Recalls of the Week

Its that time again to catch up on what significant items have been recalled over this past week. I try and pick items which have been sold to alot of people and/or the potential danger for which the product has been recalled is significant. So, here we go:
1. Graco and Simplicity Bassinets: I posted last week about the recall of Simplicity Bassinets, however further information has been developed regarding this very important and wide ranging recall. Some of the bassinets recalled include ones which have the “Graco” logo or the “Winnie the Pooh” motif on them. The one’s with the Graco logo on them were sold between 2001 and 2004. The one’s with “Winnie the Pooh” on them were sold between 2002 and as recent as 2008! As mentioned last week, Simplicity has sold its business and the company who now owns Simplicity is refusing to participate in this recall. However, most of the major retailers who sold these bassinets will provide a refund or store credit if you return the bassinet where you purchased it. These include Wal-mart, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, Target and many others. See here for a complete listing of those retailers who are participating in this recall. For a Consumer Reports article updating the problems with this bassinet, see here.
2. Zebra Rug sold at J.C. Penney: Animal rugs are the hit of decorators everywhere…or so my wife tells me. Well, a faux (fake for us non-decorator types) Zebra Rug sold at J.C. Penney is being recalled due to the fact they do not meet federal flammability standards. The rug measures 30″x54″ and was sold through Penney’s website and catalogue from December 2007-July 2008 for between $50-$70. You can either get a full refund or if you like it too much, you can get a warning label to put on the back side of the rug. For more information, go here.

3. “Protocol” Remote-Controlled Mini Helicopter Toys: About 78,000 of these remote control helicopters have been sold and are now being recalled because the rechargeable battery inside the helicopter can overheat which can result in the helicopter melting….yuck…and can lead to risk of fire and burns. The remote control mini helicopter toys have a model number starting with 1442 and were sold in retail stores all over the country between October 2007 and December 2007…that’s right, just in time for this past Christmas. For a more specific description of the helicopter toys in question, read this warning from the CPSC here. You are instructed to take the toys away from your children immediately and contact the company to get a replacement helicopter.
The good news is, that is about all that was interesting in recalls this past week. The bad news is don’t have anything more to write in this post for you. As always, remember to PLEASE be careful out there.