Conversations with Consumers

In an exercise that exemplifies a solution in search of a problem, the CPSC has proposed an interpretive rule that sets requirements for voluntary recalls.  I have questioned the wisdom of this activity on several occasions (see here and here).

I wanted to flag for readers an excellent analysis of the proposal written by the CPSC’s former general counsel, Cheryl Falvey. During her four year tenure at the CPSC, Ms. Falvey was a career employee, rather than a political appointee.  She understood the need to represent the Commission, not Commissioners.  She has laid out some of the practical concerns of the voluntary recall proposal in a very detailed and compelling manner.

With no evidence that the process is not now working, the Commission proposes requirements that may well make the voluntary recall process certainly less flexible and, most certainly, more adversarial.  Such a result would erode the trust that has been build up over the past 30 years as the agency and product sellers have worked cooperatively to make the marketplace safer for consumers. Public comments on this proposal are due February 4, 2014.