It has been nearly two months since federal regulators outlawed the manufacture and sale of drop-side cribs, but the new safety regulation hasn't stopped parents from advertising the dangerous cribs for re-sale on Craigslist.
An NBC New York investigation found more than a dozen used drop-side cribs for sale on New York City’s Craigslist page since the beginning of August.
On June 28, new Consumer Product Safety Commission rules took effect that forbid crib owners from distributing, contracting to sell, or otherwise placing the cribs in the “stream of commerce.”
Still, NBC New York responded to several ads and received solicitations from owners looking to sell used drop-side cribs online. In a return email, one seller boasted her drop-side crib was in “excellent condition” and “I would hold off on others until you see mine.”
It is likely most of the owners advertising their used drop-side cribs are unaware of the federal ban on re-sales. NBC New York emailed a copy of the federal ban to the Craigslist sellers who responded to emails.
Outside the Babies R’ Us in Union Square, parents admitted they hadn’t heard of the new rules.
“You really don’t hear of them being banned," said one parent. "You hear of a lot of them being recalled.”
The federal ban applies to all drop-side cribs, not just ones that have been recalled.
Since 2007, 18 baby fatalities have been linked to drop-side cribs, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Corporate managers of eBay have eliminated advertisements for drop-side cribs. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens) wrote a letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster urging him to follow suit.
“It is unacceptable that Craigslist is willing to allow these dangerous products to be sold without making an effort either to prevent the listing and sale, or to inform consumers that the product they are purchasing is illegal,” Crowley wrote.
Craigslist has not publicly responded to the criticism.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends owners of the outlawed cribs disassemble them and throw them away if they are still sitting in their homes. Regulators also have online investigators searching for illegal ads.
“Nearly every day we are on eBay and Craigslist doing our own research,” said Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Scott Wolfson.
“We are out there right now looking for auctions and ads that could be illegal.”
