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T-Mobile's free gift nearly started a fire, but who's to blame?
- 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.
As a general rule, it’s never a great idea to leave battery-powered devices plugged in for too long unless they’re specifically designed for it (think: some laptops and other gadgets with built-in safety protections). Sure, people do it all the time without issue. As Redditors pointed out, it’s easy to miss instructions — or skip reading them entirely — especially with giveaway items that often end up regifted or have tiny instructions that are barely readable. That makes proper safety protections even more critical.
The flashlight either lacked the safeguards to prevent overcharging, or it simply malfunctioned. So, was this a case of user error or a design fail? Here’s my take: T-Mobile should have ensured better quality control to avoid this issue but let’s be real — these are cheap giveaways, not premium products. While T-Mobile shares some responsibility, they did issue a warning, and ultimately, it’s on customers to follow instructions.
On the other hand, I can see how people might assume it’s safe to leave a flashlight like this plugged in, especially if they were misled by unclear or conflicting guidance, which appears to be the case for some. Some Reddit users even claimed that T-Mobile reps told them it was safe to leave plugged in for emergencies, which muddies the waters further. The flashlight’s design is also similar to many flashlight/nightlight hybrids you can find on Amazon, leading many to assume you could use it like a typical night light too.
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t trust a freebie flashlight to stay plugged in — but that’s just me. What’s your take? Let us know in the poll below!