Trouble in Toyland: Parents beware of dangerous, recalled toys still on sale, Public Interest Research Group says

Parents shopping for their kids this holiday season need to be alert and carefully examine toys before they buy them because recalled and counterfeit toys are being sold online, a consumer report said Thursday.

The 37th annual "Trouble in Toyland" toy safety report by Denver-based US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) warned parents to be especially mindful of this hidden danger.

PIRG said that in October it was able to buy more than 30 recalled toys from several US-based online sellers, noting that it is illegal for retailers and online marketplaces to sell toys that have been recalled, CNN reported.

The report also said counterfeit toys that don't necessarily meet mandatory US safety standards continue to be sold in stores and online.

The group was able to buy close to a dozen different types of toys that had been recalled - for reasons that ranged from choking hazards to laceration risk to potential poisoning - from sellers on Facebook Marketplace and eBay, as well as several online toy shops.

The toys included stuffed animals, action figures, activity balls for infants, musical toys, bath toys and a toddler's riding toy, and a majority of them were bought new in the original packaging or new with tags.

"None of the other sellers flagged, stopped or sent a warning about any of our other purchases of recalled toys," the report said.

The recalled toys that PIRG said it was able to purchase online included:

When the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and a toy manufacturer announce a recall, that means the toy must immediately be removed from store shelves and online marketplaces. Federal law prohibits the sale of products subject to a recall ordered by the CPSC or a voluntary recall by the company in consultation by the CPSC, the report said.

PIRG offered this advice regarding the best way to avoid counterfeit toys: If the only place to buy a popular, hard-to-find toy is a website you've never heard of or that looks sketchy, there may be a reason for that.

The toys may not be genuine, the report said, and may not meet safety standards for parts that can break or levels of toxins, which are common in plastic toys.

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