THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 7, 1997 TAG: 9701070254
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 54 lines
Mattel Inc. will pay consumers $40 for each Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kids doll returned to the company in response to about 100 reports of children getting their hair and fingers caught in the dolls' mouths, officials said Monday.
Mattel also announced it was withdrawing all the dolls from store shelves throughout the United States.
The doll has battery-powered, mechanical jaws that move when it is fed the plastic carrots and french fries that come with it. But in some cases the doll clamped onto the fingers and hair of children and wouldn't let go.
Testing done by Mattel and the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission has failed to turn up any indication of a safety hazard associated with the dolls, the company said.
``Nonetheless, we remain deeply concerned with the satisfaction of all our consumers and in maintaining their longstanding confidence in the safety and value of our toys,'' said Jill Barad, Mattel's chief operating officer.
About 500,000 of the dolls have been sold to the public since they were introduced in the fall of 1996, Mattel said.
The $40 refund includes estimated shipping and handling costs, the company said. In order to get the refund, owners must send the dolls to Mattel's distribution center in Chino, Calif., along with their names and addresses.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said it was pleased with Mattel's voluntary withdrawal.
``We recognize that these incidents can be upsetting to children and adults, and we are pleased with the actions being taken by Mattel,'' said commission Chairwoman Ann Brown.
Parents aren't required to send the dolls back, but they can if they choose, Mattel spokesman Sean Fitzgerald said.
``It's a matter of personal choice,'' he said. The company already has given out ``a minimal'' number of refunds, he said. ``We have been honoring requests. At this point we are just making it official. We encourage those people who are for whatever reason unhappy with their dolls,'' Fitzgerald said.
``This doll passed all federal, state and every other safety test, but nevertheless, because of the incidents that have been reported, we felt it was the right thing to do,'' he said.
The refund program is only for Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kids dolls, and not for any other type of Cabbage Patch doll, Mattel said.
To receive refunds, dolls must be sent to Mattel Distribution Center, 14310 Ramona Ave., Chino, Calif. 91710. Returns should include a note clearly indicating the consumer's name and address. For more information, consumers can call Mattel at 1-800-335-1700 during regular business hours.
KEYWORDS: CABBAGE PATCH DOLL REFUND