Call Kurtis Investigates: Rice Cooker Recall Response Leaves Sacramento Man Steaming

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Greg Payne eats rice with almost every meal. When he learned his Time Machine rice cooker was recalled over potential shock and fire hazards, it was like cutting the umbilical cord to his favorite side dish.

The recall said to mail the cord back, so he sent the rice cooker's cord back exactly as the manufacturer requested, but not before he made one last batch.

Now the cordless cooker is a fixture on the floor. Payne says he was told his replacement was coming in approximately four weeks.

Twelve weeks later, still no cooker. Payne says they will not say when he will get it.

"Let people know, they may still be pissed off, but at least they got a reason why they aren't getting it yet," said Payne.

So what do you do if a company is not honoring a recall? The Consumer Product Safety Commission says turn to them.

Patty Davis at the CPSC says, "We can get a direct contact with the company and make sure that they make good on the remedy."

We reached out to the makers of the Time Machine rice cooker, Sherwood Marketing Group LLC, within hours they sent an email to Payne saying, "We are ready to send your replacement to you now."

Sherwood never got back to us, but they did tell him that, "the process has been much slower than we would have liked."

One week later Payne was cooking his favorite dish again. "I'm kinda anxious to try it out, so probably I'll have rice today," he said.

We found United States District Court documents that show Sherwood Marketing Time Machine is currently suing the certification company that approved the product.

The original complaint filed alleges that the testing facility cut corners, skipped portions of tests, and fudged results.