Editor's note: Contact7 seeks out audience tips and feedback to help people in need, resolve problems and hold the powerful accountable. If you know of a community need our call center could address, or have a story idea for our investigative team to pursue, please email us at contact7@thedenverchannel.com or call (720) 462-7777. Find more Contact7 stories here.
The child safety watchdog group Kids In Danger (KID) found dozens of recalls involving children’s products were not listed on the companies’ websites. The report, released Thursday, calls into question the effectiveness of recalls for keeping unsafe products off the market.
The report found:
· Between July 2017 and June 2019, 122 products were recalled, and these were shared on the CPSC website
· Of the companies who faced a product recall in this time period, 117 of the 122 had websites, but only 76 of them posted the recall on their site
· Out of the 122 companies with recalls, 87 companies had Facebook pages, but only 47 made a post about the recall
· In a similar fashion, 85 companies maintained Twitter accounts, but only 42 used the platform to inform followers about their recalled product
· Only 14 of the 81 companies with Instagram accounts made a post dedicated to their recall
KID says by failing to publicize recalls on their websites, companies are limiting consumers’ ability to resolve the issue and get a refund on the product.
The report also found that the Consumer Product Safety Commission itself may not always have accurate information. A link to a recall for a Laura Ashley dress, posted on the CPSC’s website, actually sent customers to a dating website.
KID is calling on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to mandate companies to post recalls on their websites, and encourage them to disseminate the information through social media as well.
“As companies are marketing products to customers they should also be promoting recalls to their customers through social media in addition to their website,” said Dev Gowda, assistant director of KID.
Parents who want information on recalled children’s products can sign up for alerts from KID and from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
See the full report below. The full report will be available shortly at this link.
