IQ Preschool™ Take-Apart Townhouse
CPSC Recall #07-179 — May 2, 2007
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 07-179 |
| Recall Date | May 2, 2007 |
| Remedy Type | Replace |
| Units Affected | About 8,800 |
| Manufactured In | China |
Where It Was Sold
| Toy stores and various other retailers nationwide and through catalogs from December 2004 through February 2007 for about $21. |
Product
IQ Preschool™ Take-Apart Townhouse
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Small World Toys, of Culver City, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 8,800 IQ Preschool Take-Apart Townhouses. Small magnets used to connect the wooden pieces to the sides of the townhouse can fall out. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.Name of product: IQ Preschool™ Take-Apart TownhouseUnits: About 8,800Distributor: Small World Toys, of Culver City, Calif.Hazard: Small magnets used to connect the wooden pieces to the sides of the townhouse can fall out. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.Incidents/Injuries: CPSC and Small World Toys have received two reports of magnets coming off of the townhouse pieces. No injuries have been reported.Description: These wooden toys, for children ages "18+ months," are shaped like houses measuring 8.5 inches high by about 4.5 inches wide. They have nine pieces that children can disassemble and reassemble. Each house has a green chimney and a blue and yellow striped pillar with a purple base at each corner. The sides of the house have four removable panels of different shapes with red knobs that children use to pull the panels off. "IQ Preschool™" appears on the side of the house below the blue and green rectangular panel. Model number 2408808 appears on the packaging.Sold at: Toy stores and various other retailers nationwide and through catalogs from December 2004 through February 2007 for about $21.Manufactured in: ChinaRemedy: Take these toys away from children immediately and contact the firm to obtain a free replacement product.Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Small World Toys at (800) 421-4153 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, visit their Web site at www.smallworldtoys.com or e-mail the firm at [email protected].
Hazard
Small magnets used to connect the wooden pieces to the sides of the townhouse can fall out. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.
Incidents & Injuries
CPSC and Small World Toys have received two reports of magnets coming off of the townhouse pieces. No injuries have been reported.
Remedy Instructions
Take these toys away from children immediately and contact the firm to obtain a free replacement product.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Replace 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 (Replace) at no cost to you.
Furniture tip-overs are a leading cause of pediatric injuries in the U.S., particularly dressers, bookcases, and television stands. CPSC data shows that a child dies approximately every two weeks from a furniture or TV tip-over. Unstable high chairs, baby swings, and bouncers are also frequent recall subjects due to fall risks. ASTM International standards now require that certain furniture must meet tip-over resistance standards, and CPSC has been actively pursuing mandatory requirements for dressers and chests. If you have furniture that was not recalled but feels unstable, wall-anchoring kits are widely available at hardware stores.
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.