Your EU Responsible Person under the General Product Safety Regulation

Product recalls under the GPSR

The GPSR sets rules for how a consumer product recall is communicated and what consumers receive, so that recalls reach people and are not played down.

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Articles 35 to 37 GPSR Direct contact with consumers Standard recall notice Cost-free remedy

Reaching affected consumers

Where a recall is needed, the business responsible must directly notify all affected consumers it can identify, using the customer data it holds - for example from online orders or product registration - and also use other channels such as its website, social media and shops to reach the others (Article 35).

The recall notice (Article 36)

Headed "Product safety recall"
A clear description of the product, with a picture, name, brand and identifiers such as batch or serial numbers
A clear description of the hazard, without technical jargon
What consumers should do, including to stop using the product immediately
The remedy offered and a free contact point for questions

The notice must not contain expressions that could lower consumers' perception of the risk, such as "voluntary", "precautionary", "discretionary", "in rare situations" or "in specific situations", or state that there have been no accidents.

Remedy for consumers (Article 37)

The consumer is entitled to an effective, cost-free and timely remedy, with a choice of at least two of: repair, replacement, or an adequate refund of at least the price paid. Only one remedy may be offered where the others are impossible or disproportionately costly. Repair or replacement must be carried out without significant inconvenience to the consumer, and a product too heavy to return by ordinary means should be collected.

Plan for traceability

The better you can trace batches to customers, the smaller and cheaper a recall becomes. Product identifiers on the pack (labelling and traceability) and order records are the foundation.

Frequently asked questions

Can a recall notice call the recall voluntary or precautionary?

No. The GPSR prohibits wording such as voluntary, precautionary, discretionary, in rare situations or in specific situations that could decrease consumers' perception of the risk.

What remedy must consumers get in a recall?

An effective, cost-free and timely remedy, with a choice of at least two of: repair, replacement, or an adequate refund of at least the price paid.

Do I have to contact customers directly?

Yes, all affected consumers you can identify from the data you hold, plus wider channels to reach the others.

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