The Consumer Protection Service (CPC) of the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry, as the competent authority in Cyprus for the operation and management of the European Rapid Information Exchange System for Dangerous Non-Food Products, informs consumers that during the week from 21/03/2022 to 27/03/2022 (RAPEX - Bulletin 12) 34 products have been notified to the System which present a risk to their health and safety. These products were identified on the markets of various Member States of the European Union and subsequently notified to the Safety Gate RAPEX System.
Consumers can find out about the dangerous products on the YPC website at www.consumer.gov.cy.
The 34 products were allocated for market surveillance purposes as follows:
- Thirteen (13) to the Consumer Protection Service, with one of them having been notified to the system by Cyprus.
- Eleven (11) to the Department of Road Transport.
- Five to the Department of Labour Inspection with three of them having been notified to the system by Cyprus.
- Three in the Department of Pharmaceutical Services.
- Two in the Department of Electromechanical Services with one of them having been notified to the system by Cyprus.
The products relevant to the Consumer Protection Service, as well as the corresponding associated risks are described in the table here.
Please note that products with serial numbers 1 to 10 have been assessed by the European Commission as posing a serious risk, while products with serial numbers 11 to 13 have been assessed by the European Commission as posing a lower risk.
Recommendations - Warnings
It is noted that of the thirteen (13) products, one has been initially identified by the YPC in the Cyprus market (without having been previously identified in the other member countries) and has proceeded with its freezing and withdrawal.
The remaining products are likely to be on the Cyprus market and pose a direct threat to the health and safety of consumers, especially children. The Consumer Protection Service has already started intensive market checks to identify the products.
The Service calls on importers, distributors, sellers who may have such products to immediately stop their distribution and notify the Service. It also calls on consumers in case they possess the above products to stop using them and return them to the seller, i.e. from the store from which they have purchased them, while informing the Service accordingly.
It is noted that according to the Consumer Protection Law of 2021, in case of purchase of an unsafe product, the consumer is entitled to a replacement of the product, so that the product complies with the terms of the sales contract. If this is not possible, then the consumer is entitled to withdraw, i.e. to return the product to the seller and receive a refund of the full amount paid. It is recalled that the above rights are valid for a period of 2 years from the initial delivery of the product to the consumer and that the final seller is always solely responsible to the consumer.
In case the seller refuses to comply with the above rights of the consumer, the consumer is invited to submit his/her complaint in writing through the website of the Consumer Protection Service (www.consumer.gov.cy).
Contact
For further information or to make a complaint, consumers can contact the Service via its website (www.consumer.gov.cy) or by phone:
- Consumer Line 1429
- Nicosia Central Offices 22200926 and 22200925
- Limassol District Office 25819150
- Paphos District Office 26804613
- Larnaca/Amohostou District Office 24816160.
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
