Brits planning holidays abroad this summer are being advised to check travel adaptors carefully, following an investigation that indicated thousands of potentially dangerous products may be available online.
Consumer safety group Electrical Safety First (ESF) tested 14 travel adaptors purchased from AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and TikTok Shop. All 14 products were found to not meet UK safety requirements, with some posing risks of serious electric shock or electrocution.
The investigation found that six out of eight universal adaptors tested allowed multiple pins to be exposed simultaneously, a feature identified as dangerous. None of the eight universal adaptors met required dimensions and mechanical strength, with some pins breaking during tests. Six basic travel adaptors also presented fire safety concerns, including missing safety shutters, missing fuses, and oversized pin holes.
AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, and TikTok have stated they removed the specific products flagged by ESF. AliExpress also indicated it is contacting affected customers for a recall and conducting a wider review of universal travel adaptor listings where all plug pins are shown extended at the same time.
Giuseppe Capanna, ESF product safety engineer, urged consumers to buy travel adaptors from trusted retailers. ESF is advocating for online marketplaces to be made legally responsible for products sold on their sites to better protect consumers from dangerous electrical goods.