According to the European Commission, in 2024 more than 4.6 billion packages of low value were placed in the European Union, which were ordered online. It's not a stream anymore, it's a real shipment wave. The rate of growth is so fast that control systems are increasingly working at the frontier. That is why the services began to look more closely at what was actually at the hands of consumers. The results show 1 thing: a low price does not always go hand in hand with security.
RECLAMA
See the video, "If I were to focus on what a competitor does, I'd lose." Rafał Brzezoska in "Up Close"
What can the KAS control? Office checked what goes to parcels of Poles
The scale of online buying has long ceased to be a curiosity and has begun to have a real impact on customs work. erstwhile millions of packages go to the European Union all day, there is no question of checking each individual. The National taxation Administration has so chosen a selection based on a hazard analysis. It was about catching shipments that might not have met the requirements or posed a threat to buyers.
The checks were carried out on 9 December, during the period of the largest purchasing traffic, erstwhile online trade marks its yearly summit. The action included 4 most crucial points in the country: Warsaw, Lublin, Katowice and Rzeszów. This is where the centres serving the largest number of shipments from countries outside the European Union are located. The activities were part of a broader operation with the European Commission and the French customs administration.
Above all, goods ordered on large sales platforms were placed under the glass. It was about products that were tempting prices, promises of fast transportation and attractive pictures. Officers checked that specified consignments meet EU safety standards, that they have the required markings and that the maker can be identified at all. Electronic devices, household items and children’s items were most frequently checked, i.e. products that appear all day in apartments and are besides utilized by the youngest.
Packages - image Redhatz69 / Shutterstock
What are the product safety requirements? Let us pay attention to basic information
The audit results rapidly showed that the problem is not marginal at all. Of the more than a 1000 verified packages, nearly 1 in 5 contained irregularities. There was usually a deficiency of basic things: CE marking, instructions in Polish or the maker or importer concerned. This is simply a adequate signal that specified a product should not be sold in the Union at all.
There have besides been more serious cases. any of the goods had structural defects or were made of materials that could pose a real wellness risk. Among another things, it was electronics that was susceptible to overheating, toys with fine elements or devices that did not meet basic safety standards. specified shipments were stopped before reaching the recipients.
For buyers, this is simply a clear informing signal. Low price and attractive photos in the online store do not always go hand in hand with quality. No markings, unclear origin of the product or instruction only in a abroad language should light a red light. Sometimes it is these tiny details that find whether the acquisition will prove to be an chance or a possible threat to home security. Do you check the markings and certificates erstwhile buying online? We invitation you to participate in the probe and to comment.
