There’s a rumor circulating on Facebook that there’s a sales ban for the Shelly Plug S in Germany. I haven’t found any official confirmation in the media yet, but the manufacturer, Dimitar Dimitrov (CEO) of Shelly Group, has issued an official statement (see last section). Since the ban isn’t denied in the statement, I assume it’s accurate.
What product is affected?
The sales ban applies specifically to the Shelly Plug S. To be honest, it doesn’t surprise me. Over the years, we’ve had numerous customers come to us because their Shellys melted. You can find some pictures in the image of this post.
Officially, the issues have always been attributed to mishandling of the Shelly products.
- Use of cheap materials (plugs/couplings)
- Poor installation (wires not properly tightened)
- Screws tightened too firmly (no torque screwdriver used)
- Incorrect fusing
Shelly Explode / Shelly Burned
However, you can also verify this by searching the internet for images. Just try entering Shelly Explode or Shelly Burned into your preferred search engine.
Federal Network Agency’s Website
As of now, there’s nothing to see on the official website of the Federal Network Agency. Here’s an overview of devices that are prohibited on the German market:
Here the statement of the CEO
In response to the communication about stoping the sale of PlugS in the German market, I want to provide some important clarifications to address potential concerns.
The primary issue we encountered pertains to the product’s markings. The device lacks an indication preventing the sequential connection of two plugs, and it omits information regarding the maximum voltage capacity (240V) and manufacturer. Moreover, certain physical specifications of the device, like the external dimensions of the plastic casing and the length of contact pins, fell 0.5 - 1 mm short of the regulatory standards. Lastly, the metal clamps which provide grounding, being made of softer material, could potentially preventing anything from plugging into the plow and make it unusable.
These observations led the Bundesnetzagentur to suggest some modifications so as to continue the product’s sale. However, taking our commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction into account, we have already implemented these improvements in our new model, Plus PlugS . Therefore, we decided it would be more appropriate to halt the sale of the previous model in the market.
It’s important to highlight that nowhere in the communication was it mentioned that the product is unsafe or needs to be recalled. The issues identified primarily relate to regulatory requirements, rather than safety concerns.
Things like this happen to young companies like we were 4 years ago when this product was created.
Lastly, I would like to emphasize that the vast majority of our products have passed the rigorous tests of the Bundesnetzagentur without similar actions or restrictions. This stands as a testament to the reliability and safety of our product line.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we continually strive to offer you the best possible products and services.
Dimitar Dimitrov (CEO) Shelly Group
PS: If you ask me, there are a lot of similar products on the market that don’t have any labels and have serious problems, but apparently we have started to bother some big brands who are trying to refuse us, but apparently they don’t understand that this makes us even more strong and competitive.
Ebay and Amazon inform traders
The rumors are confirmed. Here is an Ebay auction that was canceled. The dealer was informed by Ebay that the product may no longer be sold!
„We have been requested by the Federal Network Agency to delete your offer!/ Wir wurden durch die Bundesnetzagentur zur Löschung Ihres Angebots aufgefordert!“
Here’s a summary of a comment on Facebook (thanks ChatGPT co-author). Quelle:FaceBook
According to its own tests, the German Federal Network Agency has issued a sales ban for the Shelly Smart Plug S, as it did not pass the tests. The exact cause was not communicated to the caller. It is strongly advised against further use of the affected smart plugs. Platforms such as eBay and Amazon must remove all corresponding items from their homepages within 24 hours of being notified by the Federal Network Agency. In addition, household and building fire insurance companies are no longer required to cover damage caused by this device. The caller is concerned and is now looking for an alternative from Shelly that works without removing the outlet.