BBB Advice: Safe Toy Shopping - Avoiding Recalled Toys

Media Contact: Janet C. Hart, APR, CFEE (704) 927-8617 office

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The toy industry spends an estimated $300 million a year on safety testing and inspection of toys, and approximately three billion toys are sold in America each year.  Last year, more than 20 million toys were pulled off shelves as a result of more than 60 recalls.  This is more than twice the number of alerts the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) issued last year.  

Perhaps even more concerning is that, according to the CPSC, less than 20 percent of recalled toys make it back to the manufacturer for proper disposal or repair.

“The hot topic this holiday season for many parents and relatives of children is a trust issue – ‘which brands and which toys can I trust?’” said BBB President Tom Bartholomy. “There is plenty of reliable information available about toy recalls, and the BBB urges everyone who will be giving or donating toys this year to take a few minutes and become a smart, safe toy shopper.”

If you’re holding a holiday shopping list that includes the names of a few good boys or girls, BBB offers the following advice to ensure that the toys you give are safe:

How to find out which toys have been recalled - The CPSC keeps a list of recalled toys on their Web site at www.cpsc.gov. The Toy Industry Association also provides extensive information on toy safety and you can scroll through photos of recalled toys in an easy-to-use index on their Web site www.toyinfo.org. 

What to do if you have purchased a recalled toy - The CPSC negotiates the specific resolution over a recalled toy with the toy manufacturer – usually resulting in a refund or an exchange for a different toy. Check with the CPSC Web site for the specific resolutions for the recalled toy you’ve purchased.

If you purchased the toy from a retailer, try returning the item to them first to potentially save yourself the time it will take to deal directly with the toy manufacturer. Major toy outlets often have their own return policy for recalled toys.

Additional Safe Toy-Buying Advice

Be careful when shopping online - Most large stores are quick to pull recalled products off the shelf, and, as a secondary precaution, flag the bar codes so if the item is scanned at checkout the cashier knows to not let you purchase the item. While online auction sites or bulletin boards may have policies against selling recalled toys, according to researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children’s Hospital, recalled toys and other unsafe products are often being sold to unknowing parents. It’s very important to check with the CPSC and the Toy Industry Association before buying a new or used toy or product for children online.

Make sure the toy is age-appropriate - Toy safety isn’t only about avoiding recalled products. You also need to make sure you’re buying appropriate toys for the age of the child. Read and follow the age recommendation listed on the package or toy. Remember that siblings share toys. If you buy the six-year-old a toy with small parts and he has a three-year-old sibling, that could pose a safety hazard for the younger child.

Toy Recall Hotlines

Consumer Products Safety Commission: (800) 638-2772

Toy Industry Association: (888) 888-4TOYS

Mattel: (800) 916-4498

Fisher-Price: (800) 991-2444