- Fourteen travel adaptors bought from AliExpress, eBay, Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop all failed basic safety tests, with some posing a risk of electric shock and, in the most serious cases, risk of electrocution
- Online marketplaces accused of allowing dangerous electrical products to be sold through their platforms despite claiming customer safety is a “priority”
- Brits travelling abroad are being urged to stick to reputable retailers they know and trust to avoid dangerous travel gadgets
- Charity calls for online marketplaces to be held legally responsible for the safety of products sold by third-party sellers
As millions of Brits prepare to jet off for the sun and sea, serious safety concerns are being raised as highly dangerous travel adaptors are found for sale on major online marketplaces.
A new investigation by consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First saw 14 devices purchased from major platforms Ali Express, eBay, Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop, independently tested by the charity.
All the travel adaptors failed basic safety tests conducted by Electrical Safety First, with the worst offenders posing a risk of serious electric shock or worse: electrocution.
Worryingly, information available on the listings suggests that more than ten thousand devices may have been sold to UK shoppers.
Electric shock and potential electrocution risk
Electrical Safety First purchased eight universal and six basic travel adaptors from four major online marketplaces: AliExpress, eBay, Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop.
Universal travel adaptors are designed with retractable pins that allow them to be used in the UK, Europe, Australia and the US, depending on the traveller's destination.
To be legally sold in the UK, universal travel adaptors must be designed so that live parts are not accessible. That generally means that only one set of plug pins can be exposed at any one time, preventing users from touching live electrical parts.
In six of the eight universal travel adaptors tested, more than one set of plug pins could be exposed and live at the same time whilst the adaptor was plugged in.
This means users could come into contact with up to 240 volts of electricity, posing a serious risk of electric shock. In the most serious circumstances, such as if someone were to touch the pins with wet hands, the consequences could be fatal. Six of the universal travel adaptors were also labelled as offering "surge protection", but internal inspection found no surge protection device fitted, meaning they would not provide the protection claimed for consumers' electrical devices.
The plug pins on all eight universal travel adaptors also failed to meet the dimensional and mechanical strength requirements.
Testing found the pins could snap under force, meaning that they could break off inside a socket. If a user instinctively tried to remove the broken pin, they could be exposed to a serious risk of electric shock.
One of the universal travel adaptors sold on Amazon Marketplace had almost 9,000 reviews. Worryingly, one buyer reported the product overheating on first use. Another claimed the product destroyed the appliance it was charging.
Another universal travel adaptor sold on AliExpress also had concerning reviews, with one buyer claiming it exploded whilst they were using it.
“Shopping for your holiday getaway should be an enjoyable experience, not one that puts you at serious risk,” Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First said. “Shoppers in the UK shouldn’t have to question whether the products they buy might put them at risk, yet our investigation shows that dangerous electrical goods are still finding their way into people’s homes through online marketplaces.”
“What looks like a bargain could come at a much higher cost. We urge Brits heading abroad this summer to think before they buy and only purchase travel adaptors from reputable retailers they know and trust, so they can travel with confidence and avoid taking a potentially dangerous device away with them.”
Six basic travel adaptors were also purchased and tested. Basic travel adaptors are designed for use in a specific country or region, allowing UK electrical products to be plugged into a foreign socket. Unlike universal travel adaptors, they are intended for one destination rather than multiple countries.
Common safety failures revealed by Electrical Safety First during testing included missing safety shutters, which protect users from touching live internal parts. Without them, users could be exposed to a serious risk of electric shock.
Other failures included missing fuses, increasing the risk of fire, oversized plug pin holes, making it easier to come into contact with live electrical parts and adaptors that accepted three-pin plugs without providing an earth connection, removing an important layer of protection against electric shock.
One of the basic travel adaptors from Amazon Marketplace had more than 1,000 reviews. One buyer claimed that one of the plugs they received “fell apart in their hands”, with worries that they “could have been electrocuted” if it had fallen apart when they attempted to use it.
