What Vendors Can Do
By Meredith Schwartz -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 11/14/2007 6:55:00 AM
- Do due diligence on suppliers, including direct visits and reference checks.
- Do extensive testing and quality checking at least through the first 10 shipments.
- Put people on-site for long periods and do significant training.
- Label products with country of origin.
- Keep chain-of-custody records so problematic product can be traced to its source.
- Consider pre-shipment testing. According to Mays, pre-shipment testing costs about $200–$250 per man day. Several inspectors are on-site for five days on average.
- Use an independent testing laboratory certified to U.S. standards.
- Report any dangerous products to the CPSC within 24 hours of finding out, and follow recall procedures.
- Communicate quickly and transparently with retailers and consumers about any problems, what’s being done to fix them and prevent them from happening again.
