THE SUNdAy TIMES OF MALTA
Business & Money
I October 18, 2015
35
Consumer affairs
Cots: product safety warning
Odette Vella
Odette Vella is senior
information officer, Office
for Consumer Affairs, Malta
Competition and Consumer
Affairs Authority.
As part of the Prosafe Joint Action
Market Surveillance of Cots and
Travel Cots, the Technical Regulations division within the Malta
Competition and Consumer
Affairs Authority has tested a
number of cots found on the
market locally.
Results from the accredited laboratory have shown that the traditional cot, ‘Baby Italia – dalia’, and
the travel cot, ‘Quatro Giraffe’,
pose a serious risk to consumers,
infants and babies.
The Baby Italia – dalia cot is
not compliant with the applicable standard since when the
moveable sides are in the open
position, the locking mechanism does not engage automatically. Moreover, the adjacent
slats of the cot base are placed
too wide apart.
The Quatro Giraffe travel cot was
found to have zip pullers removed
with a force less than that stipulated by the relevant standard.
In addition, the mattress base
folds with a force less than that
required by the standard. Hence,
both products do not comply with
the relevant European EN 7161:2008+A1:2013 standard.
Testing has revealed that
the changing unit of the ‘Baby
max Sienna’ travel cot by
Chipolino Ltd poses a serious
risk to consumers.
The restraint system located
inside the changing unit has a free
length greater than what is stipulated by the standard.
Additionally, there are gaps
between the changing unit and
the cot that are not compliant with
the necessary standards.
Furthermore, the restraint system located inside the changing
unit, when at its maximum, has a
free length that falls into the cot.
Hence, this product is not EN
12221:2009 + A1:2013 compliant.
or suffer lacerations from the broken metal bracket.
Consumers who had bought
these cots should refrain
from using them and return
them to the retailer they
bought them from. Retailers
are obliged to redress consumers
returning
these
products
according to law.
Economic operators should
remove these products from the
market and return them to their
supplier. Enforcement action will
be taken against those operators
who are found to provide these
products to consumers during
future inspections.
Any person who requires further
information or has any queries on
this issue may contact the Technical Regulations division within the
MCCAA (tel: 2395 2000).
[email protected]
Baby Italia – Dalia
“The US Consumer
Product Safety
Commission
has issued a
recall on
all cribs of the
DaVinci brand”
The US Consumer Product
Safety Commission has issued
a recall on all cribs of the
daVinci brand. A metal bracket
that connects the mattress
support to the crib can break,
creating an uneven sleeping
surface or a gap.
If this occurs, a baby can
become entrapped in the crib, fall
High-up truck
Misled by
supermarket rental and help
toilet roll offer
Q: I was shopping at a local supermarket and
noticed that an eight-pack toilet roll was on
offer with four extra free toilet rolls. On the
shelf where this product was displayed there
were two prices, one for an eight-pack and a
higher price for the 12-pack.
The 12-pack toilet rolls offered for sale had
the free four toilet roll offer printed on them
but were being sold at the 12-pack price.
It appears that this supermarket is charging
12-pack toilet roll price when on its packaging
it is clearly stated that four rolls are free. Are
supermarkets allowed to do this?
A: If the packing is promoting an offer of four
free toilet rolls, then you should not pay the
price of a 12-toilet roll pack but that of eight.
Supermarkets selling these products cannot
display goods with an offer and then deny the
offer to their customers. If this particular
supermarket is doing so, then it is committing
an unfair commercial practice, which is illegal. As a consumer, you have the right to insist
with the seller that you are charged for the toilet rolls as advertised on the packaging.
Should the seller refuse to sell you the goods
at the correct price, you may file a report with
the Enforcement Directorate within the Office
for Consumer Affairs.
This office has the responsibility to
investigate unfair trading practices and,
in case of default, take the necessary
enforcement measures.
Q: I recenlty went through an unfortunate experience
with a high-up truck rental company. On the day the
high-up truck was rented, only the driver of the truck
turned up and so there was no one to help me load the
stuff on the high-up.
In the past, whenever I rented such trucks, I was
always provided with help. Since there was no one who
could help me load the stuff, I had no other option but
to ask the driver to help out.
Meanwhile, he did not specify the price for the help
and charged me €35 for the rental and another €25 for
helping me load the stuff on the high-up. He did not
give me a receipt for the money I paid.
I would like to know what the normal prices for such
services are. Obviously, next time round, I will be more
forthcoming with questions before I hire such services
as I felt I was treated unfairly.
A: If when you called the company to rent the highup you only asked for a quotation for the truck, then the
company was not obliged to provide you with help to
load the stuff on it.
In such situations, it is your responsibility to clearly
specify what you need and to check what the costs
involve. This means that if you did not contract the
company to help you load the high-up, then they could
charge you for this extra service.
As to whether there are laws that regulate prices, the
answer is no. Traders and suppliers operate in a free
market economy and are free to set their own prices and
profits. This means that consumers may find different
prices for the same products or services. It is your
responsibility to shop around and find the best prices
that give you good value for your money.
As to the receipt issue, it is your right and responsibility to request a receipt as proof of the amount paid
for the services rendered.
Giraffe Quatro
Malta Competition and
Consumer Affairs Authority,
Office for Consumer Affairs
Mizzi House, National Road, Blata l-Bajda HMR 9010
Freephone: 8007 4400
Tel: 2395 2000
Enquiries: [email protected]
Consumer complaints: [email protected]
Website: www.mccaa.org.mt
MCCAA office hours for the public:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from
8.30am to 12.30pm
Wednesday from 8.30am to 4pm
European Consumer Centre Malta
(For complaints against traders in other EU states)
47A, South Street,Valletta
VLT 1101
Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 3pm
Tel: 2122 1901
E-mail: [email protected]
The information published in this page is intended for information
purposes only.
Any legal claim or action taken in the event of a dispute should be
based solely on the legal texts concerned.
For more information, call the Office for Consumer Affairs at
the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority on
Freephone 8007 4400.