The Europlug is a flat, non-rewirable two-pole, round-pin domestic AC power plug , rated for voltages up to 250 V and currents up to 2.5 A. It is a compromise design intended to connect low-power Class II appliances safely to the many different forms of round-pin domestic power socket used across Europe. However, it is not compatible with the rectangular-pin BS 1363 sockets found in Cyprus, Gibraltar, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom. By the standard, Europlugs must be non-rewirable and must be supplied attached to a power cord ; anything else is non-compliant.
51-621: The plug is often used on the housing of small plug-in power supplies. Even if standardization excludes it, there are cable couplings for Europlugs and rewireable plugs available. The Europlug design, intended for use with socket-outlets meeting other standards, appeared first in 1963 as Alternative II of Standard Sheet XVI in the second edition of CEE Publication 7 by the contributing members of Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Yugoslavia. The Europlug
102-453: A Chapter 93A violation would be when: The laws under MGL 93A prohibit activities that relate to overpricing to a consumer and the use of " Bait and Switch " techniques. A court will award the plaintiff the damages if they can prove the (1) defendant knowingly and intentionally violated the MGL 93A agreement or (2) the defendant would not "grant relief in bad faith" knowing that the actions violated
153-551: A large proportion of contracts cannot be understood by most consumers who sign them. Considering the state of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Law, MGL 93A, clearly highlights the rights and violations of consumer protection law in the state. The chapter explains what actions are considered illegal under the law for which a party can seek monetary damages from the other party at fault. Some examples of practices that constitute
204-516: A maximum of 0.2 A. UK consumer protection legislation allows for shavers, electric toothbrushes and similar personal hygiene products to be supplied with a Europlug as an alternative to the BS ;4573 plug. This has the advantage that these devices can then also be used in other European countries. Originally these sockets had flat openings and were not compatible with the Europlug. In 1989
255-519: A more compact and less bulky design of mobile phone chargers , than the BS 1363 form factor in the UK. Europlugs are only designed for low-power (less than 2.5 A) Class II (double-insulated) devices that operate at normal room temperature and do not require a protective-earth connection. The pins of the Europlug are 19 mm long. They consist of a 9 mm long conductive tip of 4 mm diameter with
306-512: A new version was designed to be compatible with the Europlug. Newer sockets have 4.5 mm holes with centres spaced 19 mm apart. The minimum distance between the holes is thus 14.5 mm, while the minimum distance between the converged pins on the Europlug is 13.5 mm, allowing it to grip the socket despite its smaller pin width. The Europlug is designed to be compatible with Type 11 & 12 (outdated single-phase sockets, 10 A) and Type 13 (recessed single-phase socket, 10 A; Type J) and
357-710: A private attorney to bring an action seeking their actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. Also, the majority of states have a Department of Consumer Affairs devoted to regulating certain industries and protecting consumers who use goods and services from those industries. For example, in California, the California Department of Consumer Affairs regulates about 2.3 million professionals in over 230 different professions, through its forty regulatory entities. In addition, California encourages its consumers to act as private attorneys general through
408-592: A private remedy with attorneys fees for prevailing parties where the losing party "willfully engaged in the trade practice knowing it to be deceptive". Uniform Act §3(b). Missouri has a similar statute called the Merchandising Practices Act. This statute allows local prosecutors or the Attorney General to press charges against people who knowingly use deceptive business practices in a consumer transaction and authorizes consumers to hire
459-450: A rounded ending, followed by a 10 mm long flexible insulated shaft of not more than 3.8 mm diameter. The two pins are not exactly parallel and converge slightly; their centres are 17 to 18 mm apart at the tip and 18 to 19 mm apart at the base. The elasticity of the converging pins provides sufficient contact force for the Europlug's current rating with a variety of socket-hole arrangements. The entire plug
510-858: A variety of laws at both the federal and state levels regulate consumer affairs. Among them are the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act , Fair Debt Collection Practices Act , the Fair Credit Reporting Act , Truth in Lending Act , Fair Credit Billing Act , and the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act . Federal consumer protection laws are mainly enforced by the Federal Trade Commission , the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ,
561-451: Is 35.3 mm wide and 13.7 mm high, and must not exceed these dimensions within 18 mm behind its front plane (this allows for the recesses on many European socket types). The left and right side of the plug are formed by surfaces that are at 45° relative to the horizontal plane. The Europlug is designed to be compatible with these sockets. They have 4.8 mm holes with centres spaced 19 mm apart. The minimum distance between
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#1732791046593612-408: Is a way of preventing frauds and scams from service and sales contracts, eligible fraud, bill collector regulation, pricing, utility turnoffs, consolidation, personal loans that may lead to bankruptcy . There have been some arguments that consumer law is also a better way to engage in large-scale redistribution than tax law because it does not necessitate legislation and can be more efficient, given
