AmazonBasics B0050BPWBQ Troubleshooting

No matter what, the shredder won't shred my paper.

Make sure the unit is plugged into a working outlet.

The big black switch on the top of the head unit needs to be pushed all the way to the left to line up with "Auto/On" mode in order to shred your paper.

If you have been shredding many documents for a long period of time, the unit may become overheated from the extended use. You may smell a faint burning odor and the head unit is warm to touch. Turn the unit off and wait for at least 30 minutes before trying to shred paper again.

If the shredder is tilted or the unit head is not placed correctly into the waste basket, the ShedSafe feature automatically disables the shredder. Make sue the basket is level and the head unit is interlocking with the waste basket correctly.

If you can no longer move the switch between settings or if the switch feels loose, then the the switch may be in need of replacement. For help replacing the switch, refer to our replacement guide.

I can hear the shredder blades moving when I put it in "Reverse" mode, but it will not shred my paper in "Auto/On" mode.

There is an activation sensor located in the middle of the shredding feed slot. If the paper being shredded is too narrow, it might not be activating the sensor. Make sure the paper being inserted is in the middle of the feed slot.

You may try to use thick paper stock to push the jam through the shredder. Push the paper stock through the feed slot with some force while in "Auto/On" mode. If that does not work, you may switch to "Reverse" mode for the shredder to back up the paper and loosen the jam. You may have to pull some papers out of the shredder in order to clear the blades. After the jam is cleared, return back to "Auto/On" mode and resume shredding.

If the activation sensor can no longer sense the paper to shred, there is no way to start the shredder while in "Auto/On" mode, therefore the sensor needs to be replaced. To replace this sensor, refer to our repair guide.

The shredder is on and working, I can even hear the blades moving when I insert the papers into the feed slot, but it will not shred my papers.

Your shredder may be jammed. Refer to the previous header of "The shredder is jammed" for instructions on how to clear the jam.

The gears that power the shredding blades may become worn down after overuse or age. You may hear a high pitched sound coming from the shredder but the blades are not shredding the paper when put in the feed slot. These gears may no longer work and need to be replaced. To replace this, refer to our repair guide.

The shredder blades are constantly running when I turn it to "Auto/On" mode.

The activation, located in the middle of the feed slot entry, may be blocked. Dust, paper, oil, or any form of debris may be stuck on the sensor which makes it constantly activated. Do not use canned air to clean this out but instead use a cotton swab to clean the sensor.

The shredder may be jammed with paper and that could be activating the sensor. Refer to the previous header titled "The shredder is jammed" in order to clear the jam.

I put my CD in the feed slot in order to shred it but the shredder does not take it in.

Unlike the paper shredder on this unit, the CD destroyer does not have an activation sensor. The unit should be set to "Auto/On" mode and the CD needs to be fed into the CD destroying slot. When you are ready to shred the CD, hold down the "CD destroyer/Reset" black button while you gently push the CD through the slot. Once the CD is entirely through the slot, you can release the button.