Shop safely online: how to avoid dangerous products

Online marketplaces – shopping websites that allow you to buy from multiple third-party sellers – do not have the same responsibilities as high street or regular online retailers for the safety of the products sold on their sites. Unfortunately, we’ve seen unsafe products appearing on these platforms time and time again. 

To help you navigate these platforms and work out if you've really found a bargain, or could be putting you or your family at risk, follow our tips and advice to shop safely online.

Fake reviews are another reason you need to be wary online – find out how to spot a fake review with our in-depth guide.

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Four things to check before you make an online purchase

Below, we explain in more detail how to shop safely for electronics, alarms, and baby and child products, but there's some wider advice to take on board when shopping online, to ensure you reduce the risk of buying a potentially harmful product.

Check the brand

Online marketplaces are filled with apparent bargains – on sale for a fraction of the price you'd expect to pay in a high-street store. However, be wary of brands you haven't heard of, especially if there doesn't appear to be any brand at all. 

Time and again we've found issues with 'unbranded' products, from unsafe CO alarms and smoke alarms to killer power adapters and electric heaters. It's not worth the cost saving to purchase a product that doesn't have a reputable brand attached. Follow these tips to check if a product you're looking to purchase could be a risk.

• If there doesn't appear to be a brand attached, be wary. While the risk of buying an unbranded item like a pair of headphones or a phone protector could just be poor quality, for any product that's designed to protect you or may involve a safety concern, like alarms, most electrical items, and products for children, the consequences could be far more severe.
• If you haven't heard of the brand, do some research. Check to see if the brand has a website online and see if it looks reputable, with a clear customer contact and returns policy.
• Check customer reviews – particularly negative reviews, to see if any buyers had issues. Also check to see if other independent websites, like Which?, have reviewed the product.

Check the seller

On most online marketplaces you should be able to find out who's selling the item, where they're based, and read customer feedback. While this isn't a foolproof method, since many sellers stock a vast range of items, it will help to turn up any red flags.

If the item is sold by a business, check reviews on sites like Trustpilot to see if other customers have had any issues with the products.

Finally, make sure you're aware of any refund and return policies – either as stated by the seller, or by the marketplace you're buying through, in case you have problems.

Be aware of safety standards

A product that clearly shows it adheres to safety standards can be reassuring. However, the only mandatory safety requirements are actually for child car seats, where the law states that only EU-approved seats can be used or sold in the UK. These have a clear orange approval label with either R129 or R44.04 on them, indicating they can be sold in the UK market.

All others are voluntary standards, but big brands tend to comply because many major retailers won't stock products if the seller can't prove they are safe and have been tested externally. 

For example, the EN50291 standard for CO alarms is voluntary, but all of the recognisable brands will have passed these standard tests, and you should see this Kitemark on the packaging. 

Despite this, we have found products that appear to have a safety or CE/UKCA mark attached and yet have proven unsafe - possibly because the mark has been faked, so it's no guarantee. If in doubt, follow the advice on this page: stick to known, reputable brands that meet current safety standards.

Be wary of fake reviews

It might be tempting to take reassurance from swathes of positive customer reviews of a product, but be very wary of fake reviews. Our research has often found evidence of fake reviews on the sorts of unbranded items we're warning against – five star reviews are a great way for an unknown seller or product to stand out.

Some quick tips on navigating fake reviews include:

• Ignore five star reviews – fakers commonly request five stars in return for an incentive or reward. Instead, check four star reviews and below for a more honest picture of the product.
• Check to see if reviews are about the actual product, rather than the service, and if they include useful detail on performance or quality.
• Check the most recent ratings – you may be able to sort by date, to check whether recent buyers had any particular issues.

For more tips on fake reviews, read our in-depth guide on how to spot a fake review.

Scams are another potential hazard online - our guide on how to spot an online shopping scam can keep you one step ahead. 

How to shop safely for electronics online

Most electronic items carry a potential risk, in that if there are issues with the wiring, the fuse or other aspects of construction the product could overheat, or even start a fire.

