Consumer Reports is busy testing lead levels in children’s toys that are not on any recall list just to see if they are safe. They’re nice like that.
mattel
Liveblogging The Senate Commerce Committee Hearing On Toys, Children's Products, And The Chinese Sweatshops In Which They're Made
By 10.25.07
Starting today at 9:30 a.m., the Senate Commerce Committee will examine the lives of the young Chinese workers who assemble our Barbies and Tiggers without the workforce protections or social safety nets enjoyed by western workers.
By 10.18.07
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Despite problems involving Chinese-made goods sold in the U.S., a Chinese spokesperson says that orders for Christmas toys are “up” and that factories can’t keep up with demand. But he also says, “I urge the importers of Chinese toys to come to China and buy more Chinese toys and I wish children around the world a Merry Christmas,” which makes the claim sound like PR spin. [Reuters]
Shareholders File Lawsuit Against Mattel Over Toy Recalls
By 10.10.07
Mattel’s shareholders are upset. A pension fund in Michigan has filed a shareholder lawsuit against the company, claiming that they mishandled product safety procedures and were therefor responsible for 3 toy recalls this summer. The lawsuit also alleges that executives with knowledge of the defects sold $33 million in stock before the recalls were announced.
Barbie Teaches Credit Cards 101: "You Never Run Out Of Money!"
By 10.8.07
Fashion Fever Shopping Boutique, the correctly named Barbie toy, features a built-in credit card swiper and a life-size credit card for young children to use when buying outfits for their dolls. According to the Amazon website, “Once the balance hits zero, it will reset so you can continue to shop.”
Media Roundup: What Should Parents Do About Recalled Toys?
By 9.30.07
The toy recalls are still big news and something (the autumnal equinox, perhaps?) triggered an avalanche of “Oh, no! What should parents do?” advice stories from the media. Most, if not all, mentioned recalls.org,but you can also subscribe to Consumerist’s “recalls” feed.
Lead Recall Watch: 11,395,350 Items Recalled For Lead Contamination In 2007
By 9.28.07
Here at Consumerist we’ve been keeping an eye on the 2007 lead contamination recalls. Here’s September’s update:
The Unpleasant Truth Behind Mattel's Unexpected Apology
By 9.23.07
Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologises personally to you, the Chinese people and all of our customers who received the toys. It is important for everyone to understand that the vast majority of these products that we recalled were the result of a flaw in Mattel’s design, not through a manufacturing flaw in Chinese manufacturers.
By 9.21.07
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In a gesture to assuage China’s injured pride in advance of an on-site visit by the CEO, Mattel apologized to China for the “design flaws” responsible for most of this summer’s toy recalls. [AP]
Liveblogging The House Energy And Commerce Subcommittee Hearing On Toy Safety
By 9.19.07
Parading before you today will be two familiar panels: The first will feature acting Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas Moore, who skipped out of last week’s hearing for a dentists appointment. The second will be devoted solely to Mattel CEO Robert Eckert.
Mattel, Lead, Congress, Matthew 19:24
By 9.12.07
Testifying before congress today, Mattel CEO Robert Eckert demonstrated the size of the aperture it’s easier for a camel to pass through than for a lead toy manufacturer to get into heaven. [NYT]
Liveblogging The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing On Toy Safety
By 9.12.07
Today is a big day for Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). Starting at 11am, the Chairman of the powerful Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government will kick off a series of hearings examining the toy industry’s seemingly magnetic attraction to lead paint. Durbin, whose Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s budget, will grill toy industry representatives, consumer advocates, and members of the government over plans to protect America’s children from the dangers silently lurking on toy shelves by establishing an independent testing regime.
By 9.5.07
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Accessory Toys (lead), Fisher Price Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys (lead), Fisher-Price Recalls Geo Trax Locomotive Toys (lead), NettoCollection “Moderne” and “Loft” Cribs (entrapment, strangulation), d-Scan Jubee Bunk Beds (collapse). Mattel’s CEO appeared in a new apology video, featuring shots of people in lab coats going through the motions of testing toys (we like how the guy in the beginning nods his head as he writes down a figure, nice lil piece of overacting there).
More Mattel Lead Painted Toy Recalls Tomorrow
By 9.4.07
Toy-giant Mattel will recall yet more toys covered in deadly lead-tainted paint, the AP reports.
Mattel's Reputation With The CPSC Is Officially Crappy
By 9.4.07
Mattel is being investigated (again) by the CPSC over the timeliness of its latest batch of recalls. According to the WSJ, Mattel knows it is required to inform the agency within 24 hours of receiving information about a defect that could cause injury—it just doesn’t do it because it thinks its not fair.
China Says Only 15% Of Mattel Recalls Are Its Responsibility
By 8.27.07
Eighty-five percent of the roughly 20 mln toys that Mattel recalled were due to design faults, Li, the director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, told reporters.
Mattel Sues Porn Site Over "Barbie" Trademark
By 8.23.07
The El Segundo, Calif., toy maker sued Global China Networks LLC in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday over its Web site, http://www.chinabarbie.com. Global is a limited liability company organized in Florida and maintains a post-office box in New York, according to the complaint.
Lawsuit Says Mattel Should Pay For Lead Testing
By 8.21.07
A lawsuit filed Monday asks Mattel to pay for lead testing to determine if children have been exposed to lead from the millions of recalled toys.
