Williams-Sonoma Agrees to Pay Nearly $1 Million to CPSC for Late Recall of Hammock Stand

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said it reached a $987,500 settlement with Williams-Sonoma for the company’s alleged failure to report a defect in its imported hammock stands. According to CPSC, the support beams were susceptible to rotting, presenting a fall and laceration hazard to users.

Williams-Sonoma sold the hammock stands through its Pottery Barn subsidiary. The wooden stands were held together by metal brackets. CPSC alleged that moisture could become trapped in the metal brackets, causing the wooden beams to rot. As early as 2004, Williams-Sonoma was notified that the product had failed and injured a customer, the commission alleged. By late 2006, following Williams-Sonoma’s receipt of the eighth incident report involving failure of the hammock stands, the company should have known the products were possibly defective, CPSC alleged. Yet Williams-Sonoma failed to immediately notify the commission of the risk, instead filing a report with CPSC and recalling the products in 2008. By that time, the company was aware of 45 incidents, the commission said.

Per the terms of the settlement agreement, Williams-Sonoma doesn’t admit nor deny the charges. The company will have to pay $987,500, and will also implement a compliance program. Comments on the settlement agreement are due by May 24.

(Federal Register 05/09/13)