A CPSC spokeswoman said this week that Wal-Mart’s independent recall of lead-tainted toy animals on October 19th was all well and good, but that they should have included more information that consumers need in order to act quickly—including how many products were sold, when they were sold and at what other retailers, and the name of the manufacturer. Said the spokeswoman, “We are not big fans of when companies handle recall announcements independently of the agency. It can cause confusion and doesn’t always provide consumers with the information they need.”

Wal-Mart announced the recall after its own testing discovered high levels of lead, and it notified the CPSC of the results. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman replied, “We informed the supplier and the CPSC and we felt we had to let our customers know what we’d found.” But Wal-Mart still won’t provide more information on the recalled toys, leading to a strange battle of wills between the CPSC and the retailer. What gives, Wal-Mart? Afraid of losing your lead-toys competitive edge? The CPSC is legally bound to not disclose details now that the toys are being officially tested, but we’re not sure what Wal-Mart’s legal obligation is since it announced the recall on its own.

“US product watchdog agency: Wal-Mart toy recall lacked some consumer information” [International Herald Tribune]
(Photo: Getty)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.