CPSC Launches New Product Registration Initiative - But They Can - And Should - Do Better

On December 16, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unanimously approved a new product registration program that requires manufacturers of durable infant or toddler products to establish and maintain a registration card program for 18 product categories, including cribs, booster, folding and high chairs, changing tables, play yards, strollers, infant carriers and bathtubs.

More specifically, the manufacturers of these infant and children products must do the following: (1) provide a postage-paid consumer registration form with each product; (2) keep records of consumers who register their products with the manufacturer; and (3) permanently place the manufacturer's name and contact information, model name and number, and the date of manufacture on each such product. The rule also establishes requirements for registration through the internet.

Overall, I like the idea, and agree that this new rule will foster a higher rate of product registrations, and thereby increasing the overall effectiveness of our recall process.

But you know what would probably work even better? If the registration were electronically automated at the time of the product's purchase, such as when you're paying for the item while on the store's check-out line. And that would leave far less room for consumers to opt-out, and result in an exponentially higher rate of product registrations and reduce the manufacturer's expenses in printing and paying for the postage of all these children's products.

Don't you agree?