Dangerous electrical goods on online marketplaces [AD]

Did you know that when you buy an electrical item online there’s no guarantee that it’s not a fake? It’s easy to set up as a seller on Amazon and Ebay with insufficient regulation on the sites to prevent the sale of faulty electrical products. This might come as a shock, since most of us view the people we buy from as trustworthy. Particularly when the item is delivered quickly and looks as though it comes from Amazon. This hard-hitting video explains the problem.

How to make sure electrical goods are genuine

The Electrical Safety First charity has some great tips to help consumers recognise fake electrical goods online.

• Remember that images won’t always represent what you will receive
• Check out the seller’s contact details and be careful if they don’t have any – fake electrical items may be made abroad where they will not have been tested for safety.
• Be aware that reviews may be fake so you can’t rely on them
• A price that seems too cheap is probably indicative of a fake!
• Download the charity’s Check It Out plugin for Chrome browsers to help you spot a fake.

Sign the petition

As well as their impactive video, Electrical Safety First have created a petition to ask the government to stop the sale of dangerous electricals on online marketplaces. Their aim is to ensure that online marketplaces have to follow the safety regulations applicable to other retailers. This would ensure sellers can only market items certified as safe for UK use. When electrical products are reported as unsafe, they would have to be removed from sale within 24 hours.

All these things seem like complete common sense and I can’t really understand why they haven’t been implemented before. Signing the petition will show your MP that this matter is important to you. You can sign it here.

The impact of faulty electrical goods

Sadly, house fires are a reality for many people, putting the lives of our loved ones and our pets at risk. Not to mention devastating financial loss. According to Electrical Safety First statistics, around 53% of all dwelling fires that started by accident were electrical. Of those, 25.9% were caused by faulty appliances and leads.

Every time the fire brigade is called out, firefighters put their own lives at risk to help the public. I personally feel that if nothing else, we owe it to them to ensure our electrical items are safe. Please consider signing the petition and sharing it to social media. It would be great to know that in 2023, we all become a little bit safer in our homes.