How to Handle Consumer Complaints and Safety Reporting Under the GPSR
Under the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR) manufacturers placing consumer products onto the European market have important obligations to protect consumers’ safety. An essential part of these obligations is handling consumer complaints and reports of accidents that raise safety concerns.
In this Helpful Article, we outline manufacturers’ responsibilities for complaint handling and provide practical guidance to effectively manage these responsibilities.
ANSWERED ON THIS PAGE
- What obligations do manufacturers have under the GPSR?
- When and how to notify authorities?
- What are best practices for managing consumer complaints and safety concerns under GPSR?
What obligations do manufacturers have under the GPSR?
The GPSR clearly outlines specific obligations for manufacturers regarding the management and investigation of consumer complaints and any information they receive about accidents that could indicate a safety concern with their products. Manufacturers must investigate every complaint or report of safety concerns about products they have placed on the EU market. These investigations should determine whether a product is potentially dangerous or poses a risk to consumer safety. If a product is dangerous or you have reason to believe it is, take effective corrective measures and inform consumers and the market surveillance authorities in the Member States where the product was made available, via the Safety Business Gateway.
Keep an internal register
Manufacturers must maintain a structured internal register that documents all consumer complaints and product-related safety concerns, including details of any corrective measures taken, such as product withdrawals or recalls. This internal documentation is essential to ensure transparency and to facilitate timely communication with authorities and consumers whenever necessary.
Compliance with these obligations ensures manufacturers can quickly address potential safety risks, cooperate effectively with EU authorities, and safeguard consumer well-being.
When and how to notify authorities?
If a manufacturer determines or has reason to believe that a product it has placed on the market is dangerous it must act immediately. This means taking effective corrective measures to eliminate the danger, such as product withdrawals or recalls.
At the same time, the manufacturer must promptly inform both consumers and the relevant Market Surveillance Authorities in the Member States where the product was made available. Notifications to authorities must be submitted through the EU Safety Business Gateway, providing clear, detailed information. The notice includes at the minimum:
- Product ID/SKU/batch, photos
- Risk description (hazard, affected parts, severity/likelihood)
- Distribution (countries/quantities if available)
- Corrective actions taken or planned (withdrawal/recall, fixes)
- Contact and dossier location (who holds the technical documentation)
GPSR repeatedly uses “without undue delay”. Do not wait for perfect data but file an initial notice and update instead.
What are best practices for managing consumer complaints and safety concerns?
To efficiently manage consumer complaints and promptly report safety issues under GPSR, manufacturers should adopt the following best practices:
- Clearly define internal processes for receiving, documenting, and promptly investigating consumer complaints related to product safety.
- Maintain accurate internal registers detailing all consumer complaints, investigations conducted, and corrective measures implemented.
- Ensure clear internal responsibilities by assigning specific roles to staff who handle complaint investigations and manage communications with the authorities.
- Implement effective decision-making procedures for evaluating safety concerns and determining when a product withdrawal, recall, or authority notification is required.
- Establish clear protocols for timely communication with Market Surveillance Authorities via the Safety Business Gateway, ensuring notifications include precise, detailed, and accurate information.
Following these structured best practices ensures manufacturers effectively meet their obligations under the GPSR, protecting both consumers and their market presence.
How EARP supports
As your independent EU Authorized Representative under the GPSR, EARP provides representation and clear practical tools designed specifically to help manufacturers understand and efficiently meet their complaint-handling and safety-reporting obligations. Additionally, EARP provides guidance on the procedural aspects of notifying Market Surveillance Authorities via the EU Safety Business Gateway.
Our representation services and practical tools enable manufacturers to fulfill GPSR obligations confidently, maintain compliance, and safeguard consumer safety within the EU market. Learn more about EARP’s Representation services.
Build consumer trust and compliance through effective complaint handling
Effective management of consumer complaints and timely safety reporting under the GPSR are critical not only for regulatory compliance but also for consumer trust and brand reputation. Structured internal processes, prompt investigations, accurate documentation, and transparent communication form the cornerstone of a successful compliance approach.
EARP is your trusted representative partner, offering authorized representation, guidance, and practical templates to help manufacturers fulfill their obligations seamlessly and reliably under the GPSR.
FAQs
Not every consumer complaint requires notification to EU authorities. Manufacturers must internally investigate all complaints but need only notify authorities if their investigation indicates that the product poses a potential safety risk or danger to consumers.
Manufacturers must notify Market Surveillance Authorities immediately upon determining that a product presents or may present a safety risk to consumers. “Immediately” implies without unnecessary delay and as soon as enough information is available to clearly communicate the risk and corrective actions being taken.
Manufacturers remain ultimately responsible for ensuring timely and accurate notifications to EU Market Surveillance Authorities. However, manufacturers can collaborate closely with importers or distributors in preparing or executing notifications, provided that the manufacturer ensures these obligations are fully met.
Manufacturers’ internal complaint registers must clearly document the date of each complaint, consumer details (if provided), product identification, detailed descriptions of the reported safety issue, results of any investigations carried out, corrective actions taken, and the status of product recalls or withdrawals, if applicable. This comprehensive information facilitates efficient compliance and authority communications under GPSR.
