Do You Recall
Given the amount of paperwork that plagues our daily lives, filling our a product registration from for a toaster or a toy seems like a waste of time...but it might be time well spent.
Registering products lets manufacturers know how to reach you if there is a product safety issue that requires your attention. Depending on the product, a manufacturer might not have the responsibility of ability to contact effected owners, but manufacturers of smaller household items probably don't have any idea owns their products. The onus is on consumers to check for recalls and stop using un-safe products. "Basically, it's caveat emptor, let the buyer beware," says Tod Marks, senior editor for Consumer Reports. "If you want to protect yourself, you have to do your homework. Product recalls are going on all the time; it's nothing new. The problem is that people don't hear about them because most media outlets fail to report on a recall unless it grabs public attention."
If you're thinking this probably doesn't effect you, you might want to think again. The list of manufacturers and the products they've recalled for this year for safety reason includes : Acer computer batteries, Asko dishwashers, Thermador ovens and cooktops, Beautyrest electric blankets, Black & Decker trimmers/edgers, Casio keyboards, Circuit City flat-panel TV mounting brackets, GE dishwashers and gas ranges, Honeywell valves (used in fireplaces and stoves), Jenn-Air dishwashers, Maytag dishwashers and washing machines, Milwaukee power tool batteries, Nokia cell phone batteries, QVC toasters and convection ovens, Rheem/Rudd Richmond tankless water heaters, Sears Craftsman circular saws, Kenmore dishwashers, Sunbeam microwave ovens, Toro electric blowers, Trane air filtration systems, Weber gas grills...and that's just the recalls for 2007.
The recent RC2 Corporation recall of .15 million Thomas & Friends trains and rail components covered with lead paint leads us to China. The number of Chinese products being recalled by the CPSC has doubled in the last five years, driving last year's recall to 467, an annual record. China is now responsible for about 60 percent of all product recalls, compared with 36 percent in 2000.
So how do you find out about product recalls that don't make the evening news? The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), located on the web at http://www.www.cpsc.gov/, is the government agency that issues recalls on household products. Not only can you search the site by date or product, you can also sign up for e-mail alerts in specific categories such as infant and children's products, sports and recreation products, etc. Another site, recalls gov, lists current recalls by category: consumer products, foods, medicines and cosmetics, motor vehicles and car seats, environmental products, meat and poultry products, and boats and boating safety. As with most informational resources, the trick is to use them.
If you determine that you have a product that's been recalled for possible safety issues, stop using it. "When we announce a recall, it's for a good reason," says Patti Davis, spokeswoman for the CPSC. "Visit the manufacturer's website or call their 800 number for more information."
Given the amount of paperwork that plagues our daily lives, filling our a product registration from for a toaster or a toy seems like a waste of time...but it might be time well spent.
Registering products lets manufacturers know how to reach you if there is a product safety issue that requires your attention. Depending on the product, a manufacturer might not have the responsibility of ability to contact effected owners, but manufacturers of smaller household items probably don't have any idea owns their products. The onus is on consumers to check for recalls and stop using un-safe products. "Basically, it's caveat emptor, let the buyer beware," says Tod Marks, senior editor for Consumer Reports. "If you want to protect yourself, you have to do your homework. Product recalls are going on all the time; it's nothing new. The problem is that people don't hear about them because most media outlets fail to report on a recall unless it grabs public attention."
If you're thinking this probably doesn't effect you, you might want to think again. The list of manufacturers and the products they've recalled for this year for safety reason includes : Acer computer batteries, Asko dishwashers, Thermador ovens and cooktops, Beautyrest electric blankets, Black & Decker trimmers/edgers, Casio keyboards, Circuit City flat-panel TV mounting brackets, GE dishwashers and gas ranges, Honeywell valves (used in fireplaces and stoves), Jenn-Air dishwashers, Maytag dishwashers and washing machines, Milwaukee power tool batteries, Nokia cell phone batteries, QVC toasters and convection ovens, Rheem/Rudd Richmond tankless water heaters, Sears Craftsman circular saws, Kenmore dishwashers, Sunbeam microwave ovens, Toro electric blowers, Trane air filtration systems, Weber gas grills...and that's just the recalls for 2007.
The recent RC2 Corporation recall of .15 million Thomas & Friends trains and rail components covered with lead paint leads us to China. The number of Chinese products being recalled by the CPSC has doubled in the last five years, driving last year's recall to 467, an annual record. China is now responsible for about 60 percent of all product recalls, compared with 36 percent in 2000.
So how do you find out about product recalls that don't make the evening news? The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), located on the web at http://www.www.cpsc.gov/, is the government agency that issues recalls on household products. Not only can you search the site by date or product, you can also sign up for e-mail alerts in specific categories such as infant and children's products, sports and recreation products, etc. Another site, recalls gov, lists current recalls by category: consumer products, foods, medicines and cosmetics, motor vehicles and car seats, environmental products, meat and poultry products, and boats and boating safety. As with most informational resources, the trick is to use them.
If you determine that you have a product that's been recalled for possible safety issues, stop using it. "When we announce a recall, it's for a good reason," says Patti Davis, spokeswoman for the CPSC. "Visit the manufacturer's website or call their 800 number for more information."
