A recall check starts with the label.
A practical intake workflow for used appliances and household goods.
The stock title is a starting point. The label on the object is usually the better evidence. Keep both, and make the gaps visible to the next person who handles the item.
Give the individual item an identity
Use a stable stock ID for the physical item, not just a shared product name. Two similar dehumidifiers can have different model or serial details. Record the brand exactly as shown, the model including suffixes, the serial number and the location where another staff member can find it. If a label is missing, write that down rather than filling the gap from a visually similar listing.
Recall Ledger accepts item_id, title, brand, model, serial and location. A CSV with other fields is rejected with a correction message. This prevents an unrecognized column from silently becoming an empty identifier. It does not make the imported information accurate: someone still needs to check the physical item.
Search broadly, decide narrowly
A brand and product-word overlap brings a notice into the review queue. A model occurrence strengthens the reason to inspect it. Neither establishes that the individual item falls within every limit of the recall. Open the official notice and compare its model list, serial range, manufacture dates, retailer details and explicit exclusions.
The CPSC API's structured model and UPC fields can be empty even when identification appears in the description. Recall Ledger therefore shows narrative evidence and its source. It does not offer a universal barcode lookup or infer that a blank UPC means an item is unaffected.
Use the dehumidifier example carefully
CPSC recall 02096 describes Whirlpool, Kenmore and ComfortAire dehumidifiers with specific serial prefixes and a front-mounted water bucket. It explicitly excludes rear-bucket units. A brand-only stock row needs more identification. A serial prefix is another clue, not a substitute for reading the complete notice and checking the actual unit.
The example inventory in this app is fictional. Its QG-DEMO serial is an illustration, not the serial of a real device or evidence that any remedy was completed.
Record the next action, not a safety label
Use Review for an unresolved candidate, Hold to record that your staff have placed the item on hold, and Remedy to track an action following the official notice. These are records in this browser; they do not block your point of sale, remove a marketplace listing or contact a manufacturer.
When closing a case, record the reason and the evidence you inspected. “The model suffix differs; label checked” is more useful than “done”. Closing is your recorded workflow decision, not a certificate or a recommendation to sell. The ledger retains the official source version associated with the decision.
Know what was actually checked
The source panel shows the loaded date range, named older examples and the last successful refresh. Initial coverage is bounded and does not include the full historical CPSC archive. A result with no candidates means only that this matching process found none in the loaded data. Use the official search and any other applicable sources for a complete business process.
Export a private backup after an intake session. Clearing browser storage, using a different browser or switching devices does not transfer your inventory. This version has no cloud account or synchronization.
Primary sources: CPSC Resellers Guide; CPSC recall 02096; CPSC API information. This guide describes a review workflow, not legal advice or a product safety determination.