Reporting Unsafe Products

To report an unsafe product, contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC). You can get the contact information from their website.

I ended up calling the USCPSC directly. Surprisingly, the organization was very helpful. The person who responded to my call took time to ask a lot questions about what happened. Then she mailed a report for us to sign to confirm its accuracy. After they receive the signed copy, they will review the report and, if deemed appropriate, initiate an investigation.

The USCPSC, as well as family and friends, asked if Holmes offered us anything for this incident. The company rep offered to replace the heater with a newer model. We declined and then filed an incident report. We might get a letter from them some time in the future (timeframe unknown) to follow up.

At the end of our conversation, the Holmes rep tried to sell us other products. (Can we say outrageous?) She wasn't the only person. Every time we called, the rep tried to market other products at the end of the call. It was very frustrating that the employees don't use their judgment to assess the situation and determine when it is not appropriate to market new products. But the blame falls on the company for not bothering to train their employees properly.