WARNING!!! for anyone who bought Dollar Tree Pot holders and oven Mittsupdated

[eeyorethegreat]

Blue do you have an update on this either from Dollar Tree or CPSC?

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

nope, Dollar Tree never returned my call and CPSC has never responded either although the website says hold on to the items for 30 days.

 

[Tiger926]

I am so sorry this happened - thank goodness you weren't seriously burned!

I am known as a consumer advocate around here - have contacted hundreds upon hundreds of companies for both praise and concerns. I also get both Canada and U.S. consumer recalls on a daily basis by email, as well as keep up with product issues. Sadly, I am thinking you aren't going to hear much from Dollar Tree. You are going to have to take it further than that.

Here in our country, we had liquidation stores selling expired car seats, Dollar Stores selling contaminated food products, etc. and I'm sure the same goes on in your country. I don't buy anything at the Dollar Store (I'm pretty much the only one who doesn't shop there), except for gift bags and tissue paper. Why? Because there are serious safety issues - the recall lists that I get are full of stuff from Dollar Stores, liquidations warehouses, etc. The mass production of cheap products seems to be carry with it serious safety concerns. The daily and lengthy recall notices prove that. I honestly think the companies know that they sell a lot of questionable products, but because they make so much money off of them, and many people carry the attitude, "Oh, it only costs 1.00, so it's no big deal. I'll just replace it", they are playing a dangerous game. It takes a lot in both of our countries to get stuff recalled. You have to have a certain amount of actual customer complaints, tracked, etc. It's not as easy as one would think - we've had people injured with products, and they haven't been recalled. There is a lot of government stuff that goes on in our country with recalls, not sure about yours, but I'm sure it's very similar.

You have done a service to others who may have purchased these products. I would never trust anything that involves high amounts of safety, such as beauty products, safety products or baby products from the Dollar Store. Not only does the mass production of products allow for more errors and defects, but trying to figure out who actually produced the products, in which factories, etc. is extremely difficult. I've watched many consumer shows and read many articles on the production of food, which has way more safety features than cheap Dollar Store products, and food companies who outsource to these companies can't even get the actual info they need, and they are paying them to make the products for them!

Cheap products such as oven mitts, pencils and toys, bring in tons of profit, so they want to silence people like yourself who might complain. They will ignore you I'm sure, because once they contact you, they then have to document and such. I would encourage people to do a bit of research on how most discounted products are made (hidden factories, condemned factories, illegal chemicals, etc.), and it's eye opening. It's actually hard to do so though as most of this info is hidden so as to protect the companies as they bring tons of money into both of our countries. The whole toothpaste scandal proved that as it took a long bit of time before the toothpaste was actually pulled, and if I remember correctly, it wasn't actually recalled. I encourage you to still pursue this matter, but I really don't think you are going to hear back from Dollar Tree, and if you do, they will more than likely offer you another pair, or a store credit as most people will not pursue matters for a 1.00 pair of oven mitts. They will more than likely tell you that they had no idea this could happen and that no one else has complained before. That is why safety commissions exist.

Lastly, I hope OP doesn't take offence to anything that I have written - I read other replies, as per usual, there are some rudies on here! This is just to remind people that with cheaper products, you can have safety concerns that for some reason, seem to creep up more with discount stores. Less checks and balances as they carry products from literally thousands of different suppliers and they get away with less checks and balances (whereas Target would not), because of the cheapness of products. I've read many excellent articles about the whole "Dollar Store/Walmart" culture that is present in North America, and unfortunately, safety has been compromised. Stores like Target wouldn't even attempt to use questionable manufacturers on a regular basis as their reputations are on the line, plus, they have so many checks and balances in place. Sure, there are recalled products from Target, Walmart, etc. don't get me wrong, but with discount stores, there are a multitude of recalls because of the nature of that type of store. In order to sell items cheaply, safety is compromised in many cases, that is the culture that has been created. Trying to break through that, is very tough due to lack of information, frequent changes in suppliers, manufacturers, etc...

