Month: September 2012

(Prague, August 15, 2012) Every child likes to play with any type of a whistle. However some whistles are absolutely nonconforming, just like the respective metal whistle without any marking. The whistle is so small that there is the real danger that children could swallow it or breathe it in. The Czech Trade Inspection Authority banned selling of this whistle and the distributor withdrew the product from the market.

(Prague, September 11, 2012) The Czech Trade Inspection Authority warns against another dangerous scooter which was found in the offer in the inner market. It is the third of the products taken for laboratory assessment of safety in the frame of the control action focused on scooters which shows serious deficiencies. When the strength of the handles was tested, the folding mechanism broke where the handling system is connected to the board and the belt fixing the rear wheel broke as well which is why the scooter poses a risk of serious injury t...

(Prague, September 7, 2012) When monitoring the Czech market with toys, the inspectors of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority took several types of scooters to laboratory assessment because their visual assessment suggested that the scooters may not be completely safe. The professional assessment confirmed this suspicion in the scooter named Fashion Scooter. This product failed the dynamic toughness test. As a result, a small user could easily fall and get injured. Selling of this product was banned, but some sellers still may sell it.

(Prague, August 20, 2012) Touristic season starts for the CTIA inspectors long before the first day of the summer holidays because they monitor services focused on tourists already from the beginning of spring. On the grounds of the plan of the control activities and warnings from consumers as well as other knowledge, the inspectors check how the information obligations towards customers are fulfilled and especially whether traders conduct in a discriminative or unfair manner or whether they use unfair commercial practices. Inspectors have focu...

(Prague, August 21, 2012) Inspectors of the CTIA belong to the customers of filling stations also in the summer months. The controls of fuel quality are carried out non-stop and their number will increase up to 3,000 till the end of this year as decided by the Minister of Industry and Trade.  In July, totally 223 fuel samples were taken, including 3 motor petrol samples which failed the required quality. Lawful decisions on fines imposed for breaches of fuel quality are available at http://www.coi.cz/cz/spotrebitel/rozhodnuti-o-ulozeni-pokuty-z...

(Prague, August 17, 2012) Surveillance over the safety of products intended for children, among others also children’s scooters belong to the priorities of the inspection activities of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority. In case that these scooters are not safe, there is a high risk of injury of the head, chest, stomach or arms – not only as a consequence of a fall, but also of a jam or a clinch of fingers or some other part of the body. Within a control of 56 types of children’s scooters placed on the market by almost 80 distributors it was ...

(Prague, August, 2012) As the number of consumers connected to the Internet increases as well as their computer literacy, the number of deals concluded through e-shops increases as well. This way of shopping is more comfortable, faster and often also cheaper than the classic way of shopping. But is it also safer? Do e-shops respect the rights of consumers and abide with all legally stipulated obligations? Or do the e-shops’ operators use the anonymity of the Internet environment and breach the legal regulations or even cheat? The results of the...

(Prague, August 10, 2012) Textile products decorated with toys do look funny, but sometimes they may pose a risk. The respective socks with a teddy bear are dangerous as proven by the results of a CTIA control. The ring on which the toy is hang can be easily torn off and even individual parts of the teddy bear can be easily separated and thus pose danger of swallowing or suffocation in children. Therefore the Czech Trade Inspection Authority banned selling of this product and the distributor took action and withdrew the product from the market....

(Prague, August 7, 2012) The new act stipulating the obligations of consumer credit providers and intermediaries has been in force since January 1, 2011, but the Czech Trade Inspection Authority finds out breaches of consumer rights in the same rate not only at intermediaries, but also at creditors from the non-banking sector. In 72 of 141 controls of credit contracts and offers or of advertising on provision or intermediation of a consumer credit which were carried out within the first half-year of 2012, the CTIA inspectors found breaches of o...

(Prague, August 8, 2012) The CTIA warns against potential purchases of the Alpina Rocky bicycle. There are several reasons for such recommendation: the bicycle doesn’t have two independent brakes; pedals do not provide enough space for pedaling and the child may hit the mudguard with the toe-caps of his shoes; the handles are not efficiently fixed to the handlebar. Thus it is not possible to effectively stop the bicycle before a barrier; the child loses balance and falls when his shoe’s toe-cap gets hooked by the mudguard as well as when the ha...