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 The 2013 holiday resource guide includes detailed descriptions
and photographs of the nearly 100 different children's products
recalled in the past year. This year's edition also includes a
warning for parents and caregivers about the risks of shopping
online at resale sites where previously recalled toys and children's
products are still being sold.
Popular websites such as Amazon,
eBay,
Craigslist and
eCrater are
serving as a secondary market for recalled products that have been
included in previous editions of the Safe Shopping Guide, which has
been in publication since 2007.
Madigan's office conducted an informal survey of the annual
guides and found multiple items for resale that had been previously
recalled for dangerous defects, such as the Fisher-Price Little
People Play 'n Go Campsite figures, which pose a serious choking
hazard to young children, and McDonald's Shrek-themed glasses that
were found to contain a dangerous level of the toxic chemical
cadmium. Both products were found actively for sale online in spite
of their recalls by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in
2010.
"We produce this guide each November to help provide parents a
little peace of mind about the toys they're giving their children
for the holidays, but as we all know, the recall process is never
entirely fail-safe, so it's critical that parents and caregivers
remain vigilant, not only at this time but throughout the year,"
Madigan said.
When a defective or dangerous product is recalled, retailers and
manufacturers are required by law to remove the unsafe products from
store shelves and alert consumers of the dangerous or defective
component. But, Madigan said, online retail sites are continuing to
serve as an unsafe destination for shoppers who are purchasing
products from sellers who may not be aware of the dangers that
caused them to be recalled through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, known as the CPSC.
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The attorney general detailed several additional products that
have been previously recalled and included in the Safe Shopping
Guide but can still be found for sale online:
, recalled in 2011. The
cords on the monitors can pose a strangulation hazard to infants and
toddlers if placed too close to their cribs. The CPSC received
reports of two infants who died from strangulation associated with
the cords.
Harry Potter bookends , recalled in 2008. The paint on the
bookends contains high levels of lead.
Gund Baby paperboard books , recalled in 2010. The foam used
to fill the book binding can detach and pose a choking or aspiration
hazard to infants and young children.
Chicco Polly highchairs , recalled in 2012. A child can fall
on or against the pegs on the rear legs of the highchair, causing
laceration or bruising.
The
2013 Safe Shopping Guide (PDF) details these products and many
more. Consumers can view and download the guide at
www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov or obtain a print copy by calling
the attorney general's Recall Hotline at 1-888-414-7678.
[Text from file received from the office
of
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan]
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