663-415: Is consequently compatible with all by SN 441011 currently supported sockets. This includes Type 15 (three-phase, 10 A), Type 21 & 23 (single-phase, 16 A) and Type 25 (three-phase, 16 A). The diameter of the openings of the 10 A sockets is 4.5 mm and the openings of the 16 A sockets are 4.5 x 5.5 mm wide. The norm space between L (one-phase) or L1 (three-phase) and N is 19 mm. The Europlug
714-404: Is defined as someone who acquires goods or services for direct use or ownership rather than for resale or use in production and manufacturing. Consumer interests can also serve consumers, consistent with economic efficiency, but this topic is treated in competition law. Consumer protection can also be asserted via non-government organizations and individuals as consumer activism. Efforts made for
765-537: Is designed to be compatible with 10A Type L sockets, commonly found in Italy. They have 4.0 mm holes with centres spaced 19 mm apart. It is also compatible with dual 10A/16A sockets, but it does not fit into the 16A only variant. The 10 A variant of type N used in Brazil has 4.0 mm holes and also allows the Europlug to be used; see Types J and L. The 20 A variant has 4.8 mm holes and also allows
816-461: Is responsible for consumer rights and protection ( Verbraucherschutzminister ). In the current cabinet of Olaf Scholz , this is Steffi Lemke . When issuing public warnings about products and services, the issuing authority has to take into account that this affects the supplier's constitutionally protected economic liberty, see Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Federal Administrative Court) Case 3 C 34.84, 71 BVerwGE 183. In India , consumer protection
867-619: Is specified in The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 . Under this law, Separate Consumer Dispute Redress Forums have been set up throughout India in every district in which a consumer can file their complaint on a simple paper with nominal court fees and their complaint will be decided by the Presiding Officer of the District Level. The complaint can be filed by both the consumer of a goods as well as of
918-564: Is that shavers, electric toothbrushes and similar personal hygiene products may be supplied with a Europlug as an alternative to the BS ;4573 plug (see below). The Europlug fits BS 1363 sockets without shutters, but the plug is only rated for 2.5 A and the UK sockets are fused at 32 A. The round pins have only a very small contact area with the rectangular sockets. Fused conversion plugs to BS 1363-5 are available for Europlugs, and equipment fitted with these may be legally sold in
969-597: Is therefore sometimes also referred to as the "CEE 7/16 Alternative II plug" or simply as the "CEE 7/16 plug". It was also described in 1975 as plug C5 in IEC Technical Report 83. In 1990 it was defined by Cenelec standard EN 50075 which has national equivalents in most European countries, as described in IEC ;60083 which superseded IEC/TR 83 (and no longer uses the C5 designation). The Europlug
1020-451: Is to protect and enhance consumers' interest through information, education, and enforcement of the rights of consumers was established by an Act of Parliament o promote and protect the interest of consumers over all products and services. In a nutshell, it is empowered to eliminate hazardous & substandard goods from the market. Provide speedy redress to consumer complaints and petition arisen from fraud, unfair practice, and exploitation of
1071-403: Is unusual as the standard specifies a plug only; there is no socket/outlet defined specifically for use with it. The Europlug is attached to the housing of small power devices of Class II with maximal current of 2.5 A. The dimensions of the Europlug were chosen for compatibility and safe use, such that with continental European domestic power sockets : Additionally, the design allows for
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#17327910465931122-724: The Australian Financial Complaints Authority . In Brazil, consumer protection is regulated by the Consumer's Defense Code ( Código de Defesa do Consumidor ), as mandated by the 1988 Constitution of Brazil . Brazilian law mandates "The offer and presentation of products or services must ensure correct, clear, accurate and conspicuous information in the Portuguese language about their characteristics, qualities, quantity, composition, price, guarantee, validity and origin, among other data, as well as
1173-722: The Consumer Protection Act 1987 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 . The United Kingdom has left the European Union , but during the transition period (until end of 2020) the UK was still bound by directives of the European Union. Specifics of the division of roles between the EU and the UK are detailed here. Domestic (UK) laws originated within the ambit of contract and tort but, with
1224-519: The European Union are concerned with consumer protection, including the Regulation on general product safety (GPSR) and the Directive (EU) 2024/2853 on liability for defective products. Germany , as a member state of the European Union , is bound by the consumer protection directives of the European Union; residents may be directly bound by EU regulations. A minister of the federal cabinet
1275-669: The Food and Drug Administration , and the U.S. Department of Justice . At the state level, many states have adopted the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act including, but not limited to, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, and Nebraska. The deceptive trade practices prohibited by the Uniform Act can be roughly subdivided into conduct involving either a) unfair or fraudulent business practices and b) untrue or misleading advertising. The Uniform Act contains
1326-560: The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal for the promotion of competition in the Nigerian market at all levels by eliminating monopolies, prohibiting abuse of dominant market position and penalizing other restrictive trade and business practices." The Act further repealed the hitherto Nigerian Consumer Protection Council Act and transferred its core mandate to the new Commission. Modern Taiwanese law has been heavily influenced by
