Boys Winter Coats Subject of Recall

Strangulation hazard, failure to meet CPSC guidelines cited as causes for action

Another recall on an exclusive Burlington Coat Factory garment has been issued, this time for a product manufactured in China for a company called Lion Force, Inc. in Brooklyn, New York. The Lion Force Boys' Puffer Coats were sold at Burlington Coat Factory stores throughout the nation between November of 2010 and September of 2013 at an approximate retail cost of $30.

The coats feature a drawstring that runs through the hood that has been deemed a strangulation hazard according to Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines. The coats are all black with a zip-away black hood. The outside material is 100% nylon and it features an elastic waist and wrist cuffs. The Lion Force Logo appears on a sewn-on tag on the inside back of the neck of these coats. The coats have two velcro outer pockets with a third inner pocket. They were sold in boys' sizes 4-12.

This recall arrives on the heels of a similar one involving a Burlington Coat Factory exclusive product line for girls from Runway Global. The complaint in that recall was identical: it involved the drawstring on the hoods of several popular style girls' coats.

There are no reports of injury involving any product that is subject to these recalls.

Consumers are advised that removing the drawstring brings the coats under CPSC compliance, but the company is offering a full refund for anyone who wishes to return the affected merchandise. Lion Force can be reached on their toll-free line at (855) 441-5466.

"It is such a simple thing, yet it could also be a deadly lapse in judgment on the part of the manufacturer," said Drazen Alcocer, founder and CEO of iFederated, parent company of iRecalls.com. "Consumer safety guidelines exist to protect people, especially children. Then again, so does iRecalls.com."

iRecalls.com is a social network of concerned citizens dedicated to raising awareness of current consumer product recalls.

"When a national retailer carries defective products that can harm children, there has to be a reliable way of informing as many people as possible as quickly as possible, and I think iRecalls.com is positioned well to do that," said Artin Afsharjavan, Chairman of iFederated.

Afsharjavan added that his comment was not meant as a slight to Burlington Coat Factory. "It is impossible to police every item that they sell. They are right to expect the manufacturer to follow safety guidelines. However, when the manufacturer falls short of their responsibility, it is up to the company to take action and it is up to organizations like ours need to step up and speak up," he said.

Those interested in becoming part of the iRecalls.com community are welcome and encouraged to create a free account at http://www.irecalls.com.