Instant recall: Are do-it-yourself quick fixes safe?

More companies are taking the quick-fix approach to dealing with faulty, malfunctioning or unsafe products: they're sending a repair kit.

In early November, for example, Hong Kong-based Maclaren, a manufacturer of high-end children's strollers, recalled all of its models over a folding mechanism that has severed or injured the fingertips of a number of children. In Canada, as well as in the U.S., where a recall was formally announced, the company asked consumers to call its 1-800 number for a free repair kit for the hinge that poses the hazard.

"We will be providing a sleeve with a zipper that allows the hinge to open and close," Sam Perez, chief executive of Kushies Canada in Stoney Creek, Ont., the Canadian distributor of the Chinese-manufactured Maclaren strollers, told CBC News.

Maclaren joins a long list of companies issuing recalls, particularly ones that make products for children. Canada has seen a surge in recalls in the past few years, say consumer safety advocates, a trend that has spawned a need for quick solutions to appease confused and angry consumers.

In most recall cases, companies are opting not to pull their products from shelves, instead developing do-it-yourself solutions they can quickly send to consumers with a set of instructions.

But some are asking whetherthis approach is an effective way of dealing with a safety issue, or merely a Band-Aid solution that saves manufacturers money.

It's a question Andy Brisebois, president of the Children's Safety Association in Toronto, has been grappling with since last year. He says the association has been poring over repair kits and their instructions that have been sent to consumers, in an attempt to determine whether these are effective ways of dealing with manufacturing problems.

How clear are the instructions?

Brisebois says he looks at how the kit addresses the safety problem, how well the instructions are worded, how easy it is for a consumer to carry them out and whether the overall outcome is that the product is rendered safe.

"One big problem with instructions is that they're written by people who know what they're doing," says Brisebois. "If they're a little more complicated, how understandable will they be [to the average consumer]?"

And, he says, if a repair kit seems too onerous to install, the temptation on the part of the consumer will be either to install it improperly or forgo it completely. Unlike a redesigned product that's reissued by a company, that scenario leaves consumers back where they started: with a potentially unsafe product.

"If it's not put back together properly, will it be safer when that piece is on?" says Brisebois. "Our suspicions are that it may not be as safe as a new product."

Toronto-based Mel Fruitman, vice-president of the Consumers Association of Canada, agrees. He says that in many cases a fix sent to the customercan be a simple, effective way of solving a manufacturing glitch. But it "all depends on the complexity of the repair: if it requires a lot of effort on the part of the consumer, it's not ideal."

He says manufacturers should work very hard at making it easy for consumers to have a product replaced or repaired.

Health Canada spokesperson David Thomas says that although Health Canada does test the effectiveness of repair kits, the onus is also on consumers to ensure they get things right.

"Health Canada advises that consumers should take appropriate caution and care when following the manufacturer's instructions and should contact the firm with any additional questions or concerns," he says.

Is a recall really a recall?

As the Maclaren recall illustrates, a recall isn't really a recall anymore. In many cases it has become more of an announcement of a product issue, usually accompanied by a quick solution.

"They've diluted the use of the term," says Fruitman. "It isn't necessarily a recall."

A quick examination of recalls listed on Health Canada's website reveals that many faulty products aren't being returned for refund but rather are being "fixed" via such things as patches, clips, and stickers.

In one case in 2007, toy company RC2 Corp. recalled its potty seats made in China, because decorative plaques on the back contained high levels of lead. Instead of refunding consumers their money, the company sent customers a protective cover to place over the plaque.

"If it doesn't really solve the problem, then it's not a proper fix," says Fruitman.

'It is important to note that, under the Hazardous Products Act, Health Canada does not have the authority to order a recall of a product. Recalls are voluntarily agreed to by the responsible companies.' David Thomas, Health Canada

Unfortunately, even if an unsafe product remains on store shelves, there's not a lot that can be done.

For one, recalls are not initiated by Health Canada unless they concern children's toys. Instead, the agency works with companies to initiate voluntary recalls, says Thomas.

That's because manufacturers in Canada are not obligated to recall anything, even if its unsafe, as there is no legislation requiring them to do so, he says.

"It is important to note that, under the Hazardous Products Act, Health Canada does not have the authority to order a recall of a product. Recalls are voluntarily agreed to by the responsible companies," says Thomas.

Fruitman says that could change, as Bill C-6, the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, could soon pass. The proposed legislation would aim to protect Canadian consumers from unsafe goods. Currently, it has received third reading in the Senate.

In the meantime, given the fact that more and more companies are outsourcing their manufacturing, there will likely be more recalls in the future, say consumer safety groups. And more mailed-out repair kits.