PRESS RELEASE BY THE MALTA COMPETITION AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS AUTHORITY: Unsafe children bicycle recalled from the Maltese market

The Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) would like to inform the public about the dangers of a children bicycle, identified by the following product details:

Sky Everest Venere 12 (Art. No. 2197-PP) from batch number D210634 – refer to picture 

The bicycle has been recalled from the market as testing revealed that the handlebar breaks due to low mechanical strength causing loss of control and a potential fall resulting in an injury. Amongst other non-compliances, the bicycle failed the front and rear braking performance. In this regard, the product does not comply to the General Product Safety Regulation nor with the European standard EN 8098.

Such tests were part of an EU Commission's project named CASP (Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products) where each participating Member State, including Malta, has tested several children bicycles. Other products were also tested including slime toys and electrical products.

As a result, the MCCAA has taken the appropriate procedures to ensure that this product is removed from the local market with immediate effect. Consumers who have bought the above-mentioned product should refrain from using it and, where possible, return it to the retailer from where it was purchased. Retailers are obliged to redress consumers by replacing the non-compliant product with a safe one of the same type and at least the same value or if such a replacement is not possible, by offering full refund of the amount paid.

Consumers are reminded to check the Safety Gate platform found in the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport  before purchasing products in case the product they are about to purchase is a recalled one.

In case of queries relating to the product being recalled kindly get in touch with the Market Surveillance Directorate on marketsurveillance@mccaa.org.mt.

In case of queries relating to the remedies available to consumers who have purchased the recalled product, kindly get in touch with the Office for Consumer Affairs on consumer.rights@mccaa.org.mt.