Parents are being warned about the risk of buying cheap, unbranded toys online after a new Which? investigation found more than 40 per cent of toys it bought from online marketplaces failed safety tests.
The consumer champion tested 28 toys bought from four popular online marketplaces – Amazon Marketplace, AliExpress, eBay and Wish – and found 12 posed a safety risk after failing one or more tests.
Each product was tested against British safety standards and checked for small objects that could pose a choking risk, sharp edges and points, cords or fabrics that could pose a strangulation risk and magnets and batteries that could be easily accessed as well as warning notices.
In total, Which? found 50 safety failures among the 12 toys that failed tests, with 10 toys presenting a choking risk and two posing a strangulation risk for children.
While 16 of the 28 toys Which? tested passed safety tests, five of the products that failed tests were sold on Wish, making it the worst offender. Three were sold on eBay and AliExpress respectively and only one was available on Amazon Marketplace.
The most dangerous product Which? found was a 51-piece doctor’s playset – described as a toy for a baby or toddler – sold on Wish, which was filled with unsafe toys and had at least 20 choking hazards.
Most of the toys in the set broke into small and dangerous parts far too easily, including play scissors and a notepad which revealed sharp points.
It also contained toy plasters and pills which were far too small for young children to play with safely and presented a choking risk.
A similar doctor’s set sold on AliExpress was also filled with dangerous toys and failed tests. Which? identified 10 potential choking hazards and also found the long cord on the doctor’s coat could present a strangulation hazard.
A set of magnetic building blocks aimed at children aged three years old and above and sold on Amazon Marketplace also failed safety tests. It did not withstand the impact test and broke open to reveal tiny magnets that were almost four times as powerful as they were permitted to be under current standards, which could pose a choking risk.
Magnets can also cause serious harm to children if swallowed, as they could attract each other in the gut and create blockages, compression of the gut and perforation which would need surgery to fix.
Which? also found a toy tablet sold on Wish that posed a serious risk as the battery cover could be easily removed to reveal a button battery. Similar to magnets, button batteries can be a choking hazard and cause serious injuries or chemical burns if swallowed.
In recent years, organisations such as the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) have issued warnings about button batteries after fatal incidents involving children swallowing them. It is recommended that children’s toys have a secure battery cover that needs a screwdriver or two simultaneous movements to remove.
Which? shared its investigation with the four online marketplaces and all 12 products that failed have since been removed from sale.
Unlike UK retailers, online marketplaces have limited responsibility for ensuring the products sold on their platform meet legal safety requirements, repeatedly allowing unsafe toys and products to make it onto their sites.
The UK’s product safety regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, is currently reviewing the product safety system, including regulation of online sales.
Which? believes that online marketplaces must be given greater legal responsibility for the safety of products sold on their sites so that consumers are far better protected from dangerous and illegal items.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, said: “Many parents will be appalled by our research which has revealed that some toys bought from online marketplaces are failing to meet safety standards and could pose a serious safety risk to children playing with them.
“Consumers should be able to trust that products sold in the UK are safe and meet the standards required, yet a woeful lack of checks and monitoring by online marketplaces means dangerous toys are entering people’s homes.
“It is absolutely crucial that online marketplaces are urgently given greater legal responsibility for the safety of products sold on their sites so that consumers are far better protected from dangerous and illegal items.”