A T-Mobile customer noticed their free flashlight was smoking and unplugged it.
They left the device plugged in all the time prior to this, which has led to debate online about who is actually to blame here.
In all likelihood, both parties are somewhat at fault though T-Mobile’s fine print in the instructions legally means it did its part to warn others.
T-Mobile Tuesdays might not be as thrilling as they once were, but now and then, the carrier rolls out a freebie that gets people talking — like today’s Christmas gift. One fan favorite from the past was the free T-Mobile flashlight. It’s a handy little light (albeit a bit flimsy) that can even be turned on while plugged in, making it pretty tempting to leave it charging indefinitely. Unfortunately, as one unlucky owner discovered, that’s not the best idea.
The owner noticed the flashlight was smoking while it was plugged in, so they promptly removed it and tossed it out. Now, before you go grabbing your pitchfork and shaking it at T-Mobile, let’s look at the fine print. According to other owners on Reddit, T-Mobile’s instructions clearly stated not to leave the flashlight plugged in for more than 12 hours.