Alarmingly, the product was marked as Amazon’s Choice which highlights “highly rated, well-priced products available to ship immediately”.
Further fire risks revealed
Four universal and two basic travel adaptors underwent further testing in an external specialist laboratory to assess the fire resistance and flammability of the plastic materials used in the product.
The test, known as a ‘glow wire’ test, subjects specific areas of the products plastic casing to a pre-heated element.
On contact with the element, the plastic must resist catching alight or self-extinguish within 30 seconds after removal.
All six samples failed this test, with flames engulfing parts of the plastic subject to the heated element. The failure of this test also demonstrated these devices would act as fuel in the event of a fire, propagating it further due to the poor quality plastics used.
Repeat offenders
The findings come less than a year on from a similar investigation by the charity, where it identified 15 dangerous travel adaptors being sold across TikTok Shop, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com, with tens of thousands of units having been sold to shoppers.
Testing of two universal travel adaptors from TikTok Shop raised serious safety concerns. One failed every safety test carried out, whilst the other failed all but one, posing a risk of fire and serious electric shock.
A further 13 basic travel adaptor listings were also identified across Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com. Unlike the universal travel adaptors brought and tested from TikTok Shop, these products were deemed unsafe simply by assessing the images used in their listings, meaning no purchase or testing was required.
Time for change
The findings come at a pivotal moment, with the Government considering whether to introduce a duty of care that would make online marketplaces accountable for the safety of products sold through their platforms, including proactive measures to prevent unsafe products from being listed.
Having exposed hundreds of dangerous electrical products across major sites, Electrical Safety First has long campaigned for online marketplaces to be held legally responsible for the safety of products sold through their platforms, including clear legal responsibilities, strong enforcement powers and significant penalties for non-compliance.
Despite online marketplaces repeatedly claiming that customer safety is a priority, investigations continue to uncover dangerous products being sold by third-party sellers. Currently, online marketplaces are not legally recognised as part of the traditional supply chain, meaning they have no direct responsibility for ensuring these products are safe.
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: “Shopping in the UK is currently far too dangerous. Time and time again, we find dangerous products being sold through online marketplaces. These platforms claim customer safety is a priority, yet our investigations show that, in reality, they perpetually fail to prevent dangerous goods being made freely available to the public.”
“The Government’s consultation on product safety must deliver bold, robust measures that hold online marketplaces accountable. Without this, dangerous products will continue to put consumers’ lives at risk.”
Right of replies
A spokesperson for AliExpress said: “Product safety is our top priority at AliExpress. We have removed the three travel adapter listings identified by Electrical Safety First and are contacting affected customers to initiate a recall through our established channels. We have also launched a wider review of universal travel adapter listings where all plug pins are shown extended at the same time. Any listing with this unsafe characteristic will be restricted from sale until the seller takes corrective action. We welcome detailed findings like these and remain committed to tackling product safety issues through our established processes.”
A spokesperson for eBay said: "We have removed the listings identified by Electrical Safety First and we’re carrying out wider checks to find and remove any similar listings.
“At eBay, we combine technology, AI-supported monitoring and specialist teams to help maintain a safe and trusted marketplace. We also work closely with regulators to monitor for unsafe products and enhance our prevention efforts. Together, these proactive measures have prevented millions of potentially unsafe items from being listed every year."
A spokesperson for Amazon said: "We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and our own policies. The products identified have been removed from sale.
“We proactively monitor our store for safety alerts and product recalls and remove relevant products and email customers who purchased them. If we discover a product was undetected by our automated checks, we address the issue immediately and refine our controls.”
According to TikTok. Please note TikTok request that the below is on background only and state that it cannot be directly quoted but can be paraphrased and used as "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 utmost priority, and we have strict measures in place to ensure that our sellers comply with regulations and safety standards.
TikTok uses a combination of technology and manual moderation to enforce our policies for TikTok Shop.
If we find that any sellers or creators have breached our policies, we take action, including removing their products, deactivating their accounts, or suspending the e-commerce features available to them, like the ability to participate in campaigns or add new listings.