“The shower bench can collapse during use, posing a fall hazard to the user,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission wrote in its recall alert for the bench.
The recall follows 81 consumer reports of the benches collapsing, breaking or falling apart during use. Four consumers reported injuries, including a fractured tailbone, persistent head and body aches as well as bruising.
The label on the 20-inch benches says they are made entirely of “wood from well-managed forests.” The item’s box has an item number of 1049998 and a UPC Code number of 8886474018015, The Miami Herald reported.
Consumers can return the benches to the Costco location where they were purchased. Costco will issue a full refund for the item. Costco sold the benches online and at locations nationwide from October 2018 through June 2021. The benches retailed for $80 to $90, USA Today reported.
People with questions about the recall can call Ivena at 844-818-9388 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday.
Ivena is an indoor- and outdoor-furniture manufacturing company based in Indonesia and Vietnam. The company specializes in chair, tables and benches. Its U.S. headquarters is located in San Jose, California.
Newsweek contacted Ivena for comment.
In a product recall, the manufacturer usually pays for the cost of replacing, repairing or reimbursing people for faulty products. Recalls can either be voluntarily undertaken by manufacturers or required by federal agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission or Food and Drug Administration.
Some product recalls can result in lawsuits. However, it’s unclear if any of the reportedly injured consumers have chosen to sue Ivena in this case. Recalls can also cost companies millions or billions of dollars. This not only includes the cost of reclaiming the products, but also any public relations efforts to regain consumer trust after releasing faulty products.
Other brands sold at Costco have issued three recall notices this year so far. The recalls were for a massager, migraine medication and a power saw for pruning trees and bushes. Other brands at the big box retailer issued two product recalls in 2020 and six in 2019.
In 2018, manufacturers issued 16 product recalls for items sold at Costco. Not all of the products had safety hazards. Some merely had defective parts or low performance quality. In all cases, the manufacturers offered refunds or replacements.