Assortment policy

Our assortment policy contains all the conditions that apply to the offer of bol. Let's make it a shared effort to ensure that bol stands for reliability and quality. Only then will customers order from us with peace of mind.

Travel Luggage & Travel Accessories

Find all information surrounding assortment policies for the Travel Luggage & Travel Accessories category here.

Travel plugs

At bol, we do not want to offer items that could potentially harm users or their environment. To minimise the risk of short circuits, explosion or in some cases even fire, you may only sell travel plugs if they at least comply with the applicable laws and regulations in the Netherlands and Belgium. You are not allowed to offer travel plugs that are listed on the Safety Gate list of rejected products. 

Second-hand & Refurbished

Second-hand 

Second-hand items or margin goods can only be offered in the book, music and film categories. You cannot apply for selling rights for the other categories. It is therefore not possible to offer second-hand items other than books, music and films at bol. 

Refurbished 

The sale of refurbished range at bol has unfortunately been discontinued for the time being. This is because it is our responsibility to clearly show customers whether an item is refurbished, which is currently not technically possible. And we cannot solve this in the short term either. Refurbished items were allowed in a closed group until January 2022. It is not allowed to offer refurbished items.

CE & ECE marking

The so-called CE & ECE markings indicate that your items comply with safety, health and environmental requirements. For most items marketed in the European Union (EU), this marking is even mandatory.

Is CE marking also mandatory for you?

CE marking is mandatory for items in the following product groups (please note that this does not mean you are allowed to sell all these items via bol):

  • Explosives for civilian use
  • Pyrotechnic articles
  • Construction products
  • Toys
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Electrical, electronic and energy-related items
  • Medical devices (please note that these are subject to specific guidelines you need to comply with in addition to the CE markings. You can read about it in Medical Devices Policy)
  • Measuring and weighing equipment
  • Machinery and related items
  • Transport equipment

Is the ECE marking also mandatory for you?

An ECE marking is mandatory for items in the following product groups (please note, this does not mean that you can sell all these items via bol):

  • Car seats
  • Car lamps
  • Helmets

Which responsibilities you have regarding the CE marking depends on your role – i.e. whether you are the importer, distributor or manufacturer. It is your own responsibility to determine whether the articles you sell require CE marking. Use this overview from the RVO to check whether CE marking is mandatory for your item.

 

Take the following actions to ensure that your product range complies with CE marking:

  1. Complete the product information ‘CE marking’. You can find this below mandatory information in the seller dashboard. Via a dropdown menu you can indicate that the CE marking is ‘visible’ (on your item, on the packaging of your item or on a manual of your item). Should your item still not be covered by CE regulations, you can select ‘not applicable’ here. We will check this product information. For current offer it is not obliged to upload a photo.
  2. For new product ranges (this means offering a new item for which no product information is yet available), you must upload a photo (JPEG or PDF file type) of the CE marking as applied to the item. If this is not technically possible, a photo of the CE marking on the packaging or on the instruction manual will suffice. Instructions and examples for adding CE marking can be found here.
  3. The trade name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer in Europe:
    For existing and new ranges, we ask you to fill in the text attribute ‘Trade name and contact address of manufacturer or importer in EU‘ under optional information in the seller dashboard. You should fill in the name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer in EU. The information entered will not be visible on bol, nor will we search for the purchase channel. You hereby declare that the information entered is also visible/present on the product or packaging.

Please take the following actions to ensure your range is compliant with the ECE marking:

  1. We ask you to fill in the product information ‘ECE marking’ from 24 August 2023 (under optional information in the seller dashboard). From 1 March 2024, this can be found under compulsory information in the seller dashboard. Here you can indicate via a dropdown menu that the ECE marking is ‘visible’ (on your item, on the packaging of your item or on a manual of your item). Should your item still not be covered by ECE regulations, you can select ‘not applicable’ here. We will check this product information. For existing offer, it is not required to upload a photo.
  2. For new assortment (this means offering a new article for which no product information is available yet), from 1 March 2024 you have to upload a photo (JPEG or PDF file type) of the ECE marking as applied to the item. If this is not technically possible, a photo of the ECE marking on the packaging or on the instruction manual will suffice. To add the ECE marking, please use the instructions for CE marking, which can be found here.
  3. The trade name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer in Europe:
    For existing and new offer, we ask you to fill in the text attribute ‘Handelsnaam en contactadres van fabrikant of importeur in EU’, to be filled in under optional information in the seller dashboard. From 1 March 2024, this will be mandatory. Here you must then fill in the name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer in the EU. The information entered will not be visible on bol, nor will we search for the purchase channel. You hereby declare that the information entered is also visible/present on the item or packaging.
  • If you sell an item from a country outside the EU and sell it under that manufacturer’s brand name, then you are an importer, with the accompanying responsibilities.
  • Do you sell an item you bought from a party within the EU? For example, from an importer, a European manufacturer or another distributor? Then you are a distributor.

We will check the product information for completeness and accuracy.

    • If the item is a toy and has safety warnings, add these in the textual product information below ‘Veiligheidswaarschuwingen’ (Safety warnings).
    • Make sure you have the documentation and the declaration of conformity (conformity statement) accompanying the item available. Both bol and the authorities could ask for these.

    Should you need help for the above, we recommend you consult the following resources:

    How to use the CE mark?

    You can recognise the CE marking by the familiar CE mark. It must be affixed to the product or the attached data plate. If this is not technically practicable, you may affix the CE marking to the product packaging or to an accompanying document (you can find the appropriate image here).

    What if you do not fulfil this obligation?

    The (safety) rules are set by law – and so you need to be able to prove that you have the necessary CE mark(s). If not, you are breaking the law. If you do not comply with our policy, your product will be taken offline. We do this to prevent customers from being put at risk by potentially unsafe items.

    Want to find out more?

    To meet all product safety requirements, our service partners are happy to help you on your way. They also offer advice and guidance on testing, certification, marking, quality assurance, labelling, manual writing and packaging design. Read more about our service partners and how they can help you on our product safety Partnerplatform.