Our advice

The key advice here is to stick to a brand you recognise, but also be wary of counterfeits and fakes. For most electronic items it's far better to pay a bit more for peace of mind, or stick to purchases from well known high street or online retailers, rather than little known marketplace sellers.

Look for CE/UKCA marks to ensure any electronics are certified for use in the UK, but bear in mind that these can be faked. 

What our safety investigations have revealed

• Unreliable infrared thermometers that failed to measure temperatures accurately.
• Christmas lights that were electrically unsafe and dangerous to use. 
• Phone chargers, adapters and power banks that could cause fires or give shocks.
• Illegal electric heaters that could pose a risk of electric shocks, burns or fire.
• Potentially dangerous ‘energy-saving boxes’ that don't comply with British safety standards.

How to shop safely for home safety and security alarms online

It should go without saying that any item that's built to potentially save your life should be a considered purchase – so it's important to take extra care when shopping for devices like safety alarms.

One issue we've repeatedly exposed over the years is around the dangers of unbranded carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke alarms that failed to detect the killer gas or sound the alarm. We've reported these to online marketplaces many times and yet still repeatedly find them for sale, having previously been removed.

Our advice

Again, the advice here is to stick to reputable brands and sellers, and don't be tempted to cut corners on cost for such an essential purchase.

If you do buy alarms from online marketplaces, go with the brands that you see for sale on the high street. They're the ones that you will be able to rely on to sound the alarm when you need them to.

It’s not just safety you need to consider when shopping online: security is a more recent concern, particularly given the rise of smart, connected devices. Marketplaces are full of cheap alternatives to well-known brands, but we’ve found that unless you choose carefully, you could end up putting your data and your home network at risk.

What our safety and security investigations have revealed

• Killer carbon monoxide alarms repeatedly found for on sale through online marketplaces.
• Deadly smoke alarms found for sale on eBay, AliExpress and Wish.com.
• Insecure wireless cameras that could have critical flaws that expose you to hackers.
• Cheap smart plugs dangerous enough to start a fire, or compromise your personal data. 
• Kids karaoke machines and smart toys that could put children and a home network at risk.

How to shop safely for baby and child products online

In 2021, we bought 28 toys from AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish and found that 12 - or more than 40% of those tested - failed standard safety tests and would be dangerous for children to play with. Some toys failed safety tests multiple times for different hazards.

Our advice

Check for appropriate safety standards. Any product designed for babies or children can adhere to a specific standard and have a CE/UKCA mark that indicates the product has met EU health, safety and environmental concerns. You may also see the Lion Mark on toys, which indicates toy safety and is used by the British Toy and Hobby Association and Toy Retailers Association.

What our safety and security investigations have revealed

• Baby sleeping bags that could lead to a baby overheating, or suffocating.
• Teething toys that contained parts small enough to be swallowed or inhaled.
• Toy slimes with levels of chemicals that could cause diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps.
• Child car seats, which could put your child in harm's way.

Which? calls for greater action against unsafe products online

Which? believes online marketplaces need to do much more to prevent unsafe product listings appearing in the first place, rather than removing these products reactively when they're reported – especially since they appear to be unable to prevent them being relisted for sale.

The government is consulting on potentially positive measures as part of its long-delayed product safety review, including new due care requirements set out in legislation requiring online marketplaces to identify and remove unsafe product listings. However, ministers’ focus on easing ‘burdens on business’ as it reforms the wider product safety regime has exposed the need for an independent UK product safety regulator with a duty to put consumer interests first.  

Which? believes the government must move faster to establish new regulations that enable tough enforcement action, including heavy fines, against online marketplaces that break the rules. Changes being proposed would require legislation but the government has failed to indicate when this would be introduced meaning any changes might not happen until after the election. 

How to report an unsafe product

If you suspect a product isn't safe, you’re normally able to report or flag it to the marketplace. The marketplace will be alerted and may look into why it’s been flagged.

• On Amazon, get in touch to report the issue via Amazon customer services.
• On eBay, use the 'Report item' link just above the main product description, where you can select a list of reasons for reporting and detail the problem.