Experts share tips on avoiding buying recalled baby products online
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The New Year brings a renewed desire to purge, clean and organize.
Whether you're tackling junk drawers or overflowing closets, many will try to resell their unused products online. But not every discounted item online is safe or legal.
KDKA Consumer Investigator Meghan Schiller explains what you need to research before agreeing to pay up.
Dangers of online shopping for children's toys
Parents, grandparents and caregivers need to first know where to look to stay on top of recalled items popular with kids.
A top spot right now is the YouTube page for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, where consumers can see regularly posted recall lists and videos.
A quick search of Facebook Marketplace shows tons of items for babies and toddlers. A recent listing advertised out of Cranberry Township for the "Luca toddler wooden floor bed" turned out to be a recalled Zipadee bed from 2021. The seller said, "It's just one year old," but after the buyer received the item and saw the word Zipadee written on the product, a quick Google search revealed the truth about the recall: "The spindles used on the recalled beds are spaced at a distance that creates a serious entrapment hazard that can lead to strangulation and/or death to children."
KDKA Investigates reached out to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission about the sale of recalled products online and learned:
- It is illegal to try to resell any recalled product.
- It is the responsibility of the seller to make sure listed online items are not the subject of a recall.
- Buyers should regularly check the CPSC's list of recalled items.
- Everyone can sign up for safety and recall alerts.
Since the buyer already paid for the floor bed, the consumer had to inform the seller that the item advertised was not the true item and explain that it was illegal to do what they did. Thankfully, they sent the money back.
But if a seller won't send your money back, you can screenshot the listing and the entire conversation. You can then report the seller to Facebook Marketplace and file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Safety Commission.
A CPSC spokesperson released this statement to KDKA, saying:
"CPSC urges consumers to check for recalled products before they buy or sell on an online marketplace. CPSC expects all sellers, including in e-commerce, to fully meet their legal obligations to protect consumers from product hazards. CPSC wants to remind everyone that it is unlawful to sell recalled or banned products and we encourage the public to report any recalled or banned items they see online to SaferProducts.gov so CPSC can follow up on it. The agency will continue to engage in our monitoring of Facebook Marketplace and similar sites and pursue immediate removal of any recalled products being sold in violation of federal law."
Most commonly found recalled products being sold online
- Infant sleep products and baby loungers
- Toy chests
- Baby cribs
- Bassinets and cradles
- Carriages and strollers
When it comes to these baby and toddler items, taking just five minutes to check the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall list when buying or selling a product could save a life.
