(Updated) Best Buy internal memo informs stores to stop HP Chromebook 11 sales

Update: HP has attributed the stopped sales of the Chromebook 11 to overheating chargers and has provided a brief statement on the matter available at the end of the post.

Whoa, some big news on the Chromebook front this morning as Best Buy has halted all sales of the HP Chromebook 11. According to The Verge, Best Buy retail stores are receiving internal memos alerting managers to “Stop selling the HP Chromebook 11 effective immediately…partner with sales support to pull the product off the sales floor to a secure location in the warehouse.”

As of this writing, Best Buy has removed any mention of the HP Chromebook 11 from its website. There hasn’t been any immediate indications as to why Best Buy is making this sudden move and we can only speculate that certain performance issues have caused HP and/or Best Buy to make this call.

Amazon, Google’s other partner for the HP Chromebook 1 still has the device up on its website, but it isn’t available directly from the online giant. Instead, Amazon is referring customers to two resellers with no mention that the unit has been recalled or pulled off shelves. Our own review of the unit didn’t note any particular software or hardware issues, but that doesn’t mean a larger problem isn’t happening causing the sudden action by Best Buy.

HP:

Google and HP are pausing sales of the HP Chromebook 11 after receiving a small number of user reports that some chargers included with the device have been damaged due to over-heating during use. We are working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to identify the appropriate corrective action, and will provide additional information and instructions as soon as we can.

In the meantime, customers who have purchased an HP Chromebook 11 should not use the original charger provided with the product. In the interim they may continue using their HP Chromebook 11 with any other Underwriters Laboratories-listed micro-USB charger, for example one provided with a tablet or smartphone. We apologize for the inconvenience.