Posted on Sunday, 25th October 2009 by Admin
We hear about product recalls that either scare us to death or simply annoy us. But how can we know about recalls that aren’t so “famous” but that do affect us? Find out the best ways to be an informed consumer, one that knows what products are being recalled and are unsafe to use.
We are a nation of shoppers, whether we hit the mall, shop on-line, trade in our old vehicles or update our appliances, even in this sluggish economy, we are buying products. Gifts for baby showers, accessories for dorms, you name it and Americans are buying it. We hear about product recalls that either scare us to death or simply annoy us. In recent years there have been recalls on blinds after 3 deaths, recalls on women’s robes after 6 deaths, an FDA warning to stop using Hydroxycut immediately and groceries from peanut butter to Nestle Toll House Dough have been pulled off of the shelves. How can consumers stay on top of product recalls? Where you can go to find consumer protection information on products that have been recalled? Don’t Toss that Card: One way to get on a recall list is to fill out the warranty or registration card that comes with many products from high chairs to electronics to children’s toys. By mailing in the card or registering on-line, you can increase the chances of being alerted if there is a recall on your product. Of course, if you move, change phone numbers or e-mail addresses, this makes it more challenging to get alerts to you. Where to find out about Product Recalls: parents.com (Parent’s magazine) Parents are often the most anxious about product recalls for their baby equipment, gear, toys and clothing. No parent wants his or her baby riding in an unsafe car seat or playing with a toy with that has a choking hazard. Parent’s magazine diligently covers baby and children recalls and offers an easy to use and updated product recall section on their web site. Currently you can search for a specific product, look at their list of the Biggest Recalls of 2008, check the most recent recalls or check out products by category like strollers, car seats, cribs and swings. Most Recent Recalls include: Bugaboo Bee Strollers Step2 Play Up Gym play sets Trampolines Sit’n'Stroll Child Restraint Systems Cumberland Outfitters Girl’s Hooded Sweatshirts Where to find out about Product Recalls: recalls.gov Federal agencies are working together to bring the information on federal product recalls at recalls.gov. Those agencies include the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This site of course is covering important product recalls but is limited to federal government recalls including: Motor vehicle recalls Food recall Boat recalls Medicine Recalls Environmental Product Recalls Cosmetic Recalls Consumer Product Recalls Consumers can access information on the recalls.gov website a couple of different ways. There are tabs for the specific areas covered such as Motor Vehicle Recalls or Food Recalls. Additionally, you can view Recent Recalls or search for specific product recalls. Information is available in Spanish as well as English. Want to find out about potential car manufacturer recalls or problems before a recall? Now you can. The ODI is the Office of Defects Investigation. As of September10, 2008, the ODI website was modified to make EWR, or Early Warning Reports public. Following the Firestone tire recall, Congress approved a bill for EWR. Manufacturers have been required to submit Early Warning Reports since 2003 however this information was kept confidential. Now it is available to consumers through the ODI website. Consumers can learn hear about potential problems and safety concerns including any fatalities reported by car manufacturers. Finding out about Product Recalls: recalls.gov Six federal agencies work together to share the information on federal product recalls at recalls.gov. Those agencies include the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This site of course is covering important but limited products including: Motor vehicle recalls Food recall Boat recalls Medicine Recalls Environmental Product Recalls Cosmetic Recalls Consumer Product Recalls Remember that this website will cover recalls that have been recalled by the federal government and is not all-inclusive. You can access information on the recalls.gov website a couple of different ways. There are tabs for the specific areas covered such as Motor Vehicle Recalls or Food Recalls. Additionally, you can view Recent Recalls or search for specific product recalls. Information is available in Spanish as well as English. You may be surprised by the number and variety of recent recalls including: Directors Chairs Diving Equipment Replacement Torch Fuel Containers Car seats Pressure Washers/Air Compressors Diving Masks Wooden Toys Children’s Toys, Purses, Pen Cases You are part of the consumer protection process! Don’t ever forget that you the consumer are part of the consumer protection process and should always report any safety hazards, safety risks or malfunctions that you discover with any product to the manufacturer and or the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
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Tags: Product Recalls, Recalls
Posted in Thieft Protection | 1 Comment »
September 15th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Yes, product recalls looks scary but if you think they do that for our own safety. Imagine a toy series that has a chemical toxins in it’s plastics because it’s cheaper, and that toxins could affect your child’s main hormone level, that will have consequences over entire live. So using this kind of information looks very important.