Harry Potter Bookends by Giftco

Lead content in products used by consumers in the United States is a recognized health and safety hazard. The standards are set and enforced by the federal agency known as the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This agency is responsible to identify dangerously high lead content in both imported and domestically manufactured products. When such a product is identified, the CPSC and the responsible company cooperate to do a voluntary recall of the product. In this way, consumers are not exposed to agents that may cause detrimental effects. The recent recall of Giftco’s Harry Potter Bookends is an example of the process.

Product Description

The recalled products in questions are poly stone bookends shaped like some of the Harry Potter characters. The bookends are painted to resemble Harry Potter, Hermione, Hedwig and Crookshank. The Harry Potter bookends are manufactured in Hong Kong and imported by Giftco In of Vernon Hills, IL. It is the brightly colored paint on the product that has been identified as having lead content that is too high to meet United States Consumer Products Safety Commission standards. The price of the items ranged from $3 to as high as $28. The bookends make a clever and whimsical decorating theme for a child’s room. It helps to keep the child’s room organized and fits well with the desire to encourage reading in children.

Hazardous Bookends

The dangerous part of the recalled products is the paint that is used to define and decorate the bookends. The lead content of the paint has been tested and found to be too high for the standards set by the federal government and by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. When this happens, the CPSC works with the importer or distributor to initiate a recall of the product. About 36,000 bookends have been targeted under the recall provisions.

Availability of the Bookends

The bookends in question were sold between June of 2004 and January 2008. The bookends were available as part of school fund raising projects. They were also found in discount and dollar stores. Because the bookends featured characters from the Harry Potter book series for children, the products were most likely to be placed in children’s rooms. Since lead content has a greater impact on children than on adults, the wide availability of the bookends made them a much greater threat to youngsters than to adults.

Remedial Actions

Once a product is identified as falling under the regulations that apply to a recall due to high lead content, quick action is necessary to avoid further detrimental effects to the owner or to children in the household. The bookends should be removed from the possession of children as quickly as possible. The recalled bookends are to be returned to Giftco in order to receive a refund for the product. The Giftco company can be contacted for further information about the recall or the product itself by calling 1-888-448-6728 or by visiting the online web site at http://mail.giftcoinc.com. Customer service hours are between 8:30 am and 5 pm Central Time–weekdays.

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