Cost of a Recall Estimator

This Cost of a Recall estimating tool provides a comprehensive checklist to ensure all costs are considered and captured in the event of a recall. 

The total cost of a recall can be underestimated. In addition to tangible costs, there are other intangible or “soft” costs that can significantly increase the cost of a recall and should be included when assessing impact for the organization.

How to use this tool:

  1. Review the “Cost Type”and identify what items may apply to your business.
  2. Input the estimated costs into the table provided.
  3. An estimated sum of costs can be totaled at the bottom of the estimation table provided.

The Cost of a Recall

The total cost of a product recall can be underestimated. In addition to tangible costs, there are other intangible or “soft” costs that can significantly increase the cost of a recall and should be included when assessing impact for the organization.

A product recall has the potential to impact brand reputation which can cause long term effects on sales and can even cause a business to fail. Many companies choose to mitigate the financial impact via recall insurance, but this may not cover all the costs.

Try estimating the cost of recalling your leading brand. Use the table below to review the cost estimator:

How can we help you?

If you develop, manufacture or distribute consumer products anywhere in the world today, you need to talk to RQA.

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Cost Estimator

(m = million)

Cost Type Limited Local Recall Widespread Multinational Recall Comment
Consumer Care Line
Cost:
$0 $0.3m 		Difficult to quantify but call center costs can easily escalate to very large figures when involving multiple territories and languages.
Cost of Shutdown
Cost:
$0 $5m 		If your plant is shut down due to contaminated or faulty equipment, costs can escalate rapidly.
Crisis PR & Social Media Campaign
Cost:
$0 $0.25m 		You may need to hire an outside PR firm to manage the message to different constituents. Social media monitoring and response will also be escalated.
Disposal
Cost:
$0 $0.4m 		Disposal by certified destruction may be required if the product contains certain chemicals or heavy metals.
Fines
Cost:
$0 $1m 		Fines imposed by regulatory authorities related directly to a product recall.
Packaging Redesign
Cost:
$0 $0.1m 		Many recalls are due to errors on packaging and costs for new packaging can be significant.
Point of Sale Notices
Cost:
$0 $0.5m 		These need to be produced and then distributed to stores internationally.
Post Recall Advertising
Cost:
$0 $2m 		The cost of advertising on traditional formats (possibly including TV) and social media to reassure consumers following the recall and to encourage them to stick with your brand.
Recall Notices
Cost:
$0 $0.1m 		This may just be a notice on your web site or depending upon the product and risk recall notices, may require publication in newspapers and magazines.
Repair / Correction
Cost:
$0 $1m 		In some cases, (non-food) products may be repaired rather than being returned or disposed of. This may involve teams of engineers visiting domestic or industrial locations to fix the faulty product.
Retailer Charges
Cost:
$0 $0.15m 		The retailer chains may charge administrative fees to cover the cost of notifying store networks and removing product from shelves.
Shipping & Logistics
Cost:
$0 $0.5m 		Faulty product may be sent to centralized warehouses for sorting or to await destruction. These warehouses will often be additional contracted capacity.
Specialists / Labs etc.
Cost:
$0 $0.2m 		Laboratory testing often forms a key part of the investigation process, sometimes involving unusual and highly expensive tests requiring premium turnaround.
Value of Loss of Contract
Cost:
$0 $20m 		It is a fact that companies may lose the contract to supply following a recall; especially if the manufacturer is unable to restore confidence in the safety or quality of their processes.
Value of Recalled Product
Cost:
$0 $10m 		The value of the product being recalled can be very high. If a recall is due to a faulty component or contaminated ingredient, the value of the finished product may be the value of the component. This can come as a big surprise for component / ingredient manufacturers.
Value of Unaffected Recalled Product
Cost:
$0 $1m 		Value of product may also include batches of products that are recalled that may not be affected by the recall. If traceability capability is poor, over recalling may be high.
TOTAL COST (USD):

Hidden Costs

Other costs after the initial recall action to consider include the following:

  • Reduced sales
  • Reduced profits
  • Increased regulatory scrutiny by government authorities
  • Increased testing and quality assurance / safety procedures
  • Unfavorable resolution of litigation
  • Ongoing legal fees
  • Prosecution of members of the board of directors in relation to product safety breeches
  • Risk of increased insurance premiums
  • Cost to reputation
  • Reduction in share price and therefore company value
  • Cost to change or correct manufacturing process
  • Increased threat from competitors

In the long term, the biggest threat to your company could be intangible brand damage. How your organization responds to the recall can determine whether it becomes a major crisis and damages your brand in the eyes of your consumer and investors. Alternatively, a well-managed product recall is quickly forgotten and will keep your organization from becoming a case study for poor crisis management.

Prevention, planning and implementation are essential to a “successful” product recall or crisis. Leading insurance providers subscribe to this philosophy and offer their insured a percent credit of the net premium that may be used towards Crisis Management services and consultancy provided by RQA, Inc. RQA offers a comprehensive range of risk mitigation and recall response services.