Belkin acknowledges Power Pack defect, calls for returns [updated]

Belkin has confirmed to iLounge that a manufacturing defect affects a portion of its Power Pack units for the iPod shuffle. The company said that while the Power Pack is providing the appropriate voltage, a connected iPod shuffle may not charge with either the AC or DC adapters even after hours of charging.

“This defect was first reported to us and verified on June 14th as a result of a customer support call,” Brian VanHarlingen, Belkin’s Senior Technology Manager, told iLounge. “Upon identification of the potential issue, we immediately ceased all shipments of the product from our distribution centers.”

VanHarlingen said Belkin is currently looking into the cause of the defect and how the issue slipped through the cracks. “We are currently conducting detailed testing to determine the cause of the problem and the extent of the problem (what percentage of products, and which production lots, are affected). We are also determining how our usually very thorough manufacturing QA processes allowed them to be produced.”

VanHarlingen said that customers who purchased a Power Pack and are experiencing the charging issue should either return the product to where it was purchased, or contact Belkin directly at 800-2-BELKIN x2064 to arrange a return. “We will continue to offer updates as we determine the cause of this defect,” he said. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that this causes for customers who have purchased the product.”

Update: As expected, VanHarlingen has provided iLounge with an update on the defect:

“We have confirmed that the affected Belkin Power Pack for iPod shuffle products properly charge the iPod shuffle as long as the iPod shuffle is turned on—in either the shuffle or play-in-order modes,” he said. “However, the iPod shuffle will not charge using the Power Pack if the iPod shuffle is turned completely off.”

“We are currently revising the design to ensure that the product will consistently charge the iPod shuffle in either circumstance. Once we have the revised product in stock, we will exchange units for customers experiencing this issue, and, as previously mentioned, we are honoring any requests for refunds.”