As if snus weren't bad enough, I got another helping of EU bullshit.
Ok, so I ordered a no-name tablet pc from a place in China. Got a letter today from customs saying that the device didn't have the safety certifications required by the EU (i.e. that stupid CE logo) and that unless I could provide those, they'd have to destroy or send back the device.
I was obviously annoyed, so I called them to vent a little and tell them that my understanding was that those certificates were only required when "placing on the market" an item (as per their definition, "placing on the market is the initial action of making a product available for the first time on the Community market, with a view to distribution or use in the community. Making available can be either for payment or free of charge"), so I thought that as an end-user, this wouldn't apply to me.
Bzzzt! Wrong! An annotation I dug out says: "Thus, imports for own use are also considered as being placed on the market at the moment they enter the Community."
That's right, an item intended for use in your living room is "on the EU market". Splendid.
It's extremely Orwellian that a directive that states it's goals as simplifying trade within the EU and consumer protection ends up "protecting" me from my property. And yeah, I'm sure the Chinese put exploding batteries and special brain-melting wifi into their tablets, thank God the EU protected me from that... ****ers.
Ok, so I ordered a no-name tablet pc from a place in China. Got a letter today from customs saying that the device didn't have the safety certifications required by the EU (i.e. that stupid CE logo) and that unless I could provide those, they'd have to destroy or send back the device.
I was obviously annoyed, so I called them to vent a little and tell them that my understanding was that those certificates were only required when "placing on the market" an item (as per their definition, "placing on the market is the initial action of making a product available for the first time on the Community market, with a view to distribution or use in the community. Making available can be either for payment or free of charge"), so I thought that as an end-user, this wouldn't apply to me.
Bzzzt! Wrong! An annotation I dug out says: "Thus, imports for own use are also considered as being placed on the market at the moment they enter the Community."
That's right, an item intended for use in your living room is "on the EU market". Splendid.
It's extremely Orwellian that a directive that states it's goals as simplifying trade within the EU and consumer protection ends up "protecting" me from my property. And yeah, I'm sure the Chinese put exploding batteries and special brain-melting wifi into their tablets, thank God the EU protected me from that... ****ers.
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