With more people turning to the internet to do their Christmas shopping this year due to the pandemic, in Electrical Safety Week (30th November - 6th December) North Wales MS Mark Isherwood is warning people of the risks of buying electrical goods online.
Research commissioned by Electrical Safety First found 3 in 5 (57%) Welsh residents will be shopping from online marketplaces for Christmas this year. These numbers could increase even more if current lockdowns and restrictions are extended.
The majority (58%) of Welsh respondents who are planning to shop from online marketplaces say they’re doing so because they believe these websites to be a safer way of shopping than going to the High Street during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Electrical Safety First is concerned consumers are simply replacing one risk with another, as multiple investigations from the Charity have unearthed dangerous electrical products for sale via third parties on these sites.
The Charity is urging consumers to reduce their chances of buying dangerous electricals by sticking to the stores or websites of known manufacturers and retailers such as those found on the high street.
Commenting, Mr Isherwood said:
“With more people than ever shopping online due to the restrictions imposed by Coronavirus, it is vital that people are aware of the risks and I am grateful to Electrical Safety First for highlighting them and providing guidance for shoppers to follow.
“We are all trying to protect ourselves from Covid, but we need to ensure that we also protect ourselves, and those we are buying gifts for, from the potential hazards of faulty electrical goods.
“I therefore urge my constituents to be vigilant when shopping for electrical products online and to follow the advice of Electrical Safety First.”
Robert Jervis-Gibbons, Policy & Public Affairs Manager at Electrical Safety First, commented:
“It is totally understandable that many consumers in Wales are planning do their Christmas shopping online to avoid the high street this year. However, when it comes to electrical goods, it is really important to use the stores or websites of known manufacturers and retailers such as those found on the high street, rather than resorting to third party sellers on online marketplaces. Our investigations have found some extremely dangerous items for sale on these platforms and substandard or counterfeit products are often very difficult to spot to the untrained eye. Our proposed legislation – which you can support by signing a petition on the Electrical Safety First website – would force these marketplaces to take active responsibility for the goods sold on their sites. But until this is passed, we must urge caution.”
Electrical Safety First has issued these Top Tips for people who are shopping online: -
- Make sure you are buying from a recognisable and reputable supplier, like a manufacturer or retailer you would find on the high street.
- Check the packaging and item carefully - Look for tell-tale signs such as flimsy packaging or low quality printing, spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
- All electrical products should have safety certifications on their label if they’re made by a legitimate manufacturer.
- If there is a certification mark on the packaging but not the product, it is likely to be fake.
- If you’ve purchased the product from a UK retailer, check to see whether the appliance has a three-pin UK plug or charger.
- If you think an item is not a genuine electrical product – never use it.
