The Resellers Guide to Selling Safer Products is dedicated to helping resellers keep unsafe products out of the hands of consumers. Consumers who regularly buy used products may also find this information helpful in avoiding products that could harm them or their family. Use the Resellers Guide to screen for hazardous and other products that violate the law.
CPSC's laws and regulations apply to anyone who sells or distributes consumer products. This includes thrift stores, consignment stores, charities and people holding yard sales and flea markets.
Resellers should closely examine their products in inventory prior to resale to make sure that their products are safe and compliant with federal laws. You can also use the Resellers Guide to help you make sound business decisions to protect yourself and your customers. Consumers may use the Resellers Guide when buying used products to identify hazardous products and check for recalls
- Search Recalls: SaferProducts.govhas a listing of CPSC recalls and consumer reports of harm related to consumer products. Review the list of recalled products before taking a product into inventory or selling it. You can also receive information about CPSC recalls by subscribing to the CPSC’s recall e-mail list and downloading CPSC’s free android application (instructions found here).
- When in doubt, throw it out! Products used in the nursery, especially cribs and bassinets, have caused deaths and have been the subject of numerous recalls of millions of units. Do not sell any broken or wobbly nursery furniture or durable infant product that is missing parts, even if it has not been recalled. A baby’s life could depend on it. The risk is too high.
No, resellers are not required to test used products for safety. However, resale stores, resellers (including those who sell on auction websites), and persons who give away used products for free cannot knowingly sell or give away products that do not meet the requirements of the law. If a product is hazardous or does not comply with standards, the product should be destroyed, and not be sold or given away to others.
If you learn that one of the products you sell violates the law, or presents a hazard, immediately inform the Commission. The CPSC’s goal is to help you avoid future violations and protect your customers—not to put you out of business. You can report a potentially defective or hazardous product at www.SaferProducts.gov.
Under the law, it is illegal for retailers to sell or offer for sale a product in violation of the CPSIA or other CPSC laws. Our purpose is to ensure these products aren’t being sold, so we still need to hear from you if you discover you may have sold one of these products in the past. The information you provide us will assist us in developing future outreach programs targeting resellers so these hazardous products won’t be sold. When informed of the sale of such products, we will work with you to ensure the agency’s response is appropriate under the circumstances.
If you are in the business of reselling products, you are expected to know the laws, rules, and regulations that apply to your business, including whether a product you are selling has been recalled for a safety issue. CPSC has many resources you can use to stay informed.
Subscribe to the CPSC’s e-mail list for resale stores and product resellers, and keep current on information developed specifically for resale stores at www.cpsc.gov/resale.
For questions about the regulatory requirements, contact the CPSC’s Small Business Ombudsman (SBO) team:
- SBO contact form
- Toll-free: (888) 531-9070
- Email: SBO@cpsc.gov