§ 61a. Who makes sure shops follow the law?
The Norwegian Consumer Authority and the Market Council (Markedsrådet) supervise that shops follow the most important rules on delivery (levering) and guarantees (garanti). If a shop breaks the law deliberately and repeatedly, it can be given large infringement fines (overtredelsesgebyr).
Machine-translated from Norwegian. The Norwegian text is the one that applies. Read the original in Norwegian.Norsk English العربية Polski Українська
The text of the law (unofficial translation)
The Norwegian Consumer Authority and the Market Council shall, out of consideration for consumers (forbruker), supervise that the provisions in § 6 first paragraph, § 14 fourth paragraph, § 18 a and § 23 are complied with by a trader (næringsdrivende). Supervision is carried out in accordance with the rules in the Marketing Control Act (markedsføringsloven) §§ 32 to 41, § 42 first paragraph second sentence and §§ 43 to 43 c.
In the event of an intentional or negligent infringement of the rules mentioned in the first paragraph first sentence, which is considered material or has occurred repeatedly, the person responsible may be imposed an infringement fine.
The Ministry may issue regulations with more detailed rules on the calculation of infringement fines.
What does this mean?
What happens if a large electronics chain deliberately starts denying all customers the 5-year right to complain about defects in order to save money? This is where § 61 a comes in.
The Norwegian Consumer Authority can hand out "infringement fines" — speeding tickets for businesses. For large companies, this can amount to many millions of kroner, and it ensures that it does not "pay off" to break the law systematically.
For individual cases, the Norwegian Consumer Authority is a free mediation service — not a police force.
Example
The (fictional) chain "SuperMøbler" sells 5,000 sofas with "delivery within 30 days". They know they do not have the capacity. Two months later: no customers have received their sofa, and the shop ignores demands for cancellation of the purchase (heving). The Norwegian Consumer Authority receives hundreds of tips and imposes an infringement fine of NOK 2 million on the chain.
Common mistakes
- Believing that the Norwegian Consumer Authority turns out like the police for your one private dispute about a rain jacket — individual cases are mediated, penalty fines are used for systematic breaches
What should you do?
Have you discovered that a shop is systematically breaking the law? Tip off the Norwegian Consumer Authority using the tip form at forbrukertilsynet.no. Such tips start investigations and protect other consumers.