Overheating phone batteries, malfunctioning airbags, and explosive e-cigarettes are a few examples of severely defective products that have surfaced in recent years. However, these are just the ones that we hear about on the news. Defective products are sold across the country every day, sometimes without people even noticing. Here’s what to do if you have sold a defective product.
Let Everyone Know
Your company should inform the customers of the hazard as soon as you receive information that the product is faulty, regardless of how severe the problem is. Informing consumers, whether through social media platforms, email notifications, or your corporate website (or all three), is the correct thing to do, both legally and to maintain a favorable reputation. Within 24 hours of receiving the information, you must also submit a report with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This isn’t just good practice; it’s the law. After receiving a report, the CPSC can initiate an investigation to determine if you need to recall the product and what additional measures you need to take.
Take All Returns
Whatever the case, you should let the consumer return the defective product for a refund. This is not only an excellent opportunity to provide a pleasant client experience, but it also has the potential to defend your company legally in the future. Put yourself in the client’s shoes; they don’t care if it’s your mistake or the manufacturers’. All they care about is that the thing they bought is unsafe, and they want their money back. From a public relations viewpoint, the best course of action is to return the goods without question and work closely with the manufacturer or government oversight body on recouping losses and resolving legal concerns. This is the best thing you can do if you have sold a defective product.
Destroy Defective Products
Once you’ve gotten as many of the defective products back as you can, you can hire a product destruction service to make sure these items do not make their way back to the public again. These services can certifiably get rid of all your faulty products. At the end of the process, they will give you a signed, legally binding certificate that states that they have properly disposed of everything you’ve given them, and they will not reemerge.
As a business owner, your primary focus is to keep your customers happy. You can’t make absolutely everyone happy all the time. Still, if something happens with one of the products you sell, it’s best to let everyone know, take returns, no questions asked, and get rid of the faulty product to avoid it popping up and causing issues again.
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