After my 'shoddy toys' complaint, an expensive toy from a compay that prides itself on safety has left DS injured and hysterically upset

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

I bought these for DS for Christmas and they fast became his favourite toy.

They are for recommended age 3+, DS is 5 and ASD .They came with no safety instructions or similar so I allowed him to play with them unsupervised, especially as he loved looking at his nightlight 'through them' if he woke up in the night.

This morning DD came dashing into my room saying 'Ds is hurt mummy'. I ran in and found him in bed, it was soaked with different colours of water, and covered in shards of what is supposedly acrylic, but feels and had shattered like glass. It was all over his pillow and duvet and his face is badly scratched, I assume from where he was sleeping on the shards.

I have no idea how but every last one of the blocks was smashed, he must have been banging them together as all his other toys are out of reach at night. It must have happened in the middle of the night as it has soaked right through to the other side of his mattress.

He's also stained in lovely hues of yellow red and blue which have only slightly faded after a bath. He has also refused to go into school as he is devastated .

I am furious about this.

Is it my fault, do I have grounds to complain? How do I complain if so?

Surely if they are for age 3+ they should be strong enough to withstand some bashing.

I would certainly complain. No idea about how to complain though.

On some of the reviews people say their 1 year old loves them. Worrying.

They are fairly large, maybe 10cm diameter, so the shards were big. I was shaking thinking what could have happened.

Toys for chidren shouldn't break if you bang them together. That's terrible! Contact the Trading Standards Authority because it sounds like they were either faulty or they're not fit for children

Contract the manufacturers

How awful!

My DS is 5 and ASD and he would love these too, shame they are dangerous! I would say you definately have grounds to complain.

I suspect he was banging the corners into the glass iyswim, hence managed to smash them, as they had all shattered from a break in the middle.

So maybe they will say he wasn't playing with them properly.

I can't find a phone number or email on the plan toys website.

They better not dare to say he wasn't playing with them "properly" ! For a start, as you say, there were no instructions or warnings about how to play with them properly. For seconds, what child - ASD or not (I think that's irrelevant to the complaint TBH) - would NOT bang the corners into the centre of the glass. That's what all kids do - use their imaginations with the things in front of them.

Sounds like either a very poor design, and/or a weakness in the acrylic/glass. There's just no way that should have happened.

That's appalling.

Before you contact the manufacturer, speak to your local trading standards people. They will tell you what action you need to take - and might even take it for you.

Definitely complain! Poor DS, I hope he is okay and goes back to a normal colour soon.

Where did you buy the toys from? I would ask not only for a refund but for an assurance that the company would be contacting Plan Toys and asking for an explanation and reassurance that their toys are safe.

The website for Plan Toys is here and they have a contact section. I definately think it's worth letting them know exactly what has happened and getting them to explain how this could have happened.

I hope your DS is OK and not too badly hurt.

I've found an online 'contact us' form but from past experience you barely get response with these.

Do you think it's worth me calling the u.s number of their HQ?

The more I think about it the angrier I get.

yanbu at all to be v cross about this. If a toy is meant to be suitable for pre-school children, it should withstand a fair amount of bashing. Maybe these were faulty, as they broke far too easily.

email them here you can also request a safety report of the toy, it's code is 5523 and they email it to you.

Contact section here

email: [email protected]

not surprised you're angry! i'd call the US head office i think.

TheDevilWearsPrimark, thanks for your thread, I was about to buy a lot of them for my toddler group but now will deffo not!

I think you do have grouds to complain as the toys are aimes at children 3+, they should really be more resilient as anyone who as had dealings with this sort of age ranche children knows they are not necessarelly gentle with their belongings.

X posts with OP - definately try calling them, but as the offices are in Thailand, USA or Japan it may be an expensive exercise.

Thanks for all your help, sorry for not saying before. His face is covered in little scratches.

DS can be destructive, i.e ripping books, breaking his new garage, but that just came into pieces and went in the bin.

Managed to get the colour mostly off with baby wipes!?

your poor little boy. hope he is ok. i would complain, they look great and i would of brought them to. i am sorry to say that i did have a little chuckle at what your son must of looked liked all multi coloured!!

Here we go:

PlanToys, Inc.
P0 Box 622
Palo Alto, CA 94302, U.S.A.
Tel: 1-866-517-PLAN (7526)
Fax: 650-968-4947
Email: [email protected]

Sorry to drone on, but I really think that rather than ringing the company overseas - who may be helpful, but may not - you should contact trading standards. If these toys are unsafe, they may be in breach of safety laws, in which case (worst case scenario) trading standards may be able to prosecute.

Right, I'm emailing, thanks for that address. If I don't hear back by tomorrow I'll call.

Glad that it has stopped others buying them.

sorry x post

Hope your DS will be okay. After reading this I don't think I'll ever buy anything they sell.

Sorry to drone on, but I really think that rather than ringing the company overseas - who may be helpful, but may not - you should contact trading standards. If these toys are unsafe, they may be in breach of safety laws, in which case (worst case scenario) trading standards may be able to prosecute.

Good grief, that's horribly dangerous. Poor ds. Am shocked that a toy for age 3+ could break like this. And I had the impression US regulations were more stringent than ours, or at least manufacturers were more afraid of being sued.

Did you buy them through a retailer? If so, your contract is with them and although I would complain to Plan Toys, I'd also contact the seller.