Common GPSR Mistakes Made by Allegro Sellers

The same scenario keeps appearing in many variants on the Allegro Community forum: a seller has "sorted GPSR", pasted in some text found from a competitor, and still got a restricted listing or a request for documentation they can't answer. The problem is that a lot of half-truths have grown up around GPSR, and small mistakes can cost you your entire sales. It's worth knowing them in advance.

We've gathered the most common GPSR (General Product Safety Regulation, EU 2023/988) mistakes made by Allegro sellers — the ones that most often end in a blocked listing, a request from an authority, or a false sense of security.

Key points at a glance

• The most dangerous mistakes are those that create an illusion of compliance — the seller thinks they have GPSR sorted, but they don't.

• Common traps: confusing CE with GPSR, missing EU responsible person, data only in English.

• Copying texts from competitors does not transfer compliance to you — the documentation must relate to your product.

Mistake 1: "I have CE, so I have GPSR"

The most common misunderstanding. CE and GPSR are two different things — CE applies to selected categories and specific directives, while GPSR is a general safety net with its own information obligations. A product with CE still requires manufacturer data, a responsible person, and traceability. We break down the differences in GPSR vs CE marking — differences and what you need.

Mistake 2: No EU responsible person

GPSR (Article 16) requires that, for a product whose manufacturer is outside the EU, there be a responsible entity established in the Union. Sellers often skip this element because it sounds "corporate". Yet for an importer from Poland, this is usually themselves — it's enough to provide your own company's details. Missing this data is one of the most common reasons for a restricted listing.

Mistake 3: Data and warnings only in English

Instructions and warnings from a Chinese factory are sometimes only in English or Chinese. GPSR requires information in the language of the country where the product is made available — that is, in Polish. Pasting in the English description "because that's what came with it" doesn't meet the requirement.

Mistake 4: Copying documentation from competitors

The risk assessment and safety data must relate to your specific product and your company. Copying someone else's declaration substitutes someone else's responsible-person data and someone else's analysis — in an inspection, you won't be able to account for a product whose documentation describes something else. This is apparent, not real, compliance.

Mistake 5: No traceability

GPSR requires that the product be identifiable: a batch number, type or model. Sellers often skip this point because the product "doesn't have a number". In that case you need to assign one and place it on the product or packaging — without it, you can't carry out a recall if needed.

Mistake 6: Data only in the description, not in Allegro's fields

Allegro provides dedicated fields for GPSR safety data. Entering it only in the free-text listing description doesn't always meet the platform's requirement and risks restriction. We show how to fill in the correct fields in GPSR on Allegro — how to add the required information.

Mistake 7: "I'll sort it out once they block it"

A reactive approach is costly. A restricted listing means frozen stock and lost sales while you assemble the documentation. It's cheaper and faster to prepare the documentation in advance. The full path is in GPSR step by step — from product to compliance.

Table: mistake and its consequence

Mistake	Typical consequence
Confusing CE with GPSR	Listing restricted despite the CE mark
No EU responsible person	Safety data field blocked
Data only in English	Language requirement not met
Copying from competitors	No real documentation during inspection
No batch/model number	No traceability — a problem in a recall
Data only in the description	Risk of a restricted listing

Mistake 8: Warnings disconnected from the risk assessment

Sellers often write warnings "off the top of their head" before even carrying out a risk assessment. The result: a warning about "small parts" on a product that doesn't have any, and no warning about overheating on a charger. The risk assessment is the source of correct warnings — skipping it makes the safety data arbitrary. This isn't just a formal error: an incorrect warning can turn out to be worse than none at all, because it misleads the consumer about the real hazard.

Mistake 9: Treating GPSR as a one-off task

GPSR isn't "sort it and forget it". When you change suppliers, introduce a new product variant, or get a safety-related signal, the documentation needs updating. A new batch with a different specification is potentially a new risk assessment and new warnings. Sellers who filled in the fields once and never returned to them risk their data no longer matching the product actually being sold.

How to avoid all these mistakes at once

The common denominator of all these errors is a missing foundation: consistent documentation prepared in advance, tailored to the product and the company. Once you have a risk assessment, established responsible-person data, and ready warning texts in Polish, filling in Allegro's fields becomes mechanical, and the risk of a restricted listing drops to almost zero. The reverse order — filling in fields without a foundation — is exactly the source of these eight or nine mistakes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I copy GPSR data from another seller of the same product?

No. The responsible person's data and the risk assessment must relate to your company and your product. Copying someone else's documentation substitutes someone else's data and doesn't give you real compliance — in an inspection you won't be able to account for a product described by another entity's data.

Is an English instruction from the manufacturer enough?

No. GPSR requires warnings and instructions in the language of the country where the product is made available. For sales in Poland, that means information in Polish. English or Chinese text from the factory must be translated and adapted.

I have a CE mark — do I still need something for GPSR?

Yes. CE and GPSR are different requirements. Even a product with a valid CE mark must have manufacturer data, an EU responsible person, warnings in Polish, and traceability, and the safety data must appear in the listing before purchase.

Is entering GPSR data in the listing description enough?

Not always. Allegro provides dedicated fields for GPSR safety data and expects them to be filled in. Entering the information only in the free-text description risks a restricted listing — it's better to fill in the correct, structured fields.