23 February 2023 , 00:01
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Dangerous illegal electric heaters that risk causing fires are being sold by online giants Amazon and eBay, an investigation has found.
Consumer group Which? said the gadgets listed on the websites posed “serious harm” when used.
It comes at a time when millions of households have bought electric heaters for a cheaper and more energy efficient way to heat their homes in the face of soaring gas bills.
Which? is now calling on the government to bring in urgent legislation to strengthen product safety, including giving online marketplaces greater legal responsibility for unsafe products sold on their sites.
Ten mini plug-in heaters, some as cheap as £12, were tested at Which?’s product safety lab.
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Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy said the heaters could cause 'serious harm' (Handout)All failed its safety tests, and are illegal to sell in the UK, and posed a risk of electric shock.
Four products, three sold on eBay and one on Amazon, presented a fire risk, according to Which?
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: “Our latest research has uncovered plug-in mini heaters that are illegal and could cause serious harm to consumers – showing the clear failures of online platforms to eradicate unsafe products, fake reviews and dodgy adverts, which have all contributed to promoting dangerous products that end up in people’s homes.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “Safety is a top priority at Amazon and we require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
“Two products were removed in December, including one in relation to safety concerns, and we have proactively removed similar items and introduced measures to prevent new products going on sale.
“We have removed the remaining two products while we investigate.”
An eBay spokesperson said: ‘We take the safety of our users very seriously.
“We had already removed three of the five listings that Which? flagged to us.
“One of the two remaining listings is selling a different product and the other one has already ended.”