Consumer group Which? calls for urgent government action after discovering fake and dodgy chargers for sale through online marketplaces seven years after first raising the alarm
An investigation has discovered potentially lethal knock-off phone chargers being sold on big name websites.
Consumer group Which? found fake or dodgy chargers on Amazon, B&Q and eBay that it warned posed a risk of electrocution or exploding.
The latest discovery comes seven years after Which? first exposed the danger they posed to unsuspecting buyers in the UK. It is calling on the government to urgently use new powers to impose a clear legal duty on online marketplaces to ensure the safety of products sold by third-party sellers.
Which? bought 15 USB chargers from seven online marketplaces and tested them to determine whether they were safe and legal to sell in the UK. Nine were so badly manufactured that anyone using them was at risk of receiving an electric shock, it said.
They included an £11.99 power adaptor bought from eBay whose box had the Apple logo, but in tests by Which? researchers was found to be a cheap and dangerous fake. A lump of modelling clay was found inside, in what was believed to give the charger a more weighty, robust and genuine feel.
The same was found inside a £9.99 Dual Port 35W charger from Debenhams’ marketplace. It failed all of Which?’s electrical safety tests. Two unbranded phone chargers were also bought from eBay sellers for £2.10 and £2.80, and both were found to pose a risks of fire, explosion and electrocution.
Which? bought four chargers from Amazon and Amazon Haul, the online giant’s ultra-cheap arm. An unbranded USB-C charger for £6.99 from Amazon Haul failed electrical safety tests and was found to be a shock and fire risk for anybody using it. The packaging, markings and instructions provided were all missing required information.
Which? says two chargers bought from sellers on AliExpress for £1.30 and £5.69 could also be dangerous for anyone using them. Parts of the electrical circuitry were too close together on both, which could cause an explosion, fire or an electric shock. And a 2-1 Super Fast Charger (£10.99) bought from a seller on B&Q Marketplace also failed safety tests and hds the potential to explode, cause a fire or to give users an electric shock.
Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said: “Badly designed electricals like these can have life-altering – even fatal – consequences.
“Online marketplaces have known about the danger of knock off chargers for the better part of a decade, but consumers continue to be placed at risk.
“The government must urgently use the new powers it has under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act to update product safety legislation and impose a clear legal duty on online marketplaces for ensuring the safety of products sold through their third-party sellers, with tough enforcement for those that fall short. By making online marketplaces legally responsible for unsafe products, the government can set a world-leading standard for product safety in the digital age.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “Customer safety is a top priority at Amazon and we have partnered with Electrical Safety First to provide customers with easy-to-understand expert tips on charging devices safely. “We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations, Amazon policies, and we monitor for product safety concerns.
“We’ve removed the highlighted items. We proactively monitor our store for safety alerts and product recalls and remove relevant products and email customers who purchased them. If we discover a product was undetected by our automated checks, we address the issue immediately and refine our controls.”
An eBay spokesperson said: “We can confirm that all of the items listed in this investigation had already been removed by eBay’s standard safety measures prior to Which? sharing them with us.”
An AliExpress spokesperson said: “AliExpress takes product safety very seriously, and we have strict rules and policies in place to ensure a safe online shopping environment.
“We have removed both identified products: one was taken down via proactive monitoring early this May, the other was removed immediately upon your report; and same takedown actions were already made for any that are identical to these products as well.”
A Debenhams spokesperson said: “We take product safety and compliance extremely seriously. The product in question was listed by a third-party seller through our marketplace. As soon as we were made aware of the potential safety issue, we immediately removed this product from our website.”
A B&Q spokesperson said: “We take the safety of products sold by sellers at B&Q Marketplace very seriously and proactively check to ensure no products subject to an OPSS recall are offered for sale.”
