Category: Press Releases

(Report of third quarter of 2013)(Prague, November 12, 2013) Inspections of supplies of solid fuels to consumers, especially coal, belong to the most difficult activities in terms of organisation. Besides inspections directly at workplaces and coal warehouses, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority also carries out inspections of distribution of orders both based on consumers’ complaints and its own knowledge of damaging consumer rights by traders supplying lower amount of fuel. In order to prove unlawful conduct it is necessary to ensure direct...

(Interim report of third quarter of 2013)(Prague, November 8, 2013) Inspections of online offer and sale of goods as well as provision of services continued in the third quarter of 2013. During the respective period, 250 e-shops were inspected, including 188 that breached generally binding legal regulations. The high proportion of shortcomings detected within these inspections cannot be considered the real picture of e-commerce in the Czech Republic. It is a result of continuous monitoring of internet offers of goods and services. Inspection ac...

(Final report of 2013)(Prague, November 7, 2013) From April to the end of September, inspectors of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority checked more than 1,500 sellers of various goods and providers of services. Attention was especially paid to places frequently visited by both Czech and foreign tourists. Results are not too optimistic. “As our inspectors found, more than one third of inspected entrepreneurs failed to meet their obligations stipulated by laws and damaged interests of consumers. Except for principles of fairness of sale that wer...

(Interim report of third quarter of 2013)(Prague, November 5, 2013) All CTIA inspectorates participated in inspections of services provided by tour operators and travel agencies in the third quarter. Inspections were also based on submissions by consumers. “The number of detected violations has decreased by almost 25%. Despite this fact, consumers cannot be satisfied with services of certain tour operators and travel agencies. In general, in every third of them they faced violations of their rights that most frequently concerned unfair commerci...

(Continuous report of 3rd quarter of 2013)(Prague, October 31, 2013) Inspections of sales demonstration events also continued in 3rd quarter of 2013. As from the start of the year, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority has inspected a total of 292 sales demonstration events or sales contracts concluded at such events and detected shortcomings in 213 inspections. A total of 133 fines amounting to 18.8 million CZK were imposed within the respective period. Appropriate trade licencing offices cancelled trade licences of four companies organizing sa...

(Prague, October 22, 2013) Warning by the Czech Trade Inspection Authority against products of unknown origin and without any marking has been well-founded as proven by recent inspections in shops with toys. In Western Bohemia, inspectors collected a doll’s buggy and found a number of shortcomings posing several risks of injury to children. “Within game and usual manipulation with the buggy, a child can easily get scratched by sharp tips of tubes or damage fingers inside the tubes. We cannot exclude lacerations or other serious injuries if the ...

(Prague, October 18, 2013) Whistle Profi Sport Collection is among products whose sale was banned by the Czech Trade Inspection Authority. It was made in China and its distributor warned on its packaging that “toy is not suitable for children below 3 years of age; there is a danger of swallowing of small parts”. “Such warning would be all right if the whistle was not so very small. Technical standard stipulates that toys put into operation by mouth and intended to be put into mouth must not fit in testing tube for small parts. The requirement –...

(Monitoring of fuel quality in September 2013) (October 18, 2013) In September, continuous inspections of fuel quality continued on the whole territory of the Czech Republic. A total of 240 fuel samples were collected at selected filling stations – 8 inspected samples failed appropriate quality standards. “We detected negligence deviations in six samples. Significance of other two findings may point at intentional manipulation with the respective fuels or production defects,” said Vladimír Velčovský, the Director General of the CTIA. “Besides ...

(Prague, October 16, 2013) The Czech market is flooded with various toys. Czech Trade Inspection Authority inspects whether these products meet requirements for toys, as determined by technical regulations, especially regarding safety. Inspectors still find toys of anonymous origin, without appropriate CE mark as well as toys that are dangerous due to their characteristics or performance. “Wooden toy composed of rings creating an animal figure is intended for smallest children, but it is dangerous to them. Risk of choking or suffocation is high...

(Prague, October 15, 2013) To attract attention of small children with a new toy is the fastest way to ensure time for shopping or any other necessary activity. However, we need to bear in mind the health and safety of the child. “A small cuddly toy on chain with ring can attract children, but it can also hurt them because its small parts can easily be separated. Therefore I recommend checking at least marking of products and their solidity. If a toy is not marked in any way, don’t buy it. The risk of health damage is too high is such case,” Vl...