WARNING TO PARENTS - Dollar Tree Shirts For Kids Made By K-Mart

Shirt for kids taken off local store shelves
by Beau Zimmer
Tampa Bay WTSP News
October 12, 2006

Clearwater, Florida -- Like most grandparents, Jeanne Marchiselli loves to spoil her grandkids.

Jeanne Marchiselli, Dollar Tree Customer:

“I saw these shirts. They were right in front of the store, and I said to my husband they are cute for playing in the yard or at the beach.”

She bought two tiny t-shirts from the Largo Mall Dollar Tree store for her 8 and 10-year-old granddaughters last week, but noticed an unusual phone number printed on the front.

Jeanne Marchiselli, Dollar Tree Customer:

“As I was driving home, I said to [my husband] what’s that 800 number doing on a child’s shirt? He said probably advertising.”

But when this grandmother of four got home and called the number, she got an unpleasant surprise. It turns out, the number connects to a recorded advertisement for an adult phone sex line.

Adult Phone Sex Line Recording:

“Lie back baby and relax and get ready to meet real local students, housewives, and working girls from all over the country… We love nasty talk as much as you do.”

Jeanne Marchiselli, Dollar Tree Customer:

“I’m shocked, I’m furious, and I’m angry. I’ve called several places and got no response from anybody, telling them what was on the shirt, and telling them what happened with the phone calls and nobody responded.”

10 News went to the Largo Mall Dollar Tree location and found the same shirt on the shelf. When we alerted store management about the adult phone number, they promised to have all the shirts removed from the store.

Money Tree Assistant Manager:

“They’re coming off the shelf, and we’ll have to notify the company immediately. If it is true, that’s sad.”

We called Dollar Tree’s corporate office for an explanation but received no response.

As for Marchiselli, she worries about other shirts on other shelves, and kids calling the graphic phone line.

Jeanne Marchiselli, Dollar Tree Customer:

“If you save one child by checking this out, it’s worth it.”

The shirts are labeled under a brand name made for K-Mart and even have the original K-Mart price tags. A spokesperson for the retail giant says the company is investigating where the shirts came from. A customer service representative for the adult phone sex line says the number is run by a company called National Advertising out of Pennsylvania. They would not comment on the t-shirts sold in stores.