IKEA to announce decision Monday over recall of potentially fatal furniture

By Ma Jingjing Source:Global Times Published: 2016/7/9 0:08:01

IKEA said it will decide no later than Monday whether to recall chests of drawers and dressers on sale in China, as the public questioned whether the company was applying double standards after issuing a recall for the products in the US, but not in China, after they caused six child fatalities.

"We are discussing the issue of a recall with the country's consumer quality watchdog today, and will give an answer to customers on Monday," Xu Lide, the IKEA spokeswoman, told the Global Times via a phone call.

"If the chests of drawers and dressers can't be anchored to a wall, customers can return the item for a refund," she said, noting that IKEA has an appropriate returns policy.

IKEA recalled 29 million units of Malm and other models of drawer units and dressers in the US due to a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard, which caused six child fatalities, the Wall Street Journal reported on June 28.

However, IKEA took different measures in China. "IKEA will help Chinese consumers attach Malm chests and dressers to the wall, and if these items can't be anchored, they can be returned for refund," said an announcement on the Shenzhen Consumer Council's website late on Thursday.

"Currently, we haven't received complaints about IKEA's chests and dressers," the China Consumers Association said Friday, adding they are investigating this issue.

"I am angry that IKEA should discriminate against Chinese consumers. IKEA has to treat us equally," a 30-year-old white-collar worker in Beijing surnamed Xie, who often shops at IKEA, told the Global Times on Friday.

IKEA is extremely profitable in China. In 2015, IKEA generated revenue of 10.5 billion yuan ($1.49 billion) in China, accounting for nearly one-third of its total revenue, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Friday.



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