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Montgomery Ward "Desk Phone Set" toy

CPSC Recall #79-064 - November 8, 1979

Recall Summary

Recall Number79-064
Recall DateNovember 8, 1979
Remedy TypeRefund
Units AffectedApproximately 20,000

Where It Was Sold

The sets have been sold through Ward's catalogs since 1975. They are advertised in the current (1979) Christmas catalog as a "Desk Phone Set
" number 48T20192
at a retail price of $9.96.

Product

Montgomery Ward "Desk Phone Set" toy

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 9) -- Montgomery Ward is recalling approximately 20,000 toy telephone sets offered for sale through its mail-order catalog, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced. The phone sets were imported from Yugoslavia and are very similar to the toy telephones recalled last month by another U.S. firm. The sets include two battery-operated toy telephones connected by means of a detachable cord. The two-prong plugs at each end of the cord so closely resemble genuine electrical plugs that children may try to force them into household sockets, thereby receiving severe shocks or burns. While Montgomery Ward has received no consumer complaints of injuries from the cords, CPSC staff reports that an 8-year-old girl was burned earlier this year when she forced a plug from a similar phone set (which was distributed by another company) into a wall electrical outlet. The sets are ivory in color, and are equipped with functional intercoms, signal lights and buzzers. The name "Mehanotehnika" is printed on the bottom of each phone. The sets have been sold through Ward's catalogs since 1975. They are advertised in the current Christmas catalog as a "Desk Phone Set," number 48T20192, at a retail price of $9.96. Consumers ordering the toy phones are being informed that such orders are not being filled until the company can equip the phone sets with cords and plugs which are safe. Consumers should return the toy to any Montgomery Ward catalog store for a full refund.

Hazard

The sets include two battery-operated toy telephones connected by means of a detachable cord. The two-prong plugs at each end of the cord so closely resemble genuine electrical plugs that children may try to force them into household sockets, thereby receiving severe shocks or burns.

Incidents & Injuries

While Montgomery Ward has received no consumer complaints of injuries from the cords, CPSC staff reports that an 8-year-old girl was burned earlier this year when she forced a plug from a similar phone set (which was distributed by another company) into a wall electrical outlet.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should return the toy to any Montgomery Ward catalog store for a full refund.

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.

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.

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