Four major online marketplaces, Alibaba, Amazon, eBay and France’s Rakuten, signed a commitment for faster removal of dangerous products sold on their online marketplaces. They agreed to respond to notifications on dangerous products from European Union member states within two working days and take action on notices from customers within five working days.
“More and more people in the EU are shopping online,” said Vĕra Jourová, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality. “E-commerce has opened up new possibilities for consumers, offering them more choice at lower prices. Consumers should be just as safe when they buy online, as when they buy in a shop. I welcome the Product Safety Pledge which will further improve consumer safety. I call also on other online marketplaces to join this initiative, so that the internet becomes a safer place for EU consumers.”
According to data published by the European statistics agency Eurostat, online sales represented 20% of the total sales in 2016 in the EU.
Alibaba Group (for AliExpress), Amazon, eBay and Rakuten-France pledged to provide a clear way for customers to notify dangerous product listings. Such notices are treated expeditiously and appropriate response is given within five working days. They also pledged to provide specific single contact points for EU member state authorities for the notifications on dangerous products and for the facilitation of communication on product safety issues.
As reported by Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster, toys are among the products most commonly labelled as dangerous. Toys can either contain choking hazards or toxic chemicals.
Motor vehicles as well as clothing and textiles in general are in second and third place.
