CPSC’s decision today to not require manufactures of children’s products to accompany those products with a product registration card is not good news for consumers. CPSC chose to reject a specific proposal to fix the nation’s defective recall notification system without offering a concrete timeline or plan of their own to deal with this problem.

When consumers do not hear of product recalls, their lack of information can lead to tragic consequences, including death or injury. By relying upon the media and manufacturers to broadly communicate notification of recalls to the public, CPSC and the companies involved are missing an opportunity to communicate with the most critical population–those who purchased the potentially dangerous product. Product registration cards provide consumers the opportunity to send manufacturers information enabling manufactures to directly notify consumers about a product recall.

Today, CPSC had the opportunity to begin a process to solve this problem and protect consumers from potentially hazardous recalled products. Instead, CPSC has promised continued research and forums and a commitment to recall effectiveness. Unfortunately, further discussion alone does not provide the impetus necessary to solve this public safety problem.

Consumer Federation of America continues to urge CPSC and manufacturers of children’s products to do all that they can to communicate a recall to the consumers who purchase consumer products.