I have written several posts about the issues plaguing Barnes & Noble’s new $50 NOOK tablet. In December, malware was discovered by researchers on the tablet. The company countered that with an announcement stating that they had already corrected the malware issue. A few weeks later,  Barnes & Noble voluntarily recalled the tablets, stating that there was a defect in the power adapter included with the device.

Today, Barnes & Noble finally sent an email letting customers know about the defective power adapter that came with the $50 Barnes & Noble tablet.  (I received my email this morning.) It seems like Barnes and Noble was waiting for the replacement adapters to be available before contacting customers

According to the email, Barnes & Noble is voluntarily recalling the charger because the casing can break when plugged in to an electrical outlet and cause an electric shock.

The recalled adapter bears the model number TPA-95A050100UU and was sold with the $50 Nook 7′ tablet with model number BNTV450.

Barnes and Noble is offering a replacement adapter and a $5 gift card upon the return of the adapter. According to the email,

If you have the power adapter that came with the NOOK Tablet 7″, you should immediately stop using the power adapter and go to https://help.barnesandnoble.com/app/tablet7_adapter_replacement to register to participate in the recall. Barnes & Noble will provide you with a free replacement adapter along with a $5 Barnes & Noble gift card upon return of the recalled adapter. In the meantime, you can charge your NOOK Tablet 7″ by using your computer and a USB cable.

If you need additional assistance, please contact Barnes & Noble at (877) 886-5025 from 8am to 11pm ET, Monday through Friday, or 9am to 11pm ET on Saturday and Sunday, or visit our website atwww.barnesandnoble.com and click on “Product Recalls” listed at the bottom of the B&N.com home page for more information.

After I registered for the recall, I was told that I would receive a UPS return shipping label in the mail. Within minutes, I received an email with a link to print the label.

According to the instructions, after I return the defective adapter to the Returns Center, a replacement power adapter will be shipped out via UPS 2-Day Delivery and a $5 gift card will be included. Note that you must enter your device’s serial number to register for the recall.

As of this writing, the Nook 7″ tablet is still listed as unavailable on the Barnes and Noble website.

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