Six Retailers Announce Recall of Buckyballs and Buckycubes High-Powered Magnet Sets Due to Ingestion Hazard
CPSC recall 13168 · announced April 12, 2013 · Maxfield & Oberton
The product
Imported by Maxfield & Oberton LLC, of New York, N.Y., Buckyballs and Buckycubes consist of sets of numerous, small, high-powered magnets. These sets vary in the number of magnets included and come in a variety of colors. Individual magnets in the set are about 5 millimeters in diameter. Individual magnets in Buckyballs are spherical and individual magnets in Buckycubes are cube-shaped. Retailers Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, Brookstone, certain Hallmark retailers, Marbles the Brain Store, and ThinkGeek have agreed to participate because Maxfield & Oberton has refused to participate in the recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes.
The hazard
These products contain defects in the design, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to children and teenagers.
What to do (per CPSC)
Consumers should take the high-powered magnet sets and all associated individual magnets away from children and teenagers and contact the retailer from which they purchased the product to obtain instructions for their remedy.
Notes
Incidents (per CPSC): CPSC has received 54 reports of children and teens ingesting this product, with 53 of these requiring medical interventions.
Sold at: U.S. retail stores nationwide and online since 2010 for between $5 and $100.
Consumer contact: Barnes & Noble, toll-free at (855) 592-2993 , www.barnesandnoble.com Bed Bath & Beyond, toll-free at (800) 462-3966, www.bedbathandbeyond.com Brookstone, toll-free at (866) 576-7337 or online at www.brookstone.com Participating Hallmark retailers, toll-free at (800) 425-5627 or online at www.hallmark.com/recall-product/ Marbles the Brain Store, toll-free at (877) 527-2460 or online at www.marblesthebrainstore.com ThinkGeek, toll-free at (888) 433-5788 or online at www.thinkgeek.com/buckyballs/index.shtml
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission public recall data. This page reports official records and is not legal, medical, or repair advice.