How to check if a product has been recalled in the UK
Quick answer: To check whether a product has been recalled in the UK, search the Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls list on GOV.UK, which is published by the Office for Product Safety and Standards. Food, vehicles and medicines have their own lists. If a product you own is affected, stop using it and follow the instructions in the recall notice to get a repair, replacement or refund.
Last updated: 12 November 2026
A recall means a manufacturer or retailer is asking for a product back, or offering to fix it, because of a safety problem. Recalls are published, but notices are easy to miss. Checking takes a few minutes, and it is worth doing when you buy second-hand, receive a hand-me-down or simply haven't thought about an older appliance for a while.
Where to check, by type of product
| Product | Where to look | Run by |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer products: electricals, toys, childcare items, cosmetics, furniture and more | Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls on GOV.UK | Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) |
| Food and drink | Food alerts, including allergy alerts | Food Standards Agency; Food Standards Scotland publishes alerts for Scotland |
| Vehicles, parts and accessories, including tyres and child car seats | Check if a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled on GOV.UK | GOV.UK vehicle recall service |
| Medicines and medical devices | Alerts, recalls and safety information on GOV.UK | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) |
GOV.UK is explicit that the OPSS list does not cover food and drink, vehicles, or medicines and medical devices, which is why there are four places to look rather than one.
How to search the OPSS list
- Find the product's details. You need the brand and, ideally, the model number and any batch or serial number. On appliances these are on the rating plate: a label on the back, the base or inside the door.
- Search by brand or model. The list can be filtered by product category, by type of notice and by date.
- Read the notice carefully. A recall often affects particular models, batches or dates of manufacture. Compare every detail with your product.
- Subscribe if you want to keep up. The page offers email updates, so new notices come to you.
The list contains three kinds of entry: product recalls, product safety alerts and product safety reports. Each one sets out the product, the hazard and the action to take, so read the notice itself rather than relying on the heading.
Electrical products
Electrical Safety First, the UK charity for electrical safety, used to run its own recall database. It now points people to the OPSS list for current recalls and keeps its own records, up to 2023, for reference. If you are checking an older appliance, it can be worth searching both.
Register appliances so the manufacturer can find you
Manufacturers can only contact the owners they know about. Register My Appliance, a service run by the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances, lets you register new and older appliances with their makers, so that you are told about any safety repair or recall. Have the brand, model and serial number of each appliance to hand, and update your details if you move house or change your email address, so that a notice can still reach you.
What to do if your product has been recalled
- Stop using it. If the notice says so, unplug the product or put it out of reach straight away.
- Follow the notice. It will explain how to contact the manufacturer or retailer. GOV.UK notes that you may need to act in order to receive a free replacement, repair or refund.
- Don't pass it on. Do not sell or give away a recalled product, or donate it to a charity shop.
- Keep a record. Save the notice, your reference number and any emails.
If the product came from us and you think it is affected, email sales@bargaincatcher.co.uk with your order number and we will help you with the next steps.
If a product seems unsafe but hasn't been recalled
Stop using it and contact the retailer or manufacturer. You can also report the problem so that Trading Standards can look into it; in practice that is done through the Citizens Advice consumer service. GOV.UK publishes guidance on reporting product safety issues. Separately, your rights against the seller still apply: under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 goods must be of satisfactory quality, which includes being safe. Your rights when you shop online in the UK explains the remedies.
Second-hand items, gifts and hand-me-downs
Recalls follow the product, not the buyer. Before using a second-hand appliance, a hand-me-down cot or pushchair, or a toy from a car boot sale, look it up. For cars and car seats, the GOV.UK vehicle recall service lets you search by registration number for cars, or by manufacturer and model for parts and accessories. The same applies to anything you sell or pass on yourself: check it first, and include the instructions if you still have them.
Three habits that make recalls easier
- Keep order confirmations and receipts in one email folder.
- Take a photo of the rating plate of each new appliance when you unpack it.
- Register larger appliances on the day they arrive.
Related guides: Buying electricals online · Your rights when you shop online in the UK. On this site: Returns & refunds · FAQ · Contact us. Departments where safety checks matter most: Electronics & Tech, Toys & Games, Baby & Nursery, Car & Motorbike and Home & Kitchen.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. It describes the position for consumers in the UK on the date shown above; for advice about your own situation, contact Citizens Advice or a qualified adviser.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls (Office for Product Safety and Standards)
- GOV.UK: Product recalls and alerts
- Food Standards Agency: Food alerts
- Food Standards Scotland: Alerts
- GOV.UK: Check if a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled
- GOV.UK: Alerts, recalls and safety information for medicines and medical devices (MHRA)
- GOV.UK: Consumer products – reporting product safety issues
- Electrical Safety First: Product recalls
- Register My Appliance (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances)
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015