Filed under: Consumer Ally, Recalls, Consumer Protection, Saving
They're being recalled because they can start fires, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. Vornado told the CPSC that it has received 29 reports of units overheating and melting. Among those were seven that reportedly caught fire. The company said one person suffered smoke inhalation, and another incident caused property damage from the soot and smoke.
The 79,000 recalled Chinese-made space heaters were sold for about $60 between June 2013 and May at Bed Bath & Beyond (BBY), Home Depot (HD), Menards, Target (TGT) and other retailers -- and online through the company website and Amazon.com (AMZN).
If you have one of the units, you're asked to contact Vornado to get instructions on getting a free replacement. You should not have to pay for shipping. Consumers can contact Vornado at (844) 205-7978 weekdays between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern or visit the Vornado recall site.
Off-season recalls can be problematic in terms of getting consumers to act. Some companies -- and there's no evidence to suggest that's what happened here -- delay recalls until it's less likely that consumers will return items and ask for replacements.