I will read into the wee hours to finish it and charging becomes a necessity especially since the update.

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I agree.  A better location could have been used.  However, that problem could have been reduced at least somewhat by using a right-angle microUSB connector (as SRay has suggested*), instead of the one they chose.  That way it wouldn't stick out as far, and be prone to the same torquing forces.

And they could have come up with a custom-molded right-angle, whose plastic housing contacted the base of the NC over a large area (at least half an inch on either side), and removed almost all the stress on the internal microUSB connector.  That would have been a very smart thing, for long-term reliability of the critically important internal port.

- Mark

(*The only problem is that what SRay ordered was an extension cable, and will not have the extra pins that the stock NC USB has, so it will charge very slowly.)

[DeanGibson Distinguished Bibliophile]

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Mark_OB1 wrote:

...

That would make them good candidates for slide-show viewers (as was already pointed out in another thread), or for things like weather monitors, clocks with internet radio or Pandora, stock-market tickers, and many other continuously powered "counter-top" applications.  Some could even have an amp and stereo speakers built in.

...

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I'm not a fan of the Motorola Xoom, but it has an HDMI connector to connect to the TV.

Imagine a Nook Color with HDMI output to my 52" HDTV ...  that would beat an iPad hands down (except in portability) ...

[Mark_OB1 Bibliophile]

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DeanGibson wrote:

The Motorola one was only $29, and included the cable and charger.  I bought two of them when I bought my phone.

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I'd certainly buy one at that price.  Probably two if they offered both orientations.  Maybe we could get Moto to build one for them.    Now that I think about it, I could see having cradles in several rooms, so I might need more than two.

One potential problem though is that if the entry angle on the NC units themselves varies (due to poor QC, manufacturing variances, or just connector fab. issues), it may not be easy to get all of them to seat on any cradle.

- Mark

[ImmortalBeloved]

Geeze, I charge mine next to my bed at night. Now I'm scared. The USB is the NC worst flaw. I hope they get it right on the next genertation. I think from now on I will charge mine someplace else.

[melouria]

I used to charge mine in the living room overnight until I heard about all the overheating issues.  Now I charge it by my bedside so in the event of a fire, hopefully, I will wake up before it burns the house down!  I also am guilty of reading with the cord plugged in so there's no telling what kind of damage I've done to the cord. 

[DeanGibson Distinguished Bibliophile]

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melouria wrote:

I used to charge mine in the living room overnight until I heard about all the overheating issues.  Now I charge it by my bedside so in the event of a fire, hopefully, I will wake up before it burns the house down!

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I don't worry about where I charge mine (in my home office), but if I did, the bathroom countertop or sink would seem like the best place.

[roustabout]

@melouria --  You're not guilty of anything.  You followed the manufacturers quickstart guide, which advises that reading and charging together was fine. 

edit:  I just searched the quickstart guide for the word "charging," and could not see a point where it told me reading and charging at the same time were OK, or were to be avoided. 

[NC2768]

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tenagail wrote:
I am glad the op is ok and nobody was hurt. My charger was heating up and only charging intetmitantly so I called cs. After a brief conversation they said they were sending a replacement charger and nookcolor as "this is a known problem" CS said it was ok to use the charger and device until the replacement arrived. The refurb device and charger and cord arrived 5 days later with return shipping label for old unit. All is well now. It is always a good idea when dealing with cs to note the person you speak to as well as the date and time of the call. Ever since the old cord and charger started heating up I have closely monitored the unit while charging.

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How long ago was this? Is the new charger you got a redesigned one? Is there a way of distinguishing good and bad chargers (appearance, serial number, or...?) -- other than by watching for the smoke?

[donc13]

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Magnolia87 wrote:

 Can someone point me in the right direction, because iam clueless what to do next. I got my nook color in febuary, and since then my charger cord was getting really hot. So i called tech support around the 24 of feb. they told me they would send out a new charger but mine was still okay to use til my new one came in..since then i have made 4 different phone calls wondering where the charger was and no one can give me an answer...So tonight i just went to charge my nook color and the cord caught on fire causing damage to both my home and nook color.

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Describe the damage to your house?   Smoke damage as in your can smell it, or actual fire damage as a rug, or wall or some such was actually burnt and needs replaced.   Were there flames, or just smoking of the cord?    Was the actual charger burning up, do you have fuses or circuit breakers in your home?

Did you call the fire Dept or were you able to simply unplug the charger?

The nook color itself, that's under warranty.    Take pictures of the damage and so forth.

Do you have a ticket/incident number for when you called customer service?   Does an order show up on your account with B&N relative to the new charger showing as "ordered" or anything to show you actually called them?    Phone records themselves are usually not good enough, you could have called them for ANY reason.   

Is there a local B&N store?   Have you gone there and talked to the manager about this?

Depending on how much damage there is...you may or may not want to get a lawyer and/or your insurance company involved.   That is YOUR choice.  If we're talking just your room "smells" now I don't think you have a case, if we're talking about physical damage to your floor or wall...such as burned carpet or burned drywall, curtains, whatever....that's could be a different story.

