Urgent warning issued over dangerous travel adaptors sold online,
With a few weeks left of summer, thousands of Britons will be getting ready to jet off on a holiday abroad.
But if you’re planning on charging your electronic devices while on holiday, experts say you could be putting yourself in serious danger.
The charity Electrical Safety First has warned that holidaymakers have been sold thousands of faulty travel adaptors.
These dangerous and illegal adaptors pose a risk of sparking fires and could even give you a fatal electric shock.
An investigation by the charity identified 15 travel adaptors being sold across the TikTok Shop, Amazon, eBay, and Wish.
Each of these devices failed numerous safety tests and frequently neglected to include even basic safety features such as surge protection.
One ‘universal travel adaptor’ marketed on TikTok Shop, which has already sold over 50,000 units, failed every single safety test.
Testing revealed that the adaptor could extend more than one set of plug pins at a time, exposing the user to a 240-volt shock.
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, says: ‘Brits jetting off for sunnier shores could be packing a harmful travel adaptor in their suitcase, as a result of dangerous devices being sold across major online marketplaces.
‘These adaptors are not just illegal, some are potentially lethal. When live pins are exposed, it only takes one accidental touch to cause electric shock, or even death.’
Another travel adaptor purchased from the TikTok Shop, which had been purchased over 1,000 times, failed all but one safety test.
This lack of adequate protection means anyone using the adaptors risks starting a fire while trying to use their electronics.
Neither of the devices purchased from TikTok included a surge protector – a device which limits the amount of power that the plug can transfer – despite being labelled as having surge protection.
That means, during a power surge, the users’ appliances could be badly damaged.
TikTok says that the listings and videos promoting the products have now been removed for violating product safety policies.
In addition to the two devices found on TikTok, Electrical Safety First also found 13 further faulty adaptors across Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com.
These devices were so obviously unsafe that testers did not need to physically inspect the products to determine how dangerous they were.
Common issues included a lack of shutters to protect live internal parts or overly large plug pin holes, which make it easy to accidentally receive an electrical shock.
Several of the adaptors were not fitted with fuses, which helps reduce fire risk.
One travel adaptor, marketed for Britons travelling to Switzerland, was advertised as being ‘electrical shock proof’ but actually posed a serious shock risk.
The adaptor had no safety shutters at all, which, alongside other defects, means it poses a ‘serious’ risk.
Worryingly, the product was marketed as Amazon’s Choice, which highlights ‘highly rated, well-priced products available to ship immediately’, despite a one-star review showing how easily accessible live components were.
An Amazon spokesperson says: ‘We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies.
‘We continuously monitor our store, and if we discover a product was undetected by our automated checks, we address the issue immediately and refine our controls.’
The Amazon spokesperson added that the listing had been removed pending a further investigation.
Electrical Safety First warns customers preparing for their holidays to only purchase electronics from reputable high street brands that they trust.
Customers are also advised to avoid unknown third-party sellers on online digital marketplaces.
The charity is now calling for stricter regulation on digital marketplaces to control the sale of faulty, dangerous electronic goods.
At present, marketplaces are not recognised as an actor in the supply chain, meaning they have no legal responsibility for the safety of goods sold by third parties.
Electrical Safety Now says it would like to see sites like Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop held legally accountable for the sale of dangerous electronics.
Mr Capanna says: ‘Without proper regulation, dangerous goods will keep flooding into homes through online marketplaces, putting people at risk.
‘In the meantime, we urge Brits heading abroad to ensure they buy their travel adaptors from reputable high street retailers, where they can be confident they won’t be packing a substandard device in their suitcase this summer.’
