PackTite™ Heating Units for Bed Bug Control
CPSC Recall #14-048 - December 10, 2013
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 14-048 |
| Recall Date | December 10, 2013 |
| Remedy Type | Replace |
| Units Affected | About 9,000 |
| Manufactured In | United States |
Where It Was Sold
| Pest control companies and pest control product distributors nationwide |
| including Atlantic Pest Solutions |
| Bedbug Central |
| Bedbug Supply |
| Broadway Exterminating |
| Dana Pest Control |
| Do My Own Pest Control |
| Grainger |
| M&M Environmental Isotech |
| K-9 Sweeps |
| Orkin |
| Pestaway |
| Round-the-Clock Pest Control |
| Steritech |
| Stern Environmental |
| Tallman Scientific |
| Univar and US Bedbugs from October 2009 through January 2013 for between $300 and $330 for the system and $53 for the heater when sold separately. |
Product
PackTite™ Heating Units for Bed Bug Control
Description
The bed bug heaters sold with bed bug treatment systems can overheat, melt and cause a fire.
Hazard
The bed bug heaters can overheat, melt and cause a fire, posing a fire hazard.
Incidents & Injuries
PackTite has received three consumer complaints of heaters overheating, melting and, in one case, the items being treated were singed. No injuries have been reported.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled heating units and contact PackTite for a free replacement heater
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Replace at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly, either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Replace) at no cost to you.
If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident, they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney, parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.