Retailers don't have a clue

[#1]

Okay maybe I am not getting this, maybe I'm missing something but it is now past 02/10/2009 and from what I can see it is business as usual for these retailers...looking at packaging nothing has changed. I see no big removal of products off the shelves and the managers are absolutely clueless about this law at all; I've asked at Walmart, K-Mart and the GM of a huge local grocery chain. If this was supposed to be such a big change then why is there nothing on the packaging, no notice near the toy aisle. If the retailers are supposed to be getting compliance certificates from their manufacturers why am I getting blank stares from management when I ask for 1 as a consumer buying a product...also I am seeing a lot of plastic, which contains phthalates and no kind of certification at all and the phthalates stay was overturned so things in inventory before 02/10 are not excluded. I am really confused. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Dee

[SusanAnna]

Oh! I hate for the schools to find out. There is some great material in there. It would end up in the dumps. No!!!

This whole thing makes me so sick. It is like a witch hunt!

[SusanAnna]

Thanks storybox, but really. I do think that in a couple of years, we will be so bombarded with why this is soooo good for us, and then Hollywood will be all over it, and Michael Moore will make some fantastic documentary that will just make us all soooo mad at the injustices... That we will not be able to think or remember why was it that we thought this was a bad and ridiculous law in the first place.

[Former_Member]

My favorite thrift store has started pulling children's items. There were so many confused shoppers. One little boy was crying his eyes out because he couldn't get a toy or book. :(

[ByNanasHands]

SusanAnna says:
"Wait ‘til Mattel, and all those evil toy maker companies get what is coming to them."

Just a FYI, Mattel, Fisher Price, Hasbro were all IN on this law from the beginning. They (and their well paid lobbyist) helped "pen" this law. It was their way of eliminating the "little guy" due to the cost of testing. This was their move on the market to put them all out of business and monopolize the toy market...so they won't "get what is coming to them"....they bought and paid for it!

[VioGemini]

I asked the staff at the day care my son goes to, if they heard about phtalates and what kind of sippy cups they use, coz I am going to change all plastic bottles I have at home. They had no idea what I was talking about. And children have lots of wooden painted toys, some constructions made of vinyl etc. Why day cares and schools were not informed about it all?

[Former_Member]

Have to tell you that I saw all the CPSIA stuff on etsy first. The first time I heard about it through a source for my B&M was Jan. 2009 in the National Federation of Independent Business news info. One of the difficulties has been communication. Small retailers like me are mostly clueless.

[FloraAndFaunaKids]

I spoke with the Ass't Manager at my local Toys R' Us. He said that TRU has been independently testing every item they stock for about a year or so. TRU has actually alerted the CSPC of several non-compliant toys since they have been testing them themselves. Here is an article from last year about it: http://www.playthings.com/article/CA6532747.html

I went to the thrift store the other day and noticed that their toy and children's book shelves had been completely emptied. So sad....

[Former_Member]

CPSC and the Government are NOT NOTIFYING anyone.

The only way the general population will hear about it is if someone tell them about it or they might read or hear some little story on the news.

It's not like the CPSC is going to take full page ads or sent notices to all the U.S. businesses and try to explain what the new law is about and how it will effect all business and what they are going to have to do to comply with the new rulings...

[Former_Member]

If fact, has anyone heard HOW CPSC WAS GOING TO NOTIFIED ALL U.S. BUSINESSES? I thought they were suppose to notify businesses before it went into effect.

You know, warn the business community about the law, thereby giving businesses a chance to comply with the law before the due date.

Heck, none of the business owners knew what I was talking about, and those who took the time to listen to me thought I was CRAZY......

I had a couple of shop ladies ask me to leave their shop and not come back.... They told me I was just trying to stir up trouble...

:0/

[Former_Member]

I was at my local Goodwill browsing books and kids clothes when they started yanking the children's clothing from the racks. The kicker? They left all the toys and other items, which *might* actually contain lead or phalates. Ugh.

[Former_Member]

This all sounds like a script from a low-budget horror film, full of unknowing zombies and a few informed ones trying to save the world.

Only problem, it's hard to tell who is who.

[StitchnTyme]

ArtisticallySpeaking said:
This all sounds like a script from a low-budget horror film, full of unknowing zombies and a few informed ones trying to save the world.

Only problem, it's hard to tell who is who.

_______________________________________________________

Very well said!

[Former_Member]

I believe the CPSIA at this time only requires the Certificate of General Conformity (CGC) to be on file either physically or electronical at a retailer's Corporate Headquarters or Distribution Warehouse and accessible to the CPSC only on demand. The product permanant labeling requirements don't start until August 14, 2009, and even then I don't think the CPSIA is requiring the label to state the item's specific lead &/or phthalate content.
I have read that many of these Big Box retailers have been refusing shippments at the warehouse level if the shipment did not contain a CGC since November 2008. Since most individual stores for the Big Boxes receive their merchandise from their company's warehouse rather than the manufacture, most people at the store level probably do not even know what GCGs are.

