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  • February 11, 2025
90% of toys bought on major UK websites are ‘illegal and dangerous’

90% of toys bought on major UK websites are ‘illegal and dangerous’

With Christmas just around the corner, many families have been purchasing toys online to gift their loved ones.

And as the popularity and number of online marketplaces have exploded, there’s more room than ever to buy things like toys cheaply online.

But consumer champion Which one? says it has conducted research showing that more than 90 percent of the toys it bought from online marketplaces cannot be legally sold in Britain.

The company found that more than half of them posed a danger to children who played with them. Swallowable magnets, sharp points and strangulation hazards were among the problems found in the study. It described a toy as “an accident waiting to happen” that looked “like a baby toy blown up by a woodworking student.”

The toys were purchased through sites such as AliExpress, eBay, Fruugo, Temu, TikTok and wish.

Which one? found serious safety issues with 12 of the toys they purchased, including:

1. Bought a toy pig from a seller on Fruugo, whose eyes fell off during testing. This is a choking hazard to a small child if swallowed.

2. A magnetic fishing set whose magnets came loose during testing was purchased from an eBay seller. The small magnets are a choking hazard and could seriously injure any child who swallows them.

3. A baby’s teething ring with ribbons from Fruugo was so long that it was a risk of strangulation. The bubbles were also sharp, making it easy to cut a baby’s soft skin.

4. A musical elephant-shaped hanging crib toy purchased from a seller on Wish. The batteries were not securely secured and this posed a swallowing risk to small children.

This isn’t the first time. Which one? has entered the worrying world of dangerous toys sold through online marketplaces. The company also conducted a study in 2021 where 40 percent of the toys they purchased were dangerous, far less than their current study.

According to Which? only two of the 23 toys had all the markings and documentation they needed to be sold legally in Britain.

The company said: “We look for a UKCA or CE mark on every product we review. By law, products must bear one of these brands.

“Both demonstrate that the products meet all the requirements necessary to be sold within the United Kingdom (UKCA) or the EU (CE).

“In the case of toys, a UKCE or CE mark indicates that the manufacturer of the toy has verified that it meets the legal requirements of the Toy Safety Regulations 2011 or the Toy Safety Regulation.

“The Toy Safety Regulations state that toys sold in Britain must comply with regulations, including those relating to mechanical and physical safety, flammability and the migration of certain elements into the body if ingested.”

Six toys missed either mark entirely, but even more worryingly, twelve products failed Which?’s safety tests. showed a CE or UKCA mark.

The company also searches for the name and address of the manufacturer and importer, as well as a batch code of the products. Any product that does not have one of these marks cannot be legally sold in Britain.

Rocio Concha, which one? director of policy and advocacy, said: “It was frighteningly easy for Welke? find dangerous toys for sale on some of the world’s most popular online marketplaces – and this is especially worrying when we know that many people are looking for affordable gifts before Christmas.

“We advise customers to be cautious when purchasing unbranded toys from online marketplaces as it is difficult to trust that they will meet the UK safety standards set out in law to protect consumers.

“The UK government must act quickly and use its Product Regulation and Metrology Act to give online marketplaces a much greater legal responsibility to keep unsafe items off their platforms.

“This should include allowing strong enforcement measures such as heavy fines if they break the rules.”

Click here to find out how Which? testing products.

Which one? shared its findings with all online marketplaces where it found dangerous toys and toys that cannot be legally sold in Britain. All 21 listings of products that failed our tests and reviews have been removed from sale.

AliExpress told Which?: “We take product safety very seriously and we have strict rules and policies in place to ensure a safe online shopping environment.

“Third-party sellers who offer items for sale on our marketplace must comply with applicable law and our platform rules and policies. To ensure compliance, AliExpress requires sellers to submit relevant qualification documents and, where appropriate, test reports when submitting listings. products on our platform for verification. In addition to these measures and controls, AliExpress regularly conducts offline inspections of physical products to verify compliance with safety standards.

“However, due to the large number of packages, it is a challenge to inspect all items. Should a merchant fail to comply, AliExpress will take appropriate action, including suspension or closure of the merchant’s store for serious violations.

“We would like to thank Which? for bringing your test results to our attention and for improving our control mechanisms. Listings of products that failed the test have been removed from the site. We have worked closely with the OPSS and will continue to do so and other regulators to prevent the sale of non-compliant products on our marketplace.”

eBay said: “Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay. We have immediately removed the listings reported to us by Which? and other listings offering these items from our site. We take a proactive approach to keeping our site safe, using of block filtering algorithms aimed at preventing unsafe and banned entries.

“These filters, along with our security alert and recall filters, blocked 99.2% of banned listing attempts in 2023. eBay regularly monitors the market using multiple layers of technology and professionally trained eBay researchers, powered by AI, to identify and remove prohibited entries. .”

Fruugo said: “Fruugo is a marketplace – not a retailer in itself. Nevertheless, Fruugo takes these issues very seriously and we understand the importance of ensuring that retailers using our platform comply with their legal and product safety obligations .

“That’s why we have a complete product recall and withdrawal process, including an effective notice and removal process that ensures non-compliant products like this are quickly removed from sale. We also have a content monitoring team that proactively searches the site for known high-risk items using keyword blocks, image recognition, and other AI tools. We can confirm that the three items you brought to our attention have all been removed from the Fruugo platform.

Temu said: “We prioritize consumer safety and require sellers to comply with applicable standards. The product in question was withdrawn from sale prior to your email. We are conducting a review and will improve our monitoring of similar products .”

TikTok said: “These items have been removed from TikTok Shop. The safety of our customers is our top priority and we have taken strict measures to ensure our vendors comply with regulations and safety standards.”

Wish.com did not respond to Which?’s request? for comment.