Products with similar names can have different model numbers, production dates and remedies. Social posts and marketplace listings are not sufficient confirmation.
What to record
- Brand and exact product name
- Model, serial, lot or date code
- Place and approximate date of purchase
- Photographs of the label and product
Where to verify
For US consumer products, search the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Food and certain medical products use other federal agencies. In Canada, the federal recalls portal covers consumer, food and health-product notices.
Match every identifier
A brand name alone is not enough. Compare the official notice with the label's model, serial or lot number, manufacturing date and country of sale. Check photographs only as supporting evidence because products can look identical while using different components or production runs.
Use the remedy in the notice
Some notices require consumers to stop using a product immediately; others provide new instructions, a repair, replacement or refund. Follow disposal directions carefully, especially for lithium-ion batteries or products containing hazardous materials. Save a copy of the notice, your photographs and any confirmation number.
Second-hand products need the same check
Search before buying, selling or donating a used appliance, child product, tool or electronic device. A recalled or officially warned-against product should not be passed to another household when the notice says to stop use or dispose of it.
Follow the official remedy exactly. A recall may call for stopping use, repair, refund, disposal or another action. Do not resell or donate an item that officials say should no longer be used.