The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that AZ3 Inc., doing business as BCBG Max Azria (BCBG), has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $75,000 to settle allegations that it violated the federal Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) and Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). BCBG, of Vernon, Calif., sold dangerously flammable women's chenille sweaters and failed to timely report to CPSC, as required by law, the sale of those sweaters.
From August through November 1996, BCBG sold or offered for sale about 3,000 women's chenille sweaters, made of 65 percent rayon and 35 percent nylon. The sweaters were so flammable that, if ignited, they would burn faster than newspaper. BCBG recalled the sweaters, in cooperation with CPSC, in November 1996.
After the recall, BCBG should have rid itself of its inventory of the sweaters, but instead kept some of the sweaters. In the summer of 1999, BCBG sold or offered for sale about 185 of the recalled sweaters in its employee store, which is located in Vernon, Calif. CPSC alleges that BCBG failed to timely report these sales to CPSC. BCBG conducted its own recall of the sweaters in the fall of 1999. These sales and the failure to timely report them were a violation of federal law. In agreeing to pay the penalty, BCBG denied that it violated the FFA or CPSA.
In cooperation with CPSC, BCBG is putting out notice that the sweaters sold in the summer of 1999 are being recalled.
For more information about the recall, call BCBG toll-free at (877) 748- 2224.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
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