Avoid dangerous toys this Christmas with these expert tips
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By its own estimation, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) recalls and destroys dozens of toys every year. Not because the consumer watchdog hates Christmas, but because these toys are all potentially unsafe and posed a significant risk to the children they would otherwise have ended up with.
The list includes soft toys, teddy bears, toy guns, inflatable toys with small parts and battery-operated dogs. The risks range from potential choke hazards to chemical issues; many of the toys contravened several toy safety regulations.
When you’re buying this Christmas, check for the CE mark. The CE mark is a manufacturer’s declaration that the product complies with EU safety regulations and standards. The mark should be easy to see, either on the product, in the instruction manual or on the packaging.
When buying toys online, check for the CE mark as soon as the package arrives. If there’s no visible CE mark, send it back. Under European consumer protection law, you have 14 days from when the goods arrive to notify the business that you wish to cancel your order, and a further 14 days to return the goods.
Always buy from a reputable dealer. This will help you to avoid unsafe, non-compliant toys, or indeed toys with a fake CE mark.
If you’re buying online, it can be hard to know who exactly you’re buying from, so it’s important to do a little research, check reviews and social media pages. If you can’t easily find where the business is based, approach with caution. And if the business is based outside of the EU, try and find an alternative trader within the EU so that you have the protections guaranteed by consumer law.
One of the biggest dangers for children is small or detachable parts of toys, because these can lodge in little ears, noses and throats. A €2 coin is good reference point. Anything smaller is a potential choking hazard for children aged up to three years.
Watch out for toys containing magnets These could be harmful if ingested because they can get stuck together and cause greater issues. Toys with magnets should have a warning displayed at the point of sale, on the packaging or attached to the toy
The CCPC is also concerned about amber beads, which are often sold as baby teething aids. They come in the form of necklaces, bracelets and anklets. The agency warms that they are very unsafe.
Check age guidance instructions on all children’s toys, in particular those designed for children under three. Age labelling is the manufacturer's way of telling you whether the toys are safe for a child of a particular age. It’s also important to consider any younger children who may be in the same house as the intended recipient.
If you’re buying electronic equipment for your child, always buy chargers from a reputable retailer and check that they have the CE mark. With poor quality chargers there is a greater risk of electrocution, fire or damage to the device. When buying a charger, if it feels very light, or if the USB port is upside-down or if words are spelled incorrectly on the charger, don’t buy it.
Finally, check for sharp edges, long cords or cables. Be sure to avoid dangerous or fold-away parts, or small holes that could trap children’s fingers.
Product safety isn’t just about toys of course. The CCPC also has a role in ensuring that a wide range of products sold in Ireland meet regulations. These include recreational personal protective equipment such as helmets, sun glasses and swimming aids, domestic electrical and gas appliances and general consumer products such as furniture, children’s clothing, window blinds and cigarette lighters.
The commission investigates complaints from consumers about unsafe products and works with Customs to prevent unsafe products being placed on the Irish market. They inspect products to ensure that they comply with relevant standards and legislation, and advise manufacturers, suppliers and retailers about their responsibilities under product safety legislation.
The CCPC lets consumers know about unsafe products through their database of product recalls or on their social media channels.
The commission also manages Ireland’s input to the EU product safety rapid alert recall system, Safety Gate RAPEX, which is essentially a register of EU-wide product recalls. If an unsafe product is found anywhere in Europe, this system ensures that the CCPC will know about it quickly.
They then have the power to remove unsafe products from the market, and to prosecute retailers who don’t comply. Product recalls are now a standard feature of the consumer landscape. In October alone, there were six separate product recalls listed in Ireland.
On November 19, a product safety information notice was issued on an amber teething necklace sold on the AliExpress platform: "The product presents a choking and strangulation risk. The necklace could wind around a baby’s neck and lead to strangulation. A baby could also ingest the necklace resulting in choking."
A day earlier, Smyths Toys carried out a recall of a battery-powered ride-on jeep called the Acctel 24V Vertex UTV: "Due to an issue with the circuit board, the product can become hot and overheat causing the product to melt. If a user touches it, they may sustain burns."
At the moment, the consumer watchdog is particularly concerned about a "potentially fatal fault" in some gas hop models "which could cause gas poisoning, fires, explosions and death". The bulletin states that some gas hobs have a faulty elbow joint that may fracture, causing gas to leak.
This issue affects specific models of the following brands: Belling, ElectriQ, Cooke and Lewis, Caple, Russell Hobbs and Comfee. For more details on exactly which models are affected, check the news section of the CCPC site.
And for a full list of these recalls, just search ‘product recalls Ireland’.
So what do you do if you’ve bought a product that’s been recalled? First off, let the retailer know. It may turn out to be a once-off fault in which case you are entitled to a repair, a replacement, a reduction in the price or a refund.
You will need proof of purchase such as a receipt or bank or credit card statement. If you’re still not satisfied, get in touch with the CCPC.
Businesses (including manufacturers, importers, suppliers and retailers) must only place safe products on the market. If a business discovers that a product it placed on the market is unsafe and poses a risk to the health and safety of consumers, it must remove the product from sale.
If this happens, the business may contact you directly to offer you a repair, a refit, or a replacement part.
If you hear about a product recall and think you’re affected, check the product recall details on the CCPC site. It may only be a specific batch being recalled, or it might just affect certain countries.
And if you have found an unsafe product, contact the CCPC helpline on 01 402 5555 or contact the commission through the website, ccpc.ie.