Walmart Fined Over Toy Gun Shipments: New York's Attorney General Speaks Out
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Following an announcement from the New York Attorney General’s office, Walmart was penalized for allowing third-party vendors to sell lifelike toy firearms to residents of New York.
Attorney General Letitia James of New York announced on Tuesday that her office came to an agreement with Walmart regarding the shipment of realistically styled toy firearms to the state.
James' office discovered that third-party vendors selling on Walmart’s online platform offered toys resembling real firearms, and the company delivered nine such items to locations in New York.
The statement issued from James' office indicated that state law forbids retailers from shipping or selling toy guns that resemble actual firearms and have colors such as black, dark blue, silver, or aluminum.
Walmart faced a fine totaling $16,000 in penalties and fees.
“Realistic-looking toy guns can put communities in serious danger and that is why they are banned in New York,” James said. “Walmart failed to prevent its third-party sellers from selling realistic-looking toy guns to New York addresses, violating our laws and putting people at risk. The ban on realistic-looking toy guns is meant to keep New Yorkers safe and my office will not hesitate to hold any business that violates that law accountable.”
Toy weapons sold within the state must either be "constructed from vibrant hues or crafted completely out of see-through or partly clear components," as stated by James' office. Businesses found non-compliant could face a penalty of $1,000 for each offense.
A probe conducted by James' office revealed that from March 2020 to November 2023, at least 46 unauthorized weapons that contravene New York state legislation were bought by residents of the state via the Walmart.com website.
Walmart issued the following statement to KNWA/FOX24:
We pledge to adhere strictly to all legal requirements, and we've implemented procedures to guarantee that goods sold by third-party vendors on our platform meet all relevant regulations.
As part of the agreement, Walmart must also prevent third parties from making available or selling any of the replica firearms regulated under the state law to purchasers in New York.
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