I wish you luck in hearing back from the company - continue to fight the fight, and be prepared to take your concern to higher powers. You will not only be helping yourself, but many others as well. Good job!

Tiger

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Tiger926

I certainly understand where you are coming from. I limit what I purchase from the Dollarstores as well.

Would you be able to share some of the links that you have for recalls in the US and Canada? I would be interested in knowing about recalls.

Thanks,




Jan

 

[Tiger926]

Tiger926

I certainly understand where you are coming from. I limit what I purchase from the Dollarstores as well.

Would you be able to share some of the links that you have for recalls in the US and Canada? I would be interested in knowing about recalls.

Thanks, Jan

Here are the 2 links to the product safety councils in U.S. and Canada:

U.S. http://www.cpsc.gov/

Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/index-eng.php

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/index-eng.php

Both of our countries work together, so you'll see a lot of same recalls, but they are all specific with places purchased, dates, country, etc. You'll get regular emails, plus major alerts for things such as: car seats, cribs or contaminated foods. You'll also see lots of different stores, but after awhile, you'll notice lots of Dollar/Discount products, especially extremely high lead contents in jewellery, toys and cosmetics sold at these stores. Some of the lead levels are very frightening...

As I stated, I don't trust either of our countries to keep us safe from cheap discount products, and that is why I don't shop there. It's sad as millions of people are affected by defective, subpar or dangerous products that are sold in these stores. It has nothing to do with the customers either - OP should be able to trust that her government is going to not allow defective/dangerous oven mitts to be sold to her, but sady, with the nature of Asian products, there is not much else that can be done. Sometimes, Asian containers aren't even checked at the border, and this is exactly why so many recalls are happening. It takes them months of customers complaining or becoming ill/hurt before something is done. If they had the proper checks/balances in place, none of these products would be in our stores in the first place.

Just sign up for the appropriate newsletter alerts, and you'll get lots of recall notices. I have a few more, but they are specific to car seats and such, and they are all included in these other links, so you don't need them.

HTH, Tiger

 

[happygirl]

OP I think you need to go back to the store you bought them from.

 

[Tiger926]

OP I think you need to go back to the store you bought them from.

This would do no good here in Canada, as pretty much every Dollar Store/Discount/Liquidation Centre has no returns. It doesn't matter if product is defective or not, once it leaves the store, that's it. This says a lot about how confident they are in their products, as far as I'm concerned. You never know though, the manager of OP's store might be interested in knowing, and he/she might contact the appropriate senior level executive who does the actual buying of products.

Tiger

 

[ilovejack02]

This would do no good here in Canada, as pretty much every Dollar Store/Discount/Liquidation Centre has no returns. It doesn't matter if product is defective or not, once it leaves the store, that's it. This says a lot about how confident they are in their products, as far as I'm concerned. You never know though, the manager of OP's store might be interested in knowing, and he/she might contact the appropriate senior level executive who does the actual buying of products.

Tiger

The Dollar Tree is actually a much nicer store than your average dollar store. You can find lots of the same products you find at Walmart and Target , but you will also find some junk there too.
You can return items there.

That being said , yes you have to be careful shopping at the liquidation dollar junk stores. You never know what you will find. ICK

 

[Tiger926]

The Dollar Tree is actually a much nicer store than your average dollar store. You can find lots of the same products you find at Walmart and Target , but you will also find some junk there too.
You can return items there.

That being said , yes you have to be careful shopping at the liquidation dollar junk stores. You never know what you will find. ICK

That's interesting, thanks for the info. I've never shopped there, as we don't have those here in Canada. That's good that you can return stuff there - can't return stuff here at most, if not all, Canadian Dollar Stores. The fact that it's a Dollar Store, means that you are going to have safety issues, as proven with this thread, as they carry thousands upon thousands of products, and some of them, you'll be hard pressed to find out the origin of them. I remember trying to get information about purchasing some frames for my sister's wedding shower. The district manager basically admitted to me that it is impossible to source the origin of some of the products. They are mass produced to sell cheaply, and with that, comes a lack of information. I was stunned as this was the buying executive telling me this. She admitted that stuff does get through in terms of safety issues, but it's a risk they take to sell products at a cheap price. And she seemed to imply that it was the country's responsibility to handle that. That's the whole Walmart mentality - I don't shop there either.

