HOLIDAYMAKERS should be aware of “highly dangerous” holiday essentials that are being sold widely online, a charity has warned.
Listings on marketplace sites suggest at least 10,000 devices that have been sold pose a “serious risk” of electrocution.
Dangerous travel plug adaptors are being sold on major online marketplaces, a charity has warned (stock image) Credit: Getty
“Highly dangerous” travel adaptors are being sold to thousands on online market places.
An investigation conducted by the charity Electrical Safety First found that 14 devices listed on AliExpress, eBay, TikTok Shop, and Amazon Marketplace failed basic safety tests.
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The worst offenders sold on these sites were found to cause a risk of serious electric shock, and even electrocution.
Six of the eight tested universal travel adapters posed a serious electric shock risk, as multiple sets of live pins could be exposed simultaneously while in use.
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In the most serious circumstances, such as if someone were to touch the pins with wet hands, the consequences could be fatal, the charity warned.
The plug pins on all eight universal travel adaptors also failed to meet the dimensional and mechanical strength requirements, meaning that they could break off inside a socket.
If a user instinctively tried to remove the broken pin, they could be exposed to a serious risk of electric shock.
A further six basic travel adaptors failed key safety tests due missing safety shutters, missing fuses, oversized plug pin holes, and devices that accepted three-pin plugs without an earth connection.
These defects significantly increase the risk of electric shock and fires, as well as making it far easier to come into contact with live electrical parts.
Four universal and two basic travel adaptors underwent further testing in an external specialist laboratory to assess the fire resistance and flammability of the plastic materials used in the product, with all these plugs failing the tests.
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: “Shopping for your holiday getaway should be an enjoyable experience, not one that puts you at serious risk.
“Shoppers in the UK shouldn’t have to question whether the products they buy might put them at risk, yet our investigation shows that dangerous electrical goods are still finding their way into people’s homes through online marketplaces.”
Following these findings, AliExpress, eBay, Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop all removed the adaptor plugs from their sites.
AliExpress and eBay further said they were conducting further checks to remove any other similar listings on their marketplaces.
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said: “Badly designed electricals can have life-altering – even fatal – consequences.
“It’s appalling that online marketplaces continue to fail to prevent dangerous products from reaching consumers, despite countless warnings.”