Personally I wouldn't be asking the the store level personel if they can give you the CGCs or information about lead & phthalates, they only know as much as their managers or Corporate Headquarters inform them of about the CPSIA laws. Many retail floor personel will only do as much work as they have to keep their minimum wage part time positions. Not that these people don't work hard, in fact many of the people I know that work in retail, that are not management, work for 2-3 different companies to make ends meet. So where would they have the time or energy, between working & family, to investigate what this law is.

Management might not be any better informed either, again if the Corporate doesn't send a detailed memo about it. The several retail managers, that my husband knows, all work 60 to 75 hours a week for their salary and fear losing their job at any time because the Corporation can get someone else willing to work the insane hours cheaper. So again they do what they have to to keep they jobs, but if corporate doesn't tell them anything then they don't concern themselves about it.
Unless it winds up effecting their personal life, like not being able to afford the needed children's items even with their employee discount and not having the option of second hand. Or in my hubby's case he will no longer be able to collect pre-CGC die-cast cars, his life long hobby, legally until they become vintage or antique (increasing the purchase $) and are reclassified as collectibles. It was only after he went to toy & model train show and noticed the lack of choices did he start listening to what I was saying about the CPSIA.

[FlairMare]

I agree so many people don't have any idea about this.

I haven't seen anything in the stores in my area either. I really actually wish they would totally pull every children's item from the shelves. Also the thrift stores and libraries should take out all kids' items...and STORE them, not trash them.

If all retail stores and libraries did this, and left several prominant notices everywhere as to WHY this was happening, and all about this insanity and who consumers could contact about it, it could be the best wake-up call ever!

[Former_Member]

I don't understand why thrift stores are trashing everything either. Just store it until the law is in its final state, then decide. Again, I think all common sense has flown out the window with the people of our country.

[Former_Member]

I own a bead store and have beading kits for children of all ages. I've been watching this new law since the get go. To get the information I go to this site http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.HTML#whatsnew to find out what I need to. It also has been in our small town local newspaper as well. There is a one year stay on the testing. Even though my plastic beads don't contain any lead, I would have at least a year to get them tested. This may be why you arent' seeing alot of things pulled because of the stay. They have also stated that they aren't going to go and invade all businesses. Craft suppliers, schools, libraries all have an exemption, but again, feel free to go to or google CPSIA and you'll find the info needed :) Hope this sheds some light.

[meredithdillman]

I assume their lawyers told them to trash it or they are afraid of even having it in storage. They don't want to put up signs in case someone gets the idea to sue them.

[meredithdillman]

Thank you bust most all of the new CPSC publications have been posted here. There are still some problems even with the stay.

[scentbythesea]

most of the thrift stores in my area got rid of toys a long time ago because of recalls and such.

i haven't noticed any differences anywhere else. Most likely their suppliers have given them notices of compliance which are on file. there's no requirement to post the compliance.

lots of small businesses don't know or don't care. it looks like nothing will happen so they are in no hurry. Probably nothing will happen for a long time, which means like most things it will take getting burned (or seeing someone they know getting burned) to make them realize they are playing with fire.

[Former_Member]

It was on the news here. It's affecting a lot of charities or places like Goodwill, Salvation Army...whatever, because they have to throw away all the toys, clothes, whatever that haven't been tested.

[annemusingdesigns]

Hey, I received an Oriental Trading flyer. It was full of all kinds of stuff that should be pulled..

I feel as if we are entering the twilight zone..

[Former_Member]

I work at an indie bookstore that sells a number of children's toys & books and my boss, the owner, had never even heard of the CPSIA. We get a lot of product from Melissa & Doug, who have a compliance statement on their website, but I don't know what will end up happening with our other lines and all our children's books.

As an adult collector of children's books, and obviously as someone who sells items for children, this is all so frustrating and rather scary.

[CuckooBoo]

the thrift stores in my town got rid of all toys and will not take toy donations, but I was under the impression that thrift, consignment and second hand sellers did not have to test??? Was that amendment thrown out since a few weeks ago?

[Former_Member]

deestreasures, i don't think the bats say anything different on them, but i will check tomorrow. good question

[Former_Member]

The major stores started pulling items and returning them to the manufacturers shortly after Christmas, the toys that are currently on the shelves at stores like Toys R Us meet the new standards.

The toy manufacturers were not the ones behind this law, they fought it initially but when they realized it was going to happen they asked to be included in the finalizing of the bill so they would have at least a little input and would know what was in it..

The main group behind this bill is USPIRG, they have stated on their website (I read it) that they have tried for 10 years to get a bill like this and when the lead toys were recalled in 2007 they used that to get the law written and passed. They are very happy with this law (many lawyers in these consumer groups) and take full credit for it. They are the group who sued to have the plastics portion be retroactive, the agency had said it was not. A judge ruled in favor of the USPIRG.

Since the big manufacturers have known about what was coming they were prepared for it, in fact most are ready for the lower level that will go into effect in August and most already have the wet testing done, one of the reasons smaller business's cannot find anyone to do theirs.

The American Library Association has been fighting this law and at this time the libraries have been told to pull all books that were published prior to 1985, some are, some are refusing.

Store personnel and managers are not going to talk with customers about this law or the products on the shelves. If you push you will be told to contact the corporate office.