CPSC, eBay Inc. and Amazon.com Auctions Prevent Hazardous Products From Being Sold on Web Sites
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NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2000
Release # 00-086 		CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Yolanda Fultz-Morris, (301) 504-7066
eBay Contact: Kevin Pursglove, (408) 558-7458
Amazon.com Auctions Contact: Sharon Greenspan, (206) 266-7180

CPSC Announces Initiative with eBay Inc. and Amazon.com Auctions to Prevent Hazardous Products From Being Sold on Auction Web Sites

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing an initiative with two of the largest auction web sites - eBay Inc., of San Jose, Calif., and Amazon.com Auctions of Seattle, Wash. The new initiative will make it easier for consumers to protect themselves from dangerous products being sold online. eBay and Amazon.com Auctions will link to CPSC's web site and prominently post guidance for consumers to help them get information about recalled products.

"Hundreds of hazardous products have been banned or recalled by CPSC over the years because a defect or hidden hazard made them dangerous and sometimes deadly to consumers," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "CPSC can get these products off of store shelves, but it is more difficult to get them out of people's homes. Many of these items can end up for sale by individuals online on the increasingly popular auction web sites."

CPSC is seeking greater protection for consumers online, as it has sought protection for consumers in brick and mortar stores for years. The focus of the auction site initiative is children's products, including toys; tools; exercise equipment; and household items. In this regard, CPSC urges consumers to do a "Recall Double Check" when using online auctions: Check before you sell, check before you buy. The new initiative announced today will make this "Recall Double Check" easier by providing links from eBay and Amazon.com Auctions sites to information about CPSC recalls.

CPSC is urging other online auction sites to join the initiative.

Beginning today, eBay customers can access a special CPSC page on the eBay site that alerts consumers to the dangers of recalled products. This information will be available by means of a link from both the bidder and seller forms for certain products, and the "Tips for Buyers," "Tips for Sellers" and "Is my item allowed on eBay?" sections of the eBay site.

"Consumer education plays a critical role in eBay's dynamic marketplace," said Brian Swette, eBay's chief operating officer. "CPSC's new initiative will present our users with an important new tool to educate themselves about recalled products."

Amazon.com Auctions will soon include a link to CPSC's web site in the confirmation emails sent to bidders and sellers of tools, toys, exercise equipment and other products. Links already are located at the "Prohibited Content" and "Asking Questions About an Item" sections on the site. Amazon.com Auctions will continue to monitor its site for recalled products and remove them as appropriate.

"Amazon.com Auctions is pleased to take part in this important initiative as it is consistent with several other unique programs we have implemented to protect customers, including Amazon.com Payments with 1-Click, our Safe Shopping and A-to-z Guarantees, and our fraud detection and prevention systems," said Jeff Blackburn, the general manager of Amazon.com Auctions. "A primary goal has always been to ensure a safe shopping and bidding experience for our valued customers."

This initiative is a continuation of CPSC's efforts to protect consumers online. CPSC began monitoring Internet web sites, including auction sites, as part of Operation Safe Online Shopping (SOS). Operation SOS, launched as a pilot project in December 1999, monitors web sites for recalled, illegal and potentially hazardous consumer products being sold in cyberspace.

To determine if any product has been recalled or is banned, consumers can look it up on CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov. or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772.