Defective Product

Phoenix, Arizona. On 1/19/2001 purchased a name brand vcr. on 2/26/01 it caught fire and set off the smoke dectector. Luckily I was home, and the fire was extinguished, but the toxic smell engulfed the bedroom and my Son and I inhaled the fumes in the process of removing the vcr.
I reported the incident to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and to the manufacturer.
A rep of the manufacturer is requesting the product be sent to them for examination. They are willing to pay for the transport, but if the product is damaged during same, they said I am responsible for that. (the vcr actually melted from the fire)
This product is under warranty, and I am afraid if I do send it to them; I may be compromising my rights and entitlements.
Luckily no major damage has occurred as far as I know, but am not sure as how to proceed.

[HomeGuru]

Contact the US CPSC ans see what there take is. I would send the defective unit to CPSC rather than the manufacturer.

Thank you Home Guru, I have filed a report with US CSPC, so will wait till they get back to me which should be any day now.

[HomeGuru]

Ok. You're pretty sharp to know about CPSC.

Am in a Quagmire. As per my previous post. Am waiting to hear from U.S. PCSC as to what I should do with the defective VCR that was purchased and caught fire. The product is under warranty, and I have reported this occurence to Panasonic. They wanted the product sent to them but weren't taking any responsibility towards what had happened. I faxed their quality rep. that I did not want to compromise my entitlements by just sending the unit to them without some guarantee. I am wondering if I should take the product to Target (where it was bought) or just continue to wait till I hear from the U.S PCSC?