How to Prevent the Resale of Unsafe & Recalled Items

As more and more people look to Thrift Stores, Consignment Shops or Flea Markets and Garage Sales for bargains, there potentially is the problem of unsafe items (toys, clothing, furniture and household goods) being sold that should not be. Here are some steps that can be taken to prevent this from happening.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access

1. It is important to know that as a second hand retailer (Thrift Store, Consignment Shop for example), regardless of whether you are a large or small retailer, it is illegal under landmark product safety improvement regulations passed last year to sell recalled products. Not knowing that a product is on a recall, may not protect you from a legal problem, even in an isolated incident. Retailers can gather more information on penalties but the goal of the list is to educate resellers on products they may be taking into their shops and prevent it from happening.

2. As a second hand retailer, you can check recall information by going to www.cpsc.gov. Here you can sign up for email alerts on products added to the list; you can get a complete list.

3. As a consumer who shops at garage sales and private flea markets, take responsibility for knowing what is safe or not. You can go to the www.cpsc.gov website and sign up for the email alerts. If you are shopping for a specific item, before heading out shopping check the database at www.cpsc.gov and see if any items you are looking for are on the list and which manufacturer products specifically have been recalled, so you can avoid them.

4. The Federal Regulation also bans the sale of goods made with several types of phthalates, a chemical used in soft plastics. Laboratory testing is the only way to determine if a product contains the chemicals which can cause developmental problems. The best way to know if a product contains this is to check the website for the most up to date information.

5. Products sold on line, at fundraising auctions and at private yard sales need to abide by the regulations. There are some legislators that are looking into exempting these type of resale market segments. If that is the case, then it will become more important for the consumer to be vigilant.

6. By going to www.cpsc.gov, you can obtain all the necessary information to prevent having a problem later. If you are a consumer, and want to report a potentially defective or hazardous product, you can do it from here as well.

Resources

• Consumer Product Safety Commission