Urgent Fisher Price Rock n Play recall notice issued in wake of resale on Facebook

Despite the list of fatalities already crossing the mark of 100, the recalled Fisher Price Rock n Play sleepers are still being sold on resale websites including Facebook. The unauthorized and illegal sale of the recalled product has triggered a major response from the safety agencies that are pushing Meta and all other involved parties to put a final stop to the problem.

The sleepers were first recalled nearly four years ago. They were recalled after the company received several reports of infants resting in the sleepers rolling from their backs to their stomachs or sides while unrestrained. The product, linked to the deaths of more than 100 infants, has long been sold on several resale platforms, including Facebook, even after being recalled in 2019.

The chairman of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on April 12, 2023, asked Facebook to do more to ensure that the deadly Fisher Price Rock n Play sleepers are off its site. In a letter sent to Facebook's parent company, Meta, CPSC Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric mentioned that he was troubled by the persistent and illegal sale of the Fisher Price Rock n Play.

In the letter, the chairman added that since February 2022, the CPSC has found over 4000 inclined sleepers being sold on resale sites. Most of them were available for sale on the Facebook Marketplace.

He also mentioned that Meta has the resources to prevent illegal listings from appearing on Facebook. The chairman further urged Mattel, the manufacturer of the Fisher Price Rock n Play sleepers, to offer a full refund. He hoped that this would motivate people to act upon the recall and help prevent the resale of the sleepers.

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Fisher Price Rock n Play sleepers are still being sold online after being recalled in 2019

Four years ago, in 2019, the CPSC and Mattel-owned company Fisher-Price announced a nationwide recall of over 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play sleepers. The sleepers were linked to the deaths of over 30 infants.

Even after the recall, the rate of fatalities and the total number of deaths and injuries crossed 100. The CPSC reannounced the recall in 2023 after 8 more deaths related to the recalled product were identified from several regions across the United States.

However, the Fisher Price Rock n Play sleepers are still being sold every month on the Facebook Marketplace. While the CPSC has reannounced the recall of the product several times, nothing seems to have changed.

As per the letter sent by the CPSC chairman to Meta, the agency has issued over 3,981 takedowns for the recalled product in the last 13 months. In rough figures, it estimates around 306 takedowns per month.

the recalled Fisher Price Rock n Play sleeper which are linked to the death of more than 100 infants (Image via CPSC)

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CPSC Chairman urges META and Mattel to do more to ensure that consumers participate in the Fisher Price Rock n Play sleepers recall

In his letter, Hoehn-Saric said that the recent pace of listings for the recalled sleepers on resale sites does not appear to be slowing down. The CPSC chairman added:

“The persistent secondary marketplace for Rock ‘n Play sleepers indicates that consumers either remain unaware that the Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play has been recalled or believe selling the recalled product on the secondary market is a better choice than acting on the recall remedy Fisher Price currently provides.”

As per the chairman, Fisher Price Rock n Play sleepers are often listed online for over $25 on average. This allows consumers to sometimes make more by selling the product than they would get from a refund by taking part in the recall.

Additionally, the recall only offers a refund for purchases made on or after October 12, 2018. Meanwhile, purchases made before that date will receive a voucher for another Fisher-Price product.

Considering how this could be the reason for the resale of the recalled Fisher Price Rock n Play product, he urged Mattel to announce the recall once again. However, he suggested a more robust remedy that offers a strong incentive for consumers to destroy the products rather than resell them.

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Readers who may have the recalled Rock n Play sleepers are strictly advised not to use them. They are also urged to participate in the recall and destroy the deadly sleepers to ensure the safety of their wards.