This holiday season, you will undoubtedly buy more products than any other month, but not all items are created equal. Be wary of any goods that seem drastically discounted or are sold by a random retailer as your likelihood of purchasing a defective product grows exponentially. If you do find you’ve purchased a bad product, follow these steps to resolve the situation quickly.
Stop Using the Product Immediately
The moment you realize a product is defective, stop using it. The sooner you cease use, the less likely you are to harm or injure yourself. If you are injured, there may be many potentially responsible parties, including parent companies, design engineers, drug manufacturing companies, medical device makers, pharmacies, wholesalers, and retail establishments. Contact a consumer rights attorney if you have any questions as to who or what entity might be responsible.
Check Your Receipts
Receipts are not only important for proof of purchase, but they can also provide you contact information for customer service and product item numbers. Research your particular product and item number to see if other consumers have been similarly harmed in the past. If you see a pattern of consumer problems, there may be the potential for a consumer class action.
Return Rejected Goods
Under most company return policies, you have 30 days from the date of purchase to return goods that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose, or not as described. Some retailers may not offer you a full refund, but instead will provide you with a replacement or repair, especially if the item is relatively new. If a company does not offer to amend the issue, it may be time to contact a consumer rights attorney.
Contact an Attorney
If you’ve taken the appropriate steps in returning a defective product but are still not seeing any results, it’s time to hire an attorney or join a lawsuit. A consumer class action is a lawsuit filed in state or federal court that is brought by one or more individuals on behalf of other “similarly situated” consumers. In addition to providing compensation to the wronged consumers, it also an effective tool in stopping the continued manufacture and sale of defective products.
Over the past ten years alone, Carter Law Firm has successfully recovered more than $200,000,00 for clients.
For more information on your consumer rights, contact us or follow us on Facebook.