Posted on 09/22/2007 12:07:24 PM PDT by yorkie
LOS ANGELES - Mattel Inc. tried to save face Friday with Chinese officials, taking the blame for the recent recalls of millions of Chinese-made toys as it strives to mend a strained relationship with the nation that makes most of its toys and fattens its profit.
The world's largest toy maker sent a top executive to personally apologize to China's product safety chief, Li Changjang, as reporters and company lawyers looked on.
'Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologizes personally to you, the Chinese people, and all of our customers who received the toys,' Thomas A. Debrowski, Mattel's executive vice president for worldwide operations, told Li.
The unusual move reflects how invested El Segundo-based Mattel has become in China.
'Mattel certainly must have been facing some pressure to do that, because you can't imagine why they would be trying to push this story along any further,' said Eric Johnson, a professor of operations management at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
He suggested Mattel may want to prevent China from imposing more taxes or regulations.
'China's embarrassment in all this could lead to that, and I think they were trying to head that off with this apology,' Johnson said.
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.tbo.com ...
Pathetic groveling.
Trade with China... it’s brought so many new concepts to our nation. Groveling is merely the latest. Just stack it over near the espionage and treason. We’ll deal with it later.
> Pathetic groveling.
The technical term is “kowtowing”.
And repugnant.
Eckert and his buddies need to move to China, see if they can make a living there instead of pretending to be part of us.
I'm sure the 1.6 billion ethnic Han Chinese will openly accept and nurture their little Caucasian buddies once they have no money and no American passports.
Absolutely sure.
They just lost my business... I have 3 boys and 12 nieces and nephews.
You are not insane.
This is disgusting. In fact I have just had it with all of the groveling from so many quarters as of late.
Everybody crawls along regurgitating phony apologies for anything that pricks the senseless sensibilities of the
hyper-publicity crowd. Geez !!
It is not you. I do agree, however, that it is Mattel's fault. They are the ones who closed down their US factories and went for the garbage made in China. Any American company that manufactures out of the country deserves total boycott on a permament basis.
But, that is just me.
The big news this week is the declining US Dollar, but it isn't all bad. Pushes the trade imbalance in our favor, but it's not so good for outfits with so much of their manufacturing base abroad, like Mattel.
60% of all Mattel toys are made in China!!!
They don't want China to shut off the spigot of their chep labor and toys!!
Too bad Mattel's CEO didn't think about the fact that his apology will ensure that we turn off the spigot from this end.
I'm done with you Mattel -- and just as my 3-year old was getting into the Barbie phase! #$@%^&
Insane. And no more mattel toys for me.
What this REALLY means is that Mattel has turned into a despicable corporation......unwilling to meet safety regulations imposed for the safety of our kids.
The only other alternative is for it to place the blame where it belongs - on the chinese corporations using slave labor and unsafe process and ingredients - but it will ignore this for profit -
I will never buy another Mattel product, and will encourage anyone I can to do the same. I truly hope Mattel will soon have to find another market to sell its faulty/poisonous/dangerous toys into, and see how they like the profits they make by selling them into, say, india or messico..........
This is sickening.
Do the Chinese really think this is the way to mend things? Force Mattel to grovel? Does that absolve China of their guilt?
Let mattel take the blame for screwing consumers in an effort to suck up to china. Hopefully, US consumers will boycott all of mattel’s toys. Let the chinese buy them.
65% of Mattel’s manufacturing is in China......they panicked, the cheap chisling whores!!!!
That’s it! Mattel ain’t getting my business no mo! (studied English at liberal public schools).
They don’t want to tick off a good source of very cheap labor.
The continued worsening of political correctness leads to goofy, strange, and stupid business transactions such as this.
“Is it just me, or is this insane?”
Sound just like out State Department, don’t they?
Ok, this Gramma is OFFICIALLY never buying another Mattel product! Weasels! Instead of making China produce a safe product, or even wackier, making the products here at home, they have to send a company rep over there to kiss chinese ass?
Dang, I am going to miss Hot Wheels.
It’s high time we boycott Mattel and also the other companies who have taken their manufacturing off shore! Maybe they will bring those jobs back to the U.S. where there are quality checks as a part of doing business.
Please write them and tell them how you feel. Here is the link for contact:
http://service.mattel.com/us/contactus.aspx
Mattel Tells China It’s Sorry...
but mattel does not apologize to the american consumer public!!!!!
Mattel’s apologizing to China because Chinese subcontractors used (against specs)) high lead content paint on millions of toys???
Pathetic!
BOYCOTT MATTEL
Hey Mattel, sorry you choose to have all your crap made by the chi-coms.
