News Story: Zoomer
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Denise TAN Su-Wen COMM345: Individual Assignment 2, Part II Zoomer products cause fires and burns, Play-Well to play safe By Denise Tan Su-Wen Despite the old adage, children nowadays have been playing with fire — and they are getting burnt. Malfunctioning electrical components in Zoomer, a popular children’s toy, have led to overheating and resulted in many personal injuries and property damages due to fire. Twelve children suffered minor burns to their hands and feet and a hundred fires were reported, with property damages amounting to US$250,000 (S$310,800). Zoomer products are produced by Play-Well, a leading manufacturer of quality children’s toys in America. Play-Well has announced an immediate voluntary recall of all its two-battery Zoomer products sold after November, 2008. This recall is expected to set the company back US$2 million (S$2.5 million). Customers have also been advised to remove batteries from all Zoomer products. Safety checks are underway and the company is working together with electrical components suppliers to determine the exact cause of the malfunction. Play-Well is playing it safe by recalling its two-battery Zoomer models, but the company has also acknowledged that some one-battery models may be affected and should be discontinued in its use. However, product recalls are not slated for these one-battery Zoomer models as yet, as investigations are still in process. A second recall will be provided once the root problem has been identified. To ensure product quality and consistency along the company’s supply chain, more stringent checks and measures have been implemented. Assistant vice-president of Play-Well Company, Melvin Eng, remains optimistic about the company’s future prospects. “We do acknowledge that sales might be affected, but it wouldn’t affect us
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News story assignment.Module: (Corporate Communication) Media Relations
Transcript of News Story: Zoomer
Denise TAN Su-WenCOMM345: Individual Assignment 2, Part II
Zoomer products cause fires and burns, Play-Well to play safeBy Denise Tan Su-Wen
Despite the old adage, children nowadays have been playing with fire — and they are getting burnt. Malfunctioning electrical components in Zoomer, a popular children’s toy, have led to overheating and resulted in many personal injuries and property damages due to fire. Twelve children suffered minor burns to their hands and feet and a hundred fires were reported, with property damages amounting to US$250,000 (S$310,800). Zoomer products are produced by Play-Well, a leading manufacturer of quality children’s toys in America.
Play-Well has announced an immediate voluntary recall of all its two-battery Zoomer products sold after November, 2008. This recall is expected to set the company back US$2 million (S$2.5 million). Customers have also been advised to remove batteries from all Zoomer products. Safety checks are underway and the company is working together with electrical components suppliers to determine the exact cause of the malfunction.
Play-Well is playing it safe by recalling its two-battery Zoomer models, but the company has also acknowledged that some one-battery models may be affected and should be discontinued in its use. However, product recalls are not slated for these one-battery Zoomer models as yet, as investigations are still in process. A second recall will be provided once the root problem has been identified.
To ensure product quality and consistency along the company’s supply chain, more stringent checks and measures have been implemented. Assistant vice-president of Play-Well Company, Melvin Eng, remains optimistic about the company’s future prospects. “We do acknowledge that sales might be affected, but it wouldn’t affect us to a large extent because we have established a longstanding reputation for quality.”
Customers may call 800-ZOOMERS or contact a Play-Well service centre to schedule for repairs or speak to a consultant regarding compensation for damage or injury. A 24-hour customer service hotline is also available at 123-456-7890.
