Chenille Sweaters
CPSC Recall #97-046 - December 17, 1996
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 97-046 |
| Recall Date | December 17, 1996 |
| Remedy Type | Refund |
| Units Affected | 32,000 |
Where It Was Sold
| BCBG Bloomingdale's Dillard's Express Foley's Lerner of New York Limited Too Lord & Taylor Macy's Neiman Marcus Nordstrom Parisian |
| Inc. Robinson-May |
Product
Chenille Sweaters
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today the stop sale and recall of more than 32,000 dangerously flammable chenille sweaters sized for girls and women. The sale of these sweaters violates the federal Flammable Fabrics Act, and the sweaters present a serious risk of burn injuries. In fact, these sweaters burn faster than newspaper. Although CPSC has not received reports of injuries from these sweaters to date, the agency is issuing this safety notice and recalling the sweaters to prevent injuries from these dangerous products. The sweaters, which were made in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States, are made in a variety of colors of very soft textured chenille. Sweater styles are primarily long sleeved or short sleeved with a crew or turtle neckline; although, there is also a v-neck vest style and a mock wrap style. The sweaters sold for between $38 and $130 at large department stores and small boutiques nationwide. Nearly all of these sweaters are made of 65 percent rayon/35 percent nylon; although, a few styles are made of 90 percent rayon/10 percent nylon, 67 percent rayon/33 percent nylon, or 100 percent rayon. CPSC is working with a number of importers and retailers to recall these sweaters. CPSC surveyed over 100 retail stores in major U.S. cities to test for the fire hazard. CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop wearing sweaters they believe may be involved in this recall. These flammable sweaters should be returned to the retailers where purchased. Retailers taking part in this recall will provide a refund or credit. The following major retailers sold the sweaters: BCBG Bloomingdale's Dillard's Express Foley's Lerner of New York Limited Too Lord & Taylor Macy's Neiman Marcus Nordstrom Parisian, Inc. Robinson-May CPSC found the following brand names and RN numbers on the labels of the sweaters that failed the flammability test. Consumers can call the importers and manufacturers listed for more information. Brand Name RN Number Manufacturer/Importer Phone Number BCBG Maxazeria RN 80734 BCBG Max Azria Vernon, Calif. (213) 589-2224 525 Made in America RN 61680 525 Made in America, Inc. New York, N.Y. (212) 921-5688 Maille ISHYU RN 78635 Pretty Talk Inc. Miami, Fla. (305) 717-3180 Sisters RN 84332 Fredini, dba Miss LA Los Angeles, Calif. (213) 745-7921 Karen Kane Lifestyle Petite RN 59168 Karen Kane Los Angeles, Calif. (800) 590-5263 Karen Kane Lifestyle RN 59168 Karen Kane RN 59168 The Limited RN 54867 Limited Inc. Limited Too Columbus, Ohio (800) 723-8785 Express Tricot RN 54867 Limited Express (Limited Inc.) Columbus, Ohio (614) 479-4031 N.Y. Jeans RN 23243 Lerner New York Inc. (Limited Inc.) New York, N.Y. (800) 723-5111 There are sweaters with the brand names and RN numbers listed here that are not violative. Retailers should be able to tell whether an individual chenille sweater is involved in this recall based on the yle numbers they have. The importers and manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to recall the sweaters from consumers and will issue recall information through the retailers who sold the products. Link to CPSC's provisionally accepted settlement agreement with Nordstrom. For additional questions about this chenille sweater recall, including information on other retailers participating in this recall, consumers can call the CPSC toll-free hotline at (800) 638-2772.
Hazard
The sale of these sweaters violates the federal Flammable Fabrics Act, and the sweaters present a serious risk of burn injuries. In fact, these sweaters burn faster than newspaper.
Incidents & Injuries
Although CPSC has not received reports of injuries from these sweaters to date, the agency is issuing this safety notice and recalling the sweaters to prevent injuries from these dangerous products.
Remedy Instructions
CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop wearing sweaters they believe may be involved in this recall. These flammable sweaters should be returned to the retailers where purchased. Retailers taking part in this recall will provide a refund or 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.
If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident, they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
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.