Defective and potentially harmful products are everywhere! Last year alone, the federal government issued over 5,000 product recalls / alerts. This cost the involved parties - companies, injured consumers and the government - over $5.5 billion. This dollar figure would be much higher if you included all state and voluntary company recalls/alerts. The bottom line: knowing the latest recall / alert information pays in so many ways!

From defective car tires, to medications, to child products, recalls/alerts originate from private companies and governmental agencies. When a private company voluntarily issues a recall, the entire process is handled directly between the company and the affected consumer. When the federal government issues a recall/alert, the order is generally issued by one of three agencies: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).