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Original poster

MATTEL RECALL SOME TOYS.....

115 replies

tiredemma · 14/08/2007 15:35

from the beeb

recalled toys

mainly platic stuff but someone may have some lurking in a toy box somewhere.

OP posts:
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 15/08/2007 15:42

I reckon in America they have much better customer service. Here they know they will probably get away with it as people don't like to make a fuss.

giraffeski · 15/08/2007 15:44

Message withdrawn

LIZS · 15/08/2007 15:47

girraffeski do you get a replacement/refund with your labels ?

HorseyWoman · 15/08/2007 15:49

I kind of feel sorry for Mattel here (how odd is it to feel sorry for a multinational corporation ). But they 'contracted' out the making of these toys, to a manufacturer in China, so I don't know if I am right in saying this as I don't know enough about the stuff that has happened, but I feel the quality control was the responsibility of Lee Der, not Mattel. Maybe.

LIZS · 15/08/2007 15:53

Mattel should regularly spot check batches as shipments come through. Yes they may have had exacting standards with the manufacturers but it is their place to ensure these are consistently met. It is a massive failure judging by the expected volume of toys being recalled . Our PP item is date stamped 2004 so it isn't a new issue.

LIZS · 15/08/2007 17:05

I've had a reply. They will arrange for the dodgy products to be returned to them and then exchanged for alternatives .

Troutpout · 15/08/2007 20:00

Errrm 2 of the 3 sets came from toys r us for def...don't know about the third (gift)
They didn't even ask tbh. They said would have given me a refund if i'd had receipts (but i didn't)
Only had packaging for one thing (the barbie thing)
Other 2 had no packaging and they didn't check all the parts.
They already had signs up on the customer services area about the toy recall...and there was someone behind me waiting to bring her stuff back too.
I'm imagining that any toys r us would do the same

Troutpout · 15/08/2007 20:02

Oh ..giraffski..they did check that they had sold them in the past.They needed to have a 'skim number' (i think) so that they could get a price for the credit note.

contentiouscat · 15/08/2007 22:10

So my e-mail to Mattel says "My husband bought a sarge & sheriff twin pack from the Disney store earlier this year - it is smaller than the 3 inches quoted on the US site and has no country of origin on it...Is this affected by the recall or not?"

Their reply says "If the car is marked "Made in China" it maybe affected. On the bottom of the car, if the serial number ends with"7EA", this is affected. However, if the car states "Made in Thailand" it is not affected by this
recall notice."

F*WITS - do you think they even READ what I wrote.

SlightlyMadSpider · 15/08/2007 22:36

CC sounds like you could be in the same poistion as Popsycal

contentiouscat · 15/08/2007 22:42

So there I was going Whheee its not affected, then at the end "they want it back to check" sigh they are not handling this well are they

Hulababy · 15/08/2007 23:00

We got DD's limoscene thingy a while back from John Lewis in canary Wharf, whilst away for the weekend. We have no packaging or anything for it.

Not had a reply form my emails yet.

Do you reckon I could get away with just returning it to a store locally?

LIZS · 16/08/2007 08:21

Hula, in US they say it is only toys made before last November so yours may be ok anyway if you got it since. Trouble is you can't rely on it not having been part of an earlier shipment. I got my reply late afternoon yesterday asking me to contact them again with my details so you may get one today. dd was really upset over losing hers. Even the thought of replacement(not sure if with the same sets) didn't go down well

giraffeski · 16/08/2007 12:18

Message withdrawn

arfishy · 16/08/2007 12:54

This is terrible. Not only because of the risk to children, but also the chairman of the factory in China has commited suicide and his entire workforce (500 mainly impoverished chinese factory workers) has been made redundant.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 16/08/2007 16:26

I took my £35 polly pocket item back to Toys R Us and only got £15 for it as that was the last selling price and I have no receipt.

I'm a bit miffed but I suppose seeing as she never plays with it its not too bad. She's not even noticed its gone.

LIZS · 16/08/2007 16:29

SKSS that's terrible . My dad bought dd hers from Toys r Us apparently but I'm not trekking 10 miles or so into Croydon with 2 kids in tow to change it and get shortchanged.

Hulababy · 16/08/2007 16:32

John Lewis won't take anything back themselves. They just have beg signs up telling you to email or phone Mattell.

SlightlyMadSpider · 16/08/2007 17:10

I have to go to Toys'r'us or woolies tomorrow. I was just wondering if it is worth me taking DTDs polly pockets? I might leave it.

TBH I don't see why he outlets should have to deal with it. Although it is easier for us it is not actually their problem.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 16/08/2007 17:32

I could have got £35 Mattel vouchers from Mattel I suppose. But to be honest £15 toys r us vouchers are probably more use that £35 Mattel vouchers. Unless I'd ebayed them, but knowing my luck I'd only have got £10 then!

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 16/08/2007 18:32

I spoke to soon. Grandma has obviously been telling dd about it. DD just piped up "my polly pocket house has a magnet which is bad, but I don't want it to go, please don't send my favourite toy away, wahhhhhhhh"

Luckily I then fell over and cut my leg open which distracted her.

LIZS · 17/08/2007 08:24

Did anyone see the Mattel lady on BBC Breakfast today? Only caught the end where she spoke of how the lead paint was due to a rogue supplier and rather avoided the question of the potential safety risks to the Chinese workers who handled it. Apparenytly the lead is only a risk when the paintwork gets damaged . The parent interviewed seemed very unreassured at the end and wanted to know what she might get as replacements and why some of these products had been on sale for up to 5 years before this.

Apparently Mattel now have a recorded message on their helpline mnumber and will instigate a freephone one later on. They will accept incomplete sets and will "put a value " on what is returned . Consumer Direct say you can go to the retailers and quote Sales of Goods Act 1979 as goods not being of satisfactory quality and thereby in breach of contract but you may then get a replacement or a partial refund of price orignally paid.

SlightlyMadSpider · 17/08/2007 09:48

Missed it. I am going to try taking my limos back to TrU today. They are/should be virtually complete and they are still advertising them on website (although out of stock) at full price.

Will leave the rest for now asI feel a bit guilty taking nearly £100 stuff back all at once

Hulababy · 17/08/2007 09:52

SMS - please let us know how you get on. IF it works I might try the same.

SlightlyMadSpider · 17/08/2007 11:10

Will do. I am not going until later tho, and if there is a huge queue at customer services I may not bother.