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Email templates · Manufacturer

Email template to ask a manufacturer whether your product is affected by a recall

You heard about a recall on a product you own, or you have a problem that sounds like one. A recall is a formal notice from the maker or a government safety agency that a product has a defect, along with a promised remedy, which is usually a free repair, a free replacement part, or a refund. Recalls are tied to specific model numbers, serial number ranges, or production dates, so owning the same model does not automatically mean your unit is included. Email gets you a written yes or no for your exact serial number, and a written description of the remedy, which is useful if a store or service center later tries to charge you for a fix that should be free.

Before you send

  • The model number, serial number, and, for vehicles, the 17-character VIN printed on the dashboard and the registration. Recalls are matched to these, not to the product name.
  • Where you saw the recall notice: a news story, a letter, a notice on the maker's site, or a government listing. For vehicles, the federal recall lookup by VIN is free at nhtsa.gov. For most other consumer products, recalls are listed at cpsc.gov.
  • Whether you are already seeing the problem the recall describes. Say so, and stop using the product if the notice says to.
  • Your purchase date and where you bought it, in case the recall is limited to certain production runs.
  • For vehicles, safety recall repairs are done free by any authorized dealer of that brand, regardless of the car's age or whether you are the original owner.
Subject Recall check for [product name], model [model number], serial [serial number] 
Hello,

I own a [product name], model [model number], serial number [serial number or VIN], purchased on [purchase date]. I saw a recall notice for this product [where you saw it, for example "on your website on March 3" or "in a news article"].

Could you confirm whether my unit is included in the recall? If it is, please let me know:

- What the defect is and whether I should stop using the product now
- What the remedy is: a repair, a replacement part, or a refund
- How to get it done, whether by mail, at a service center, or with a kit you send out
- How long it usually takes

I've noticed [the symptom you are seeing, or "no problems so far"], and I've stopped using it until I hear back.

I'd appreciate an answer by [date about a week out]. If my unit isn't covered but the problem matches the recall, please tell me how to report it.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your phone number]
[Your mailing address]

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.

After you send

  • A good reply says clearly whether your serial number is covered and gives you a remedy with a case number. Keep that message; it is your proof the fix should be free.
  • If they say your unit is not covered but you have the same symptom, report it to the maker in writing and, for vehicles, file a complaint at nhtsa.gov. Enough reports can widen a recall.
  • If they offer only a discount on a new product instead of the published remedy, reply once quoting the recall notice, which describes what they committed to.
  • If you get no answer in a week, call the recall hotline listed in the notice and reference your email. Recall lines are usually staffed separately from general support.

Or don't send it yourself

Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.

StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.

Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out

To myagent@standinfor.me Subject Find out if my product is under recall and get the fix 
Hi StandIn,

Please find out whether a product I own is covered by a recall and, if it is, arrange the free fix with the manufacturer.

The product: [name, model number, serial number or VIN].
Where and when I bought it: [store or dealer, date].
The recall: [where I saw it, or "not sure, here's the problem I'm seeing"].
Symptoms: [what's happening, or "none yet"].
My address: [street address].

Check the maker's site and the government recall database, confirm coverage for my exact unit in writing, get a case number, and set up the repair or replacement.

Thanks,
[Your name]

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