Good luck to OP, Tiger

 

[cdrn1]

I honestly cannot imagine gving someone a "gift" from the $ store. If that's all you can spend then it's time to just write a nice card and call it done.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I have not had time to read all the posts but I sure hope someone else has called you out for this. How rude.

OP, thanks for the heads up. You would certainly expect an oven mitt to be heatproof, no matter where it was purchased and how much you paid.

I can think of many things that I have paid a hefty price for that have had issues...off the top of my head, a couple I can think of: the safety recall on the McLaren strollers, and a pair of Born shoes that cost me over a hundred bucks that squeak when I walk! Price doesn't always = perfection. And ANY gift should be accepted graciously, even though it may not reek of snobbery.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

OP I think you need to go back to the store you bought them from.

I have informed them. I have to hold on to the oven mitt for 30 days as per CPSC request....

This would do no good here in Canada, as pretty much every Dollar Store/Discount/Liquidation Centre has no returns. It doesn't matter if product is defective or not, once it leaves the store, that's it. This says a lot about how confident they are in their products, as far as I'm concerned. You never know though, the manager of OP's store might be interested in knowing, and he/she might contact the appropriate senior level executive who does the actual buying of products.

Tiger

Someone already addressed this but you are comparing apples to oranges.
All Dollar Tree stores take returns. They do not sell closeout and liquidations.

That's interesting, thanks for the info. I've never shopped there, as we don't have those here in Canada. That's good that you can return stuff there - can't return stuff here at most, if not all, Canadian Dollar Stores. The fact that it's a Dollar Store, means that you are going to have safety issues, as proven with this thread, as they carry thousands upon thousands of products, and some of them, you'll be hard pressed to find out the origin of them. I remember trying to get information about purchasing some frames for my sister's wedding shower. The district manager basically admitted to me that it is impossible to source the origin of some of the products. They are mass produced to sell cheaply, and with that, comes a lack of information. I was stunned as this was the buying executive telling me this. She admitted that stuff does get through in terms of safety issues, but it's a risk they take to sell products at a cheap price. And she seemed to imply that it was the country's responsibility to handle that. That's the whole Walmart mentality - I don't shop there either.

Good luck to OP, Tiger

Since you are in Canada and have not shopped at a Dollar Tree then you do not know that they carry name brand items the same name brand items that Walmart,Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc carry.

This thread proves nothing of the sort all it proves is that this potholder/ovenmitt was made of the wrong materials for it use. I would venture to say that I could go to the Mall and find a similar one for a much higher price at an upscale store that would melt in the same way this does, as I now know what I am looking for or not for . All consumer products are mass produced.

I will admit that they do have some really cheap junk but I usually do not buy that stuff there.

I have bought potholders from Dollar Tree for many years and NEVER had this problem.

 

[robinb]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I have not had time to read all the posts but I sure hope someone else has called you out for this. How rude.

Sorry, but I have to agree that a gift from the Dollar Tree is well ... cheap. My MIL gives my DD Dollar Store junk and it's just that: junk. Don't get me wrong! I shop at the Dollar Tree sometimes too. I bought glow sticks there a week ago for NYE at WDW and two of them were defective. *sigh* Still, I would never buy a gift there. Like sk!mom, I think a nice card is so much better than Dollar Store crap. If that makes me a rude snob, so be it.

 

[mafibisha]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I have not had time to read all the posts but I sure hope someone else has called you out for this. How rude.

OP, thanks for the heads up. You would certainly expect an oven mitt to be heatproof, no matter where it was purchased and how much you paid.

I can think of many things that I have paid a hefty price for that have had issues...off the top of my head, a couple I can think of: the safety recall on the McLaren strollers, and a pair of Born shoes that cost me over a hundred bucks that squeak when I walk! Price doesn't always = perfection. And ANY gift should be accepted graciously, even though it may not reek of snobbery.

