Office Depot® Gibson Leather Task Chairs

CPSC Recall #14-188 — May 22, 2014

Recall Summary

Recall Number14-188
Recall DateMay 22, 2014
Remedy TypeRefund
Units AffectedAbout 1,400,000
Manufactured InChina

Where It Was Sold

Office Depot retail stores and online from 2003 through 2012 for about $40.

Product

Office Depot® Gibson Leather Task Chairs

Description

The mounting plate weld can break and separate the seat from the base of the chair, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Hazard

The mounting plate weld can break and separate the seat from the base of the chair, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Incidents & Injuries

Office Depot has received about 153 reports of the seat plate weld cracking or breaking, including 25 reports of contusions, abrasions and reports of injuries to the head, neck and a fractured back and hip which required medical attention.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should immediately stop using the chairs and return them to any Office Depot store location for a $55 store merchandise 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.

Furniture tip-overs are a leading cause of pediatric injuries in the U.S., particularly dressers, bookcases, and television stands. CPSC data shows that a child dies approximately every two weeks from a furniture or TV tip-over. Unstable high chairs, baby swings, and bouncers are also frequent recall subjects due to fall risks. ASTM International standards now require that certain furniture must meet tip-over resistance standards, and CPSC has been actively pursuing mandatory requirements for dressers and chests. If you have furniture that was not recalled but feels unstable, wall-anchoring kits are widely available at hardware stores.

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.