Overview
- Electrical Safety First bought 14 travel adaptors from AliExpress, eBay, Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop and reported on July 28–29 that every sample failed basic electrical and mechanical safety tests.
- Six of eight universal adaptors could expose more than one set of live plug pins at once, creating a risk of contact with up to 240 volts and possible electrocution.
- Four universal and two basic adaptors failed external flammability tests, with plastics that ignite or spread flame and other faults such as missing fuses and absent safety shutters.
- Platforms removed the specific listings named by the charity and said they are contacting customers or carrying out wider checks, while regulators and industry spokespeople warned consumers to avoid unknown or low‑cost adaptors.
- The report echoes a similar probe under a year ago and the charity urges legal liability for online marketplaces as the government considers regulatory measures to stop dangerous electrical goods reaching UK homes.