Open Letter to Mattel CEO Robert Eckert

Posted on August 6, 2007
by Maureen Keene

Dear Mr. Eckert,

I am the mother of a two-and-a-half year old who loves Dora, Diego and Elmo.  We have several of the items from the list of recently recalled Fisher-Price toys in our home at this very moment, although they were purchased before May 2007 and thus are not subject to the recall (but they are still being kept out of our daughter’s hands).

I have two questions to ask of you:

1.  How can you be certain that toys made before the current recall period do not contain lead?

I have read several news reports stating that the supplier responsible for the recalled toys is one that you have used for the past 15 years.  How can anyone be certain that this is the first time in 15 years that the contractor has not followed Mattel’s specifications?  It seems unlikely that in the midst of a furor over recalled products made in China that your supplier decided this would be the ideal time to introduce lead paint into their production process.

2.  Why did it take almost a month from the time that you learned there was a potential problem with lead paint in your products for you to announce a recall?

Again, news reports say that this was a “fast-track” recall and that you were able to keep two-thirds of the dangerous toys from reaching consumers in the U.S.; however, that still leaves nearly 300,000 toys potentially in the hands of young children for a period of up to 60 days.  As a mother, this is outrageous and unacceptable to me.

The recent spate of recalls of everything from food to tires to toys made in China has moved me to start a blog (www.madedeadlyinchina.com) to track dangerous goods coming into the U.S. from China and to provide an avenue for consumers to take action.   And while I applaud Mattel for conducting its operations in China better than most others in your industry, this incident shows that your efforts are not good enough.  Further, the sentiment ‘if this can happen to Mattel, it can happen to anyone’ has been echoed in the news since this recall was announced.  This is a disturbing notion for parents when 80% of our toys are made in China.

I am asking readers of my blog to tell their representatives in Congress that they want tighter controls on imports from China, and more specifically, a mandatory “hold and test” program for all imported children’s products to determine if they contain illegal amounts of lead before they reach store shelves.  Mattel could set a terrific example and further solidify its reputation and position as the world’s leading toy maker by supporting such a proposal.

Please know that this letter appears on my blog.  I sincerely hope you will take the time to consider these questions and provide answers - not just for me, but for other concerned customers and parents.

Sincerely,

Maureen Keene

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