1377-626: The European "Commission for Conformity Testing of Electrical Equipment" (CEE) which merged into the IEC in 1985. CB system is the abbreviation for the name of the meaning of "Certification Bodies' Scheme" i.e, "system certification body.". As of July 1992, CB system had a total of 30 member countries namely Austria , Australia, Belgium , Canada, Switzerland, China, former Czechoslovakia, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, India, Iceland, Italy, Japan, South Korea,
1428-754: The European civil law systems, particularly German and Swiss law. The Civil Code in Taiwan contains five books: General Principles, Obligations, Rights over Things, Family, and Succession. The second book of the Code, the Book of Obligations, provided the basis from which consumers could bring product liability actions prior to the enactment of the CPL. The Consumer Protection Law (CPL) in Taiwan , as promulgated on 11 January 1994, and effective on 13 January 1993, specifically protects
1479-626: The Europlug to be used; see Types E, F and K. Thailand has a hybrid receptacle which also supports Europlug. However, with the Type O standard with 4.8 mm diameter, the standard Europlug with 4.0 mm might experience loose contact. It shall not be possible to operate a shutter by inserting a 2-pin plug into a 3-pin socket-outlet. Compliance shall be checked by the tests of 13.7.2. 13.7.2 Earth pin operated shutters and 3-pin operated shutters shall be deemed to comply with this requirement without testing. For other shutter designs, compliance shall be checked by
1530-482: The German VDE ( Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik ). CEE also devised and published standards for electrical equipment, most of which have been superseded by IEC standards. The IEC CB Scheme is multilateral agreement to allow international certification of electrical and electronic products so that a single certification allows worldwide market access. The CB scheme has its origin in
1581-604: The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Singapore, the former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, the United States. Currently there are some 52 member bodies organized in the IECEE and a further 65 NCBs (national certification bodies) support the scheme with 276 CB test labs (CBTL). A product being certified in a certified testing laboratory according to the harmonized standard will receive a CB Report that may be submitted to
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1632-589: The UK. Adaptors sold with SAA approval in Australia, despite failing to comply with 'BS 8546: 2016 - Travel adaptors compatible with UK plug and socket system' due to not having shutters, accept Europlugs in the UK position. The Europlug is not designed to be compatible with BS 4573 sockets. These sockets have 5.1 mm holes with centres spaced 16.7 mm apart, meaning a reliable contact might not be possible. Most 2-pin UK shaver sockets will accept either BS 4573 plugs or Europlugs, but are rated for
1683-473: The complexities of tax law. In Australia , the corresponding agency is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission or the individual State Consumer Affairs agencies. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has responsibility for consumer protection regulation of financial services and products. However, in practice, it does so through privately run EDR schemes such as
1734-507: The conditions in which promises made by parties to a contract will be legally binding on each other. It also lays down the remedies available to the aggregate party if the other party fails to honor their promise. The Sale of Goods Act of 1930 provides some safeguards to buyers of goods if goods purchased do not fulfill the express or implied conditions and warranties. The Agriculture Produce Act of 1937 act provides grade standards for agricultural commodities and livestock products. It specifies
1785-536: The conditions which govern the use of standards and lays down the procedure for grading, marking, and packaging of agricultural produce. The quality mark provided under the act is known as AGMARK -Agriculture Marketing. The Nigerian government must protect its people from any form of harm to human health through the use and purchase of items to meet daily needs. In light of this, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) , whose aim
1836-660: The consumer. On 5 February 2019, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, assented to the new Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Bill, 2018. Thus, the bill became a law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and binding on entities and organizations so specified in the Act. The long title of the Act reads: "This Act establishes the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and
1887-602: The following test. A 2-pin plug complying with BS EN 50075 shall be applied to the socket line and neutral apertures with a force of 30 newton. The plug pins, when applied in any direction, shall not make contact with live parts. IECEE The IECEE is the IEC System of Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment and Components being a body of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The IEC uses
1938-777: The formation of consumer organizations , which help consumers make better choices in the marketplace and pursue complaints against businesses. Entities that promote consumer protection include government organizations (such as the Federal Trade Commission in the United States ), self-regulating business organizations (such as the Better Business Bureaus in the US, Canada , England , etc.), and non-governmental organizations that advocate for consumer protection laws and help to ensure their enforcement (such as consumer protection agencies and watchdog groups). A consumer
