With the development of technology, personal computer goods have become indispensable to everyday life. Desktop speaker is one of the popular items that consumers are buying today because music can be played on a personal computer or notebook pcs via Bluetooth. To ensure the quality to desktop speakers sold on the market, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) and the Consumers’ Foundation, Chinese Taipei, have purchased 20 products from wholesalers, online auctions and retail shops in the third season of 2018 and conducted an inspection, which revealed that one sample failed the “radiation interference” test under the quality category, five samples failed the “key component matching” inspection, three samples did not meet the “commodity inspection mark” requirements and one failed the Chinese labeling requirements.

Inspection standards
The inspection was carried out according to the following standards and requirements
1) Quality tests, including tests for “conducted interference” and “radiation interference,” were done according to CNS 13439 “Sound and television broadcast receivers and associated equipment - Radio disturbance characteristics - Limits and methods of measurement”
2) Labeling: Inspections regarding “commodity inspection mark” and “Chinese labeling” were carried out according to the above standard and the Commodity Inspection Act.

Inspection results
1) Quality test:
1.1 All passed the “conducted interference” test.
1.2 One item (number 18) failed the “radiation interference” test because the radiation frequency energy (30-1000 MHz) of the radiation interference, which is transmitted through air, was above the standard under normal use.

2) Key component matching: Five items (number 4, 6, 15, 18 and 20) failed the inspection. The appearance or interior composition of four items (number 4, 15, 18 and 20) did not match that indicated in the original technical documents and the items were suspected of basic design alteration. Meanwhile, one item (number 6) did not have an original registration document so matching could not be done and it was suspected of inspection evasion.

3) Labeling:
3.1 Three items (number 6, 14 and 18) did not show the commodity inspection mark on the product’s body, as stated in the Commodity Inspection Act.
3.2 Chinese labeling: One items (number 18) failed to indicate the manufacturer’s information on the label.

Follow-up procedures
1) With regards to the item (number 18) that failed the quality test, the vendor concerned will be notified to recall and correct the product within a given time limit. Failure to do so will result in a fine between 100,000 NTD and 1,000,000 NTD. As the item was suspected of basic design alternation, the vendor will be imposed with a fine between 250,000 NTD and 2,500,000 NTD according to Article 60 of the Commodity Inspection Act.

2) With regards to the five items (number 1, 9 and 10) that failed the key component matching inspection.
2.1 Regarding the two items (number 4 and 15) requiring type approval for batch-by-batch inspection, vendors will be notified to submit a new application according to Article 9 of the “Regulations Governing Type Approval of Commodities”. The type approval will be rescinded according to Article 16 of the same regulation if the vendor fails to do so.
2.2 Regarding the three items (number 6, 18 and 20) requiring approval registration, the vendor responsible for number 20 will be notified to file a new application according to Article 40 of the Commodity Inspection Act. The vendor will be imposed with a fine between 200,000 NTD and 2,000,000 NTD according to Article 60 and Article 63 of the Commodity Inspection Act. As item 6 did not have an original registration document and was suspected of inspection evasion, the vendor will be imposed with a fine between 200,000 NTD and 2,000,000 NTD according to Article 60 of the Commodity Inspection Act. As for number 18, please refer to follow-up procedure 1) as it also failed the quality test.

3) With regards to the three items that failed the commodity mark inspection, as item 14 has already completed all the inspection procedures and only failed to label the mark on the product, its vendor will be notified to make a correction according to Article 59 of the Commodity Inspection Act within a given time. Failure to do so will result in a fine between 100,000 NTD and 1,000,000 NTD. As number 6 did not have an original registration document and was suspected of inspection evasion and number 18 failed the quality test and was suspected of basic design alternation, please refer to follow-up procedure 1) and 2) for punishment details.

4) As for the item that failed the Chinese labeling inspection (number 18), please refer to follow-up procedure 1) and 3) as it also failed the quality test and was suspected of basic design alternation.

The BSMI said that desktop speaker is subject to mandatory inspection before being dispatched from the factory or imported. The BSMI has an annual market inspection scheme to counter marketed products that are not in conformity with national standards. Inspectors will be dispatched to look into under qualified products, make a record and take legal actions. Consumer rights are ensured under this double-checking mechanism.

Precautions when purchasing desktop speaker:
The BSMI said that manufacturers are responsible for product safety and correctness of labels. Consumers are also urged to pay attention to the following precautions when purchasing desktop speakers.

1) Consumers are advised to purchase desktop speaker that comes with a commodity inspection mark or.For further inquiries, please refer to https://civil.bsmi.gov.tw/bsmi_pqn.
2) Make sure that the manufacturer’s name and address and model are clearly stated. Make sure that the product comes with a Chinese instruction booklet, instruction on the packaging and warnings.
3) Read the instructions carefully before use and use accordingly, paying special attention to warnings in the instruction.
4) Should the desktop speaker malfunctions, stop from use immediately and contact the manufacturer’s designated repair station. Do not change the parts or disassemble by yourself.
5) Choose products that come with a warranty service.

The BSMI reminds consumers that more knowledge you have about the products you are buying means more safety. For more information, please visit the BSMI Product Safety Internet at https://safety.bsmi.gov.tw or call the toll free number of 0800-007123.

Agengy in charge : 3th Divison Office
Contact person : Mr. Wang, Chun-Chao
Telephone : (02)2343-1777