You are in the charity shop and find exactly what you were looking for: a kettle, a toy car for a child's birthday or a charger that still looks fine. For a few pounds, you happily take it home. Fair enough. Only nowadays there is one thing that we are paying just a little more attention to. More and more products that were once bought via cheap webshops eventually end up on second-hand platforms and in charity shops. Because of this, as a buyer you no longer always know where a product originally came from and whether it actually complies with European safety regulations. That is why the tip is often: look out for the CE mark. Only there is a catch. There is also a Chinese variant that looks almost the same. So it's confusing.
Why it is important to look out for the CE mark
There is a strong chance you have seen the ‘good’ CE mark hundreds of times without giving it a second thought: on your phone charger, a kettle or toys. For many products of this kind, such a mark is mandatory before they can be sold in Europe. With the CE logo (European Conformity) the manufacturer declares that the product complies with European safety, health and environmental regulations. But watch out: there is also a ‘China Export’ logo that looks suspiciously similar. And that is precisely where things can go wrong. Because more and more products from webshops like Temu, SHEIN, AliExpress and Wish are now turning up in charity shops and on platforms like Vinted. This has made it harder to tell where a second-hand find originally came from and whether a product is intended for the European market. The tip is therefore simple: for products where a CE mark is mandatory, always check the logo. But of course, you then need to know how to recognise the logo.
Don't get us wrong: a product made in China is really not a bad product by definition. In fact, chances are high that you are reading this article on a phone that was also made in China. A great many well-known brands produce there and simply comply with European regulations. It is mainly about dirt-cheap products bought directly via certain webshops and later given a second life with you as a charity shop or Vinted or Marktplaats fan. As the second owner, you often no longer know where such a product comes from. And that is rather worrying, because research by organisations including the Consumers' Association shows that it is precisely with some of these types of products that something is regularly wrong. For example, many researched products from those Chinese webshops did not comply with European safety regulations and some even proved to be directly dangerous. Think of toys with a choking hazard, USB chargers that overheat or items (including toys) with too many harmful substances. Those are items you would probably never knowingly buy, but which you might unwittingly take home second-hand, because you think your second-hand find is a quality product from a reliable shop. Want to know more about that? We previously wrote extensively about the risks of this type of product.
Source: RVO.nl.
Also interesting: toxic fast fashion clothing.
How to recognise the genuine CE mark
Are you in doubt whether you are looking at a genuine CE mark? Don't worry, you are not the only one. We had to take a second look too. The devil is in the detail. Literally in this case. The difference is small and therefore easy to miss. Save this page or take a screenshot of the image above. That way, you can easily compare the logos when you are second-hand shopping. Shopping online? Then ask the seller for a photo of the logo. What can you look out for?
- Check if a CE marking is required (as this does not apply to all products). Toys, electronics, chargers and many household appliances must have a CE marking before they can be sold in Europe.
- Spotter? Look closely at the space between the letters. With the official CE mark, there is clearly more space between the C and the E. With the logo often called ‘China Export’, the letters are much closer together.
- Still hesitating? Use Google Lens. Take a photo or screenshot of the product and see where else it is sold and what the original price is (or was). Read more about how to use Google Lens for second-hand shopping.
- Look beyond just the logo. A CE mark is a good initial check, but not a quality mark. Is the seller unknown, is important information missing, or is a product strikingly cheap? Then it is wise to be just a bit more critical.
- Don't be put off by ‘Made in China’. Lots of reliable brands manufacture in China and simply comply with European regulations. It's not about where a product is made, but whether it is intended for the European market.
Second-hand shopping remains a great deal of fun, of course. Above all, don't let this put you off. Just see it as an extra reason to look just that little bit closer. Those few seconds could save you from a bad buy. And perhaps even more importantly: you'll have a much better idea of what you're bringing into your home.
Source: Consumer Association, rvo.nl. Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
