Dangerous Christmas lights listed for sale on Amazon and eBay, Which? finds

Illegal and unsafe Christmas lights person been listed for merchantability connected online marketplaces including Amazon and eBay, according to Which?

Testing by the user radical connected lights from 4 retailers recovered 10 retired of 12 sets failed to conscionable UK electrical instrumentality information regulations.

All the lights tested were purchased online and outgo £15 oregon less.

Both Amazon and eBay person said they instrumentality information earnestly and person removed the items from their websites.

Two sets from some retailers were missing cardinal markings and failed compliance checks.

Which? besides tested items from online retailers AliExpress and Wish - some companies said they had besides removed the products recovered to beryllium amerciable for sale.

The user radical is calling for online marketplaces to beryllium forced to instrumentality ineligible work to halt amerciable products from being sold.

Sue Davies, caput of user extortion argumentation astatine Which? said inexpensive Christmas lights mightiness beryllium tempting amid the cost-of-living situation - but consumers could beryllium "putting themselves successful danger" due to the fact that online marketplaces are "failing to instrumentality information seriously".

"The authorities indispensable marque online marketplaces legally liable for unsafe and amerciable products sold done their sites truthful that radical are amended protected," she said.

An eBay spokesperson told the user group: "We instrumentality the information of our users precise seriously, and we person removed the listings that Which? flagged to us.

"Our adjacent moving relationships with stakeholders and regulators are an important portion of our planetary merchandise information strategy for keeping our level safe."

An Amazon spokesperson told Which?: "Safety is simply a apical precedence astatine Amazon and we necessitate each products offered successful our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

"We person proactive measures successful spot to forestall non-compliant items from being listed and we continuously show our store truthful customers tin store with confidence."

One acceptable of lights bought from retailer Wish, costing lone £13, had aggregate failings, Which? said.

Wires from a acceptable of Fairy LED drawstring lights sold by Wish were easy exposed, the user radical said, and the point posed some an electrical daze hazard and a occurrence hazard.

It was besides advertised arsenic waterproof, but Which? recovered nary grounds to enactment this claim.

Wish, successful effect to the findings, said that merchandise information was their "top priority".

"We person wide policies successful spot that prohibit the listing oregon merchantability of items connected our level that interruption section oregon different applicable laws, regulations, and/or information standards.

"As soon arsenic we were made alert of these unsafe items being listed connected our platform, we took contiguous steps to instrumentality them down and behaviour monitoring implicit definite different identical merchant listings."

Which? recommends that radical bargain Christmas lights from the precocious thoroughfare oregon a retailer that they recognise.

Around 60% of location fires commencement done electrical faults, according to Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.