Imagine your favorite household item or newfangled device you love to use wherever and whenever. Now imagine your life with that item or device to be all a lie. You just received word that your beloved buy has been recalled. Your special purchased product was found to be defective and potentially dangerous. Pretty jarring, no? When products violate safety standards or pose harmful risks for consumers, they get recalled. Recalls for various products (appliances, furniture, tools, toys, etc.) are issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. So what should you decide to do if you find out your favorite product has been recalled? Fret not because this article will walk you through the process of dealing with your product’s recall.
The Recalled Product Purchaser (R.P.P.) Guide
1. Drop it (gently)!
The foremost thing to do: carefully drop that item or product in a safe place in your home and stop using it immediately. Please do this even though it still seems safe to use. Depending on the type of item or product and the reason for the recall, you might have to disassemble it, simply unplug it, or remove it from its power source.
2. Double-check.
Next, you must double-check if your beloved good or product was truly affected by the recall. Not all item types or product types mentioned in recalls have actually been recalled. You have to verify the exact branding, specific item or model number, and date code of the recalled items or products to ensure the item or product that you have has been truly recalled. Check product recall lists and announcements carefully! They should also tell you where to find the model numbers and date codes on the recalled items or products.
3. No receipt? Don’t worry.
Owners of recalled items or products shouldn’t have to show proof of purchase or ownership. Instead, after determining that you are an owner of a recalled item or product, just follow the instructions given in a legal notice to receive your replacement, repair, or refund. You can obtain instructions by formally emailing customer service, calling a company hotline, or filling forms online. Remember that product recalls don’t have an end date, so even if you find out that you purchased a recalled item or product weeks, months, or years after an announcement, you should still get in touch with the business or company involved.
4. Wait (or call a lawyer).
After doing the steps above, now is the time to wait it out. What happens next varies on a case-to-case basis or is dependent on the type of item or product that was recalled and what business or company was involved. In some cases, one can receive a full refund or store credit equivalent to the price of the item or product purchased. The recalled item or product can also be repaired or replaced. If nothing happens, you can then seek legal counsel to figure out your next steps. You can even become part of a consumer class action. Whatever happens, do not sell a defective, faulty, or recalled item or product. You will be held liable!
Author’s Bio:
Deinah Storm used to work in the corporate world as a marketing affiliate. She quit her job to pursue her passion for writing, but to this day, Deinah is committed to educating consumers about the different marketing scams and how to avoid them.
