China’s well-known power bank brand, Romoss, is facing a crisis. Multiple employees have confirmed that the company has completely halted production since July 1st, with salaries only paid up until June. Despite Romoss denying claims of “closing down” and stating that they are undergoing restructuring and preparing to launch new products, a series of refund disputes, product recalls, and removal from e-commerce platforms have exposed their operational difficulties, drawing widespread attention from consumers and industry professionals.
A colleague from a Shenzhen competitor revealed on July 3rd to Dajiyuan that Romoss’s factory had shut down last week, stating, “Now their factory is completely shut down, and even the boss has been replaced. Hundreds of thousands of power banks need to be returned, distributors are recalling goods, I think their company is done for, no one can save them, it’s over.”
According to reports from media outlets such as Jiemian News, due to the repercussions of the power bank recall incident, Romoss’s operations have deteriorated. Several employees have confirmed to mainland Chinese media that the company has internally notified a full production stoppage, although no official announcement has been made, and salaries have also been halted.
According to business registration records, Romoss changed its legal representative on July 2nd, with Lei Xingrong replacing Lei Shexing, just three months after the last change. The company responded by stating that they are currently undergoing internal restructuring, focusing on industry chain self-inspection in preparation for new product launches.
In addition to corporate turmoil, Romoss has also been embroiled in a refund crisis. Several consumers have complained on Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Weibo that refunds have not been processed even after submitting recall requests, with no responses from customer service. On July 3rd, users discovered that Romoss’s e-commerce platform store was in a state of “insufficient margin balance,” causing refund processes to be stalled.
Some consumers have reported delays of several tens of days in the refund process, with Taobao responding that “the seller’s funds are insufficient, so refunds cannot be issued at the moment, and efforts are being made to collect the margin.” Screenshots show that customer service “Taobao Xiaomi” replied, stating, “The margin collection period is 30 days, and refund times cannot be guaranteed.” Some netizens commented, “It seems like the money won’t be received.”
An industry insider, Mr. Zhao, who is following the situation, mentioned that the quality issues of Romoss power banks have been long-standing, with complaints from users about the casing swelling and heating up during charging, as well as odors leaking out. These issues have been complained about by users and some have uploaded pictures, but posts are often deleted, and the problems have been ignored long-term until they reached this current situation.
On June 20th, the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation website disclosed that 3C certifications for multiple fast charging power banks by Romoss have been temporarily suspended, with only a few products maintaining validity. Concurrently, Romoss’s flagship store on Douyin has taken down all power banks, retaining only sales of plugs and data cables.
According to an emergency notice issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on June 26th, starting from June 28th, passengers are prohibited from carrying power banks without 3C markings, unclear markings, or models subject to recall on domestic flights. Following this announcement, many consumers began applying for returns, further intensifying the operational pressure on Romoss.
The “3C certification” is the mark of China’s mandatory product certification system, implemented since 2003. Electronic products without the 3C mark face restrictions in production and circulation.
During an interview, Shanghai scholar Huang Pu (pseudonym) stated that the Romoss incidents reflect longstanding deficiencies in China’s manufacturing industry supervision system, where local governments prioritize enterprise tax revenues and often handle product complaints perfunctorily. Regulatory loopholes have led to problems accumulating to an unmanageable level.
He emphasized that the issues are not exclusive to Romoss, citing a series of incidents from tainted baby formula to exploding power banks as systemic consequences, stating, “Product quality isn’t a technical issue, but a governance problem within the Chinese Communist Party’s structure.”
Currently, Romoss has not provided a positive response to issues such as employee work stoppages and hindered refunds, leaving many consumers in a state of wait-and-see.