UNITED STATES CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

To report a
safety problem with
a consumer product,
CALL US!

1-800-638-CPSC



WHO WE ARE

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent federal regulatory agency created by Congress in 1972 under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Our agency’s mis-sion is to:

". . . protect the public against unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products."

We have jurisdiction over about 15,000 types of consumer products, from coffee makers, to toys, to lawn mowers, to fireworks.

However, some types of consumer products are covered by other federal agencies. For example, cars, trucks and motorcycles are within the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation; food, drugs and cosmetics are covered by the Food and Drug Administration.


OUR HOTLINE SERVICES

You can call our toll-free Hotline to:

  • report an unsafe product;
  • report a product-related injury;
  • find out whether a product has been recalled;
  • learn how to return a recalled product or arrange for its repair;
  • get information on what to look for when buying a consumer product;
  • get information on how to use a consumer product safely; and
  • receive information about ordering CPSC safety publications. (For a list of CPSC publications, send a postcard to Publications List, CPSC, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814.)

If you have a product safety complaint or want to report a product-related injury, you will speak directly to a Hotline representative. The Hotline staff is available between 8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except holidays.

Our Hotline also has a TTY number for the hearing- or speech-impaired (1-800-638-8270).

We have Hotline staff who speak both English and Spanish. Arrangements can be made for callers to speak with someone in other languages.


OUR INTERNET SERVICES

You can file a product safety complaint, report an injury or get product recall information any time, day or night, through our web site:

www.cpsc.gov

You can send e-mail messages to:

info@cpsc.gov


RECORDED RECALL AND SAFETY INFORMATION

Our hotline has a wide variety of recorded messages on product recalls, consumer products and product safety. The messages below are accessible with a touch-tone telephone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week by pushing the three-digit numbers shown below after you have called our main hotline number, 1-800-638-2772.

  • Toys (including crayons) -- 211
  • Bunk beds, toddler beds, cribs, cradles -- 212
  • Children’s indoor equipment (such as walkers, carriers, baby gates, play yards) -- 213
  • Clothing and jewelry (including children’s apparel) -- 214
  • Outdoor playground equipment -- 215
  • Bathroom equipment, personal care appliances (such as hair dryers) -- 216
  • Bicycles, exercise equipment, recreational and craft products -- 217
  • Disposable lighters and lighter fluids -- 218
  • Decorative, novelty and seasonal products -- 219
  • Drug packaging -- 220
  • Fireworks -- 221
  • General furniture, window treatments and carpet -- 222
  • Hardware, tools, and hunting equipment -- 223
  • Home heating, cooling equipment and water heaters (including fans and space heaters) -- 224
  • General electrical products (including lamps, garage door openers and electrical accessories) -- 225
  • Kitchen appliances and equipment -- 226
  • Small household appliances (such as irons, computer equipment, and audio visual equipment) -- 227
  • Lawn and garden equipment -- 228
  • Pest control devices -- 229
  • Pools, spas, hot tubs, patio equipment (including smokers and grills) -- 230
  • Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems -- 231
  • Other hazards -- 232
  • CPSC publication listing -- 555

HOTLINE STANDARDS

We take pride in meeting the standards we have set for our Hotline in our customer service plan.

When you call our Hotline, you can expect the following:

  • to be given easy-to-follow instructions on how to use the hotline;
  • to hear the most up-to-date and easy-to-understand recorded information of product safety recalls and consumer products, seven days a week, 24 hours a day;
  • to be given courteous service;
  • to have your complaint of an unsafe product or product-related injury taken accurately and a copy of the report sent to you so that you can confirm the information recorded by our Hotline staff; and
  • to have your message left at night, weekends or holidays returned the next business day, or, if you do not want a return call, to receive a letter confirming receipt of your product-complaint message.

YOUR VIEWS ARE IMPORTANT TO US

We want to provide you with the best Hotline service possible and are always interested in learning how we can improve. If you have any comments or suggestions, we would like to hear from you. Simply ask to speak with the Hotline manager when you call:

1-800-638-CPSC
(1-800-638-2772)
1-800-638-8270 (TTY)

or write to us at:

CPSC Hotline
4330 East West Highway
Bethesda, MD 20814


CPSC Publication 178
Revised 3/01