Mattel Says “Sorry” To China Over Toy Recalls
Jodi at Webloggin on Sep 21 2007 at 3:00 pm | Filed under: China
Mattel has apologized to China for recalling more toys that were necessary and is taking part of the blame due to “design flaws”.
The New York Times Reports:
U.S.-based toy giant Mattel Inc. issued an extraordinary apology to China on Friday over the recall of Chinese-made toys, taking the blame for design flaws and saying it had recalled more lead-tainted toys than justified.
The gesture by Thomas A. Debrowski, Mattel’s executive vice president for worldwide operations, came in a meeting with Chinese product safety chief Li Changjiang, at which Li upbraided the company for maintaining weak safety controls.
”Our reputation has been damaged lately by these recalls,” Debrowski told Li in a meeting at Li’s office at which reporters were allowed to be present.
”And Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologizes personally to you, the Chinese people, and all of our customers who received the toys,” Debrowski said.
The carefully worded apology, delivered with company lawyers present, underscores China’s central role in Mattel’s business. The world’s largest toy maker has been in China for 25 years and about 65 percent of its products are made in China.
The fence-mending call came ahead of an expected visit to China by Mattel’s chairman and chief executive, Robert A. Eckert. Following the massive recall, Eckert told U.S. lawmakers he wanted to see Mattel’s mainland inspections first hand.
If anyone should apologize it should be China; and not just for lead based painted toys. They should apologize for their faulty tires, tainted toothpaste, tainted wheat gluten, tainted cosmetics, faulty diabetic kits, and the list goes on. Maybe Mattel can apologize and take “part” responsiblity for those things too. What a joke.
Mattel, China, recall
One Response to “Mattel Says “Sorry” To China Over Toy Recalls”
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Editor,
I can understand design flaws. But not the paint containing lead. Now it is just spreading in to more avenues. How long has everyone been carrying those lunch bags?? I saw a blip last night about hand bags too. I went to the Goodwill last week to look for a cane for a neighbor. On the counter there was a Prada handbag for $29.99? The lady in front of me was telling the cashier that it was not a Prada. The cashier said they were told it was. I said you can go down any street in NY and get the same thing. We both told her that we were pretty sure Prada doesn’t use China to make their bags. The cashier was unmoved. When we got outside we both said who cares. We weren’t buying it.
Thanks to Jodi’s article a lot of eyes were opened.
But now I have stopped buying seafood unless they can show me where it came from. Getting rid of everything I have made in China is high on my list too.
I wonder how far up the Mattel chain will now retire early or move on to a better option?
What is really my main concern is the Olympics next year. If we can catch what we can here, great. But there with everything with everything going on, how is everyone going to be protected?