Washington, DC – After hundreds of thousands of Graco and Simplicity baby cribs were recalled from store shelves due to deadly defects, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand urged Craigslist to immediately remove online listings of dangerous Simplicity drop-side cribs currently for sale.
Senator Gillibrand said, “The Simplicity cribs, which have trapped and suffocated infants, are all too easy to purchase online. We must immediately stop these harmful products from reaching any more nursery rooms, homes, and day care centers.”
In a letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster, Senator Gillibrand wrote, “Too many babies have already died because the numerous pieces associated with defective cribs become dislodged or break. As one of the leading used furniture sales organizations in the nation, I urge you to obey the law and stop allowing people to sell recalled drop-side cribs on your website and to remain vigilant in the future in removing similar damaged products. Not only are these cribs dangerous, but after they have been used, the parts are even more susceptible to breaking and entrapping babies.”
Despite yesterday’s announcement that WalMart, Target, and Babies R Us are recalling all full-sized cribs made by Simplicity, Inc. and a previous announcement made last year on the recall of Simplicity drop-side cribs, Craigslist still has three sale listings on its website of used Simplicity cribs. The resale of recalled cribs is against the law.
Simplicity is now out of business after a one-year old boy was trapped between the mattress and frame in 2008. Since 2005, Simplicity cribs have been linked to 13 infant injuries. These defected products continue to exist in the second-hand market and may still be in use by parents who are unaware of the recalls.
Yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced recall of all full-sized Simplicity cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames. The bendable and detachable frames can cause the mattress to collapse and potentially trap and suffocate a toddler.
The full text of the letter is below:
April 30, 2010
Dear Mr. Buckmaster:
I write to ask you to immediately stop selling recalled Simplicity drop-side cribs on your website. Craigslist is currently listing Simplicity drop-side cribs (Christina Crib ‘N Changer, Model No. 8996), which the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has deemed defective.
Nearly all Simplicity cribs have now been recalled. Yesterday, WalMart, Target, and Babies R Us have announced a massive recall of full-sized Simplicity cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames. CPSC had previously recalled all Simplicity drop-side cribs in 2009. Since 2005, Simplicity, which shut its doors after a one-year old boy became trapped in his crib, has been linked to thirteen infant injuries.
Almost 7 million cribs have been recalled over the past three years. Nearly every major brand of cribs, including Graco, Generation 2 Worldwide, Dorel, Caramia, LaJobi, Stork Craft, Simplicity, and Delta Enterprise have had to recall drop-side cribs in the last 18 months because children have died when they became entrapped in faulty drop-side mechanisms. One of the nation’s largest children’s furniture stores, Toy’s R Us, has voluntarily banned the sale of drop-side cribs in their stores.
Last December, the group that develops voluntary manufacturing standards for cribs, ASTM, revised their standard to no longer allow the sale of cribs that have a traditional drop side. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends parents only buy stationary-side cribs and is developing new, more stringent standards than those in place for drop-side cribs currently on the market. And Consumer Reports recommends parents buy stationary-side cribs.
Too many babies have already died because the numerous pieces associated with defective cribs become dislodged or break. As one of the leading used furniture sales organizations in the nation, I urge you to obey the law and stop allowing people to sell recalled drop-side cribs on your website and to remain vigilant in the future in removing similar damaged products. Not only are these cribs dangerous, but after they have been used, the parts are even more susceptible to breaking and entrapping babies.
Thank you for your attention and I hope you will join me in protecting our nation’s babies against defective furniture.