Guess I’ll have to buy toys from a different toy maker.
Go suck up to the chi-coms you dirtbags.
I’m with you pal.
kow tow is back.
Thanks.
Li upbraided Mattel for maintaining weak safety controls and reminded Debrowski that ‘a large part of your annual profit ... comes from your factories in China.’
‘I really hope that Mattel can learn lessons and gain experience from these incidents,’ Li said, adding Mattel should ‘improve their control measures.’”
Total suck-up mode, being upbraided by China for Chinese mistakes, then Mattel takes the blame and loves it. Poor controls at Mattel, not China’s fault. Talk about having Mattel by the short hairs. Gotta have that cheap labor no matter what.
This little escapade of an apology of all things might just be enough to give Americans the guts to boycott their products. Not only do you run the risk of buying something that might harm your kids, the people who bring it to you are gutless. It’s the consumer perfecta!
Time to boycott Mattel. Money grubbing weasels who couldn’t care less about kid’s safety, and all too willing to lick ChiComs’ toes.
OK guys, now we know Mattel is a dog of Communist China. That is worth a boycott for being unpatriotic.
Here is what my friend wrote to Mattel this morning: (I was given permission to post it here).
corporate.communications@mattel.com
Mattel Tells China It’s Sorry
“The world’s largest toy maker sent a top executive to personally apologize to China’s product safety chief, Li Changjang, as reporters and company lawyers looked on.”
This is unbelievable!! Just absolutely unbelievable! An American Company apologizes to the Chinese Communists when the fault lies w/the Chinese.
I’ve forwarded this article to all my family, friends and contacts. They will forward it on to their contacts and on and on down the line. Every single person I’ve spoken to regarding this is outraged, and has the same response.. “is there no end to the greed of these corporations.”
I’ve checked your website for a list of all your products... I will NEVER and I mean NEVER buy any of your products. If and when you get out of China I will reconsider.
I hope there is someone in your corporation (other than the sniveling little girls who made this decision to PERSONALLY apologize to the Commies) who has the common sense to immediately begin moving your company out of China and back to The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave.
The only thing that can put a stop to this nonsense is a consumer backlash. ....and a big one’s a-brewin’. I make a big effort these days to only buy quality American products. It can be a hassle, for sure. But it’s worth it.
I would suggest that everyone call the Mattel 1-800 number listed in your link above. The Call Center for problems with Fisher Price and Mattel products are located in my backyard. Any and all complaints regarding “corporate” (i.e., El Segundo,CA, Mattel’s HQ) get forwarded directly to them. They take these statistics and comments VERY seriously. The number is also on any Mattel product box.
Your comments will be typed in and then forwarded. I know, I worked for them for one winter season when I was a newly retired person and thought I would be bored. Won’t ever do that again!!!
I intend to call and voice my opinion, you can be sure of that!
Tell your friend that he is wrong. It was Mattel's fault for outsourcing American manufacturing to a sleeze-bag nation that has no concern for individuals. Mattel has no concern for individuals either; for, they know the working conditions and product safety rules in China. They are interested only in maximizing profit with no concern whatsoever to quality of their product or the quality of life in either country.
Zeugma is not affiliated with The Lego Group in any way, though he has hundreds of dollars of Lego on the shelves behind him even as he types. :-)
It is my understanding that even the Danish company Lego(TM) are incremental outsourcing some of their production to China. With that said the Brick and parts themselves to my knowlege is still being produced in Denmark and shifted production to Eastern Europe.
Dude, you've completely ruined my evening!
I wonder if the paint was against the specs Mattel gave to the chinks?
I may have read about it and forgotten, or just never have read about who specified what.
A US manufacturer would have just assumed, "no lead paint".
A Chinese one may have been given specs for color, but not lead based paint.
Even if they were given proper specs, it may have either been lost in translation, or upon reading it, they may have wondered what lead free paint was, and decided, must be something that doesn't matter and gone on with the painting.
The chinks are many years behind us in environmental knowledge.
Can you imagine a US manufacturer being given a spec. for lead free paint in the 1920's?
The supervisors and employees would have laughed, wondering what foolishness this was as they grabbed the pails of lead based paint.
All the more reason for making stuff HERE!
I just copied your letter Post 39, changed the wording, added and subtracted some paragraphs and sent it to the e-mail link from your post (39).
One of my cousins makes, and sells wooden toys at craft and toy shows around New England.
He has been told to expect a banner year over this, as folks KNOW who makes his stuff!
Look for Uncle Joel's toys if you can find him.
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