- New investigation reveals Brits set for last-minute getaways are at risk from dangerous travel adaptors
- Snapshot investigation reveals 15 dangerous travel adaptors sold freely online, with one device on TikTok Shop selling over 50,000 units globally
- Other major online marketplaces Amazon, eBay and Wish.com also found to be hosting the sale of illegal and dangerous travel adaptors
- Charity is calling for regulation of online marketplaces to make them accountable for products sold by third-party sellers
Brits set for last-minute getaways abroad are being warned dangerous travel adaptors sold online could be making their way into their suitcase, risking a holiday from hell.
A new investigation by consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First found that dangerous and illegal travel adaptors for sale on multiple major online marketplaces are putting Brits planning a trip abroad at serious risk.
Product safety experts at Electrical Safety First identified 15 dangerous travel adaptor models for sale across TikTok Shop, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com, with tens of thousands of units having been sold to shoppers.
TikTok Shop – or shock?
Electrical Safety First purchased two ‘universal travel adaptors’ from TikTok Shop, both designed with retractable pins to fit sockets in the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA.
One of the adaptors, black in colour, which had been brought over 50,000 times globally, failed every safety test, risking fire and serious electric shock.
Testing revealed that more than one set of plug pins were able to be exposed at one time when plugged in and live, posing a risk of electric shock, and potential risk to life if touched with wet hands, with testing demonstrating how the user is at risk of coming into contact with 240 volts.
For a universal travel adaptor to be legally sold in the UK, it must be designed so that all pins cannot be exposed at once, to prevent pins that are live being accessible, which can risk serious electric shock. Both travel adaptor models from TikTok Shop failed to meet this crucial safety requirement.
Both devices from TikTok Shop were also labelled as having “surge protection”, but internal inspection found no surge protector fitted, therefore not offering any protection to consumers’ electronics.
The second adaptor, in white, purchased over 1,000 times, failed all but one safety test, putting consumers at high risk of fire and electric shock.
“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. Consumers should be able to trust that the products they buy online are safe, but our investigation shows that is far from the case,” Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said. “These
Amazon Marketplace, eBay & Wish.com
The charity’s investigation also identified 13 basic travel adaptor listings across Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com.
Unlike the universal travel adaptors brought and tested from TikTok Shop, Electrical Safety First experts were able to condemn the product listings on Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com simply by assessing the images used to advertise the products alone, where no purchase testing was required.
Common dangers included no shutters to protect live internal parts, leaving children and adults exposed to electric shock, no fuse, which helps to reduce fire risk, and overly large plug pin holes, making it easier to touch live parts while in use.
One travel adaptor brought from Amazon designed for Brits heading to Switzerland on holiday was advertised as being “electric shock proof”, but upon investigation, it had no safety shutters at all, with further defects, meaning it actually posed a serious risk of electric shock.
Worryingly, the product was marked as Amazon’s Choice which highlights “highly rated, well-priced products available to ship immediately”.
Calls for regulation
Electrical Safety First has been at the forefront campaigning for online marketplaces to be held legally responsible for the safety of goods sold via their sites, exposing hundreds of dangerous products across major platforms including Amazon, eBay, Wish, Temu and AliExpress over many years.
At present, online marketplaces are not legally recognised as an actor in the supply chain, meaning they have no legal responsibility for the safety of goods sold by third parties on their platforms.
“Without proper regulation, dangerous goods will keep flooding into homes through online marketplaces, putting people at risk,” Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, commented. “Online marketplaces must finally be held legally responsible for the safety of products sold through their platforms, and the forthcoming consultation for the Product Regulation and Metrology Act must be bold, brave and robust to effectively tackle the ‘wild west’ of online shopping. Without legal duties on these online giants, shoppers will continue to be put at risk when simply shopping online. 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.”
Right of replies
An eBay spokesperson said:
“At eBay, consumer safety is a top priority. We work diligently to keep our site safe and prevent prohibited listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms for unsafe listings, and AI-supported monitoring by our team of in-house specialists. These proactive measures have prevented millions of potentially unsafe products from being listed every year. Listings that violate eBay policy, including those identified by Electrical Safety First, are swiftly removed.”
According to TikTok:
- These listings have been removed for violating our product safety policies. We have also removed the associated videos promoting the product.
- The safety of our customers is of our top priority, and we have strict measures in place to ensure that our sellers comply with regulations and safety standards.
- TikTok has policies and processes to protect customers and promote a trustworthy shopping experience. This includes policies on what can and can't be sold, seller registration and verification requirements, and features like product reviews, reporting tools, and easy returns
- TikTok uses a combination of technology and manual moderation to enforce our policies for TikTok Shop.
- Between July 2024 and December 2024, we rejected more than 50m product listing attempts using a combination of algorithmic and human moderation efforts that help safeguard our platform.
An Amazon spokesperson said:
“We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies.
“We ensure our selection meets industry-accepted standards, and we develop innovative tools to prevent unsafe products from being listed.
“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 products in question have been removed while we investigate.”
Wish said:
“At Wish, the safety and well-being of our users is our foremost priority. We can confirm that all product listings highlighted by UK Electrical Safety First have been promptly removed from our platform.
“We take every report of unsafe or non-compliant products very seriously. Our dedicated compliance team acts swiftly to review such listings and ensure they are removed, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to user safety.
“Wish is deeply committed to fostering a safe, reliable, and trustworthy shopping environment. We will continue to enhance our monitoring processes and strengthen collaboration with regulators, safety authorities, and other key stakeholders, ensuring that our platform remains a safe place for all users.”