The Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued an urgent recall over a popular baby’s car seat.
It was identified that the Kinderkraft I-CARE car seat poses a risk of injuries, especially when the car seat is carried outside the vehicle.
This is because it’s possible for the carry handle fastener to loosen during use.
The dark green car seat has a black base and handle.
The fault applies to car seats with batch numbers between 23W17 and 23W46.
The affected seats within the batch range do not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
Now the product has been recalled from end users by the manufacturer.
To check if you have the car seat, look out for the batch number which is located on the label under the car seat.
The batch number is preceded by the model code.
If you have an affected product, you will be able to exchange it and a free-of-charge voluntary safety programme has been launched by KinderKraft.
Once you have submitted your details, Kinderkraft will provide a free-of-charge pick-up of the car seat by the courier service.
The customer is required to hand over the packed car seat, without the base.
At the same time, Kinderkraft will promptly send a new model, which is fully safe and free of defects.
All transportation costs are covered by Kinderkraft.
Product recalls are common practice among retailers with items pulled from shelves for a host of different reasons.
In most cases, products are pulled because there is a safety risk to customers.
For example, last year a warning was issued to parents after ASDA recalled a popular baby item.
The product had been taken off the shelves due to safety concerns and choking fears.
PRODUCT recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods.
As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action.
But it’s often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk.
If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer’s website to see if a safety notice has been issued.
When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you – the customer – to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don’t there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault.
If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer.
They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice.
In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected.
You should not be charged for any recall work – such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item.
If you return a recalled product, your rights to a refund depend on whether the fault makes it unsafe.
Sometimes, companies will repair the product, for example, by fitting a new part instead of offering a refund.
However, if a fault makes a product unsafe to use or is too difficult to fix, you still have the right to claim a refund.
You can read more about your rights concerning a recalled product in our guide.
