Individually sold xylophones, Little Ones® Infant three-piece musical gift sets, and Little Ones®...
CPSC Recall #99-009 - October 14, 1998
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 99-009 |
| Recall Date | October 14, 1998 |
| Remedy Type | Dispose, No Remedy Available |
| Units Affected | Approximately 200,000 individually sold xylophones, 150,000 Little Ones® Infant three-piece musical gift sets, and 1,800 Little Ones® Infant five-piece musical gift sets |
| Manufactured In | China |
Where It Was Sold
| Target and other retail stores sold the individual xylophones from February 1996 to April 1998 for about $7. Kmart stores nationwide sold the three-piece musical set exclusively from May 1996 to April 1998 for about $10. Right Start Stores nationwide sold the five-piece musical gift set from November 1997 to August 1998 for about $24. |
Product
Individually sold xylophones, Little Ones® Infant three-piece musical gift sets, and Little Ones® Infant five-piece musical gift sets
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Playwell Toy Inc. of Lake Forest, Calif., recalled the mallets in approximately 200,000 individually sold xylophones, 150,000 Little Ones® Infant three-piece musical gift sets, and 1,800 Little Ones® Infant five-piece musical gift sets. The rounded ends of the xylophone mallets are smaller in diameter than the 1.75-inch standard for small balls. The mallets can get stuck in the throats of young children, blocking their airways, and possibly causing death. CPSC and Playwell Toy were aware of one serious injury to a 6-month-old baby girl who suffered severe brain damage when the mallet became lodged in her throat. The xylophones are mostly white with a red button and yellow handle. The metal bars on the xylophones are red, yellow, green and blue, and the mallets are red. The individually sold xylophones have stickers on them reading, "PLAYWELL. . . SOUND TOY SERIES." Their packaging reads, "Music World Xylophone . . . Playwell . . . Item No: 044073." The three-piece Little OnesTM Infant musical gift sets consist of a toy xylophone and mallet, an accordion and a tambourine. The five-piece set consists of a xylophone, tambourine, harmonica and two maracas. All the instruments are multi-colored plastic. The sets are packaged in a box that reads, in part, "Little OnesTM Infant . . . Ages 6 Months and over . . . Hours of musical fun!" Each musical instrument has "MADE IN CHINA" printed on it. Target and other retail stores sold the individual xylophones from February 1996 to April 1998 for about $7. Kmart stores nationwide sold the three-piece musical set exclusively from May 1996 to April 1998 for about $10. Right Start Stores nationwide sold the five-piece musical gift set from November 1997 to August 1998 for about $24. Consumers should take these mallets away from children under 3 years old immediately, and dispose of the mallets. As the firm is out of business, a remedy is no longer available. Please discard or destroy the mallets.
Hazard
The rounded ends of the xylophone mallets are smaller in diameter than the 1.75-inch standard for small balls. The mallets can get stuck in the throats of young children, blocking their airways, and possibly causing death.
Incidents & Injuries
CPSC and Playwell Toy were aware of one serious injury to a 6-month-old baby girl who suffered severe brain damage when the mallet became lodged in her throat.
Remedy Instructions
Firm no longer in business. Recall remedy no longer available. Discard the product. Do not donate or resell.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Dispose, No Remedy Available 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 (Dispose, No Remedy Available) 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.