Toys R Us asks consumers to trade in used baby products

Prior event took in tens of thousands potentially unsafe products

-- Kids Today, 1/27/2010 12:11:00 PM

WAYNE, N.J. – Toys“R”Us, Inc. has issued a call to action for customers to rid their homes of potentially unsafe old and second-hand baby products and exchange them for savings on a new item during the “Great Trade-In” event. 

 

The “Great Trade-In” event is a national safety program designed to draw attention to the fact that certain used baby products can carry potential hazards, but are still in circulation and are not the best candidates to be handed down or resold. 

 

Brands participating in the “Great Trade-In” event include Babi Italia, Baby Cache, Baby Trend, Bergamo, Bertini, Britax, Carter’s, Chicco, Contours by Kolcraft, Cosco, Delta, Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco, Jeep, Little Tikes, Safety 1st, Sorelle and Step2.

The “Great Trade-In” event begins Friday, Jan. 29 and continues through Saturday, Feb. 20 in Babies“R”Us and Toys“R”Us locations nationwide. During this time, stores will accept returns of any used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems, play yards, high chairs and toddler beds in exchange for a 25% savings on the purchase of any new baby item, in any of these product categories, from select manufacturers. 

 

Toys“R”Us Inc. introduced the “Great Trade-In” event during a three-week period in September 2009, which prompted customers to trade in tens of thousands of potentially unsafe cribs, car seats and other baby products – most of which were in extremely poor condition.  Some traded-in items were missing parts or were damaged, while others that were decades old showed obvious signs of wear and tear and would be considered non-compliant by today’s more stringent product safety standards.

 

Used car seats were the number one item customers turned in during the 2009 program and the number one item customers purchased with the savings they received in exchange for their trade-in. Old and second-hand car seats may carry a variety of hazards that are difficult for consumers to detect, such as damage from accidents or materials’ deterioration from sun exposure. For this reason, leading safety organizations, such as Safe Kids USA, recommend against purchasing used car seats. 

 

“We are proud that our inaugural ‘Great Trade-In’ event raised awareness of the potential dangers associated with certain used baby products, and we were gratified by the response from our customers,” said Jerry Storch, chairman and CEO, Toys“R”Us, Inc. “As a company committed to the safety of children, we encourage parents to utilize the ‘Great Trade-In’ event as an opportunity to remove used and older baby products, such as cribs and car seats, from their homes, garages and attics.”

 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission advocates not purchasing used items that have a history of safety problems, including cribs, play yards and bassinets. Items in these specific categories may have been recalled or affected by recent enhancements in federal and voluntary standards and regulations for safety testing that render older models unsafe or non-compliant with current standards. For example, voluntary standards updated in December 2009 render that cribs no longer be manufactured with a drop-side following a number of recalls and associated child injuries and deaths. 

 

Following are additional examples of the potential dangers of old and second-hand cribs, car seats and other baby products:

 

• Car seats can sustain damage in an accident that may not be visible to the naked eye, but could prevent the seat from functioning properly; 

• Car seats have expiration dates, as the materials can deteriorate over time, potentially making the car seat less effective in a crash.  Parents can check with the car seat manufacturer to determine the recommended period of use for a particular car seat; 

• Certain baby products, particularly car seats, are regularly introduced with new innovations in technology that can improve the products’ safety efficacy;

 

Products made of or that contain certain materials, like wood and plastic, can deteriorate when exposed to extreme weather conditions, like heat, potentially compromising safety integrity; and

Parts or instruction books for proper assembly, installation or use may be missing.

 

Brands participating in the “Great Trade-In” event include Babi Italia, Baby Cache, Baby Trend, Bergamo, Bertini, Britax, Carter’s, Chicco, Contours by Kolcraft, Cosco, Delta, Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco, Jeep, Little Tikes, Safety 1st, Sorelle and Step2. Customers can save 25% on a new purchase, from any of the specified product categories and from any of the aforementioned manufacturers, in Babies“R”Us and Toys“R”Us stores nationwide on the day they trade in their used item. 

 

There are no restrictions on the number or brand of used items in these product categories customers can exchange. Day care centers or other organizations who wish to exchange items in bulk are encouraged to contact their local Babies“R”Us or Toys“R”Us store prior to returning their used items to ensure adequate availability of new merchandise.

 

For the latest information about product safety and to sign up to receive e-mail notifications about product recalls, customers can visit the company’s dedicated safety Web site, Toysrus.com/Safety. In addition, the CPSC advises parents to check its website, www.cpsc.gov, to make sure a product has not been recalled before using or purchasing it second-hand.