CPSC Seeks Comment on Improving Recall Effectiveness

Do you have opinions on the challenges and costs of recalls? Thoughts on technologies or practices that improve success rates?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is looking to improve recall effectiveness, requesting input from stakeholders on the use of direct and targeted notices. (The commission explains that a targeted notice is one aimed at a particular group of likely affected consumers, but not at a known purchaser or consumer like a direct notice.)

CPSC is asking for responses (due Sep 5!) on a series of questions addressing forms of customer notice, product registration and more: 

• The costs and challenges of direct and targeted notification (legal, technological, privacy, security, ads/social media and more)

• Technologies that exist or are being developed to help

• Methods of data collection at the point of sale and for product registration

• Marketing efforts (such as needed resources, personnel qualifications, channels of communication, evaluating messaging effectiveness, etc.) to better reach consumers for recall purposes

2017 Recall Effectiveness Workshop

The request for input and information follows CPSC’s July 2017 Recall Effectiveness Workshop, which brought together nearly 80 stakeholders including various retailers, manufacturers, law firms, consumer interest groups, third party recall contractors and consultants, testing laboratories, and other interested parties. 

The commission issued a follow-up report identifying key findings and proposing further collaboration among stakeholders to promote direct notice to consumers.

Next steps

CPSC is encouraging stakeholders to submit their input and ideas through www.regulations.gov by Sep 5, 2018 (insert the docket number CPSC-2017-0027, into the “Search” box).

For additional info, visit the Federal Register PDF: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-06-22/pdf/2018-13388.pdf