The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has backed calls for urgent government action after consumer champion Which? uncovered hundreds of dangerous products being sold through major online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay and Etsy.
Bira is responding to Which? research that revealed nearly 800 products similar or identical to items previously flagged as unsafe by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), with 98 per cent posing serious or high risk to consumers. The products included toys with choking hazards, baby sleeping bags that could suffocate infants, collapsing ladders and electrical items with faulty wiring that could cause house fires.
Of particular concern was that 594 listings matched OPSS alerts for products containing invisible risks that consumers cannot detect from online listings, such as telescopic ladders likely to collapse or electric saws posing fire and electrocution risks.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: "This is further evidence of the 'wild west' nature of online shopping. Customers are sadly unaware of the issues highlighted by Which?, and we support the calls for the owners of the marketplaces to be held to account. We believe it is also further evidence that the Chancellor has to use the budget to close the duty-free loophole for low value imports, it is further supporting rogue sellers online."
Which? estimates that at least 8.8 million consumers have experienced harm from faulty, unsafe or fraudulent products bought from online marketplaces. The consumer organisation found that 90 per cent of UK consumers have made purchases on online marketplaces in the last two years.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act, adopted in July, enables the Secretary of State to impose product safety requirements on online marketplaces, but these regulations have been delayed. Which? is calling for the government to urgently use these powers to prevent dangerous products reaching UK consumers.
Bira, which works with around 6,000 independent retailers across the UK, champions the cause of independent traders and shopkeepers, focusing on revitalising and preserving the high street.
Bira is responding to Which? research that revealed nearly 800 products similar or identical to items previously flagged as unsafe by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), with 98 per cent posing serious or high risk to consumers. The products included toys with choking hazards, baby sleeping bags that could suffocate infants, collapsing ladders and electrical items with faulty wiring that could cause house fires.
Of particular concern was that 594 listings matched OPSS alerts for products containing invisible risks that consumers cannot detect from online listings, such as telescopic ladders likely to collapse or electric saws posing fire and electrocution risks.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: "This is further evidence of the 'wild west' nature of online shopping. Customers are sadly unaware of the issues highlighted by Which?, and we support the calls for the owners of the marketplaces to be held to account. We believe it is also further evidence that the Chancellor has to use the budget to close the duty-free loophole for low value imports, it is further supporting rogue sellers online."
Which? estimates that at least 8.8 million consumers have experienced harm from faulty, unsafe or fraudulent products bought from online marketplaces. The consumer organisation found that 90 per cent of UK consumers have made purchases on online marketplaces in the last two years.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act, adopted in July, enables the Secretary of State to impose product safety requirements on online marketplaces, but these regulations have been delayed. Which? is calling for the government to urgently use these powers to prevent dangerous products reaching UK consumers.
Bira, which works with around 6,000 independent retailers across the UK, champions the cause of independent traders and shopkeepers, focusing on revitalising and preserving the high street.
