A message from Consumer Reports about the Consumer Products Safety Commission
from the President of Consumer Reports
No hiding the hazards
It has been one year since a veil began to be lifted. In March 2011 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission launched a consumer-friendly database, at www.saferproducts.gov, that lets people report product-safety issues and makes the reports public and easily searchable.
Before then, complaints to the CPSC were largely hidden while they were investigated. The new database lets you check for safety issues before you buy, file a safety complaint about a product you own, and learn whether others have had the same problem. A strong consumer law enacted in 2008 created the database, setting the stage for a change to the old system.
Now your single report not only reaches the CPSC but is also forwarded to the manufacturer and posted for other consumers to read.
More at: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/03/from-our-president.html