Product Liability Act: When is the end consumer as an importer liable for damage?

Product Liability Act: When is the end consumer as an importer liable for damage?

According to a report by www.mdr.de, there may be liability issues for end consumers who purchase and distribute products outside the EU. Ralf Reichertz, head of the consumer law department at the Thuringia Consumer Center, explains that according to Section 4 Paragraph 2 of the Product Liability Act, the importer can theoretically also be the end consumer if he brings the purchased product onto the market in Germany by selling, renting or lending it. This means that the end consumer, as an importer, can be liable for any damage caused.

Reichertz emphasizes that there is currently no case law on this topic, but there is a rule that the importer can be held liable if he has purchased a product directly from a dealer outside the EU and brought it onto the market.

The consumer advice centers do not like the potential liability of end consumers as importers in the event of damage. Reichertz also advises to be careful with products with batteries and to consider whether devices with batteries should be ordered from retailers outside the EU if EU standards are not guaranteed.

This liability issue should be taken seriously by consumers as there are potentially far-reaching financial implications if they are held liable for damages.