Mattel’s Special Deal with the CPSC
The latest Ask Mattel at Poe Ghostal’s site led to a link to news I hadn’t heard. I’m not sure what to think of the news, since it either points to future changes in child safety testing procedures or to something questionable and a serious error in judgment at the CPSC.
This article at Zimbio is a little disturbing since it claims that toy maker Mattel does not have to submit to independent child safety testing for their products. The article opens with:
“Toy-makers, clothing manufacturers and other companies selling products for young children are submitting samples to independent laboratories for safety tests. But the nation’s largest toy maker, Mattel, isn’t being required to do the same.”
This is especially disturbing since a lot of the reasons for the new child safety law is because six of Mattel’s toys back in 2007 were part of the problem. So a company with a proven history of shipping dangerous toys is allowed to test their own products?
I’d like to hear some sort of justification for that decision.
And this one sentence is especially interesting:
“Mattel says its situation is unique because it owns its production factories outside the U.S. and can do the required safety testing there.”
So when Mattel talks about factory problems it’s not like when I deal with factory problems at the office, since we contract with factories and Mattel owns factories. So any excuses of factory problems leading to inferior toys is really an internal Mattel problem?
Very interesting reading for anyone dealing with the CPSIA testing requirements.
What a load. I guess it’s not surprising that Mattel doesn’t want to submit to independent safety tests because they will affect the bottom line. But you’re right, shoddy Mattel quality control was a huge problem this year. But, I suppose if this is voluntary, we can’t expect Mattel to comply.
@Nathan – The quality control of cheap plastics, bad paint, and mis-placed limbs isn’t something child safety testing would catch.
Didn’t Toy Guru just claim in the most recent Q&As (I don’t remember on which site) that the reason they couldn’t match NECA’s price points is because Mattel had to do so much more safety testing? I’m curious how this plays in to that.
But yes, you’re right, some shady stuff happening here.
@TAO – Yeah, one of the reasons given for price increases was safety testing. I can believe that, since the tests are more involved now, but I can’t see why Mattel was given permission to test their own product.
Should I feel strange that I hate Mattel more then that jerk from middle school who used to pick on me for bieng a geek? Hasbro FTW