Product safety

Find out what to do about unsafe or recalled goods.

What to do about an unsafe product

If you believe a product is unsafe, you should contact us and also the supplier or manufacturer. You also have the right to a repair, refund, replacement or compensation under the Consumer Guarantees Act. One of the guarantees is that products must be of acceptable quality and this includes that the product is safe.

Find out more about the guarantees for goods

Find out more about what to do when you have a problem with goods.

Report a product safety incident

If you are injured by a product, or have a near miss, please take the time to report the incident to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and also to the supplier or manufacturer, so that the information is available on which to base safety measures.

Report a product safety incident.

Product recalls

Recalls do not necessarily involve the return of every product to the supplier. The term recall is now used to cover a wide range of actions that can be taken as a result of an unsafe product being identified. For example, they are often issued to advise consumers of the need to have the product upgraded or repaired, and may involve no more than the supplier sending out additional components or instructions to customers.

Check the latest product recalls, warnings and alerts.

What to do if you have a product that is being recalled

The recall notice of any product should provide enough information for you to know the potential hazard, to identify the product and to know what to do if you have one. In addition to this, it should provide a toll-free number to call should you need any further information.

The company should bear the costs involved, keeping inconvenience to a minimum. However, you may be asked to return the product to a retailer, or direct to the supplier using a postage paid envelope or courier. Sometimes the remedy is an additional part or a repair, which the company should arrange for you.

Where the product is a low value one, you may just want to throw it away rather than seeking a refund or replacement. Although this will minimise any inconvenience to yourself, it will be difficult for the company to monitor the numbers of affected product and whether the recall has been effective. Also, if the product it is not disposed of correctly there is the chance that it may be reused or onsold later with the existing fault unknown to the user, putting them at risk. So the Ministry would recommend that you contact the supplier if possible to let them know that your product is accounted for.

Please do not continue to use a product which has been subject to a recall. You may be aware of the hazard and feel happy to accept any risk, but anyone else who comes into contact with the product may not be aware. If you wish to dispose of it, please make sure that it cannot be used again.

If you have concerns about the method of returning the product to the supplier, please contact them to discuss it. There should be contact details provided in the recall notice.

The offer from the company doesn't affect your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act. So if the problem is serious you still have the right to choose whether you want a refund replacement or compensation.

Find out more about your rights when you have a problem with goods.

Keeping kids safe

Babies and small children aren't the best judge of whether products are safe or not, so we have lots of information about baby products.

Get advice on products for babies and young children.

Advice on specific products

We have information about buying and using other particular products:

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Last updated 6 July 2011