Recalling Holiday's Toys
People were already waiting in lines the day after Christmas to return unsafe toys and presents. With a recent rash of toy recalls, safety seems to be in the front of many people's minds.
There were a few people returning toys the day after Christmas, specifically some that were made in China. None of the toys returned were on a recall list as those items have already been removed from store shelves.
One woman spent the day post-Christmas shopping with her two young daughters. While she says her girls are too old to put small toys in their mouths anymore, the recall list just keeps growing.
Another shopper, Marie Klingenfuss, says her children did not get any recalled toys from Santa this year. She made sure.
"If it's going to have things falling off and hazards and bodily damage or choking, then I might return it."
While China has been in the spotlight since the sudden increase of toy of recalls started, consumer experts say it's companies, not countries that manufacture toys.
"We get a recall list every week and a lot of things on our recall list, we take them off our shelves and take them back to the vendor," said Mike Levine, Manager of a local Target store.
If a certain toy is overlooked, the corporate office will red flag it, meaning it can't ring up at the register and it's impossible to purchase. And if you bought a Christmas gift before it was recalled, Target will fully refund you the cost of the toy. Most parents we spoke with say it's tough to find a toy that's made in the U.S. anymore, so they just keep buying, and hope for the best.
"I'm not a fanatic about it. We could worry about so many different things about our children constantly," said Stewart.
To bring a toy or any item back to Target, you need either the original receipt or a gift receipt. Target has a 90-day store policy, but of course recalls can be retuned any time.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been over 50 recalls in December alone. Clothing, cooking items, even tools have been put on the recall list this month, so it's a good idea to check recall lists on the Internet before you make a purchase.
Reference:
"Gifts on The Recall List," kolotv.com, Auburn Hutton, December 2007.
