A coalition of industry and consumer bodies has warned that online marketplaces are a ‘hotbed’ for dangerous goods and that reforms to the law are needed to combat them.

In an open letter to the UK Government, leading groups warned that current legislation is “inadequate” to protect online buyers, and continue to put people at risk from dangerous goods.

The group stated that “gaps in the law” are currently allowing online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay to not be recognised as “actors in the supply chain” the same way as high street retailers.

This means that large sellers have no responsibility for the safety of products sold to consumers on their platforms, leaving people, especially children, at risk of defective and dangerous products. “This cannot be allowed to continue,” the letter stated.

Signed by more than ten key industry bodies including the British Toy & Hobby Association, National Fire Chiefs’ Council and Which?, the letter calls on the British Government to provide an update to product safety laws to regulate the sale of dangerous goods sold in this way, making the marketplaces more responsible.

A joint investigation by Electrical Safety First and the British Toy & Hobby Association found that unsafe items were easily identified and currently for sale across Amazon Marketplace, eBay, Wish.com and AliExpress.

Products such as hair dryers and straighteners were found to be advertised with illegal mains plugs, while children’s toys with previously failed safety standards were also found to be for sale.

After being contacted by Electrical Safety First about the discovered products, the flagged items were removed from sale.

Commenting on the news, Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First commented: “It is time to close this dangerous gap in the law that allows online marketplaces to hold little to no responsibility for the safety of the products from which they profit.

“For too long consumers have been left to navigate online marketplaces with inadequate legal protection or confidence that what they are buying is safe. This Cyber Monday we are calling for urgent action by the Government to end this scandal once and for all.”

Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, added: “People are being exposed every day to dangerous products on online marketplaces that have been sold without adequate safety checks or monitoring.

“The current regulatory framework is not fit for purpose and does not account for the massive shift to online shopping. To help address this, it is essential that online marketplaces are urgently given greater legal responsibility for the safety of all products sold on their sites.”

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Online marketplaces that were part of the investigation have responded to the investigation, with a spokesperson for Wish stating that each of the highlighted items “have been removed from the platform” as they clearly violate local laws, as well as safety standards.

“We remain committed to creating a safe and fun environment for users to shop online, and continue to deploy further measures to help prevent, detect, and remove unsafe items from the platform,” the statement continued.

A spokesperson from Amazon said that the safety of its customers is “important” and that the firm wanted customers to “shop with confidence” in its stores.

Over the coronavirus pandemic, firms such as Wish and Amazon have seen exponential profit increases as people stayed at home during lockdowns and purchased items online.

Amazon in particular saw a strong performance, with an announced revenue increase in February of 44% compared to the final quarter of 2019, coming in at $125.6 billion, its first-ever $100-billion quarter.

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