Reporting an unsafe product

SaferProducts.gov is the Consumer Product Safety Commission's public database of safety complaints about consumer products, from toys and cribs to power tools and household chemicals. Anyone can file a report there and read the reports others have filed. The commission's staff examine every report. They can't investigate or answer each one, but reports feed the commission's analysis and can contribute to a recall, penalties against a company or new safety rules.

A report doesn't need an actual injury. A product that could have hurt someone counts. A complaint only about a product's cost or quality, with no safety problem, isn't published.

What you need

• The product, or its packaging and label
• The brand, model and the maker's or seller's name
• The date it happened, or the date you first noticed the danger
• Photos of the product and any damage
• Your name and mailing address

Steps

1. 1

   Gather the product details

   Write down what the product is, who made it or put their label on it, and the model. Copy the company's name from the label.

   5 min

2. 2

   Take photos

   Photograph the product, its label and any damage. Leave faces and personal details out of the frame, since photos that identify a person aren't published.

   5 min

3. 3

   Describe what happened

   Start a report on SaferProducts.gov and describe the injury, illness or danger and how the product was being used. Give the date, or an approximate one.

   10 min

4. 4

   Add your contact details

   Give your name and full mailing address, and pick the kind of submitter you are, such as a consumer or a health care professional. Choose whether the commission may share your contact details with the company you named.

   5 min

5. 5

   Review and submit

   Read the report through, confirm it's true and accurate to the best of your knowledge, and agree to its publication.

   5 min

What happens next

The commission reviews the report, checks that it has the required information and sends it to the company you named, usually within five business days. The report is posted on SaferProducts.gov 10 business days after the company gets it, so about 15 business days after you file. The company can comment, and its comment may appear alongside your report.

What stays private

Your name and contact details never appear on the site. The commission gives them to the company only if you agree in writing. A victim's name and contact details, medical records with personal information and photos that identify a person aren't published either.

You can report anonymously, but an anonymous report can't be published, and the commission can't follow up with you about it.

Cars, tires and car seats

Problems with a vehicle, a tire, a car seat or other vehicle equipment go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration instead. Its complaints help it investigate possible defects, which can lead to a recall. To check what you already own against recalls, see How to check your home for product recalls.

Searching the reports

The same database is searchable. To check what's already in the house, look up a product to see whether others have reported it. The commission's hotline, 800-638-2772, takes questions about reports.