Frequently Asked Questions
Business >> Concerns about Consumer Reporting
What happens after a Report is submitted to the CPSC?
When a Report is submitted, CPSC has up to five business days, when practicable, to review the Report and any accompanying pictures or documents, to check for the required minimum information, and to send the Report to the Manufacturer named in the Report. Occasionally, it may take longer than five business days to send a Report to a Manufacturer, if that firm is out of business, or where the CPSC cannot find valid contact information.
Reports that contain the minimum required information are posted on SaferProducts.gov 10 business days after the CPSC transmits a copy of the Report to the Manufacturer. This means that Reports are posted in SaferProducts.gov approximately 15-business days after they are submitted to the CPSC.
A Manufacturer that receives a Report from the CPSC may submit a comment about the Report for publication at any time. Businesses can choose whether to have their comments appear online. If a business wants its comment to appear in SaferProducts.gov at the same time as the Report, it must submit it to the CPSC with sufficient time to review it before the Report is published in SaferProducts.gov. At the end of the 10-business-day period, the CPSC will post the Report and any comments received and reviewed from the Manufacturer to SaferProducts.gov.
What happens if a competitor submits an anonymous complaint about my product?
Anonymous Reports are not eligible for publication in SaferProducts.gov (See Consumer - Submitting a Complete Report/Privacy Concerns).
Are there any circumstances where CPSC would delay publishing reports beyond the 10 business days after notifying the manufacturer?
No. The law requires the CPSC to publish a Report that contains the minimum required information to SaferProducts.gov, no later than the 10th business day after sending a copy of the Report to the identified Manufacturer. The only exception to this is where the CPSC has made a determination that a Report contains a material inaccuracy before the Report is published in SaferProducts.gov. In this circumstance, the CPSC may briefly withhold a Report to make whatever correction to the Report is necessary to resolve the claim.
Who can submit comments in response to a Report, and when will the comments be posted to SaferProducts.gov?
Only the Manufacturer named in the Report who receives the Report from the CPSC may submit comments in response to the Report. Additionally, only the Manufacturer of a product may submit a claim that a Report contains confidential information. (See Business - Confidentiality & Accuracy). Currently, there is no limit on the number of comments that a Manufacturer can submit.
Reports are posted in SaferProducts.gov on the 10th business day after sending the Report to the Manufacturer. Manufacturers may submit comments on a Report at any time before or after a Report is published in SaferProducts.gov. However, if the Manufacturer would like a comment posted to SaferProducts.gov at the same time as the Report, it must submit such comment to the CPSC in sufficient time for the CPSC to review and accept it for publication before the 10-business-day publishing deadline expires.
Use of the Business Portal is the easiest way to ensure that comments are received by the CPSC in a timely manner. Comments not posted at the same time as the Report will be posted as soon thereafter as is practicable. Comments from Manufacturers will appear along with the Report, unless the manufacturer requests that a comment not be made public.
Who from my business will be notified when a Report is submitted?
The individual identified as the Primary Contact when a Manufacturer registers in the Business Portal on SaferProducts.gov will receive email notification when a Report is received. The Primary Contact can set up additional users to receive Reports as well.
If a Manufacturer is not registered, CPSC will send Reports to it through the U.S. Mail to the principal place of business, unless we select another equally effective method of transmission. If the CPSC already has contact information on file for a Manufacturer to receive information pursuant to section 6(c) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), CPSC will direct Reports to that address.
Still have questions?
You can use the Online Contact Form or call (301) 504-7945 contact the Small Business Ombudsman for business-related questions.
For questions about submitting a Section 15 report, please email section15@cpsc.gov
For issues with SaferProducts.gov registration, please email clearinghouse@cpsc.gov