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How the Cards Work

Many parents and other consumers are reluctant to fill out product registration cards for fear of being placed on annoying mailing lists. The new legislation, which was a part of the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, eliminates those worries for many types of durable juvenile products. So far, 19 different types of products have been affected by the legislation. Manufacturers must now include an easy-to-find, postage-free registration card on every qualifying item. The cards cannot be used to gather information for mailing lists or for other marketing strategies. Online registration must be offered, too.

About the Legislation

The legislation for the new child safety registrations was championed by the Kids in Danger child safety advocacy group and by the Consumer Federation of America. The importance of this change was highlighted by a poll that was conducted by Consumer Reports. Out of 2,005 people who were polled, only one-fifth were aware that they owned an item that had been recalled. This eye-opening discovery highlights the importance of making registration as easy and trouble-free as possible. By dropping a card in the mail or going online, parents can register to be contacted by manufacturers right away about important recalls.

Secondhand Products

As evidenced by yard sales around the country, used baby and child-related items are wildly popular. Such items won't come with registration cards, of course; however, the new legislation makes it easy for people to register secondhand items online. That way, if a recall is issued, they will know about it and can act accordingly. Those who register will be added to the databases that must be maintained by manufacturers. The process from there should be fairly automated; when a recall is issued, the people who are affected by it should be contacted.

 

As a Palm Beach Gardens Personal Injury Lawyer, we hope that this new registration system will save the lives of many children. We encourage all parents to complete the cards when they purchase new consumer products.