On Wednesday (27), the committee on Consumer’s Defense approved the Bill 3515/08, by Deputy Vinicius Carvalho (PTdoB-RJ), which obliges the notification to domestic consumers on recalls of products or services acquired by them, which are happening foreign countries. The suppliers of those products in Brazil will have a 72-hour term to notice consumer’s defense bodies and to start advertising campaigns in that sense, as it is the case with problems with domestic products.

The rapporteur of the proposal, Deputy João Carlos Bacelar (PR-BA), argued that that change will allow more swiftness to the recall procedure, and will make consumption relationships safer.

Registered letter
The bill was being processed as an addendum to Bill 3147/08, from Deputy Carlos Bezerra (PMDB-MT), which was rejected by that committee. It obliged companies to communicate to the consumer, by registered letter, the risk identification in any product or service acquired by him.

The rapporteur argued that, depending on the traded product or service, such notice could necessarily reach millions of consumers, which would prevent the fulfilling of the proposed rule. According to it, the supplier would have to use invoices and databanks to gather data on consumers, but Bacelar explained that, most of the time, the producers use wholesalers or large retail chains to sell their products.

“It seems to us that the current practice, which has already been ordained by Law, is absolutely satisfactory and reaches the main communication media and media vehicles in Brazil”, argued the rapporteur.

Procedure
The bill will be analyzed by the Committee on the Constitution and Justice and Citizenship, before going to the House Floor.

Report - Marcello Larcher
Editing - Paulo Cesar Santos
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda