droolicious : toy recalls

Toy Recall Alert:Old Navy Stuffed Animal

AmandaHill — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:30:00 GMT

About two weeks ago the stuffed animals seen above were recalled by Old Navy. They were sold in stores and online from July 2008-Feburary 2009 for between $6-$10. The button eyes are easily detaching and posing choking hazards for young children. Nearly 35,000 of them were sold in the US and 5,000 in Canada. Click behind the fold to find out what you need to do if you own one of these animals, as well as recalled styles and numbers.

You can return the animal to your local Old Navy for a FULL refund. All customers that return the stuffed animal by July 1, 2009 will receive a $5 off coupon from Old Navy. If you purchased the toy online, you can call Old Navy for information about your return toll free at 1(866) 580-9930.

Recalled Styles & Product Numbers:

Type of Stuffed Toy	Style Number
Brown Plaid Creature (Stubby Stuberson)	612756
Pink Striped Dove	600571
Grey Dog	600572
Hot Pink Creature (Lucy Toothy)	612800
White Dog (Dr. Poopsie)	612738
Brown Penguin	612672
Light Pink Rabbit	612671
Brown Reindeer	612728
Dark Pink Rabbit (Honey O Bunny)	612806

Pre-Holiday Reminder to Check the US CPSC Recall Site

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:04:00 GMT

Not to seem xenophobic or anything, but it seems fair to assume that the more incoherent a toy's packaging is, the more likely that toy is to end up on the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's Toy Hazard Recalls site. And, you guessed it, this toy TV from Los Angeles-based company-no-one's-ever-heard-of OKK Trading was recently yanked for violation of the federal lead-paint standard.

If you haven't already bookmarked the CPSC's recall pages (see below) or signed up to receive recall alerts, now is a good time to do it. Though we're not seeing as many life-threatening toys from major manufacturers as we were last year, there's still plenty of time before the holidays.

US CPSC Recalls and Product Safety News (main page)

Toy Hazard Recalls

Infant/Child Product Recalls (Not Including Toys) [RSS Feed]

Baby Carrier Follow-Up: Beco Butterfly Recall and Update

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:54:00 GMT

"How ya like me now, CPSC?" Beco Butterfly carrier, retro-fitted and ready to roll.

Our 7 Days of Baby Carriers series from earlier this year prompted a bunch of comments from you, in particular a heated debate over whether the ERGO (our pick) offered more bang for the buck than the equally popular and high-end Beco carrier. Well, the jury's still out, opinion-wise, but in checking the weekly barrage of baby-product recalls from the CPSC, we stumbled across a recent tidbit that at least makes us feel OK that we picked the ERGO when we did. In late April, Beco issued a voluntary recall of its Butterfly infant carriers (models purchased between January and Feb. 28, 2008), but the good news is that it's not only begun issuing retro-fit kits to correct the issue; it's also devoted many of its recent blog posts to keeping customers informed. (If only bigger companies exercised such care.)

If you haven't already gotten word from your retailer, here's the deal: According to the recall, the buckles on the Butterfly's shoulder straps can unexpectedly release tension, causing the straps to slip through and posing a fall hazard to babies. No injuries have been reported so far (and in all, we're talking around 2,000 total units shipped), but Beco received eight reports of the straps slipping through and has decided to pull the item.

As always, you can stay up to date on the complete list of CSPC infant/child recalls here, and the complete (and even scarier) list of toy recalls here. And if you purchased a Beco Butterfly during the months in question but haven't yet been tipped to this recall or received a retro-fit kit, you can contact Beco toll-free at 888-943-8232 weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST, or visit the company's website at becobabycarrier.com.