Commenting on the BBC Watchdog investigation into dangerous products sold via Amazon Marketplace, Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First said:
“We would never allow our high street stores to stock illegal products and the law needs to prevent this from happening on online marketplaces. At present these platforms are not held responsible for dangerous products sold via their site, and the law doesn’t protect the consumer from this very real risk of harm. The Government has an opportunity to protect consumers by including dangerous products in its forthcoming Online Safety Bill and we urge them to do so.
Online shoppers should be wary of trusting reviews and recommendations as this is no guarantee the product is safe to use. The best way to protect yourself is to shop from a trusted high street retailer or directly from an online equivalent.”