Chloe, Sophie and Audrey soft dolls
CPSC Recall #11-321 — September 7, 2011
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 11-321 |
| Recall Date | September 7, 2011 |
| Remedy Type | Refund |
| Units Affected | About 81,000 in the United States and 1,300 in Canada |
| Importer | Pottery Barn Kids, a division of Williams-Sonoma Inc., of San Francisco, Calif. |
| Manufactured In | China |
Where It Was Sold
| Pottery Barn Kids stores nationwide |
| online at www.potterybarnkids.com and through Pottery Barn Kids catalogs from July 2006 to April 2011 for about $40. |
Product
Chloe, Sophie and Audrey soft dolls
Description
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Hazard
The hair on the Chloe and Sophie dolls may contain loops that are large enough to fit around a child's head and neck, and the headband on the Audrey doll, if loosened, can form a loop that fits around a child's head and neck. These loops can pose a strangulation hazard.
Incidents & Injuries
The firm has received five reports of dolls with looped hair, including one report in which a loop of the Chloe doll's hair was found around the neck of a 21-month old child. The child was not injured.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should take the dolls away from children immediately and cut the looped hair of the Chloe and Sophie dolls and remove the headband of the Audrey doll to eliminate the hazard. Consumers may also call Pottery Barn Kids for instructions on how to return the affected dolls for a merchandise credit.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Refund at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Refund) at no cost to you.
Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product — whether recalled or not — you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.