A consumer advocacy group warns that unlicensed electric blankets are being marketed online and could deliver electric shocks.
Which? discovered that some of the sold goods are “so badly” made that they present “a major risk.”
Separately, the nonprofit Electrical Safety First claims to have discovered “extremely unsafe” electrical devices being sold online by unaffiliated dealers.
To strengthen consumer protection, it needs new restrictions.
Electric blanket use has increased significantly as a result of the cost of living crisis as people attempt to use their central heating as little as possible.
In the UK, it is illegal to sell nine out of the 11 electric blankets, throws, and shawls that Which? purchased from independent vendors on AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, and Wish.
The packaging, labels, markings, and instructions were among the issues the consumer champion organisation found with the products’ manufacture.
Which? discovered that some products lacked the necessary safety standard marks and others had electric wires that could be easily yanked out.
Some of the blankets were not only unsafe, but also very ineffective and malfunctioned.
The online markets have now eliminated everyone who was identified by Which? as having problems.
Which? demands that platforms be held more legally accountable for permitting dangerous and illegal goods to be sold on their platform.
The current strategy places the majority of the blame on the third-party sellers.
The safety of consumers may be at danger if they purchase these items on online marketplaces for a bargain, according to Sue Davies, head of Which consumer ?’s protection policy.
In order to stop putting consumers at needless risk of injury, the government now has to take action by granting online marketplaces greater legal accountability for the harmful and unlawful products sold on their platforms.
To increase regulation in this sector, Labour MP for Gateshead Ian Mearns put out a Private Member’s Bill last week.
The bill, which had the backing of the nonprofit Electrical Safety First, sought to “close a legal loophole” that had previously allowed internet marketplaces to operate “without any accountability” for making sure that the devices being sold on their sites were in fact safe.
Electrical Safety First discovered “extremely unsafe” electrical devices being sold by independent merchants on popular online marketplaces like Wish.com, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Amazon Marketplace.
Lesley Rudd, the boss, said: “People constantly put their homes at risk by using things like hazardous electric blankets in an effort to save heating expenses.
“People will continue to be exposed and vulnerable without reforms to the legislation.”
In response to Which warning, ?’s AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, and Wish.com all stated that they take safety very seriously.
None of the product’s independent vendors responded to Which? with a remark.
