December 17, 2009
Alert #10-711 |
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Risk of Strangulation Prompts Recall to Repair Faux Wood Blinds by American Vintage Group
The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Faux Wood Blinds
Units: About 1,100
Manufacturer: American Vintage Group LLC, of Houston, Texas
Distributors: Paramount Window Furnishings, of Carrolton, Texas and Signature Window Coverings, of Houston, Texas
Hazard: Strangulation can occur when a child places his/her neck between the cords of the pull cord above the breakaway device and the device fails to breakaway.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: This recall involves various sized custom Faux Wood Blinds with 2” slats in two colors – silk white and pearl. The recall only involves custom-sized Faux Wood Blinds. The pull cord with breakaway device is on the right side while two single cords on the left side control the open/close feature of the slats. There is a label inside the head rail that states “NIENMADE China” and a second label inside the head rail with a manufacturing code beginning with the letters “MFG” followed by four numbers. A warning label on the bottom rail states, “Cords and bead chains can loop around a child’s neck and STRANGLE.”
Sold at: Various blind dealers in Texas from April 2009 through September 2009 for between about $45 to $65 per blind.
Manufactured in: USA
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these faux wood blinds and contact American Vintage to schedule an appointment for on-site repair of their blinds.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact American Vintage toll-free at (866) 831-1524 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the firms’ Web site at www.AmericanVintagegroup.com
Note: Examine all shades and blinds in your home. Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the product. CPSC recommends the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.
Example of manufacturing code
Example of cord break away device with cord assembly subject to this recall
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @OnSafety or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.