Recalled toys still being sold online

A while ago when discussing toy recalls, we mentioned that some of the toys might still be appearing in thrift shops and on eBay. Now a new study from MarkMonitor bears that out. They have found recalled toys on eBay and other sites including iOffer.com, Alibaba.com and Made-in-China.com. The toys are gone from most stores, but online, where different jurisdictions have different standards, some recalled toys can be easily ordered. Some of these sites also ship in bulk, so the products could still wind up in some small retailers. Most of the listings (83 percent) ship from the U.S. The research firm saw more than 1,100 listings for the toys daily and about 8 percent carried enough information, such as product numbers, to leave no doubt that they were recalled items. Most of the listings, 79 percent, were at  Made-in-China.com, 13 percent were at iOffer and 8 percent were at Alibaba. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)  has been working with eBay to stop the auctions but dealing with the other sites has become an issue. iOffer has a way to submit issues but it is more difficult. If you are concerned about a toy that you think might be questionable, check with the CPSC for the latest recall information.

For more about recalls, check in with Consumer Reports on Safety.