Peleton treadmill recall

NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
Apparently Peleton treadmill ($4,300 Tread+) had killed a child, and has injured many others and pets as well. If you have this machine please be aware.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/child-dies-tragic-accident-involving-peleton-treadmill-ceo/story

Replies

  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Yep, all over the news. Figured this was coming. Not enough to say, "well, don't have kids or pets near you when you exercise...". Not exactly an ideal answer to a child dying from one.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited May 2021
    I think the blanket statement of..."If you have this product, stop using it immediately" is a little odd considering that not everyone has children/pets. If I owned a Peloton treadmill and liked it, I would keep it, since I have neither pets nor children.

    While not trying to be callous towards the parents whose children were injured or the one who was killed, there is a safety feature in place for the product. There is a key that is meant to be removed from the treadmill when you are not using it, which, if it had been used, would have prevented injury and death.

    The issue is that there are tons of single parents and pet owners that would not be able to use their treadmill unless they had a babysitter or crated their pets. And then what about cats too?

    While I agree with the first part of your statement, taking the key out while not in use only solves the issue for so many folks. That was why it was an indefensible strategy, legally speaking, from the get go.

    Legally speaking, was it safe to say that Peloton didn't ask if people had children or pets when they sold them the Tread+? Did they ask if they were single parents (or stay at home parents that workout during the day)? Did they ask if they ever intended on getting a pet? Because, any reasonable jury would look at videos of kids, dogs or cats getting sucked under this thing and hold the company liable. Because what reasonable person would buy a treadmill and expect to have to get a sitter to run or walk on it? That's the multi-million dollar question. It's open and shut. It really is.

    They will have to design a plastic protection/shield that retrofits around the Tread+ to protect pets/children. Then all of them will have a disclaimer. It's the only way I see it happening. And that plastic shield will be likely clear, so it doesn't look hideous. Then there will be a class action lawsuit for loss of use/diminished value. Going to get really ugly for a while for Peloton.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    if the parents had left the treadmill unplugged when not in use or removed the key, no children would be injured or dead. pretty much any treadmill could kill or injure a child or pet in the exact same way.

    peloton warns about this in their manual prominently, and i read (i can't confirm this) they also had a sticker on the treadmill with the warning.

    So you have eyes in the back of your head when you're riding a treadmill? You're missing the point completely.

    The Tread+ is the only treadmill that I know of that is like 12 inches off the ground. I have a Sole F80 treadmill that is like 3 inches off the ground. See the difference? My wife and daughter ride it all the time with pets roaming the house. They are plugged into their music and wouldn't have a clue if a dog or a cat (or if we had kids) were near the back of it. Every treadmill has a safety plug. Why is theirs the only one that's being recalled?

    There is no missing the point, children are not taught is mommy/daddy is on the threadmill do sit away and wait for them to finish

    Heaven forbid a child should sit still whilst the parent is working out - was this even possible before - of course it was

  • Alex
    Alex Posts: 10,137 MFP Staff
    Hey folks - reminder to play nicely or not at all. The OP posted to make sure people were aware of this recall of a health and fitness device in a health and fitness forums, we can globalize about it in the debate section if you feel the need.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited May 2021
    socajam wrote: »
    socajam wrote: »
    It killed a child and injured others because parents are too irresponsible to remove the key so that their little darling do not get injured - or keep the little darling away whilst exercising - the thread mill is not a toy
    Personal responsibility have become extinct and it now becomes someone else's fault when an accident happens

    One child is dead and there are at least 25 other incidents where children or animals have been injured. This is a high rate for a single product, don't you think? I don't know why corporate responsibility doesn't come into play at some point as well and I think the quip about "little darling" is really inappropriate given that a kid is dead.

    Nobody is arguing that a treadmill is a toy.

    As I said if parents act responsibly, there would not be a need for a recall
    The threadmill did not dropped on the child and killed him, the parent was negligent in not removing the key from the equipment
    Parents were either too lazy or have not taught their child(ren) boundaries that certain things in the house are not to be touched
    People buy equipment and are too lazy or do not use their common sense (which seems to non existent these days) to read the manual - then they have problems and blame the company
    There is a key that MUST be removed when the equipment is not being used, how hard it is for a parent or any parents to do that.

    Edit: Removed.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    ALL treadmills are dangerous to use to the careless and unwary but it seems that the Peloton treadmill is particularly so.
  • clayfield0813
    clayfield0813 Posts: 32 Member
    To the people arguing- let it go- this only destroys your inner peace- we can blame someone else all the time- fact is no one is perfect- this is not a perfect world.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    socajam wrote: »
    socajam wrote: »
    It killed a child and injured others because parents are too irresponsible to remove the key so that their little darling do not get injured - or keep the little darling away whilst exercising - the thread mill is not a toy
    Personal responsibility have become extinct and it now becomes someone else's fault when an accident happens

    One child is dead and there are at least 25 other incidents where children or animals have been injured. This is a high rate for a single product, don't you think? I don't know why corporate responsibility doesn't come into play at some point as well and I think the quip about "little darling" is really inappropriate given that a kid is dead.

    Nobody is arguing that a treadmill is a toy.

    As I said if parents act responsibly, there would not be a need for a recall
    The threadmill did not dropped on the child and killed him, the parent was negligent in not removing the key from the equipment
    Parents were either too lazy or have not taught their child(ren) boundaries that certain things in the house are not to be touched
    People buy equipment and are too lazy or do not use their common sense (which seems to non existent these days) to read the manual - then they have problems and blame the company
    There is a key that MUST be removed when the equipment is not being used, how hard it is for a parent or any parents to do that.

    There are people who kill their kids by leaving them locked in a hot car because they aren't paying attention. The treadmill isn't the first instance of people not paying attention.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,604 Member
    Also just seen today that Peleton have some IT issues so data is not secure even if you have your profile set as private. Things which are viewable include weight, age, sex and ID - so maybe look at that if you have a Peleton! They’re apparently trying to fix the gaps in their security.
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    if the parents had left the treadmill unplugged when not in use or removed the key, no children would be injured or dead. pretty much any treadmill could kill or injure a child or pet in the exact same way.

    peloton warns about this in their manual prominently, and i read (i can't confirm this) they also had a sticker on the treadmill with the warning.

    At least one case had a child sucked under while the treadmill was being used. I don't think that was the kid that died.
  • SunnyWaves89
    SunnyWaves89 Posts: 2 Member
    33gail33 wrote: »
    if the parents had left the treadmill unplugged when not in use or removed the key, no children would be injured or dead. pretty much any treadmill could kill or injure a child or pet in the exact same way.

    peloton warns about this in their manual prominently, and i read (i can't confirm this) they also had a sticker on the treadmill with the warning.

    At least one case had a child sucked under while the treadmill was being used. I don't think that was the kid that died.

    Correct. Thankfully that boy was able to free himself.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Just an update on this discussion. The CEO has been ousted, 2800 employees are being laid off and the stock is near an all time low. Could see all of that coming from a mile away.

    Still, their "secret sauce" is in the interactive technology, still the best there is. It will rebound from this but that whole treadmill situation is what started the tumbling down of Peloton.