A POPULAR child’s car seat has been pulled from the shelves over serious safety concerns.
Parents have been urged to stop using the product “immediately” because the baby seat presents “a risk of injuries”.
HalfordsSimilar Halfords child car seats are advertised for between £36 and £89[/caption]
HalfordsThe Halfords Essentials Nyala R129 Car Seat, similar to the product pictured, was recalled over “a risk of injuries”[/caption]
The Office for Product Safety and Standards has recalled the Halfords Essentials Nyala R129 Car Seat over issues with the buckle.
It found that under extreme temperature conditions the plastic buckle could become deformed.
“This could compromise the performance of the buckle in the event of an accident,” the recall notice read.
“The products do not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.”
The danger was identified during routine safety testing and those who own the booster seat have been told they would be able to return the product to Halfords for a full refund.
The affected baby seats were produced over three months from March 2023, and have the batch numbers of 211X and 223X.
The recall notice includes an apology from the company: “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.
“However, the safety and confidence of our customers combined with quality of our products is at the heart of everything we do.”
Halfords child seats are advertised for between £36 and £89 on the company website.
The recalled products can be returned without a receipt and will still be reimbursed.
The car seats were made in China, are forward facing with a washable cover and are advertised as having a ” 5-point harness system”.
No other batches have been affected by the issue and the batch code can be found on the underside of the child seat.
At least three baby car seats or child booster seats have been recalled by the Office for Product Safety and Standards this year.
The other products include the Belecoo Stroller with Car Seat and Kidilo Baby Stroller with Car Seat.
Another Halfords child car seat was also recalled in January 2022.
The latest recall comes as UK consumer advocacy group Which? said it found fabric car seats that don’t meet safety regulations continue to be sold illegally.
It said that child seats made with “flimsy fabric” are being listed in online market places including eBay, Little Dreams and Shein, and raised concerns that sales are being driven by “families struggling with the cost of living”.
Sue Davies from Which? said: “It is appalling that these deadly car seats are reappearing on online marketplaces more than a decade after Which? first exposed them, but it is not surprising.
“Children’s lives will be at risk, with less affluent households most likely to be affected, until online marketplaces are forced to take responsibility for the listing of these cheap but deadly car seats.”
It found the marketplace prices ranged from £12.50 to just under £40. which it said was far below the standard price of children’s car seats.
ReutersThe business has sincerely apologised “for any inconvenience caused”[/caption]
Your product recall rights
Chief consumer reporter James Flanders reveals all you need to know.
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
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