Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** Primark has issued an urgent recall for select jewelry items due to elevated nickel levels that may cause allergic skin reactions. Customers are advised to check product codes and return affected items for a full refund.
Primark has recalled some items of jewelry, warning customers that they could cause an allergic reaction. A body bar and set of nose studs sold by the fashion store could cause skin issues due to “higher than permitted levels of nickel”. Nickel can cause allergic contact dermatitis, an itchy rash that appears where your skin touches items containing the metal.
The body bar was on sale at stores in the UK between August 23 and December 8 last year. It has the product code 2064701, which can be found on the packaging but is not on the jewelry itself. The set of studs was available to buy between August 30 until December 8, 2020 and has the product code 4102702. Anyone who bought the items can return them to any Primark store and get their money back.
Product recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods. As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action. But it’s often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk. If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer’s website to see if a safety notice has been issued. When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you – the customer – to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don’t there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault. If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer. They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice. In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected. You should not be charged for any recall work – such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item.
However, Primark stores are currently closed in the latest coronavirus lockdown, so shoppers will have to wait until they reopen to return the affected items. As with most product recalls, you won’t need a receipt to get your money back.
In a product recall notice on its website, Primark said:
