As consumers do more and more shopping on the Web, there is an increased risk that the choice may be wrong or the product is not used in the right way. Buyers should be able to make sure that the product can be used safely and is not dangerous to anyone's life, health or property.

For the first, when ordering electrical equipment on the Web, it is good to check whether the product carries the CE marking. It means that the consumer can presume that the product fulfils the requirements laid down by the European regulations on the electrical safety and the electromagnetic compatibility. In Finland, only CE-marked electrical products are allowed on the market.

Furthermore, you have to make sure that the product's intended voltage is 230 V, the frequency is 50 Hz, and that the mains cable plug is suitable for use in Finland without an adapter. It the product has the wrong voltage, it does not work as intended, it may be damaged or cause risk of fire. Neither does the product work in the right way, if its frequency is different from the 50 Hz used in Finland.

The instructions for the use and installation of the item shall be available in Finnish and Swedish. It must also carry the manufacturer's name or trade mark and the contact details of the enterprise. It is also important that the servicing and guarantee arrangements can be found on the website selling the product.

If the electrical product has been purchased outside the European Economic Area (EEA), the purchaser of the product can be considered as the actual importer in the EEA area involving the relevant liabilities. Should the product cause any damage to life, health or property, it is often the purchaser of the product who is the only actor in the EEA area and who may be made liable for the damage caused by the product.

Instead, if the product has been purchased in the EEA area, the liable actor is somewhere in the EEA area. The purchaser of the product is entitled to present claims to the liable actor. It is therefore important that the contact details of the enterprise that is the agent for the product are available.

It is good to know that the Finnish consumer protection or product liability regulations are not necessarily applicable on the cases where the consumer buys a product outside Finland. The Finnish authorities may not have the necessary power in these cases, which means that the consumer is left without the protection of law.

More information on the terms of payment, return details etc. in the e-commerce is available on the website of the Consumer Agency of Finland: www.kuluttajavirasto.fi

For more information:

Reijo Mattinen, Director, Safety Technology Authority (TUKES), tel. 010 6052 576