GPSR Compliance

[bojangled]

This is as clear as mud to me. Been to the gov. advice website and various others.
How does a 1972 poster fit in to this process?

It's not an exempt category. 

Advise buyers this item is for viewing only ? 

My initial reaction, sadly, to to switch EU and NI off. 
Jo

[555njp]

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@ojewellery wrote:

Still can't understand how Amazon have a NI workaround but eBay haven't tabled anything

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Is it because Amazon sells direct themselves whereas eBay is just an advertising platform?

Not sure how they'd cover 'marketplace' though as in that case they are in the same boat as eBay (I.e just a platform). 
Perhaps Amazon are willing to become the economic operator in the countries shipped to?

Big responsibility though and high risk of non-compliance by individuals I would think.

We don't use Amazon so can't comment on how the listings either individually or centrally through Amazon would ensure compliance.

[ojewellery]

I wonder if they're going to manage it with software.  Just give no visibility to items without the correct items uploaded.

I've just remembered why I stepped back from this, so much conflicting information.

This is an extract from: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sellercentre/global-sales/general-product-safety-regulation

This implies that we need a tick box declaration on our listings 'This product was available for sale in the EU prior to December 13th 2024'

The tick box would enable us to continue selling current lines and second hand goods that aren't CE marked as thats got different legislation issues.

[555njp]

Yes, it makes sense that the regs would only then apply to new products manufactured or introduced into the EU market after 13th Dec 2024.

However, fairly sure it contradicts that elsewhere 🤷🏻

[myriad*seller]

How much faith do you have that ticking that box will work?

That the box will exist? That the box won't be abused by sellers, and removed by eBay for that reason?

This is eBay, you know....

[ojewellery]

@myriad*seller Right now I'm at the clutching at straws options hoping for a workaround to enable sellers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to keep trading within our own country.  If we can keep trading to EU as well - thats great.

Nothing so late in the day will be a fully functional solution but if we can get eBay to agree to something that buys a bit more time, a better longer term solution can be sought.

Everything gets abused.  We have a constant gamble in business of finding the solution balancing gain vs abuse/ cost.  It covers everything like...

Postage: fully tracked higher cost/ lower abuse vs untracked much cheaper/ more abuse

Packaging Act: gains of sales to Germany vs cost and time to administer the damned paperwork and fee

A tick box to enable sales of non CE marked goods available prior to 13/12/24 to continue into Europe with the risk of abuse and administration in managing abusers vs lose the majority of sales into the EU/ EU market share/ seller confidence.

[555njp]

And nothing to stop sellers putting any old garbage into the data fields either.

Bit like putting N/A into item specifics to stop the constant reminders :0)

[stampsnallsorts]

At last I have had an utterly useless reply for my request to the Dept for Trade and Industry.  See below.

So I will now be blocking all sales to Europe and Northern Ireland from the begining of December.

Tim C (Department for Business and Trade)

16 Aug 2024, 10:40 BST

Dear David,
 
Thank you for your enquiry to ESS. I am sorry for the delay in replying.
 
The new General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) comes into force on 13 December 2024 in the EU. The Regulation is within the EU product safety legal framework and not a UK Government Regulation. Therefore, UK Government is unable to provide definitive guidance on how to comply with the Regulation and place relevant products on the European single market for the specific circumstances of your business. To understand the relevant regulatory requirements, the Department for Business and Trade advises that you seek out legal advice on the matter to ensure that the advice you receive is specifically relevant to your business.
 
Information on the new GPSR can be found here.
 
Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you require further support.
 
I would like to wish you every success with your exporting journey.
 
Regards
 

Export Support Team
Department for Business and Trade
Old Admiralty Building, Admiralty Place

SW1A 2DY

[moldosgifts]

Much like asking for diamond quality and clarity in costume jewelery, on a plastic ring!

[555njp]

I'm guessing that 'standard' reply has gone out to everyone else who asked too!

[ojewellery]

So the role of the no doubt very well paid export support team at the department of business and trade is what exactly?

If they don't support or signpost for business' exporting and they aren't supporting for business' wanting to continue free trade within the UK maybe we need some cost cutting measures to divert our very hard earnt taxes into departments and services that actually do something.

[stampsnallsorts]

I have just a long discussion with eBay CS on this and they have some very useful information.

Regarding the selling of ANY item that has been for sale BEFORE 13th December 2024 this will be classed as an exempt item for items less than 100 years old. Having said that they recommend to ensure the following information is added to each and every listing whether in title or description. A date of manufacture or issue of said item. If this information is NOT shown eBay will not end a listing but will hide it from the search engine until that information has been added. 

If sellers decide to block all posts to Europe and Northern Ireland then the above information is NOT required to be added.

For sellers selling NEW Stamps and Coins issued after 13th December 2024 you WILL BE REQUIRED to provide all relavent information.

I for one with over 600 listings will be blocking Europe and Northern Ireland as this only represents about 2 to 3% of my total sales on and off eBay.

As and when I can get any further updates I will post them here.

[ojewellery]

@stampsnallsorts thats phenomenal news.  

Off to bulk edit all listings to include approximate date of manufacture.

[ojewellery]

Turns out, theres no where in fine jewellery (unless anyone can advise me otherwise) to add a date of manufacture!

[therenewalworkshopltd]

"they recommend to ensure the following information is added to each and every listing whether in title or description."

[ojewellery]

I did a bulk edit, description, end of description and added the text 'This product was available for sale in the EU prior to December 13th 2024'  to every listing.

Hopefully that meets the requirements.

Thank you @stampsnallsorts  I can cope with that one minute of inconvenience to add to all listings and be able to keep NI as a sales option.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

It's all very well getting around it this way, but are they going to make any kind of checks on this sort of claim?

If they don't, then literally anyone can add the same to every listing and not have to comply.

If they do, then how are they going to verify it?

[ojewellery]

One problem at a time. 

This buys most of us a little time to find EU representatives and for a solution to the NI issue to be found.  For me with a rough 12 month stock rotation by end 2025 my EU listings will be maybe half what they are now.

For NI small tradders, buying non EU wholesale and second hand, this is a massive deal.

We've potentially won the 'keep trading on December 14th battle' but are a long way from winning the 'war against excessive expensive administration legislation'.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Fair enough.  I would personally rather not stop trading into the EU and NI.

If this works then great.  But as it stands, it does feel very much like a stopgap.  🙂

It just feels wrong, not being able to sell to NI!  The EU is different and they have their own rules, but it's the NI part of this that is really sticking in the craw.  It's just wrong.

[555njp]

Thank you, very helpful.

Not convinced CS are correct though, otherwise the regs if simply applying to new items manufactured after 13-12-2024 could have been written much, much simpler?

Would explain how Amazon have gained exemption though?
I guess we'll find soon enough.

[alvisinwales]

How about Era. It's a free text field so you could put a year.