UK warning over dangerous travel adaptors
Consumer safety group Electrical Safety First has issued a warning regarding dangerous travel adaptors sold on major online marketplaces. Testing revealed that several products failed to meet UK safety standards, posing risks of electric shock and fire.
Why it matters
It underscores the ongoing challenges of regulating product safety on third-party e-commerce platforms and the potential physical risks to consumers.
Figure caption, Watch: Power adaptors fail fire resistance testing
Brits going on holiday abroad this summer have been warned to watch out for dangerous travel adaptors, after an investigation suggested thousands may be for sale online.
Consumer safety group Electrical Safety First (ESF) tested 14 products from AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and TikTok Shop - and found they all failed to meet UK safety requirements.
It said in some instances the devices could expose users to risk of serious electric shock or electrocution.
AliExpress, Amazon, eBay and TikTok all said they had removed the products ESF flagged from sale, and that they treated product safety as a top priority.
But Giuseppe Capanna, ESF product safety engineer, urged those "heading abroad this summer to think before they buy".
"What looks like a bargain could come at a much higher cost," he warned.
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