Anatomy of a Refusal Letter: What Each Part Should Tell the Reader
How to read the letter
A refusal letter, also called an information letter, explains the result of reviewing an identified product against the requirements considered by the issuer. It is not a permit document, and no law sets a standard form for it.
Read the letter as a product-specific explanation, not as proof that the goods are safe or approved for every purpose. A useful refusal letter sample can help show how the parts are normally arranged, but the wording must still match the actual goods and the documents used to identify them.
Start by comparing the letter with the product, contract, invoice, packaging and declaration, if one exists. The description should make it possible to identify the same product in all these materials. If the model, composition, set, purpose or labelling changes, the product requires a new review.
Parts of the letter
- 1
Title and issuer
The title should show that the document is a refusal letter or information letter. The issuer should be clearly identified, with details that allow the reader to establish who prepared the document.
An official reply may come from a territorial institution of Rosstandart or from an accredited certification body. A certification body’s accreditation status can be checked in the register of accredited persons, and the issuer can be asked to confirm the document.
- 2
Description of the product
This section should identify the product in enough detail to connect the letter with the actual goods. It may include the product name and other identifying information relevant to the review, such as the model, composition, set, purpose, labelling or article.
The wording should let the reader match the letter with the product, contract, invoice, packaging and declaration. For a product-specific example, see this refusal letter for warning tape guide.
A general product name may be too broad if different versions are subject to different requirements. Changes to the model, composition, set, purpose or labelling require a new review.
- 3
Manufacturer and applicant details
The letter should state the manufacturer and the applicant or other party for whom the review was prepared. These details help connect the document with the supply documents and the product information used for identification.
The names and other details should be consistent with the product card and supporting documents where those documents are used. A mismatch can make it unclear whether the letter covers the goods being offered.
- 4
EAEU HS (TN VED) code, if included
If the letter includes an EAEU HS, or TN VED, code, the code should correspond to the product identified in the document. It is part of the description used for the analysis, not a substitute for the product’s other identifying details.
Marketplace checks may compare the code with information in the product card and with certification or declaration documents. The code should therefore be reviewed together with the product name, model, manufacturer and country.
- 5
The conclusion
The conclusion should state that the identified product is not subject to mandatory certification or declaration within the requirements analysed. This wording is more precise than saying simply that the product is “not subject to certification.”
The shorter wording may be too broad if the product is still subject to a declaration of conformity or another form of control. The conclusion should be read together with the basis of the review and the exact product description.
- 6
The basis of the conclusion
This part should explain why the issuer reached the conclusion and which requirements were considered. Mandatory certification or declaration is determined by EAEU technical regulations and by the unified lists approved by Russian Government Decree No. 2425 of 23 December 2021.
The basis should connect those requirements with the identified product. It should not merely repeat the conclusion, because the purpose of the letter is to explain why there is no mandatory certificate or declaration for that product.
- 7
Date and signature
The date shows when the issuer prepared the information document, while the signature identifies the person responsible for issuing it. The letter should also contain the issuer’s details so that the document can be confirmed if necessary.
A refusal letter is not registered in the Rosaccreditation system, and there is no registry of refusal letters. Rosaccreditation keeps unified registries of certificates and declarations, so checking the issuer and requesting confirmation are important when the document’s origin is in question.
What the letter cannot do
A refusal letter is not a permit and does not replace a certificate or declaration where one is required. It only explains why the identified product is not subject to the mandatory certification or declaration requirements analysed.
It does not prove the product’s quality or safety. The document explains the absence of a mandatory certificate or declaration; it is not evidence that the goods have passed a safety assessment.
The letter also does not automatically cover every version of a product. A change in model, composition, set, purpose or labelling requires the product to be reviewed again.
Marketplace rules may also differ in how such documents are handled. Ozon accepts a refusal letter as a quality document in the relevant process, while Wildberries instructs sellers not to upload refusal letters to product cards and states that unsuitable documents can cause check errors.
