Notice to all Online Marketplace Users to Check for Safe Products

1. Overview

The OECD is holding a global awareness campaign to globally spread awareness over product safety concerns in cooperation with OECD members and non-members.
According to a survey conducted by the OECD in 2021, among products that are distributed online, there have been cases of products that have been prohibited from sale or recalled from the market, including toys, games, and childcare products. In the same survey, for 30% of the products that were inspected, it was questionable whether the product labeling and safety precautions were sufficient, or whether they met voluntary or mandatory safety standards judging from information given by online sellers.
For this reason, the OECD has conducted the 2022 campaign with the theme of “Online Product Safety” and has given messages on ensuring safety to consumers, online marketplace operators, and sellers that sell products online.

2. Information for all consumers

<Before purchase: Stop, check and ask: is it safe?>

• Know who you’re buying from – check out the seller’s history, ratings and policies.

• Is it prohibited/banned from sale? If it is, don’t buy it.

• Has it been recalled?

• Are there mandatory safety features it needs to have?
  (e.g., does it have a PSE or PSC mark?)

• Is there safety information on the listing?
  (Also check the recommended ages and how to use it)

• Ask the seller if you’re unsure – if they can’t reassure you, don’t buy it.

• Report products you think are unsafe
  (Please report it to the seller or authorities. If you have a concern about the product, call the Japan’s Consumer Hotline 188 (Only in Japan))

<After purchase: Stop, check and inspect >

• Does it have the features you were told it would have?

• Does it have safety warnings or instructions?

• Stop and read any safety warnings or instructions.
  (Are there social media posts or videos with ideas or applications that match with how it's supposed to be used?)

• If you think it’s unsafe, report it to authorities, the seller and the online marketplace.
  (Please report it to the seller or authorities. If you have a concern about the product, call the Japan’s Consumer Hotline 188 (Only in Japan))

• Register your product to be notified of recalls or other product issues.
  (Also read any notifications by the authorities or the online marketplaces)

• Always follow advice about recalled products. If the product is recalled, stop using it immediately and follow the seller's instructions for returning or storing it.

Reference

• Consumer Affairs Agency: "Do you know what to check before and after buying on the Internet to protect yourself from unsafe products?" (in Japanese)
• Notice to Buyers of Products through Internet Transactions (pamphlet) (in Japanese)(PDF:809KB)

3. Initiatives by METI (Request for cooperation by online marketplace operators)

Today, METI has issued a request to major online marketplace operators for their cooperation in responding to the OECD's message to online marketplace operators and in publicizing the OECD's message to sellers selling products through online marketplaces, both of which are given below, from the viewpoint of ensuring that safe products are sold through online marketplaces.

(1) Information for sellers that sell products through online marketplaces

<When listing>

• Check local and global recalls regularly.

• Know what's banned or subject to mandatory requirements, in every country you sell to.

• Include product safety information, warnings, directions for use, age recommendations and labels in listings.

<After listing >

• Swiftly identify and remove unsafe products from sale as part of the recall.

• Keep consumers informed – contact them when product safety concerns arise.

• Be clear with consumers – if a product is identified as unsafe, advise them of the risk and action they should take to participate in the recall

• Be contactable and responsive to consumers and authorities.

(2) Information for online marketplaces

• Take measures to confirm the identity of, and vet, sellers before they list.

• Make the sellers' identity and contact information visible.

• Consider implementing unique seller and product identifiers.
   (e.g., codes that allow seller and product information to be specified)

• Make it easy for consumers to report unsafe products to you and the seller.

• Help consumers make safe decisions – share product safety information effectively and require sellers to include all relevant product safety information in their listings.

• Work with product safety regulators to identify and respond to emerging risks and persistent problems.

• Educate sellers on their legal obligations in the jurisdictions they sell to.

• Use technology to prevent, detect and remove unsafe products, especially those on the OECD Global Recalls portal and other public databases.

• Check local and global recalls regularly.

• Ensure sellers advise consumers to stop using unsafe products and take corrective action such as a recall – and, if the seller isn't doing so, provide appropriate consumer advice and remedies.

• Make a list of recalled products that were sold on your platform, and make it easy to find and read.

Reference

• Information for online marketplace operators and sellers selling products online that have received the OECD global awareness campaign Online Product Safety visual materials(PDF:0KB)
• Information for sellers of products through Internet transactions (pamphlet)(PDF:626KB)
• The OECD’s "Put product safety first: OECD online product safety sweep" 　PR website of the global awareness campaign on online product safety.
• Ensuring the safety of products through Internet transactions (product safety guide) (in Japanese)

Division in Charge

Product Safety Division, Industrial and Product Safety Policy Group