“The Government should hold internet vendors more accountable for selling toxic goods”, experts warn

According to a coalition of emergency services, consumer advocacy groups, and safety organizations, the government should hold internet vendors more accountable for selling toxic goods.
The internet markets are observed to be a “hotbed” for dangerous electronics such as dangerous toys, hairdryers, and straighteners, which can cause electric shock.

According to the group, Amazon, eBay, Wish, and AliExpress should be held responsible for harmful listings.

Dangerous goods are still available for purchase on Wish.

Regulators have permitted eBay listings to be taken down. Plugs and festive lights sold online ‘can be a fire risk,’ and there are plugs for high-powered devices that do not meet UK electrical safety standards. These are just a few instances of the wide range of dangerous products supplied to consumers every day.

According to the letter signed by the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade, Electrical Safety First, the British Toy and Hobby Association, and the Child Accident Prevention Trust, among others says “According to research conducted by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, a sum of 63 percent of electrical products sold on online marketplaces were “non-compliant,” and nearly a quarter was unsafe.”

69 percent of online dealers are still selling some unsafe children’s toys that were banned in this course.

According to a study conducted by the British Toy and Hobby Association on toys supplied by third-party online retailers, 88 percent of samples purchased in a year were prohibited for sale in the UK, and 48 percent were hazardous.

Lesley Rudd, chief executive of Electrical Safety First, stated, “It is time to close this dangerous gap in the law that allows online marketplaces to hold little to no responsibility for the safety of the products from which they profit.”

Meanwhile, eBay stated that its security team “has performed sweeps to identify and remove other listings offering such products, informed the relevant buyers and that appropriate action has been taken against the sellers”.

Amazon also supported this word and stated, “We have proactive measures in place to prevent suspicious or non-compliant products from being listed, and we monitor the products sold in our stores for product safety concerns.

When appropriate, we remove a product from the store, reach out to sellers, manufacturers, and government agencies for additional information, or take other actions.”

AliExpress, the Chinese website joined in saying, “We take very seriously the safety of all our customers, and we work hard to ensure a safe shopping environment.” Adding, “We have strict platform rules that require all third-party sellers to comply with all applicable local laws and regulations”.