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UPDATE: Peloton recalled its treadmills and temporarily stopped sales, according to AP News, on May 4, 2021. The company has recalled approximately 125,000 treadmills just a couple of weeks after declining to admit there was a problem and refusing to pull them off the shelves.
Now, Peloton said it would offer full refunds for the Peloton Tread+ treadmills — most than $4,200 a unit. CEO John Foley said the company apologizes for the mistake in the initial response to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
After the announcement, shares of the New York-based Peloton Interactive Inc. sharply declined nearly 15 percent. Wednesday was its second-biggest one-day decline since it started trading stock in 2019.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the chair of the consumer safety committee, stated, “the recall was dangerously delayed,” reports AP News. He added:
Peloton unacceptably put consumers at risk. [He will work to strengthen the safety commission so that] companies like Peloton no longer get to call the shots on consumer safety.
Original Story
Sunday, April 18, 2021, the CPSC suggested that owners of the Peloton+ treadmill with small children discontinue using the device.
This comes approximately a month after John Foley, CEO of Peloton, reported occasions where some children and a pet were injured, one child fatally. There is no information on the specific details of the child’s death.
Foley insists owners of the machine should heed the warnings and safety instructions that accompany the machine, which warns against allowing pets, children, and other objects in its path. This is something the CPSC urges as well, noted on their press release.
Although the company says the child’s death saddens their hearts, it has not recalled the treadmill, stating that the CPSC’s warning is not true and is deceptive. They suggest that the owner remove the safety key when not in use, rendering the treadmill safe.
The CPSC refutes this allegation, saying they believe the machine is dangerous for children, causing scrapes, broken bones, and even death, and locking it off does not help. Children have been trapped and dragged under the roller section of the equipment.
The expensive treadmill earned Consumer Report’s number one spot over other treadmills. It was extremely favored during the pandemic for offering a video screen which, for a separate fee, a person could virtually work with trainers. So many people were interested in the Peloton+ that the extreme backlog of the machine caused consumers to refrain from buying the device.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched an ongoing investigation into the treadmill, stating 38 unsafe incidences have occurred (72 were reported in the update). Though there has been one death overall, no deaths were found to cause these occurrences.
Refunds must be requested by Nov. 2, 2022. The CPSC recommends people quit using the treadmill. However, the agency added, if they want to keep the machine, the company “said it would move it free of charge to a room where children or pets cannot access it and update the software, so a passcode is required to unlock it.”
Written by Brenda Robinson
Edited and Updated by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
NPR: Consumer Safety Agency Warns People With Children To Stop Using The Peloton Tread; Eric McDaniel
New York Post: Child dies in Peloton treadmill accident, CEO announces; Laura Italiano
CR: Is the Peloton Tread Really Worth $4,300? Kevin Loria
AP News: Peloton recalls treadmills, halts sales, after a child dies; by Anthony Pisani
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Justin Waits’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Phillip Pessar’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
