Mattel
Porn instead of dolls: Barbie manufacturer is sued because of a false link
A missing word on Barbie packaging for the film “Wicked” could cost Mattel millions. A link accidentally led to an erotic website.
The link should probably have a different goal: The US toy manufacturer Mattel was sued by a buyer from the US state of South Carolina because of an erroneous link to an erotic website on a doll packaging. Holly Ricketson has filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles alleging that she purchased a doll based on the movie “Wicked” for her daughter and then the girl visited an adult website using the link provided. Ricketson said her daughter showed her pornographic photos from the website and they were both horrified.
The plaintiff is seeking at least $5 million in damages for all U.S. buyers who purchased “Wicked” dolls whose packaging contained the erroneous link. She accuses Mattel of negligence and violating California consumer protection laws.
The company also did not offer a refund despite recalling the dolls on November 11, the plaintiff said. Mattel expressed regret over the incorrect link but declined to comment on the lawsuit.
There was a word missing from the Barbie packaging
Mattel had previously regretted the error and advised parents to throw away the packaging or black out the incorrect address. The website is not suitable for children and the error is being corrected. One word was missing when specifying the internet address. The dolls would be available for sale again with the correct packaging.
Some buyers immediately tried to sell the dolls in the faulty packaging on online trading platforms at significantly higher prices than the retail price.
DPA · Reuters
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Source: Stern