ITA. Haven't read the whole thread either but I too am shocked about the rudeness lately. Better to say nothing!

I have informed them. I have to hold on to the oven mitt for 30 days as per CPSC request....



Someone already addressed this but you are comparing apples to oranges.
All Dollar Tree stores take returns. They do not sell closeout and liquidations.



Since you are in Canada and have not shopped at a Dollar Tree then you do not know that they carry name brand items the same name brand items that Walmart,Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc carry.

This thread proves nothing of the sort all it proves is that this potholder/ovenmitt was made of the wrong materials for it use. I would venture to say that I could go to the Mall and find a similar one for a much higher price at an upscale store that would melt in the same way this does, as I now know what I am looking for or not for . All consumer products are mass produced.

I will admit that they do have some really cheap junk but I usually do not buy that stuff there.

I have bought potholders from Dollar Tree for many years and NEVER had this problem.

Bold in Red above is mine:

ITA. Its irrelevant where things are purchased. I have found junk at Neiman Marcus and Bloomngdales!

Blue Fairy, I bet if you had said they were purchased there, or Dillards type stores, you'd have received an entirely different response.

Sad.

 

[a1tinkfans]

OP:
GLAD you are okay!
VERY nice of you to post what happened as a warning to others.
Awfully nice of you to update people as well.

Unfortunately here on the DIS and other public forums as well, people that can hide behind their computers or not be "Face recognized" for their remarks often "expel" things that they otherwise would not say (hopefully) to someones face. I mean, what is the purpose, rudeness?? And yes, it IS rude to say anyones' "time, effort and gift was useless". It is their opinion, and while they are certainly entitled to it, posting it is another story indeed...the remark seems mean spirited to me, really having no "value" to your initial safety concern ....So I say, take it with a grain of salt.......to each his/her own, whatever makes you tick .

I think the purpose of your thread is valid and appreciate the heads up from anyone that gives info regarding a potential injurious product/s!

 

[Tiger926]

I have informed them. I have to hold on to the oven mitt for 30 days as per CPSC request....



Someone already addressed this but you are comparing apples to oranges.
All Dollar Tree stores take returns. They do not sell closeout and liquidations.

Since you are in Canada and have not shopped at a Dollar Tree then you do not know that they carry name brand items the same name brand items that Walmart,Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc carry.

This thread proves nothing of the sort all it proves is that this potholder/ovenmitt was made of the wrong materials for it use. I would venture to say that I could go to the Mall and find a similar one for a much higher price at an upscale store that would melt in the same way this does, as I now know what I am looking for or not for . All consumer products are mass produced.

I will admit that they do have some really cheap junk but I usually do not buy that stuff there.

I have bought potholders from Dollar Tree for many years and NEVER had this problem.

I'm sorry - I'm not trying to upset you at all. I said I wasn't aware of the policies in the U.S. but here in Canada, you cannot return products to Dollar Stores at all. It's Buyer Beware and that is troubling, IMHO.

Again, not trying to upset you, and in fact, I gave you huge props for posting this info and for contacting the store and CPSC. It seems that you are getting defensive about your purchase being that it was at a discount store, and you really don't need to. You as a customer, should be able to purchase products in good faith - due to lax government policies in both of our countries, this is not the case. The problem, as I mentioned with Dollar Stores, is that they use thousands of different manufacturers and they can't control them, nor are all of the products checked when they are imported into our countries in their containers. I've watched programs where major companies had no idea their products were even being sold in discount stores. Perhaps they were lying, but based on the investigations, many of them were not. Some of the Asian factories sell name brand goods to discount stores - I saw a story where they actually changed the recipe of a major chocolate bar, but they used the same label. All of this is possible with discount stores due to the nature of how they are produced, stocked, etc. I am not saying this to upset you - just as a way to give you background info for not only future purchases, but also for how you can proceed with this particular claim.

Sure, you might find the same product at an upscale kitchen store, and just because it's 10.00 at an upscale kitchen store doesn't make it a good product - there is lots of crap out there, that is why I am very selective about what I buy for my family. I don't care where the product is purchased - Neiman Marcus or Dollar Tree shouldn't sell crap, but in this age of consumers wanting cheap goods, this is how it is. If that oven mitt was found in Target though, the ability to deal with any customer issues more than likely will be better too. But again, I don't know anything about Dollar Tree, so you might have great luck in dealing with it at the store level. I hope you do.

The bottom line is that these goods are mass produced in thousands of different factories for a reason (and the mass production for discount stores also entails products that are unsafe, sitting in containers so shelf life is an issue, etc.). That reason is cost. A 1.00 oven mitt is being sold for 1.00 because the products used to make it aren't that great. They aren't going to lose money on products - they wouldn't stay in business. You can't argue that you shop at Dollar Tree because you find cheaper products there - what makes them cheaper? Is it less marketing, more buying power, less safety standards, etc.? These are the questions that consumers need to ask themselves. It doesn't matter where consumers are shopping - they should feel safe and secure with the products that are before them. But I will say that with discount stores, the possibility of issues is greater due to the nature of production of cheap products.

Again, not trying to upset you. I think I have complimented you many times on your good work, and you really shouldn't feel defensive about shopping at the Dollar Tree. The other posts are rude - you were nice enough to purchase a gift, that is unfortunately, unsafe for use, and this was beyond your control. You should be upset with the stores carrying defective products, and our governments caring more about money than our safety, so good for you for trying to do something about it.

Good luck with this process - I hope it is rectified to your satisfaction, Tiger

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

I'm sorry - I'm not trying to upset you at all. I said I wasn't aware of the policies in the U.S. but here in Canada, you cannot return products to Dollar Stores at all. It's Buyer Beware and that is troubling, IMHO.

Again, not trying to upset you, and in fact, I gave you huge props for posting this info and for contacting the store and CPSC. It seems that you are getting defensive about your purchase being that it was at a discount store, and you really don't need to. You as a customer, should be able to purchase products in good faith - due to lax government policies in both of our countries, this is not the case. The problem, as I mentioned with Dollar Stores, is that they use thousands of different manufacturers and they can't control them, nor are all of the products checked when they are imported into our countries in their containers. I've watched programs where major companies had no idea their products were even being sold in discount stores. Perhaps they were lying, but based on the investigations, many of them were not. Some of the Asian factories sell name brand goods to discount stores - I saw a story where they actually changed the recipe of a major chocolate bar, but they used the same label. All of this is possible with discount stores due to the nature of how they are produced, stocked, etc. I am not saying this to upset you - just as a way to give you background info for not only future purchases, but also for how you can proceed with this particular claim.

Sure, you might find the same product at an upscale kitchen store, and just because it's 10.00 at an upscale kitchen store doesn't make it a good product - there is lots of crap out there, that is why I am very selective about what I buy for my family. I don't care where the product is purchased - Neiman Marcus or Dollar Tree shouldn't sell crap, but in this age of consumers wanting cheap goods, this is how it is. If that oven mitt was found in Target though, the ability to deal with any customer issues more than likely will be better too. But again, I don't know anything about Dollar Tree, so you might have great luck in dealing with it at the store level. I hope you do.

The bottom line is that these goods are mass produced in thousands of different factories for a reason (and the mass production for discount stores also entails products that are unsafe, sitting in containers so shelf life is an issue, etc.). That reason is cost. A 1.00 oven mitt is being sold for 1.00 because the products used to make it aren't that great. They aren't going to lose money on products - they wouldn't stay in business. You can't argue that you shop at Dollar Tree because you find cheaper products there - what makes them cheaper? Is it less marketing, more buying power, less safety standards, etc.? These are the questions that consumers need to ask themselves. It doesn't matter where consumers are shopping - they should feel safe and secure with the products that are before them. But I will say that with discount stores, the possibility of issues is greater due to the nature of production of cheap products.

Again, not trying to upset you. I think I have complimented you many times on your good work, and you really shouldn't feel defensive about shopping at the Dollar Tree. The other posts are rude - you were nice enough to purchase a gift, that is unfortunately, unsafe for use, and this was beyond your control. You should be upset with the stores carrying defective products, and our governments caring more about money than our safety, so good for you for trying to do something about it.

