[ad_1]
The parent company of the controversial Stanley Cup tumbler has been hit with a number of lawsuits from customers over the past week, alleging that the brand failed to disclose that its products contained lead.
The proposed class action lawsuit comes weeks after Stanley admitted that the “sealant” it uses to ensure vacuum insulation at the bottom of its products contains “some lead.” brought to court.
“Please be assured that lead is not present on the surface or inside of Stanley products that come into contact with consumers,” the company said in a release at the time.
USA TODAY previously reported on concerns that lead in the cups was starting to circulate after many consumers tested their tumblers for lead at home and posted the results on social media.
Although results have apparently varied, there is no reliable and consistent indication that the internal portion of the cup that holds the liquid contains lead. Additionally, there are no known reports that the cups have caused any health problems for consumers.
Still, some customers were not reassured. Here’s what we know about the lawsuit.
Customers say they should have been warned.
Two women, one from California and one from Nevada, brought separate suits and purchased at least one Stanley tumbler at a big box store.
The women said the company violated their right to make an informed decision about whether to purchase the cup in the first place by failing to “warn buyers that it may contain lead.” claims.
Stanley calls the allegations ‘baseless’
According to a statement obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday, Stanley “will vigorously defend against these baseless allegations.”
“As we have shared, lead is not present on the surfaces of Stanley products that come into contact with consumers or in the product contents,” the statement said.
What does the lawsuit against Stanley allege?
The Nevada litigants accuse the company of “participating in a campaign to deceive its customers,” according to the complaint.
“Stanley has known, or reasonably should have known, about this lead issue for years, but chose to hide it from the public, perhaps to avoid loss of sales,” the complaint states. Are listed.
The California plaintiffs allege that Stanley “continued to conceal known risks and failed to warn of the known or scientifically knowable dangers and risks associated with ingesting lead, which is known to be dangerous even in trace amounts.” “,” the lawsuit alleges.
They argue that the average consumer has no reason to suspect that there was lead in the cup, and that the only way to confirm the presence of lead is through privately purchased scientific tests or third-party tests. He argues that scientific testing should be considered.
According to the complaint, the company also failed to consider that the vacuum seal could break and expose users to lead, “during strenuous activities that could increase the risk of dropping or breaking the cup.” Continued to promote the use of the product.
Stanley offers customers a lifetime warranty in the “infrequent event that the base cap of the product comes off and the seal is exposed through normal use,” and that its products meet all “regulatory requirements.” I guarantee you that.
“Stanley conducts all product compliance through an FDA-accredited third-party laboratory that verifies that our products follow strict guidelines, including but not limited to regulatory requirements for BPA/BPS, PFOS, and phthalates. are being tested and verified,” the statement reads.
Both women claim that the Stanley tumblers they purchased are “virtually worthless” because they do not have the basic features advertised, and that they would have been “virtually worthless” if they had known about the lead. He added that he would not have purchased the tumbler.
What does Stanley’s lawsuit against its parent company seek?
The women, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of all Stanley customers, seek monetary damages, a remedial advertising campaign, a product recall, and a ban on the company selling the cups until the lead levels are removed or fully disclosed, according to the complaint. I’m looking for it.
The company also said it would consider ordering and using Stanley products in the future if the company “certifies that the underlying defects at issue here have been corrected.”
Does the Stanley Cup contain lead?
The company confirmed that lead-containing droplets were used in the bottom cap to seal the insulated cup.
USA TODAY previously reported that the lead block is surrounded by stainless steel, so the lead doesn’t stick to the tumbler’s surface or come into contact with the drink inside.
When you flip the insulated Stanley over, you’ll see a small circular cap on the outside bottom of the cup. Lead is present beneath this external seal.
Several videos testing cups for lead show swabbing this bottom area, rather than the inside of the cup, after removing the cap cover.
Contributor: Mary Walrath-Holdridge
[ad_2]
Source link
