The majority of U.S. consumers — 64 percent — indicated they believe product recalls are "less about protecting consumers and more about government regulations," according to a survey by product recall management company Stericycle Expert Solutions.
For the survey, Stericycle Expert Solutions polled 1,500-plus consumers nationwide about their attitudes toward product recalls. The survey showed millennials proved the most skeptical, with 69 percent of millennial respondents associating product recalls with government regulation. Baby boomer respondents were the most trusting, with only 53 percent agreeing with the statement.
"This finding documents a dangerous misconception that product recalls are primarily exercises in red tape," Chris Harvey, director of recall solutions at Stericycle Expert Solutions, said in a June 12 statement. "It helps explain the 'recall apathy' we are starting to see in so many consumers."
When asked why they did not respond to a product recall, nearly 65 percent of respondents indicated they either forgot or didn't have the time.
Many consumers also neglect to complete product registrations, which provide manufacturers with information on how to reach them in the event of a recall. Almost half of respondents — 49 percent — said they submit product registrations some of the time, rarely or never.