Unilever sends knives to families, children hurt

[IRiSHMaFIA]

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Anglo-Dutch consumer products group Unilever NV/Plc sent knives to 200,000 Dutch families in a direct mail campaign which resulted in some children suffering injuries, the company said on Tuesday.

The company had sent the letters, which included a small knife with a metal blade and plastic hilt, in the first half of January to promote the use of one of its brands of margarine.

But Unilever said three children had needed to visit a doctor and around 50 parents had filed a complaint.

"Parents said the knife was too sharp, after which we decided to send a second letter and ask the families to throw away the knife," a Unilever spokeswoman said.

Unilever said it had contacted the families which had complained and had offered them a cuddly toy as consolation. It said it had not received any requests for compensation.

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Offered a cuddly toy? Now THIS is a prime candidate to have their arses sued off.

If this happened in the UK or America they'd have lost their shirts.

[girldorksrule]

Did they expect the knives to be DULL...what is wrong with people? Since when is ok for CHILDREN to use real knives as TOYS?

[IRiSHMaFIA]

Did they expect the knives to be DULL...what is wrong with people? Since when is ok for CHILDREN to use real knives as TOYS?

I'd think what's wrong with the company? That's pretty thick of them to send out knives in the post to 200,000 families not knowing who goes to fetch it daily.

It should have come to mind that maybe kids go get it for their parents and would open a package that contained something like that....and of course play with it.

As far as I'm concerned they were completely out of order sending them out and should be paying more than a cuddly toy to the children that were hurt. They should be coughing up a good few euros for their negligence.

[eefanincan]

They should be coughing up a good few euros for their negligence.

Oh, it'll come. I rather suspect that some of them will talk to their North American relatives, someone will mention suing, and away we go.

What an absolutely stupid promotion for them to be having. Why not give a coupon for the knife that could be redeemed at the store when they purchase the margarine.... kind of like a gift with purchase.

[pirtybirdy]

That was definitely a dumb promo idea. You know how kids love "prizes". Look how us kids were when we were young sticking our filthy hands in the cereal box to get at the prize, sometimes spilling half the box on the floor. Anything that looks like a toy in a wrapper is going to have kids attention.

[girldorksrule]

I hadn't thought of kids opening the package...I guess that makes more sense now than the parents saying "Hey...lookie here...some knives for you to play with." And I agree with eefan...coupons would have been a better idea.

[faceless]

I remember getting some of these wee knives at some Holiday exhibition back in the 80s. They were meant to be letter-opener type things with the blade actually covered by a bit of plastic. Anyway I took some to school and gave them out to some of the lads and that day there was a massive spate of people's bags being cut open while they were walking along... there were books, gym kit and Home Economics cakes everywhere. It was carnage!

[eefanincan]

I remember getting some of these wee knives at some Holiday exhibition back in the 80s. They were meant to be letter-opener type things with the blade actually covered by a bit of plastic. Anyway I took some to school and gave them out to some of the lads and that day there was a massive spate of people's bags being cut open while they were walking along... there were books, gym kit and Home Economics cakes everywhere. It was carnage!

Does this mean that you are the root of all evil???

[Skylace]

You have to wonder about the genius who thought this one up! "Let's post knives in the mail to get people to buy our marg!"