Category: Press Releases

(Final report of 2014)(Prague, April 7, 2015) Officers of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority monitored development and condition of trade over the internet during 2014. The goal was to detect and subsequently fine those internet sellers and providers of services who harm the rights and the interests of consumers. Flaws were detected in 682 of 867 inspected e-shops and sanctions imposed reached the amount of 4.8 million CZK in total. High number of consumers’ submissions addressed to the CTIA in 2014 proved that consumers’ interest in this typ...

(Ostrava, April 9, 2015) In the pre-Easter period officers of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority paid attention to inspections of sale of traditional assortment, including various decorative products with spring and Easter motives, in the Moravian-Silesian and Olomouc Regions. They detected shortcomings in 40 of 88 inspections, i.e. in 45.5% of cases. “Less serious findings resulted in 24 on-the-spot fines amounting to 26.500 CZK in total. Administrative proceedings will be launched with 16 inspected persons,” said Boris Stabryn, the Director...

(Final report – year 2014)(Prague, April 3, 2015) The field of provision of consumer credit within the non-banking sector belongs among long-term priorities of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority because this segment of the market is very risky as it endangers financial interests of large groups of both potential and real debtors. In 2014, violations of the Act on Consumer Credit were detected in more than a half of 269 cases of inspections. Inspected subjects were imposed 160 fines amounting to more than 7 million CZK. “Shortcomings were most...

(Final report of 2014)(Prague, March 30, 2015) Inspection action focused on offer and sale of used motor vehicles should check how sellers provide information about vehicles’ characteristics, especially mileage, and how they inform consumers about contractual conditions, including the possibility to pay through consumer credit. Interim results already showed serious violations concerning offer and sale of used motor vehicles, especially sellers’ conducts in contradiction with requirements for professional care because they provided untrue data,...

(Monitoring of fuels quality – February 2015)(Prague, March 23, 2015) Monitoring and sampling of motor fuels continued in compliance with determined schedule in February. The plan was supplemented by investigation of consumers’ submissions. 3 of 236 collected samples failed quality requirements of technical standards. The most significant finding concerned water in one of diesel fuel samples – the water content exceeded the permitted amount of water almost 50 times. “This was the first time we detected such a case since 2001 when the Czech Trad...

(Prague, March 17, 2015) In recent weeks, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority has spotted extraordinary increase concerning the number of dissatisfied consumers who turned to the Authority regarding purchases of goods at presentation sales events organized directly in companies’ offices. Such purchases are comparable with purchases in ordinary shops and hence it is not possible to withdraw from the contract during 14 days without any reason. Moreover, many consumers didn’t receive any bill of purchase which should be issued by sellers on consu...

(Final report of 2014)(Prague, March 16, 2015) In 2014, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority notified in total 14 dangerous products into the RAPEX system. Eight of them were published within the category serious risk, 3 products were notified into the category other than serious risk and other 3 were for information. The contact point addressed in total 1,525 notifications to the Czech Trade Inspection Authority and on the contrary, CTIA passed 8 notifications with information about dangerous products that were notified into the system by othe...

(Prague, March 13, 2015) The Czech Trade Inspection Authority detected that in the Czech market vendors offer a product which poses risk especially to children users. There is a risk of health damage or injury in case of a child swallowing or inhaling small parts revealed from ladybird’s body. The Czech Trade Inspection Authority prohibited selling of the product and its distributor withdrew from the market the product produced by an unknown manufacturer. The following toy was notified into the database of dangerous products RAPEX. The complet...

(Prague, March 12, 2015) When monitoring the market with toys, inspectors of the CTIA collected a product which poses a serious risk of health damage as proven by subsequent professional analysis. It is a product of animal appearance with a cat head and a neck lanyard. The product which looks like a toy with a propeller can also be used as a small battery operated ventilator. The battery type AAA can be swallowed by a child user because its cover can easily be opened without the necessity to use any instrument. Another risk is posed by the neck...

(Prague, March 11, 2015) Children are exposed to risk of health damage during play with a frog with magnet. The Czech Trade Inspection Authority detected that vendors in the Czech Republic offer a product which poses serious health risk especially to children. Legs of the little frog were released from the body after minimal power was used. When playing with the toy, children could inhale or swallow the released small parts and thus could block their airways or injure internal organs. After necessary documentation is elaborated, the toys will b...