Toys R Us Stores In Certain Parts of Canada And US Issuing Refunds For Plastic Baby Bottles Containing BPA
In case you are not aware, there are several Toys R Us locations in the US and Canada that are offering gift cards in exchange for plastic baby bottles containing BPA and their bottle warmers as well. In fact, some stores are even setting up return lanes solely to collect these bottles and warmers.
The gift cards are for the full value of the bottles, regardless of whether or not they are used or new or whether they have been purchased at Toys R Us or somewhere else, and can be used to purchase anything from the store. This recall program has been initiated by the companies that produce these bottles i.e. Avent, Playtex.
So if you happen to have some old, used baby bottles lying around the house you could just bring them in to your local Toys R Us and get a gift card for the value of the bottle. The crazy thing about this is that people are bringing in baby bottles from just about anywhere and getting a refund.
I actually think that this recall is getting out of hand as there is no concrete evidence that the level of BPA in plastic baby bottles is actually harmful to humans. As my wife put it, they are the ones that issued the recall so why not take advantage of it. Since I am finding this recall to be a bit absurd I would have to agree with my wife.
Before you run to your local Toys R Us store with your bag of bottles find out first if they are even issuing a refund and which bottles are being recalled.
I have been hearing conflicting reports as to how long the stores will be issuing a refund. My wife told me that she heard until May 12 while other people have said that it will end sooner.
[Update May 5, 2008: I have heard that there are some Toys R Us locations that are no longer taking back these bottles if they were purchased somewhere else. According to the safety page on Toysrus.com the company has a “no quibble” policy when it comes to recalls even for products purchased elsewhere.
What if I don’t have a receipt or proof that I purchased the recalled product at a Toys”R”Us or Babies”R”Us store?
We have a “no quibble” policy when it comes to toy recalls. This means Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us will take back recalled product whether it was purchased at a Toys”R”Us or Babies”R”Us store or another retailer. No receipt or proof of purchase is necessary to return a recalled product to one of our stores. If you do not have a receipt, you will receive a store credit for the lowest sale price of the product within the last 30 days.
So if there is a product recall in your city and your local Toys R Us store tells you they are no longer accepting these bottles make sure to remind them about their “no quibble” policy.]
May 20th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
I have been to a couple of stores near me, and I have had no success attempting to return my Avent system. Meanwhile, I have already purchased a different brand which is BPA-free.
Does anybody know of a website that lists local stores that have been issuing refunds?
May 21st, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Its possible that there is no recall in your area. that would explain why they wouldnt take it back. Also, the US hasnt declared BPA products to be unsafe so it may be hard to get a refund. I know my sister in-law got a refund after returning her bottles to a ToysRus in New York.
Remember also that studies determining that BPA is dangerous are inconclusive. Studies that have shown the dangers of BPA came from results on laboratory rats injected with large doses of the chemical.
Even if you do get rid of your BPA bottles you’ll still be exposed to the chemicals everywhere else in the environment. BPA is even used to make hospital IV tubes.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Just a follow-up post to say that after I commented yesterday, I returned to a Toys R Us store in Everett, WA, to try again, and this time (after a rather lengthy delay), I was fully refunded for the retail price of the bottle warmer set and the six additional bottles (purchased in two 3-packs) that I owned. Naturally, I had no receipt or packaging as these items were originally purchased several months ago.
It’s true that there is no formal recall on the items. However, Toys R Us maintains a list of their products which contain BPA, and if the right person is working the Guest Services desk they will check this list and issue the return on a gift card.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:37 pm
smarmoofus, thank you so much for updating everyone on your success. Your comment will certainly help people with their quest to get a refund from ToysRUs.
May 25th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I just called the Babies R Us toll-free hotline and was told that they were accepting returns of BPA bottles (used, without receipt, whatever) only up until May 12. Now that May 12 has passed, and the BPA bottles have not officially been recalled, Babies R Us will only take them back with a receipt dated within the past 90 days.
I called my local Babies R Us to see if maybe I could finagle a return without receipt anyway, and the person I spoke to said that she could not do it because the product had not been recalled.
May 28th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
My local store will only take back current versions of the bottles because people are trying to return bottles they bought last decade for store credit. They will only exchange the bottles for bpa free ones not store credit and don’t bring back 3 avent and expect to get 3 born free. You will need to pay the difference. People are ruining this good thing for us moms with legitimate concerns!
May 29th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Hi anonymous, thanks for the update. In what state/province is your local store located?
As for legitimate concerns goes, I wouldnt worry too much about the BPA. As I mentioned in previous comments its mostly hype. There are far more dangerous things in your house than bottles containing BPA. I know, I know I still have to write my post on the topic. Its coming.