Toys 'R Us "The Great Trade-In" Child Safety Event

Buying brand-new car seats, high chairs, cribs, play yards and other baby equipment is expensive. Many consumers are trying to stretch their dollars these days, but parents and childcare-givers shouldn't scrimp on children's safety products. Toys 'R Us, a national children's retailer, holding "The Great Trade-In" event between now and September 20. Trade in your old baby equipment and you will receive a 20% discount off a new item that you purchase that day.

Toys 'R Us hopes that this move will allow parents and care-givers to provide new, safe products for their children and help stimulate the economy. Items that are being accepted for trade-in include play yards, high chairs, vehicle safety seats, cribs, bassinets, travel systems and strollers.

This opportunity is available at all Toys 'R Us and Babies 'R Us retail outlets. Daycare centers and schools may participate in bulk in the program, but should call ahead to their local retail outlet to ensure that enough new stock is available at that location.

"The Great Trade-In" event has the potential to get thousands of old, unsafe baby items out of circulation, and to encourage parents to buy new baby gear. The Consumers' Product Safety Commission and other child safety organizations advise parents not to buy secondhand baby equipment or use ones handed down from family members or friends. You won't know the entire history of the product, and it may be unsafe for use even if it were never subject to recall.

For example, car seats are commonly passed down through families or purchased secondhand. By law, car seats must be replaced when they are seven years old, and any child safety seat that has been in a vehicle during an accident should not be used or donated. The plastic begins to break down over time and the impact of a car crash may stress the plastic. Even though it appears undamaged, the car seat (and your child) may be unsafe and more vulnerable in a future crash.

Only a small percent of baby equipment that is subject to recall is ever returned, and newly manufactured products may not have good safety records. Check manufacturers' recall lists and consumer product reviews before buying or using new or secondhand child safety equipment. If you've been gifted with a new product that is subject to recall, tactfully explain the situation to the giver and let them know you need to exchange it. Let's be sure our precious little ones are as safe as possible; they depend upon us for their very lives!

Resource:
http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3629015