Good luck with this process - I hope it is rectified to your satisfaction, Tiger

No, I am not being defensive about shopping at the Dollar Tree or any $ store chain here in the US, there are smaller $ stores that I would not frequent knowing that the items they carry are not safe. But yet again, as you have praised me for reporting these defective items, you continue to declare how unsafe Dollar Stores are and that they even have their product made inferior to say the same product you buy at Target. It is not.

A hersey bar at the Dollar Tree is the same Hersey bar you buy at Target. In fact like all things you need to shop around because that same Hersey bar can sometimes be found at target for 88cents. Target did not have them specially made that week so that they could discount them.

I too and just pointing out facts not being defensive at all. I think all consumers should be informed consumers and know what they are buying.

Thank you for your support.

 

[Tiger926]

No, I am not being defensive about shopping at the Dollar Tree or any $ store chain here in the US, there are smaller $ stores that I would not frequent knowing that the items they carry are not safe. But yet again, as you have praised me for reporting these defective items, you continue to declare how unsafe Dollar Stores are and that they even have their product made inferior to say the same product you buy at Target. It is not.

A hersey bar at the Dollar Tree is the same Hersey bar you buy at Target. In fact like all things you need to shop around because that same Hersey bar can sometimes be found at target for 88cents. Target did not have them specially made that week so that they could discount them.

I too and just pointing out facts not being defensive at all. I think all consumers should be informed consumers and know what they are buying.

Thank you for your support.

I'm sorry if you have misunderstood me. No worries - I think you might not clearly understand how some of the discount stores source, produce, stock and maintain many of their products. Have you done any research on it? Have you contacted the companies? Have you spoken to buying directors? Until you have, you can't with so much certainty proclaim to know the process of how discount stores supply their products. Some products are identical to what you'd find at Target or Walmart, others are crap, and still others are defective, overstock, seconds, etc. The fact is that many of the products at discount dollar stores are inferior, thus the reason there are so many discount store product recalls. The propensity for quality and safety issues with discount products is pretty high. I am not saying that you or anyone else deserves this because you shop there. I am saying that there are many safety and quality issues with discount products - it is the nature of the beast.

For example, my oven mitts cost 8.00 for one mitt; therefore they are 16.00/pair - they are made in Canada from products sourced here. They are thick, wash well, carry a customer guarantee, and have lasted a long time. Your mitts were 1.00 and made in China and I'm not sure what kind of material they are, but clearly, they were not good quality or they wouldn't have burned. As as a customer you don't deserve this, but since it's a discount item, you may have problems with getting to the bottom of who made the mitts, where they were made, were they inspected, etc, as the sourcing of these products is so numerous and that is because they have to keep the costs so low.

I really do wish you luck with this consumer issue, and I'm glad you weren't hurt, but in my experience, discount store merchandise is another whole world. Hopefully though Dollar Tree comes through for you in taking your concerns seriously, and you can only hope that they pull the mitts to investigate the safety and quality of them, but if you read through some of my links below, you will see that Dollar Tree has had a very high recall rate the last few years. Hopefully, no one else experiences issues either - your concerns will go a long way in helping others though.

Here are some links that some might find useful re: Dollar Store shopping. These are not meant to upset you or others, but you posted a warning about a defective product in the discount arena, and so some of these links are great in helping shoppers with understanding the products that are before them:

http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/pdf/still-not-safe08.pdf

http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2009/07/dollar-store-mania-deals-and-dangers.html

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/dollar.stores.danger.2.1196669.html

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=1198450

http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_product_safety/006436.html

Best of luck, Tiger

 

[Sue M]

I've read an article about being careful of what you buy from these type stores. The materials are as you've found out aren't the best, made from countries that don't have the same controls over what it's made from, and many things contain toxic materials., esp plastics. Plastic Tupperware type containers, cups, plates, tablecloths, etc. All found to have toxins.
The only thing I buy at these stores are cards, pens, paper.