Month: August 2013

(Interim report of 2nd quarter of 2013)(Prague, August 22, 2013) Controls of tour operators and travel agencies continued in 2nd quarter of 2013. In 40 cases of a total of almost a hundred inspections, one or more breaches of obligations stipulated by the Act on Consumer Protection were detected. “Inspections of the second quarter didn’t confirm the improvement within tourism services that was detected in the previous period – the results are worse by 11%,” the Director General of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority said. “I consider the high ...

(Interim report from second quarter of 2013)(Prague, August 20, 2013) Before the start of the summer season both major and minor vendors traditionally try to attract consumers to purchase within special offers and seasonal clearance sales of winter and spring goods. Attractive offers can be found in almost every shop window and some even make the impression that offered goods is almost free-of-charge. However, the opposite is true as not only consumers but also inspectors of the CTIA have learned. “In the second quarter of 2013, in total 250 fi...

(Prague, August 19, 2013) Expressive designed toy chests serve as deposit toy containers and practical equipment of many children’s rooms. With regard to the fact that especially children use them, these products must meet specific safety requirements. Inspectors of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority found several products that are offed in the market, but present a serious risk to children users. “In a catalogue of a mail order store, mobile chests intended for storing toys or cloths are offered, despite a child of preschool age easily fits ...

(Interim report of second quarter of 2013) (Prague, August 15, 2013) The same as in the previous years, CTIA inspectors monitor touristic areas and supervise whether especially occasional (seasonal) sellers and services providers harm interests of consumers and breach laws. “Unfortunately, we find the same ills and the situation has not improved during the summer,” the Director General of the CTIA Vladimír Velčovský said. “Every third inspected subject breached law – most frequently by incorrect billing and failures to respect other principles...

(Prague, August 9, 2013) The Czech Trade Inspection Authority warns consumers against advertisements and offers of credit contracts concluded over the phone. Lately, the CTIA has investigated several submissions not only from consumers but also from the Police of the Czech Republic to who citizens turned to and asked for help. “This is a serious warning,” Vladimír Velčovský, the Director General of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority alerts. “In case that the phone operator forwards you to a telephone line charged with a high tariff, you shall...

(Prague, August 13, 2013) Inspectors of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority detected a product which presents a serious risk. It is a laser pointer, light and pen “3 in 1” without any appropriate marking. “The detected intensity of the laser way exceeds the maximal acceptable dose of irradiation to human eye. The product is not equipped with any warnings against irradiation or information about the laser class. Under such circumstances it poses serious risk of eye damage especially to children users. The product has been notified in the RAPEX ...

(Prague, August 8, 2013) Despite Christmas are still far before us, Christmas light chains are also sold in the middle of the summer. In Western Bohemia, inspectors of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority detected an anonymous product that presents serious risk to consumers. “The light chain CHIC FANTASY 40 SINOS MUSICAIS isn’t marked properly. It is only labelled with the CE mark and information about voltage and current. With regard to defective technical performance of the product and the material used, there is a hazard of injury by electri...

(Brno, August 7, 2013) Inspectors of the CTIA monitor restaurants, stalls and spots of sale offering refreshments during the whole summer season. They also focused on Vranovská přehrada before the last weekend of July. Breaches of obligations were detected in 4 of 8 inspected workplaces. The complete press release is available in the attachment.

(Monitoring of fuel quality - June and first half of 2013) (Prague, August 7, 2013) During the first half of the year, in total 1,198 fuel samples were collected, including 37that failed the requirements of quality standards, i.e. 3.1%. Most of the taken samples were diesel fuel samples (45.9%), followed by petrol (34.5%) and LPG (13%) samples. “Quality related defects were detected in 18 diesel samples, 15 petrol samples and 4 diesel fuel blend samples. Other collected fuel types were without defects. When compared to the same period of 2012,...

(Liberec, August 2, 2013) The Ústecký and Liberecký Inspectorate of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority has cooperated with the regional branch of the Czech Telecommunication Office in Liberec for more than 10 years. Within common inspections, workers of the both surveillance authorities focus on radio and telecommunication devices such as radio controlled toys, walky-talkies, wireless doorbells, wireless headphones, wireless microphones, wireless security systems and so on. The complete press release is available in the attachment.