Consumers have the right to return risky products!

New Rights for Consumers: Return Process for Risky Products

High-risk products that are brought by mail or express cargo and fall under the "simplified customs declaration" include shoes, toys, and leather products. According to the new regulation, consumers who order these products will be entitled to the rights of "normal declaration", "return to customs", or "abandonment".

Product Inspections Ongoing

Relevant directorates have conducted inspections and laboratory analyses on products sold on some e-commerce platforms. With the circular published on October 20, significant restrictions have been imposed on high-risk shoes, toys, and leather products. It has been emphasized that this regulation was enacted to protect human and public health. Additionally, it was stated that each product must be produced and certified in accordance with its specific technical regulations.

Critical Issues in Toys

The banned products consist of those that contain hazardous substances and do not comply with technical regulations. Serious non-compliance has been identified, especially in these three product groups. Tests have revealed parts posing a choking hazard, toys with sharp edges, and low physical durability.

It was also found that the battery compartment covers of electric toys are not secure and some items were missing screws. In shoes, the lead content in certain women's sandals can be up to 50 times the legal limit.

Return Processes and New Rights

Goods loaded before the date of publication of the circular can be declared under the simplified customs declaration, while shipments made after this date can be declared "normally" at the request of the recipient for free circulation. Consumers can contact the e-commerce platform or seller to request product returns and initiate the necessary procedures.

Obligations for e-Commerce Platforms

Within the framework of the regulation, e-commerce platforms are considered as "intermediary service providers". Therefore, platforms are required to provide security information, organize advertisement interfaces, and collaborate with authorized institutions. In case of detecting non-compliance, platforms are obligated to remove content within 24 hours; otherwise, they will face administrative sanctions.