If Bulgarian traders buy goods from third countries and present them under their own brands, deleting the information about the manufacturer and importer, this is an unfair commercial practice, as it misleads consumers about the origin of these products. People will be left with the impression that they are made in Bulgaria, which must mean that they comply with all European standards, directives and safety regulations. In fact, this is not the case. This is what Gabriela Rumenova, the founder of the online platform „We, the consumers“, commented.
Gabriela Rumenova explained that the European legislation in the field of consumer protection is the best developed, as there are systems for notification of dangerous food and non-food products found on the market.
„When national market surveillance authorities find that a good is unsafe, they submit information through the relevant system and all other Member States are thus notified very quickly. Necessary steps are taken to recall, destroy or reprocess when permissible. In this way, the legislative norms of the EU, which the member states are obliged to comply with, are further enriched and developed. However, this is not the case for countries that are outside the European Community, which is why we cannot be sure whether they meet all the standards that apply in the European Economic Area and that protect our health and lives,“, she said.
The price is an important criterion for consumers, but equally important for them should be whether there is information about the merchant who offers us the goods, especially in the so-called marketplaces, where we may encounter offers from different sellers, including individuals.
„If we dare to buy something we have seen on Facebook, we should certainly look for the official e-store, where the information should be available about both the merchant and our right of withdrawal in 14 days of complaint up to two years, the terms of the deal etc.“
Rumenova also explained that in the case of wrong shipments by the e-trader, he is the one who covers the costs of returning the goods and delivering the ones actually ordered by the user.
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