Discussion Activity: Research Assignment (Chapter 7)

Review the following assignment, and post a response given the instructions below.

The federal government maintains a website devoted to providing information about product recalls. To complete this assignment, you will need to obtain information from this site as follows:

Go to http://www.recalls.gov/

Click on the Consumer Products tab at the top of the screen.

Click on CPSC RecallsHome.

Use the Find Recalls by month and year options to look up information about the following recalls that occurred in April 2012 and June 2012.

* Todson Recalls Bicycle Child Carrier Seats Due to Laceration and Fingertip Amputation Hazards.

* Five Retailers Agree to Stop Sale and Recall Tots in Mind Crib

Required:

For each of these two recalls:

1. Explain why the product was recalled.

2. Who was most responsible for the problem that resulted in the recall?

3. Who will be negatively affected by the faulty product?

4. What are the external failure costs related to the faulty product? Describe the nature of these costs; you will not be able to identify dollar amounts.

5. At what point in the pre-sale process could steps have been taken to prevent the faulty product from being produced and/or sold?