Meijer Agrees to Pay $2 Million Civil Penalty for Distributing Recalled Products

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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Sep 17, 2014, 01:21 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Meijer, Inc., of Grand Rapids, Mich., has agreed to pay a $2 million civil penalty for distributing recalled consumer products.

The agreement settles charges that the firm knowingly sold and distributed 12 different recall consumer products. Federal law prohibits the sale or distribution in commerce of a consumer product that is subject to voluntary corrective action, such as a recall, that has been publicly announced and taken in consultation with CPSC.

Staff charged that Meijer distributed recalled products through a system Meijer operated with a third party contractor. Staff further charged that Meijer received information about products handled by the contractor, but Meijer failed to take action to prevent distribution of recalled products. As a result, between April 2010 and April 2011, approximately 1,700 units of recalled consumer products were resold to consumers.

The recalled products include:

Discovery Kids Animated Marine and Safari Lamps imported by Innovage LLC;
SlingRider Baby Slings manufactured by Infantino;
Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaners with Cord Rewind Feature imported by Hoover Inc;
Fisher-Price Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricycles manufactured by Fisher-Price;
Little People Wheelies Stand 'n Play Rampways imported by Fisher Price;
Ocean Wonders Kick & Crawl Aquariums imported by Fisher-Price;
Bathtub Subs imported by Munchkin, Inc.;
Refreshing Rings Infant Teethers/Rattles imported by Sassy;
Touch Point Oscillating Ceramic Heater;
Harmony High Chair manufactured by Graco Children's Products;
Random Orbit Sander manufactured by Black & Decker; and
Box Fans manufactured by Lasko.

CPSC and Meijer jointly reannounced the recall of the Touch Point Oscillating Ceramic Heater on July 13, 2011 and reannounced eight of the other recalls on March 6, 2012.

In addition to agreeing to pay a monetary penalty, Meijer has agreed to implement and maintain a reverse logistics compliance program designed to ensure that Meijer does not violate federal law prohibiting the sale or distribution of recalled products in the future.

In agreeing to the settlement, Meijer neither admits nor denies CPSC staff's charges. Meijer is not aware of any additional reported incidents or injuries associated with the recalled products.

The settlement agreement has been accepted provisionally by the Commission in a 5 to 0 vote.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.

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SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission