We often follow dangerous products on this blog, such as the Halloween flashlight had risked bursting into flames. It turns out one such product literally walked in my front door. I will be reporting a dangerous product discovered by my son, Benjamin, who wore a costume of a man riding an ostrich at Party City. The only problem is that it proceeded to shock him from the internal engine that inflates the bird.
While we were on our way to the block Halloween party, the shocks required us to go back home and assemble a new costume (Ben went as a crazy old man instead). While it was not raining at the time, it was misty. I will be filing a complaint with the FTC (though the consumer protection reporting site is the first defective product I may report since it denies access to the report form. The Consumer Product Safety Commission website is virtually shutdown on one of the most important days for reporting defective or dangerous products). I have also alerted Party City. I would love to know how such a product can be issued to children.
Well the only thing I could think of was and is:
I’m glad he wasn’t hurt.
Yikes! You have to be careful of those electric costumes. I am glad noone was hurt!
Settle Party City, settle!
If one wants an unsafe costume, he’d go with the real ostrich, wouldn’t he? Looks like Party City’s head was in the sand on this one.
Electric motor that inflates the costume????!!!
What’s wrong with a pair of lungs and a rubber bung to keep the thing inflated?
Yes, I know it’s probably the only version of the costume available, but I do like to ask these more empirical (think that’s the right word) questions……..
Testing. Testing. 123 … they should have someone test the prototype and first run product … cheaper than returns and lawsuits …
testing . . .
There are a bunch of costumes that use batteries/motor/fan to continuously inflate the costume – it’s tough to keep a balloon inflated while you are walking around inside it, with bits of you sticking out. (The first one I became aware of was a “sumo” suit – insulting to the noble sport, but awesomely funny!)
Are you sure this was a defect and not simply a system to “encourage” the kid wearing the costume to keep moving to get the trick or treating over with quickly? (“That’s not a bug, that’s a feature!”)
I thought China rented out the FTC hq for their Halloween bash?
Glad to hear you’re ok, Benjamin!