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Mattel Battles US Over Recalls

Company keeps consumer commission in the dark

By Peter Fearon, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 4, 2007 4:07 AM CDT

(Newser) – Toymaker Mattel has clashed with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission over the timely reporting of the defects that led to massive toy recalls last month. Mattel spent months conducting its own investigation of defects in a number of products, including 18 million playsets which contained dangerous magnets, before informing the commission, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The law requires companies to report potentially hazardous defects in 24 hours; Mattel CEO Robert Eckert argues that the timetable is unreasonable. Companies are required to report any defect that could cause a hazard, a "standard that might apply to almost anything," says Eckert. "It's very easy for anyone to apply the word 'could' backward." Mattel has been fined twice before for withholding information.

[Images (4)]

[Videos (1)]

A woman looks at Barbie dolls in a department store in Beijing Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007. A Chinese official said Wednesday that manufacturers in China and American toy giant Mattel Inc. are both responsible... (Associated Press)

A vendor stands near toy cars in a department store in Beijing Tuesday Aug. 28, 2007. China launched a nationwide campaign Tuesday to weed out unqualified toy makers in the wake of a massive worldwide... (Associated Press)

The Wall Street Journal reports Mattel investigated defects in Power Wheels vehicles for months before informing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Associated Press)

(AP) - A Chinese woman looks at the toys on display for sale inside a department store in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007. China launched a nationwide campaign Tuesday to weed out unqualified toy... (Associated Press)

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Mattel Battles US Over Recalls