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Product Hazards > Recalls
What is a recall? A recall is when the government (The U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission) and the manufacturer remove a product from the market
because it is dangerous and can hurt or kill a child. However, even if the
product is removed from store shelves very few steps are taken to remove the
product from homes, childcare centers, secondhand stores and garage sales.
Millions of recalled products are still in use.
What can be recalled? Everything. Toys are the most common children's product
to be recalled, usually because a small part can easily break off and pose a choking hazard.
However, everything from cribs, carseats, swings, highchairs, strollers, clothing, and pacifiers
have been recalled.
How do products get recalled? Often products are recalled after they have injured
or killed a child -sometimes not even then. This is because the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) regulates recalls under crippling guidelines, which do more to protect manufacturers than
consumers. That is why companies can wait until more than hundreds of complaints have been filed
before they announce a recall.
How many recalls are there? Children's products are recalled as often as twice a week.
That means there are on average over 100 children's products recalled per year.
Chances are you have a recalled product, which is why it is so important to check.
If two children's products are recalled every week why don't I hear about them?
When a product is recalled - even a product that has killed multiple children - manufacturers
rarely pay to advertise the recall. Instead, they ask the press to report it in newspapers and magazines.
This news is very easy to miss. In fact, when a baby product is recalled, manufacturers typically only
retrieve 10 to 30 percent of the units. This means that millions of dangerous recalled products
are still in use, maybe even by you.
I think that a product is unsafe, what can I do? You are not alone if you have had a bad experience
with children's products, often it is not an accident but a product flaw. The best way to ensure that it
doesn't happen again or to someone else is to report any
incidents or other problems to the product manufacturer and to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Help! I have a recalled product, now what? First thing is to stop using it! Products are recalled for a
reason, because they are dangerous. Don't take any chances by continuing to use a product that is not safe.
Find the recall notice either by searching for it on the CPSC web site, or by calling CPSC at 1-800-636-CPSC.
The notice will tell you if you need to return the product for a refund, or order a replacement part to make the product safe.
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