It's been a long battle between federal regulators and the people behind the magnets called Buckyballs and Buckycubes.
For two years, regulators have argued the high-powered magnets pose a deadly risk to young children, tweens, and teens if ingested.
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to immediately stop using all Buckyballs and Buckycubes and visit BuckyballsRecall.com to request a refund.
The company that made the products, Maxfield and Oberton Holdings, eventually dissolved. Now, Craig Zucker the co-founder of that company has agreed to establish a fund that will offer people their money back of they return the Buckyballs and Buckycubes.
A refund can be requested through an online site, BuckyballsRecall.com. The deadline for submitting a refund request is Jan. 17. The products cost about $20. Customers will only receive the purchase price of the product, and partial refunds may be provided, depending on how many magnets are returned.
Dangerous Incidents
From 2009 to the present, CPSC staff has received numerous incident reports of ingestions involving Buckyballs and Buckycubes, many of which required surgery. This recall is intended to protect children and teenagers from the risk of injury that can occur when more than one magnet is ingested.
The magnets went on the market in 2009 and numerous incidents were reported involving children. In January 2011, a 4-year-old boy had his intestine perforated when he swallowed magnets he thought were candy, the CPSC has said.
Again, the CPSC recommends you stop using the Buckyballs and Buckycubes. You can apply for a refund by visiting this website.