Frequently Asked Questions

Consumer >> Submitting a Complete Report/Privacy Concerns

What information is required for a Report to be published in SaferProducts.gov?

Section 212 of the CPSIA and our regulation (16 CFR 1102.10(d)) require certain minimum information to be included in a Report for it to be posted on SaferProducts.gov. To be published, a Report must include:

• Description of the consumer product or substance;
  (We can only publish Reports that describe a product that is within the CPSC's jurisdiction. Click here to see which products are outside of CPSC’s jurisdiction.)
• Identification of the manufacturer or private labeler;
• Description of an illness, injury, or death, or risk of injury, illness, or death related to the use of a consumer product or other product or substance within the jurisdiction of the CPSC;
  (Complaints solely about the cost or quality of a product will not be published.)
• Description of the date, or approximate date, on which the incident occurred, or when the submitter first became aware of the potential for a product to act in an unsafe manner;
• Indication of the category in which a submitter falls;
  (e.g., consumer, government agency, health care professional, child service provider, or public safety entity.)
• Name and complete mailing address of the submitter of the Report;
  (Although this information will never be posted in SaferProducts.gov, it is required that the name and contact information of the submitter be given to the CPSC for a Report to be published.)
• The submitter’s consent to publication of the Report in SaferProducts.gov; and
• Verification that the submitter reviewed the Report and attested that the information in the Report is true and accurate to the best of the submitter's knowledge, information, and belief.

By law, CPSC can only publish Reports in SaferProducts.gov that contain this required minimum information.

What will CPSC do if it receives Reports that do not meet the minimum criteria for publication in SaferProducts.gov?

Reports that do not meet the minimum criteria for publication in SaferProducts.gov will be reviewed by staff and saved in our system for our internal use, when appropriate. Collection and review of all Reports are important to the CPSC's mission to protect the public from unsafe products.

Is there any information in a Report that will not be published in SaferProducts.gov?

The following information in a Report will not be published in SaferProducts.gov:

• Name and contact information of the submitter of the Report;
• Name and contact information of a victim;
• Photographs that are not in the public interest to publish, including photographs that identify a person, contain personally identifying information or would constitute an invasion of personal privacy;
• Medical records, that contain personally identifying information;
• Information determined to be confidential (See Business - Confidentiality & Accuracy);
• Information determined to be materially inaccurate (See Business - Confidentiality & Accuracy);
• Consents and verifications related to a Report or to a manufacturer's comment; and
• Information that is not in the public interest to publish, which includes information that the CPSC determines is not relevant to assist people in:
  • Identifying a product;
  • Identifying a manufacturer or private labeler;
  • Understanding the harm or risk of harm related to the use of the product; or
  • Understanding the relationship between the submitter of a Report and the victim.

Can I submit a Report anonymously?

Yes. Reports submitted anonymously will be accepted by the CPSC. However, by law, anonymously submitted Reports cannot be published on SaferProducts.gov.

Although the contact information of someone who submits a Report is required for publication, CPSC will never post this information about any Report in SaferProducts.gov. Other consumers can see and benefit from seeing the Report, but they will not be able to see who submitted the Report. We discourage consumers from submitting Reports anonymously so that your Report can be included in SaferProducts.gov, and so that the CPSC may contact you, if necessary, to follow up regarding your Report.

If I provide my name and mailing address on a Report, will the CPSC ever give this information out to anyone else?

Your name and contact information will never appear in SaferProducts.gov. You will be given the option of allowing the CPSC to provide your name and contact information to the manufacturer or private labeler that you identified in your Report. By law, we can provide this information to the manufacturer only if you give us written permission to do so.

The law states that manufacturers and private labelers who receive a submitter's name and contact information must not use or disseminate that information to any other party for any purpose other than verification of a Report.

The CPSC's regulation states that verification of a Report must not include activities such as sales, promotion, marketing, warranty, or any other commercial purpose. A manufacturer or private labeler may use your name and contact information to verify the following types of information on a Report:

• Identity of the submitter, and/or the victim, including name, location, age, and gender;
• Consumer product, including serial or model number, date code, color, or size;
• Harm or risk of harm related to the use of the consumer product;
• Description of the incident related to use of the consumer product;
• Date or approximate date of the incident; and/or
• Category of submitter.

Restrictions on the use of your contact information apply only to the manufacturer (including importer) and private labeler. This means that you, as a consumer, are free to contact the manufacturer or private labeler for any reason, including asking for a resolution of your safety concerns, if that is what you wish to do.

Still have questions?

You can use the Online Contact Form or call (800) 638-2772 to contact CPSC's Hotline for any additional questions.