Key facts
- Electrical Safety First tested 14 travel adaptors from AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and TikTok Shop.
- All tested adaptors failed to meet UK safety requirements.
- Some universal adaptors allowed multiple pin sets to be exposed simultaneously.
- Basic travel adaptors had missing safety shutters, fuses, or oversized pin holes.
- Online marketplaces stated they removed the flagged products and prioritize safety.
Brits planning summer holidays have been warned about dangerous travel adaptors potentially available for sale online. An investigation by consumer safety group Electrical Safety First (ESF) found that all 14 travel adaptors tested from platforms including AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and TikTok Shop failed to meet UK safety standards.
ESF reported that some of these devices could lead to serious electric shock or electrocution. The charity's tests revealed that some universal adaptors allowed multiple sets of pins to be exposed simultaneously, and lacked required mechanical strength, with some pins snapping off. Basic travel adaptors also presented fire safety concerns, such as missing safety shutters and fuses.
Following the investigation, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, and TikTok Shop stated they had removed the flagged products and prioritize customer safety. However, Giuseppe Capanna, an ESF product safety engineer, urged consumers heading abroad to purchase travel adaptors only from trusted retailers to ensure their safety. He noted that spelling and grammar mistakes on products could also indicate a lack of care in manufacturing.
ESF is advocating for online marketplaces to be held legally responsible for the products sold on their sites, arguing that current systems fail to adequately protect consumers from dangerous electrical goods.