Aqua Dots Recall by Spin Master – Toy Recall ALERT
November 7, 2007 by Jay Genkins
Filed under Consumer Alerts, Recalls, Top Stories
Contact Spin Master at (800) 622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.aquadotsrecall.com
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 622-8339
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Aqua Dots
Units: About 4.2 million
Distributor: Spin Master, of Toronto, Canada
Toys tied to date-rape drug recalled
Here is a question and Answer page from www.aquadots.com in case their page overloads like yesterday.
Click image for questions and answers by Aqua Dots
Hazard: The coating on the beads that causes the beads to stick to each other when water is added contains a chemical that can turn toxic when many are ingested. Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures.
Incidents/Injuries: CPSC has received two reports over the past several days of children swallowing Aqua Dots. A 20-month-old child swallowed several dozen beads. He became dizzy and vomited several times before slipping into a comatose state for a period of time, was hospitalized, and has since fully recovered. A second child also vomited and slipped into a comatose state and was hospitalized for five days.
Description: The recalled toy is a craft kit which allows children to create various multi-dimensional designs using small colored beads. The beads fuse together when sprayed with water. The recall applies to all models of Aqua Dots. The product is available in various different kits with accessories such as a drying fan, applicator pen, design templates for the beads, and spray bottle. The product is labeled for ages 4+.
Sold at: Mass merchandisers nationwide from April 2007 through November 2007 for between $17 and $30.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Spin Master to return for free replacement beads or a toy of equal value.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Spin Master at (800) 622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.aquadotsrecall.com
More News from the BBC
GHB fears for Chinese-made toys
The children who swallowed the beads have now recovered |
Millions of Chinese-made toys have been recalled in the US and Australia after they were found to contain a substance linked to the date-rape drug GHB. A total of five children were taken to hospital after swallowing tiny beads known as Bindeez in Australia and Aqua Dots in the US.
The beads were coated in chemicals which transformed into the banned drug when swallowed.
Coloured beads
The toy has proved extremely popular in both countries. In 2007, Bindeez was named Australia’s Toy of the Year.
The fair trading minister in Australia’s New South Wales, Linda Burney, said an investigation was under way to determine how batches of the Chinese-made beads failed to match the approved formula.
Aquadots Toy Recall : TopiXs on Thu, 8th Nov 2007 8:45 am
[...] Consumer News Weekly says: WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: Aqua Dots Units: About 4.2 million Distributor: Spin Master, of Toronto, Canada Hazard: The coating on the beads that causes the beads to stick to each other when water is added contains a chemical that can turn toxic when many are ingested. Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures. [...]
David Jolley on Fri, 9th Nov 2007 7:32 am
To Whom It May Concern,
My wife and I purchased this product from a dealer on Amazon.com. We have two of the Aqua dots starter sets with templates. One kit has Red,White and Blue dots and the other has Glow in the Dark dots. If you could tell us what is going to be done about either refunds or replacement we would appreicate it very much. Thanks for your attention to this email.
Thanks
David Jolley
SHERRY SERAFINI on Wed, 12th Dec 2007 8:22 am
I HAVE E-MAILED FOR A REFUND ON THE AQUADOTS THAT I GOT FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER FOR CHRISTMAS APPROXIMATELY FOUR WEEKS AGO. I WAS TOLD I WOULD RECEIVE A PACKAGE IN THE MAIL IN ORDER TO SEND THESE AQUADOTS BACK. HOWEVER, I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING & I CANNOT GET IN CONTACT WITH ANYONE. I HAVE BEEN ON HOLD ON THE TELEPHONE FOR HOURS AND STILL HAVE NOT SPOKEN WITH ANYONE. I WOULD LIKE A REPLACEMENT OR MY MONEY REFUNDED.
bertha urquiza on Wed, 2nd Jan 2008 3:06 pm
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I’VE BEEN CALLING AND THEY PUT ME ON HOLD FOR A LONG TIME, I TO BOUGHT THESE AQUA DOTS FOR MY GRAND DAUGHTER, FOR HER BIRTHDAY AND I’VE BEEN WANTING TO GET MY MONEY BACK AND DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ANY BODY. I’M A SINGLE PARENT AND WANT MY MONEY BACK SO I CAN GET HER SOMETHING ELSE I HAVE NO MONEY TO GET HER ANY THING ELSE AND SHE IS 7 YEARS OLD AND WANTS ANOTHER TOY. PLEASE CONTACT ME BACK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BERTHA
AMANDA URQUIZA on Wed, 2nd Jan 2008 3:15 pm
I HAVE BEEN CALLING TO THE NUMBER I GOT FROM WAL MART AND ALL WAYS GET PUT ON HOLD, FOR HOURS, MY MOM BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER AQUA DOTS FOR HER BIRTHDAY, AND SHE REALLY NEEDS ANOTHER TOY TO REPLACE THIS ONE. WE BOTH ARE SINGLE AND WORK HARD FOR OUR MONEY, AND SHE REALLY NEEDS THIS TOY REPLACED. THANK YOU SO MUCH, PLESE EMAIL ME SOME INFO. SOON AMANDA
admin on Wed, 2nd Jan 2008 4:04 pm
For those of you who cannot contact Aqua Dots Directly, You can contact the store at which you purchased the product and let them know that you are unable to contact the company.
Also, at one point, Toy’s R Us was said to have been taking back the product even if it was not purchased there. You can give that a try as well.
If anyone has success, please leave a comment.
If you try a few more times and cannot get a resolution, please leave a comment here again and we can do some more research.
gary on Sat, 2nd Feb 2008 6:43 pm
i have e-mailed aqua dots 5 or 6 times about the aqua dots i purchased for my grand daugther and have no responce only once they were going to send a form in the mail but i never have got it. is spin master still in bussness or is this another comsumer rip off?
Diane Black on Thu, 23rd Oct 2008 1:17 pm
I have been trying for almost a year to get a refund for the Aqua Dots. Each time I am told that they will send replacement dots. I really don’t want replacement dots since the item was purchased for a gift last Christmas. I don’t want to give an already opened gift! I purchased them from AC Moore. The store will not take them back. Walmart wouldn’t take them. I don’t want to throw them in the trash where someone might get them and give them to a child. I want my $20 back!!!!!