Savings that kill: why cheap goods in online stores are dangerous

Consumer advocacy organizations have found that online companies such as Amazon, Wish, and eBay sometimes sell extremely dangerous goods on platforms. As a rule, they attract consumers at an extremely attractive price. The edition told in more detail with the BBC.

Photo: Shutterstock

The reason for concern was the laptop, which caught fire after the original battery was replaced with a new one purchased from Amazon. It was after this incident that the charity Electrical Safety First warned of the dangers of buying electrical goods on the Internet.

ESF has reported the discovery of some highly hazardous items for sale on Amazon, eBay and Wish and now wants the authorities to draft appropriate legislation to regulate such sales.

“It was around 22:30 pm, I was in the kitchen and just about to take my two dogs for a walk. The laptop was charging on the table at the time, says Rachel Kent, who bought the ill-fated battery from a seller on Amazon. “And then there was a crash and a loud bang. In a panic, I jumped out into the garden with the dogs and from there I saw with horror how something slammed in the laptop again, it caught fire, and the flames ran across the table.”

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Rachel called the firefighters and the flames were extinguished.

“Fortunately, the children were visiting their grandmother at that time, but if they were at home, the fire would have cut me off from them, and it’s scary to even think about,” the woman admits. “Then I was informed that the culprit was the battery, which I bought to replace the branded one, which had deteriorated.”

Even children's toys

ESF CEO Leslie Rudd has no doubts that many people make these kinds of online purchases on Christmas Eve.

“We strongly advise anyone buying electrical appliances to purchase them from stores or websites of reputable manufacturers or retailers, rather than from third parties selling online,” Rudd says. “During the investigation, we discovered very dangerous goods. But low-quality or counterfeit items are sometimes very difficult to identify by eye, especially if you have no experience.”

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Sue Davis, head of consumer protection at Which?, Agrees with this, which tests and compares the widest range of products and services.

“Which? "We are constantly discovering many dangerous products being sold in online stores, including those that are purchased as Christmas gifts, such as Christmas tree decorations and children's toys," explains Davis. “With people relying more than ever on online shopping this winter, online retailers should be legally required to take responsibility for the safety of the products they sell and prevent dangerous goods from ending up in homes this Christmas.”

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