What about rentals??

Dianne · Guest

Does anyone have any idea how this law will impact companies that rent products for children's use? This would affect: stroller rentals at malls, carseat rentals by car rental agencies, crib rentals (from rental businesses and maybe from hotels), etc.

I have been trying to determine if the wording of the law affects the rental inventory that a business currently has. I am concerned as my small online business deals 100% with renting a product used by small children while traveling.

Can anyone provide any information about this or guide me in where I should look for information?

Thanks!
Dianne

J C Sprowls · Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 2004

Good question. And, considering the current verbiage of the Act, it's unclear how this would affect you. If it were my business, I would do a cost-benefit analysis while time was on my side. IOW: I would assume (dangerous, I know) that I would be equally accountable as a retailer would be.

My next course of action would be the low-cost tasks, first. I would create a database for each item in my inventory. For each item, I would ascertain the model, batch, lot and date of manufacture. For all items manufactured after August '08, I'd then contact the manufacturer and request a GCC for each model/batch/lot I had in inventory.

Then, I would start working backwards. I'd take the next most recent mfg date and then attempt to obtain GCCs on those, working backward through history. At some point, I would reach a wall and then know which inventory might be suspect.

By the time I would've reached this point, I would expect the CPSIA to have clarified the verbiage as it affects your specific business model. If not, then I would ask the CPSC for a legal opinion on the matter, buying myself some time to until I receive a determination and could attribute the costs required to come into compliance.