Is Dollar Tree Tech Safe? Here's What Users Say

Dollar Tree, a chain of retail shops that sell items for close to $1, is a popular destination for the budget-conscious shopper. There can be a lot of attractive and cheap finds at these stores, such as great items for your office space. When you browse the technology section at Dollar Tree, it's tempting to load up on usually expensive items for less. But should you?

Unfortunately, not all Dollar Tree tech has a good reputation for longevity, quality, and safety. There are consumer complaints about batteries melting and charging cords overheating. This isn't just a mild irritation and a waste of money; it's also a real hazard to the customer and their home. One such product malfunction even resulted in a large-scale recall.

The saying goes that you get what you pay for. Since many times new tech items can feel very expensive, hunting down a good deal is an attractive option. There is a limit, though, to how cheap something can be made before its integrity is compromised. If you go shopping at Dollar Tree for tech, there are items to avoid and red flags to look out for.

Avoid buying technology that comes with attached cables and cords at Dollar Tree, and don't buy these cords on their own, either. This includes products that plug into a wall outlet, HDMI cables, or anything that charges by being plugged in. These products are often made at a very low quality, and their cords can overheat and potentially melt, which can hurt you and anything they are touching. There is also the risk of these items short-circuiting when plugged in and creating a fire hazard.

There was an incident in 2022 with one such dangerous product at Dollar Tree. The store was forced to recall over 1 million units of its Crafter's Square Glue Guns. When in use, the glue guns had the potential to start a fire and burn whoever was using them due to their malfunctioning. Dollar Tree offered refunds along with the recall of the item.

User reviews on Dollar Tree's website underscore the low quality of these types of products. For example, its E-Circuit Rainbow Fabric USB-C Charging Cables have reviewers who complain of an extremely slow rate of charge, and the charge then does not last very long. And for its Novelty Type C Charging Cables, one reviewer posted that it melted their iPhone 16 within one week of use. If you're going to buy any cable product at Dollar Tree, perhaps go with something to organize your cables instead.

Batteries are another tech product you should avoid at Dollar Tree. These cheaply made batteries can leak, destroying not only the batteries themselves but whatever item they're in. These batteries then get returned to the Dollar Tree by frustrated customers who had electronics and other items destroyed by them leaking and melting.

When buying batteries from Dollar Tree, check to see whether the product labels include carbon zinc. This is usually a replacement for lithium, which is more expensive and found in higher-quality batteries. Do not buy batteries that have carbon zinc for your own safety.

Reviews on Dollar Tree's website for its batteries aren't promising. For its E-Circuit Super Heavy Duty AA Batteries, consumers say they run out of power within hours and that the batteries aren't worth buying. A reviewer also mentions that the batteries broke their controller. If you need batteries, bypass shopping at the Dollar Tree. Instead, you can look into organizing your battery drawer with Dollar Tree finds to save money and not buy something that can put you at risk.