Important Consumer Alert: Baby Einstein DVDs Might Not Make Kids Smarter

Disney, which makes the Baby Einstein series of children’sDVDs, has “set the record straight” with an announcement that it does notadvertise the videos as “educational.” Consumer rights groups had accused thecompany of deceptive advertising because there is no proof that the videos make kidssmarter.  The company is actuallyoffering a refund to buyers who purchased a DVD between June 5, 2004, and Sept.4, 2009.  Here’s the story fromNewsday: 

Beth Kichel and Lisa Kobel areexpecting a Baby Einstein windfall – between them the Long Island moms own halfa dozen of the DVDs, and the Walt DisneyCo. is now refunding $15.99 per video.

A throw-down between The BabyEinstein Company and a Bostonchild advocacy group has resulted in the bonus for consumers.

“The Campaign fora Commercial-Free Childhood” has been fighting the Einsteindivision of Disney for years, saying the company’s advertising was”deceptive.” The advocacy group’s position: There’s no proof watchingthe videos, which feature classical music and art for babies and toddlers,makes a child any smarter.

Baby Einstein countered by postinga “set the record straight” announcement on its Web site, saying itdoesn’t advertise the videos as “educational,” and that it hasexpanded its refund policy, not because it’s guilty, but as a show ofconfidence in the product and to end the fight. “We decided it to leave itup to those consumers,” wrote general manager Susan McLain.

Kichel and Kobel are among theconsumers ready to cash in. Kichel got her tapes when her daughter, Tali, now2, was born. “I tried to make her watch them, having heard the hype abouthow intellectually stimulating they are for the newborns,” said Kichel,who lives in Bellmore.”She had no interest in them. I will look for them now to return and getthe refund.”

Kobel, who lives in Huntington and has a22-month-old named Jillian, echoed Kichel as the moms played with theirchildren at the indoor playground Once Upon a Treetop in Plainview. “I didn’tbuy them thinking, ‘Oh, it’s going to make her smarter,’ ” Kobel said.”They’re a little boring.”

[Meredith R. Miller]