Novelty and disposable cigarette lighters

CPSC Recall #00-010a - October 31, 1999

Recall Summary

Recall Number00-010a
Recall DateOctober 31, 1999
Remedy TypeRefund
Units AffectedAbout 22,300
Manufactured InChina

Where It Was Sold

Small stores and souvenir shops in the New York and Miami areas sold the lighters from January 1999 through July 1999 for about $5.

Product

Novelty and disposable cigarette lighters

Description

PRODUCT: Cigarette Lighters - Penda New York Inc., of New York, N.Y., is recalling about 22,300 novelty and disposable cigarette lighters. The novelty lighters are plastic and shaped as a "BMW" toy car with flashing lights and keychain, a "Coke" soda bottle, a "Budweiser" beer can with flashing lights, a fire extinguisher, and a telephone pager with flashing lights belt clip. The disposable lighters are silver-colored metal and are relatively flat, measuring 2.75 inches long, 1 inch wide and .25 inch thick. A "MADE IN CHINA" label is on each lighter. Small stores and souvenir shops in the New York and Miami areas sold the lighters from January 1999 through July 1999 for about $5. U.S. Customs alerted CPSC to this product hazard.PROBLEM: The lighters do not have any child-resistant mechanisms, as required by federal law. Young children could ignite the lighters, presenting fire and burn hazards.INCIDENTS/INJURIES: None reported.WHAT TO DO: Stop using these lighters immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund. For more information, call Penda New York Inc. collect at (212) 889-6740 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

Hazard

The lighters do not have any child-resistant mechanisms, as required by federal law. Young children could ignite the lighters, presenting fire and burn hazards.

Incidents & Injuries

None reported.

Remedy Instructions

Stop using these lighters immediately and return them to the store where purchased 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.

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.