The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) has warned consumers against buying products online that may not comply with the necessary safety requirements.
The organisation says electrical and automotive products top the list of non-compliant goods which pose a danger to consumers.
All products covered by various NRCS Compulsory Specifications must be submitted to the NRCS for pre-approval before they enter the South African market, a spokesman explained. “Through this process, an applicant, importer or manufacturer of regulated products is required to submit a sample of a product and acquire a full test report from an accredited testing facility for examination, testing or analysing to determine compliance with the relevant compulsory specifications that are in force,” he added.
“Once this process is concluded, and depending on the outcome, the applicants are granted the Letter of Authority certificate if applications conform to safety requirements which allows them to sell their products or their applications are rejected and products are prohibited from being sold.”
While goods sold online may be a lot cheaper, the NRCS warns that the products may not be safe.
