Product recalls – information for consumers

When a product that you have bought is recalled, you may have rights to a refund or replacement, or the company may offer to repair the product.

It is important to be aware of potential harm when choosing products for babies and children. Children and babies rely on others to keep them safe, and there are things you can do about recalled products to make your home a safe place for children and babies.

By knowing and acting on recalled products, you can reduce risk.

A young child playing with colourful plastic blocks of varying shapes and sizes

Finding out about recalls

The recall notice will tell you what’s wrong with the product and what you need to do about it.

You can follow the Product Recalls Facebook page which is updated regularly with new recalls:

https://www.facebook.com/recallsnz(external link)

You can also regularly visit the Recalled Products website page:

Recalled products

More guidance on keeping kids and babies safe can be found here:

Keeping kids safe

Your rights

Your rights to get a refund or a replacement depend on whether the fault makes the product unsafe.

Faulty products – Consumer Protection(external link)

If the company chooses to repair the product (for example, by fitting a new part), they should:

  • arrange for this to be done for you
  • pay any reasonable costs involved, and
  • keep your inconvenience to a minimum.

What to do with a product that's being recalled

The recall notice will tell you what’s wrong with the product and what you need to do about it. It should contain:

  • enough information for you to identify the product, understand the potential hazard and know what to do, and
  • contact details if you need more information.

You may be asked to return the product to a retailer, or directly to the manufacturer using a postage-paid envelope or courier.

Throwing away a recalled product

If a recalled product has a low value, you may decide it's easier to throw it away than to get it repaired or replaced.

If you decide to throw away a recalled product, we recommend that you:

  • contact the supplier so they can account for your product, and
  • make sure that the faulty product cannot be used again.

This helps the company to monitor the numbers of affected products and whether the recall has been effective.

Make sure the product cannot be reused or on-sold later – this could put the new owner at risk as they may be unaware of the fault.

Issues with a recall

If you are having trouble or concerns with a product or a recall, contact the retailer or supplier first.

The supplier is responsible for the safety of the product and putting issues right. Contacting the supplier also helps them become aware of issues and gives them a chance to sort it out for you.

If you don't like the remedy being offered as part of a recall, talk to the supplier about what you want. If the supplier won't agree, look into your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA).

Consumer Guarantees Act – Consumer Protection(external link)