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"Funny Clown" Dressing Doll

CPSC Recall #90-011 - November 20, 1989

Recall Summary

Recall Number90-011
Recall DateNovember 20, 1989
Remedy TypeRefund

Product

"Funny Clown" Dressing Doll

Description

WASHINGTON -- Brightly colored toy clown dolls, marketed as the "Dress Up Clown," are being recalled by Oriental Trading Company, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska because they contain small parts that present a choking risk to young children. The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The clown dolls, although marketed as the "Dress Up Clown," came in a package labeled "Funny Clown." They were sold by mail order catalogue and by retailers nationwide for $3.00 each between December 1988 and the present. Clothed primarily in red, blue and yellow, this doll has yellow string hair, a clown's cap and is about 13 inches long. It also has a snap, a button, a zipper, a buckle and shoe laces intended to introduce young children to various dressing functions. The clown doll may be identified by a cloth tag sewn onto the doll's cap that says: "Oriental Trading Co., Inc." When the Commission tested the clown dolls in accordance with the regulations under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, zipper clasps, buttons and buckles came off the dolls. The Commission alleges that these small parts make the dolls banned hazardous substances because they present a choking, ingestion and aspiration hazard to children. Consumers owning the Funny Clown dress up dolls should return the dolls to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers who purchased the doll from Oriental by direct mail catalogue may arrange for a refund by phoning the company at its toll-free number, 1-800-327-9678.

Hazard

The doll contains small parts that could present a choking, ingestion and aspiration hazard to children.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers owning the Funny Clown dress up dolls should return the dolls to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers who purchased the doll from Oriental by direct mail catalogue may arrange for a refund by phoning the company at its toll-free number, 1-800-327-9678.

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.

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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.

Federal law prohibits the sale of toys with small parts for children under age 3. CPSC uses a standardized small parts cylinder to test whether pieces from a toy can fit entirely inside, if they can, they are considered a choking hazard. Products marketed for children under 3 must not contain any small parts. Beyond the legal requirements, the CPSC and pediatricians recommend keeping all small objects away from children under 4, as the risk of choking extends beyond the formal legal age threshold.

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.

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