When Amazon sells dangerous items, it's responsible for recalling them, feds rule

A U.S. federal agency has ruled that Amazon is responsible for recalling hundreds of thousands of defective products sold by third-party vendors.

On Tuesday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a determination that Amazon, as a “distributor,” did not “provide sufficient notification to the public and did not take adequate steps to encourage its customers to return or destroy these hazardous items, thereby leaving consumers at risk of injury.”

More than 400,000 items, ranging from children’s clothing that violated federal flammability standards to hairdryers without electrocution protection to faulty carbon monoxide detectors were cited in the ruling.

Amazon said it's not responsible for sales made by third-party vendors

The decision comes three years after the CPSC filed its initial complaint against Amazon on July 14, 2021.

The e-commerce giant, which generated $575 billion in revenue through sales in 2023, did not contest that any of the products sold posed hazards to consumers, but argued that it did not have legal responsibilities for sales made by third-party vendors through its Fulfilled by Amazon program.

Amazon also claimed that its policy of sending messages to customers about “potential” safety hazards and providing them with credits towards future purchases rather than recalling defective items were remedies.

As part of the ruling, Amazon must now “develop and submit proposed plans to notify purchasers and the public about the product hazards, and to provide refunds or replacements for these products.”

Recalled items listed on Amazon include children's clothing, hairdryers, carbon monoxide detectors

The full list of unsafe, recalled products can be found in the CPSC’s ruling here.

Clothing items included:

• HOYMN Little Girl’s Lace Cotton Nightgowns
• IDGIRLS Kids Animal Hooded Soft Plush Flannel Bathrobes for Girls Boys Sleepwear.
• Home Swee Boy’s Plush Fleece Robe Shawl Skull and Hooded Spacecraft Printed Soft Kids Bathrobe for Boy.
• Taiycyxgan Little Girl’s Coral Fleece Bathrobe Unisex Kids Robe Pajamas Sleepwear.

Faulty carbon monoxide detectors included products manufactured by WJZXTEK; Zhenzhou Winsen Electronics Technology Company, LTD; and BQQZHZ.

The CPSC also listed 36 hairdryers that lacked “integral immersion protection, which protects the user from electrocution if the hair dryer is immersed in water.” Those products were manufactured by:

• OSEIDOO.
• Aiskki, Raxurt Store.
• LEMOCA.
• Xianming.
• BEAUTIKEN.
• VIBOOS.
• SARCCH.
• Bongtai.
• Bvser Store.
• TDYJWELL.
• Bownyo.
• Romancelink.
• BZ.
• Techip.
• LetsFunny.
• SUNBA YOUTH Store/Naisen.
• OWEILAN.
• Surelang Store.
• GEPORAY.
• Miserwe.
• ADTZYLD.
• KIPOZI.
• KENLOR.
• Shaboo Prints.
• ELECDOLPH.
• LANIC.
• Songtai.
• tiamo airtrack.
• Ohuhu.
• Nisahok.
• Dekugaa Store.
• Admitrack.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com