Regardless of the number of employees a retail business has or the amount of hours it operates each week, if a retailer sells any type of consumer product regulated by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) then that business must abide by the CPSC laws.
The CPSC is a federal regulatory agency whose mission is to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. It has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 consumer products used in or around homes, schools and in recreation, including toys, household appliances, furnaces and sporting equipment.
Any business with information of potentially hazardous products must report those to the CPSC immediately. The agency will then determine if that product fails to meet its consumer product safety rule, standard or whether or not it could create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death.
If a recall is issued, a comprehensive plan that reaches the entire distribution chain to consumers who have the product is put into action. Advance notice of the recalled products will then be passed to participating retailers.
Pay Attention to Recall Announcements
Retailers should receive notice of the recall before the official public announcement. Information in that notice will include the product being recalled and all identifying information such as UPC codes, model numbers, date codes and other details. This recall announcement should also detail the action retailers must take, how to account for recalled inventory and the disposition of consumer returns.
Stop Sale Immediately
Once the recall notice has been received, retailers should stop sale of the recalled product at once. The recalled inventory should be removed from the shelves and isolated from the other merchandise. The recall notice will have instructions on how to return the products or dispose of them so they are not released for sale.
Post Recall Notifications
Retailers will receive recall posters with the announcement to post for the consumer. Hang these as soon as all of the recalled products have been pulled from the selling floor. The recall posters should be placed in a conspicuous location.
Assist Consumers with Recall
If the retailer has records of past sales of recalled products through extended warranties, credit card purchases, or other customer history, that information will need to be given to the recalling firm. Refer to the original recall notice to understand how to direct consumer returns and whether the retailer should provide replacements and/or refunds.
Internet Sales & Recalls
If the retailer also sells merchandise online, the website should have a Recall Safety Information page linked directly from the home page. This recall page should consist of the product recall information only. All text from the recalling firm's press release and a color photo should be posted immediately and remain through the duration of the recall. If possible, this page should be interactive to allow consumers to register to participate in the recall through the retailer's web site.
