A used item on Facebook Marketplace looks fine. How do I check whether it has been recalled?
The short answer
Pause the transaction and identify the exact unit. Search your country’s official product-safety alerts and the manufacturer’s recall information. Appearance, seller ratings and a successful demonstration do not establish safety. A recall concerns the physical product, not just the trustworthiness of the listing.
What this answer is based onWhat to do
Prepare the listing URL, screenshots, label photos, model, serial or batch number, country of original sale and any proof of the official remedy. Read labels only when safely accessible; do not dismantle or power on a suspect item to identify it.
- Identify before committing. Ask the seller for a legible label photo, not just a brand name or catalogue picture; sellers should inspect their own item’s identifiers. Compare model, batch or serial number and manufacturing dates with the notice. If labels are absent or the seller cannot clarify a possible match, postpone the purchase or listing and ask the manufacturer through its official contact.
- Check the relevant country. In the US search CPSC Recalls; in the EU consult Safety Gate and the national product-safety authority. Search the manufacturer’s official recall pages too. Open the full alert: check affected identifiers, hazard, territory and required remedy. Save the notice and check date. A different colour or an older listing is not enough to rule out a match; seek confirmation where identifiers conflict.
- Act on a match or serious doubt. If you already have an affected item, stop using it and follow the recall notice through the named official contact. Do not pass the unresolved risk to another buyer: pause your listing. In the US, CPSC says recalled goods cannot be sold, but its FAQ permits resale once the specified remedy has actually been applied and disclosed in the listing. A seller’s claim of a home repair is not that evidence. If an affected listing remains online, retain its URL and screenshot; report it through the platform’s available reporting route and the relevant safety authority. CPSC directs reports to SaferProducts.gov; in the EU use the Consumer Safety Gateway or national authority. A report is not proof that the listing was removed.
The situation
Illustrative example: a used dehumidifier looks like a model in a recall notice. You request a photo of its identification label and compare the model and affected serial-number range before arranging collection.
The situation and an improvement
Trust “works perfectly” and buy without identifying the unit.
Match the actual unit to official alerts and resolve the safety issue before proceeding.
More examples
“I repaired it myself”
The seller says a recalled item has been fixed.
What to do
Ask for evidence that the exact official remedy was completed. If this cannot be verified, do not treat the item as cleared for resale.
Already bought it
After collection, you identify a recall affecting your item.
What to do
Stop using it, save the purchase and product details, and contact the recall provider about the remedy for your unit. Do not assume second-hand status either guarantees or excludes assistance.
What this answer is based on
CPSC · Buying and selling products onlinewww.cpsc.govCPSC · Stopping the online sale of recalled productsCPSC · Recalls and product safety warningsEuropean Commission · Safe products for consumersEU Safety Gate · Product alertsCPSC · Report an unsafe productEuropean Commission · Consumer Safety Gateway (linked by official guidance) · Full source review pendingPrimary source readReview details
Source reviewed:
We read the official source listed for this topic. Other Meta rules are reviewed separately.
Read CPSC online-sale FAQ, resale guidance and recall search, plus EU Safety Gate consumer guidance. These support country-specific checking, reporting and recall responses, not a tested Facebook workflow. Identifier records and postponing an uncertain transaction are ClearRules precautions. No individual item, remedy eligibility or account was checked.
Include the guide link, language and wording that needs checking. Add an official source link if you have one. Do not send passwords, login codes or photos of identity documents.
Examples are made up to explain the guidance. Meta decides individual account and content cases.
Sources and related topicsPolicy Graph · Demo in development