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Hi everyone,
I was hoping someone could help me with a question regarding the new GPSR guidelines for the EU that come into effect on December 13th, 2024. I'm based in Australia and own a book box that is preorder based. I have some customers in the EU who have preordered their boxes from me within the last couple of months (prior to Dec 13th) and the items won't be shipped out to my EU customers until early 2025. Will this be an issue? Also, do i need to prove that their order were placed prior to Dec 13th when the gpsr rules came into effect? If so, how do i prove this?
Any answers are much appreciated as it's been difficult finding any answers on the subject. Thanks!
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Hi @Renee_14, Josiah here. 👋🏻
We run an Aussie-founded pre-order app Early Bird and have been getting inquiries around this recently too.
TLDR, based on what we know so far:
From Dec 13th onwards, you'll need to provide detailed product safety info and contact details when selling to customers in Europe. For pre-orders, this will include setting super clear expectations for customers on the product and the whole pre-order process.
The confusing part for many merchants is there's not a lot of specificity on how much more details they need to provide. (Especially around product safety.)
-----
I know you're selling a book box, not electronics, but to comply with GSPR you need to clearly explain:
And then for pre-orders, if you haven't included this info yet, you must list:
(Our app helps you prominently display the ETA throughout the purchase journey, and helps you one-click bulk send pre-order delayed emails.)
As for the contact info, you need to have:
-----
Elaborating on the Proof of product safety standards - in your case it should be relatively straightforward.
See if your manufacturer can provide some docs on safety compliance, e.g.:
(Surely publishers would already meet these standards by default?!)
Maybe if you want to be 110% certain, include a QR code linking to a simple statement or safety compliance certificate that the book meets EU safety standards for printed materials. For your orders that were placed before Dec 13th as well. (This is my suggestion, not legal advice.)
If you have a website dedicated for EU, then you should add the product safety info to each product listing.
I'm not sure what's the best approach yet if you only have one website selling worldwide.
Maybe add the safety info as an accordion (drop down) on your product page to minimise the visual impact?
-----
Hope this reassures and helps you, even if it's not super clear yet! Might be worth checking out what Amazon's EU sellers are doing - apparently the platform has been implementing compliance checkboxes and safety information sections in their product listings.
Cheers,
Jo
This is an accepted solution.
Hi @Renee_14, Josiah here. 👋🏻
We run an Aussie-founded pre-order app Early Bird and have been getting inquiries around this recently too.
TLDR, based on what we know so far:
From Dec 13th onwards, you'll need to provide detailed product safety info and contact details when selling to customers in Europe. For pre-orders, this will include setting super clear expectations for customers on the product and the whole pre-order process.
The confusing part for many merchants is there's not a lot of specificity on how much more details they need to provide. (Especially around product safety.)
-----
I know you're selling a book box, not electronics, but to comply with GSPR you need to clearly explain:
And then for pre-orders, if you haven't included this info yet, you must list:
(Our app helps you prominently display the ETA throughout the purchase journey, and helps you one-click bulk send pre-order delayed emails.)
As for the contact info, you need to have:
-----
Elaborating on the Proof of product safety standards - in your case it should be relatively straightforward.
See if your manufacturer can provide some docs on safety compliance, e.g.:
(Surely publishers would already meet these standards by default?!)
Maybe if you want to be 110% certain, include a QR code linking to a simple statement or safety compliance certificate that the book meets EU safety standards for printed materials. For your orders that were placed before Dec 13th as well. (This is my suggestion, not legal advice.)
If you have a website dedicated for EU, then you should add the product safety info to each product listing.
I'm not sure what's the best approach yet if you only have one website selling worldwide.
Maybe add the safety info as an accordion (drop down) on your product page to minimise the visual impact?
-----
Hope this reassures and helps you, even if it's not super clear yet! Might be worth checking out what Amazon's EU sellers are doing - apparently the platform has been implementing compliance checkboxes and safety information sections in their product listings.
Cheers,
Jo
Hi Jo,
Thanks so much for your detailed response, i really appreciate it! It's so difficult to find specific answers on these new rules.
I have stopped selling my products to the EU as of December 13th. But for the 15 or so book box preorders that i currently have from EU customers (which were purchased before Dec 13th), would i still have to include the product safety information you shared:
Glad we're able to help @Renee_14, and yeah, it's pretty frustrating on the limited info there is out there.
I'd recommend you do so so the preorders purchased before Dec 13th, as you're shipping AFTER the GPSR policy has come into effect.
At the end of the day, the approach we recommend to our merchant is "overprepare the info" (annoying I know... but better be safe than get penalised)!
Hi Jo,
Yep this all makes sense, i will definitely include all of the necessary details from here on out. Thank you so much for your help, i really appreciate it!
We found an official Q&A PDF put together by the European Commission today. It's not comprehensive but has additional questions we haven't come across until now. Thought I'd link you to it!
And this is the link to the full regulation for your reference.
Here you can find a PDF Step-by-step Guide: How to implement Content alongside the new GPSR with Metafields in Shopify free of charge. The PDF is free.
Hey! These are great questions, and you’re definitely not alone in trying to figure out the details of GPSR. Here’s what I can share based on current guidance:
1️⃣ Product Testing – Whether you need to conduct your own testing depends on the final product and its intended use. If you’re using pre-tested materials (like inks with MSDS), you may not need additional testing, but you should still ensure that the final product meets general safety requirements. For example, if your prints include coatings or finishes that could pose a risk (e.g., flammability, skin contact issues), additional testing might be necessary. More details on compliance requirements are available at EaseCert.com.
2️⃣ Warnings – If there’s no specific hazard associated with your product when used as intended, a general safety statement should suffice. The key is to consider any foreseeable misuse—so while “don’t get a paper cut” might be excessive, something like “Not suitable for children under 3 due to small parts” (if applicable) would be more relevant.
3️⃣ Packaging & Labelling – The responsible economic operator’s name and address must be included, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be on the outer packaging. It can be on the product itself, the accompanying documentation, or the packaging—whichever is most practical. For compliance details, you can check EaseCert.com for guidance on labeling and documentation.
It’s a lot to navigate, but hope that helps! 🚀
Hi Renee,
The new EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) applies to products placed on the EU market from December 13, 2024, onward. Since your book boxes will be shipped in early 2025, they will likely fall under the new GPSR requirements, even if the orders were placed before the regulation took effect.
To determine compliance, the key factor is whether the product is considered “placed on the market” before or after December 13, 2024. According to EU guidance, a product is placed on the market when it is made available for the first time in the EU—meaning when it is shipped or otherwise enters the EU market, not when the order was placed.
If your book boxes are not shipped until 2025, they will likely need to comply with GPSR, including requirements for safety documentation, traceability, and importer responsibilities. If you need assistance with compliance, EaseCert (https://easecert.com/) provides regulatory consulting and certification services for EU product safety requirements, including GPSR compliance.
Feel free to reach out if you need more details. Hope this helps!
Best,
Chris
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