DOCUMENT

Document who you call, when you called them and what was discussed during or immediately after you call them.   

[donc13]

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scosgt wrote:

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roustabout wrote:

And just to reiterate:  although I think there's a case here for suing for damages, I think suing would be counterproductive, for the OP and for us. 

A lawsuit forces BN into a defensive posture.  It delays them making changes to their internal process. 

Facing a lawsuit, if they make changes, they are admitting liability.  If they admit liability, their shareholders could sue them for prematurely admitting liability and increasing the scope of a possible class and the amount of the award.  (this is all even more true while there is a buyout offer on the table.  A lawsuit over a product safety issue at this time may put the OP in the "go away" money catbird seat, but would effectively gag BN and cripple its ability to do a recall.) 

Instead, a well-written note along these lines: 

"ladies and gents, you need to make my client whole for the damages your product and your process created.  A charger, which had been reported to BN as suspiciously warm, was not replaced as promised.  BN needs better policies and procedures for addressing safety-related reports in the future.  BN would be well-advised to look carefully at your Nook Color chargers and determine if this fault is common to all of them or to a subset.  Attached is the documentation of of my client's damages.  Please let us know when you will address my client's losses, and what you will be doing proactively address the communication issues in your support group and quality issues in your supply chain.  As you may be aware, Match.com recently settled a case out of court, largely by instituting changes to their business practice.  We would prefer that this matter never arrive at court." 

That sort of note accompanied by photos, a fire department report, estimates for repairs and replacement of anyting damaged and the price of getting an actual lawyer to write the letter should let BN respond to the issue and start dealing with this now.

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Incorrect and very naive.

The ONLY way to deal with a large corporation is through a lawyer. If they think they might lose, they will make a secret settlement with a non-disclosure agreement. You can not ask them to be nice, their legal department will advise them to deny everything, while they are shredding all the incriminating documents.

GET A LAWYER

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BULLROAR.....

We don't know if we're talking (besides the NC) about no physical damage to the guy's whole house burnt down.     We do not know the exact cause.    We don't even know if the OP's home wiring is in good or bad condition, if the fuse/circuit breaker was bypassed or anything else.  We don't even know (as I read through this thread...so it may be answered later in the thread) if there was actual flames or just overheated cord that smoked.   ETC.

This "get a lawyer" mentality is absurd, find out what the extent of damage is, find out what the "responsible" party is willing to do and then decide if you're satisfied or not.  

[Wrennie]

I can tell you from experience that you don't have a case in court. My house burned down last August and we lost EVERYTHING. It was caused by the charger for our Toro weedwhip. I talked to 2 attorneys and both assured I did NOT have a case against Toro. Why?? Because I was insured. You cannot collect twice for your belongings, and since I was being reimbursed by my insurance company I had no case. Period. On the other had...my insurance company CAN go after Toro for all that they had to reimburse us...cars, house, and all belongings.

Now, if you had gotten a physical injury or someone (God forbid!) had died, then you would have had a case. You have to have physical injuries that are permanent. It's not as easy to sue as the t.v. commercials for attorneys make it sound ) 

[tenagail]

@NC2768, this has happened in the last two weeks. I have had my NC since Christmas and had not had any problems with it. This morning when I plugged the new cable/charger into the replacement NC, it didn't start charging until I had unplugged and replugged it 3-4 times. The old and new cord and charger are identical including the writing on it. Having been raised by an electrical engineer, I know not to bend, kink, pinch or otherwise mistreat any type of cord so I really don't think I am causing the problem. I have contacted CS to let them know about the problem with the new cord. I am the only one that touches my NC so I know no one else has caused this prob. Otherwise I ,love, love, love my NC but I am frustrated by this.

[SRay]

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DeanGibson wrote:

Note that the creation of a charging cradle (a la https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/38342/p_country_code/US for my phone) would do wonders for the NC, and some additional revenue for B&N as well.

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I agree. If they could develop a cradle that took the strain off the usb cable/connector, would allow either portrait or landscape orientation, and wasn't uncomfortable to hand hold, I bet they'd sell a bunch. Of course, as I've never seen such an item for the other tablets, I'm guessing that either it's a technological problem or it's viewed as something with low commercial potential.

roustabout: Thanks for the info on the cable/connector. Sounds like my right-angle connector might have too few pins (unless it was made at the same chinese factory as the nook cables--probably too much to hope for). I figured this was a possibility, but I had a phone that I could use it for, so I wasn't worried about buying something that would just sit in a drawer.

[roustabout]

@sray:  you might be able to trickle charge with it.

I have a standard microUSB part which I use for conncting to a computer, and my NC will charge with it from the computer.  Just veeewwwwy veeeewwwwy swowy. 

(actually not that slowly if the NC is powered down.  I just wanted to parody Elmer Fudd.)