Compulsory product information regarding the DSA

The Digital Services Act (DSA)

Under the DSA, bol is obligated to request and share certain product information on the platform. This includes data from the responsible market participant in the EU.

Starting today, the data from the responsible market participant in the EU can be provided. New attributes have been created for this purpose, which will be made available in the article overview for each product group in the coming days. Please check if the attributes are already available for your products and begin filling them out.

The responsible market participant in the EU can be

• The manufacturer
• The authorized representative
• The importer
• The distributor
• The fulfillment service provider
• Other natural or legal persons subject to obligations regarding the manufacture of products, placing them on the market, or putting them into service in accordance with the applicable Union harmonization legislation (Article 3 point 13 Regulation EU 2019/1020).

If you’re unsure who the responsible market participant in the EU is for your products, consider consulting a (legal) advisory firm.

Which data needs to be provided?

The following data is requested for all existing and new items on Bol (excluding books, e-books, and gift cards):

• Name of the responsible market participant in the EU
• Address of the responsible market participant in the EU
• Phone number of the responsible market participant in the EU
• Email address of the responsible market participant in the EU

All attributes are pre-filled with a standard text: Deze informatie volgt nog/ Ces informations suivront bientôt (This information will follow soon). Filling in the attributes will overwrite this text. The attributes will gradually become visible online for the customer.

In addition to the data of the responsible market participant, the DSA also mandates other product information per item. Much of this information is likely already filled in, but we ask you to review your product information for the following:

• Information such as price, quantity, and product specifications (also known as pre-contractual information)
• Information on product conformity and product safety
• A unique article number, such as an EAN (European Article Number)
• Any trademarks, symbols, or logos used by you as a seller
• Labeling and marking based on European legislation on product safety and product conformity.

New products and existing products

For new items where information is requested under the DSA, providing this information is mandatory. Without supplying this information, an item will not be published online.

All existing items will remain online for the time being, even if these new attributes are not yet filled in. However, it’s advisable to start filling them in now because this information will become mandatory later on. Failure to provide the required data in the future will result in your product not being published online. You will, of course, be informed in a timely manner about this obligation.

What is the easiest way to enrich the current products?

The online editor is likely the most efficient way to update a large amount of product information at once, given the likelihood of dealing with numerous products.

More about the changes in our policy

Transparency about content moderation

Based on the DSA, we are obligated to share how we keep our platform safe from unwanted items such as illegal articles and content. To keep bol safe and reliable for everyone, we may monitor our assortment for items and/or content that do not comply with laws and regulations. If an article or product information is illegal, for example, we may adjust or remove it. This is what we call content moderation.

We clarify our measures against abuse

The DSA requires us to take measures against partners who frequently offer illegal items and content.

New is that we will also take measures against partners who frequently:

• Incorrectly report illegal items and/or content to bol;
• Submit complaints to bol that turn out to be incorrect.

In line with the DSA, we must be transparent about this and mention it in our terms.

Our complaint handling process becomes clearer

It must be clear to everyone how we handle complaints. That’s why we are further clarifying our internal complaint handling system. How you file a complaint remains the same. However, we are making a few adjustments to the User Terms. For example, it is now explicitly stated that you will always receive a substantiated decision from us. We naturally respond to a complaint as quickly as possible, but no later than within 30 working days.

Reporting illegal content will be easier

Together, we ensure that our platform radiates reliability and quality. Because only then will customers continue to order from us with peace of mind. Through our existing Notice & Takedown procedure (NTD), both partners and non-partners can report illegal items and/or content, for example, in cases of intellectual property infringement.

The DSA obligates us to make it easier for everyone to report illegal content. Therefore, we are clarifying the NTD page with a clear button leading to a form for non-partners. Through that form, they can make a report, which will then be directed to the appropriate department within bol.

We will inform customers who have purchased an illegal product

The assortment on our platform must comply with applicable laws and regulations. If it turns out that your item does not meet these requirements, the DSA requires us to inform customers who have purchased this item. This applies to items ordered within the 6 months before it was determined that they do not comply with the rules. In that case, we will inform customers about which item it concerns, from which seller the item was purchased, and what rights they have, such as a refund or replacement of the item.

Of course, you will also receive a notification from us if it turns out that you have sold an illegal product. In some cases, we are required to take the item offline.

Definition of responsible market operator within the EU: the manufacturer, the authorized representative, the importer, the distributor, the fulfillment service provider, or other natural persons or legal entities for whom obligations apply regarding the manufacture of products, placing them on the market, or putting them into service in accordance with the applicable harmonization legislation of the Union (Article 3 point 13 Regulation EU 2019/1020).