Consumer Confidential: Safety regulators approve new database for complaints

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Federal regulators on Wednesday approved creation of a database of consumer complaints. The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted 3-2 to get the database up and running by March at the website SaferProducts.gov.

Creation of the database was required as part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, passed by Congress in 2008. But much wrangling ensued as lobbyists for manufacturers and business groups attempted to limit the amount of information available to consumers.

‘The database should be welcomed not just by those with a mission to protect consumers but also by companies that produce consumer products,’ said commission Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum. ‘We believe that responsible companies that produce or sell consumer products will have the opportunity to use this new resource to inform their quality control programs and ensure that safer products are available on store shelves.’

The commission rejected an alternate proposal from its two Republican members that would have reduced the scope of what could be posted and seen in the database.

Consumer advocates welcomed the move.

‘Consumers deserve to know the safety record of the products they buy,’ said Ami Gadhia, policy counsel for Consumers Union. ‘This database will be a great tool for consumers, and it has the necessary safeguards against incorrect information. It strikes a good balance between consumers’ needs and companies’ concerns.’

The database will allow consumers to submit reports of harm or potential harm caused by a wide variety of products. After commission officials review the report, manufacturers will be given 10 days to respond to or challenge the submission.

Consumer advocates say the searchable database will allow people to check on products before they buy them or to share their experiences with others. It will also potentially enable regulators to act faster when dangerous products become known.

But Rosario Palmieri, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said the database will be ‘filled with bogus reports inspired by political or financial motives rather than safety.’ He said it’s ‘now up to Congress to reclaim its authority and correct these errors.’

-- David Lazarus

Photo: Sometimes it’s difficult to know whether a product is safe. Credit: Teh Eng Koon / AFP/Getty Images