Did the strap of your new bag break or your washing machine stop working a few months after purchase? Are you thinking about starting up your own business, but are not familiar with the comprehensive legal framework? If you need help in situations like this, contact the City Enterprise Services Consumer Protection Department.

The Consumer Protection Department provides consultations on consumer protection, housing and trading. You can get information on what to do and what rights and obligations apply if the purchased goods do not meet the conditions set in the contract. You can also ask for a consultation on e-commerce and doorstep selling. So, if you didn’t receive the goods you ordered from an online store or the expensive vacuum cleaner you saw at a presentation now seems useless, we suggest you contact the Consumer Protection Department to get an overview of your rights and figure out your next steps.

The department also offers consultations to traders who wish to start or have already started their own business. We provide information on general trade requirements, such as price publishing, displaying product information, marking goods correctly and the tasks related to the register of economic activities, as well as information on specific fields. For example, there are special requirements for alcohol and tobacco products, such as submitting a notice of economic activities. Our most frequently asked questions are related to trading in fields that have specific requirements. Knowing the requirements before starting an activity can help you avoid any unpleasant surprises and costs that would later come with reorganising things to meet regulations.

You can read about consumer protection and trading from the Tallinn website www.tallinn.ee/tarbija where you can find interesting articles as well as the information materials Consumer’s ABC and Trader’s ABC, which contain the most important information for each.

To get consultation on consumer protection or trading, contact the Tallinn Strategic Management Office Enterprise Services Consumer Protection Department. You can either call 640 4232, send an e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected] or visit the Consumer Protection Information Centre at Vabaduse väljak 7, 1st floor (Mon 8:15–18:00, Tue-Thu 8:15–17:00, Fri 8:15–14:00).