National chain, Baby City, faces charges over safety of cots

National chain, Baby City, faces charges over safety of cots

The Commerce Commission has laid nine charges against baby products store, Baby City Retail Investments Limited (Baby City), relating to failing to comply with the safety standard for household cots (Safety Standard).

All charges brought by the Commission are under the Fair Trading Act 1986. They relate to two models of Baby City’s household cots (Milano 3-in-1 Sleigh style cot (Sleigh Cot) and Milano Phoenix cot (Phoenix Cot)) sold between October 2014 and October 2015.

The Safety Standard, which is enforced by the Commerce Commission, aims to reduce the risk of injury or death to babies and infants from using unsafe cots.

Testing found that both the Sleigh and Phoenix Cots had structural defects, such as a potential “snag” point which could catch on clothing, as well as packaging, leaflet labelling and mattress base marking that did not comply with the Safety Standard.

In January 2016 Baby City issued a product safety notice for these two cots to provide customers with an instruction booklet for repairing the defects and a new information leaflet for the cots. It also informed the Commission that it had not received any reports of injury or harm due to either the Sleigh or Phoenix Cots.

Baby City will appear before the Auckland District Court in their first appearance on this matter on May 17. As this matter is now before the Court, the Commission is unable to comment further at this time.

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