A CPST in Minnesota contacted SRN after techs in her area began seeing that caregivers had CRs with Display Only labels, indicating they were made specifically for placement on store shelves. Are these safe, she wondered?
When SRN asked some CR manufacturers to comment for this article, one said they’d just heard of a similar issue in Arizona. The company Joie has heard so often that caregivers are using Joie display CRs that it has posted a video on social media to warn against doing so.
This issue seems to be a growing problem. If CPSTs see a CR that says it is for display only, tactfully let the caregiver know that the CR is not recommended for use—just as it says on the label. Reasons include:
- A display CR might not have all of its parts, labels, and/or instructions.
- Some companies alter display CRs to make them unusable (e.g., blocking the belt path).
- While on a store shelf, a CR may be handled roughly; parts may be broken or taken off.
Sarah Haverstick of Evenflo said owners of the company’s display CRs should contact Evenflo customer service to find out if they are safe to use. Also, retailers are generally not supposed to sell the display CRs that manufacturers provide them, so notifying the manufacturer’s customer service will flag this issue.
Graco rep James Fitzpatrick noted that some retailers display sellable units, rather than ones marked for display. Therefore, buyers should use caution when buying any open-box CR.