1989-430: The general public which may be impacted by a product (or its production) even when they are not the direct purchaser or consumer of that product. For example, government regulations may require businesses to disclose detailed information about their products—particularly in areas where public health or safety is an issue, such as with food or automobiles. Consumer protection is linked to the idea of consumer rights and to
2040-444: The holes is thus 14.2 mm, while the minimum distance between the converged pins on the Europlug is 13.5 mm, allowing it to grip the socket despite its smaller pin width. The Europlug is not compatible with type D sockets, used in e.g. India and South Africa. These sockets have 5.1 mm holes with centres spaced 19.1 mm apart, which means a Europlug can be inserted if the sockets do not have protective shutters. However,
2091-527: The influence of EU law , it is emerging as an independent area of law. In many circumstances, where domestic law is in question, the matter is judicially treated as tort , contract , restitution or even criminal law . Consumer protection issues were dealt with by the Office of Fair Trading before 2014. Since then, the Competition and Markets Authority has taken on this role. In the United States
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2142-543: The interests and safety of customers using the products or services provided by business operators. The Consumer Protection Commission of Executive Yuan serves as an ombudsman supervising, coordinating, reporting any unsafe products/services, and periodically reviewing the legislation. According to the Pacific Rim Law & Policy Association and the American Chamber of Commerce, in a 1997 critical study,
2193-406: The law has been criticized by stating that "although many agree that the intent of the CPL is fair, the CPL's various problems, such as ambiguous terminology, favoritism towards consumer protection groups, and the compensation liability defense, must be addressed before the CPL becomes a truly effective piece of legislation that will protect consumers" The main consumer protection laws in the UK are
2244-562: The liberal provisions of its Consumers Legal Remedies Act . State and federal laws provide for "cooling off" periods giving consumers the right to cancel contracts within a certain time period for several specified types of transactions, potentially including transactions entered into at home, and warranty and repair services contracts. Other states have been the leaders in specific aspects of consumer protection. For example, Florida, Delaware, and Minnesota have legislated requirements that contracts be written at reasonable readability levels as
2295-635: The name IECEE for the IEC System for Conformity Testing and Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment and Components that is better known as the CB System The predecessor of IECEE was a European body founded under the name of Commission internationale de réglementation en vue de l'approbation de l'équipement électrique ( International commission on rules for the approval of electrical equipment ) known as CEE . Historically this certification process goes back to 1929 based on an initiative by
2346-655: The national certification bodies like GS, PSE, CCC, NOM, GOST/R, BSMI. CEE published a number of standards under its own name. Most of these have been superseded by CENELEC and/or IEC standards. Consumer protection Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace . Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent businesses from engaging in fraud or specified unfair practices to gain an advantage over competitors or to mislead consumers. They may also provide additional protection for
2397-490: The protection of consumer's rights and interests are: Consumer protection law or consumer law is considered as an area of law that regulates private law relationships between individual consumers and the businesses that sell those goods and services. Consumer protection covers a wide range of topics, including but not necessarily limited to product liability , privacy rights , unfair business practices , fraud , misrepresentation , and other consumer/business interactions. It
2448-507: The risks they pose to the health and safety of consumers." In Brazil, the consumer does not have to bring forward evidence that the defender is guilty. Instead, the defense has to bring forward evidence that they are innocent. In the case of Brazil, they narrowly define what a consumer, supplier, product, and services are, so that they can protect consumers from international channels trade laws and protect them from negligence and misconduct from international suppliers. Several regulations in
2499-758: The services. An appeal could be filed to the State Consumer Disputes Redress Commissions and after that to the National Consumer Disputes RedresaRedressalsion (NCDRC). The procedures in these tribunals are relatively less formal and more people-friendly and they also take less time to decide upon a consumer dispute when compared to the years-long time taken by the traditional Indian judiciary . In recent years, many effective judgments have been passed by some state and National Consumer Forums. Indian Contract Act, 1872 lays down
2550-525: The shutters. In some types of BS 1363 socket (but not all) the safety mechanism can be tampered with so that a Europlug may then be forced into the open line and neutral ports. The UK Electrical Safety Council has drawn attention to the fire risk associated with forcing Europlugs into BS 1363 sockets. There is also a risk of damage to both the plug and socket. UK consumer protection legislation requires that most domestic electrical goods sold must be provided with fitted plugs to BS 1363-1. The exception
2601-428: The socket design might not allow the plug to grip it. The Europlug is physically not compatible with BS 1363 13 A sockets, used in e.g. the UK and Ireland. UK law requires a suitable fuse to be fitted in each plug to protect the appliance flexible cord; Europlugs do not contain such fuses. BS 1363 sockets contain a child-safety shutter; clause 13.7.2 of BS 1363-2 requires that Europlugs will not open
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