Have you spotted any fake products on the shelves?

Simply advising us we can have a refund if we buy a fake product is a joke, isn’t it? It does nothing to address the problem. How many will know their charger, phone battery, toy, is a fake – until the danger lurking within it causes injury? We need to put a stop to this practice.
@gmartin, are Which? prepared to tackle this with some vigour?

As I have said on many occasions, this is why we need independent assessment of products.

Until we have mandatory registration of new products, it would help to sign up to receive recall information. Electrical Safety First is restricted to electrical products, but these represent many of the products recalled: https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/

Most of us would be wary of buying electrical goods from a market stall, yet happy to use an Amazon ‘Marketplace’ trader, presumably because we assume that Amazon will intervene if there is a problem. They did not intervene when I had a safety issue with two Marketplace traders.

You cannot prevent illegal imports – non-compliant products brought into the UK (and EU) are exactly that. Having independent assessment would make no difference to those engaged in this activity. We can only deal with them by policing at import points and in the retail outlets. Trading Standards need resourcing and rebuilding to do this job. They will know many of the rogues in their area, but need to have stringent penalties to impose to make the trade less worthwhile.

The Amazon Marketplace is more difficult, but if Amazon were held responsible for anything sold with their assistance, even if they don’t sell it directly, we might make progress. Who is afraid of tackling them?

I believe that Amazon are responsible because they are taking our money via their website, even if most of it is passed on to the retailer. It would be interesting to see this tested in law.

In my view it is necessary to examine products in use for safety. I’m fed-up seeing recalls for plug-in devices that are at risk of falling apart because the case may not be properly glued together. I am not just referring to cheap products but well-known brands. I have had three examples in the past two years and the power supply for a DAB radio fell apart when I lent it to a friend to test his signal. In the past we would have used screws to hold plastic cases, but adhesive is quick and cheap.

We seem to agree. However well we design international safety standards, policing a system is essential to detect non-compliant products and take appropriate action. Which? should be campaigning to restore a properly-resourced Trading Standards, national and local, to protect the interests and safety of consumers, in my view.
@gmartin, what is Which?’s view on this as a priority to pursue?

A fair number of us have been pushing for Trading Standards to be adequately funded. I suspect that much of the time of TS is taken up by trying to protect us from dangerous and counterfeit goods. BBC Fake Britain continues to provide examples: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011f8m5

@gmartin, thank you George. Good to have a quick response 🙂

I think it is important to know whether or not those Experts have commercial ties ( and/or other axes to grind).

There are plenty of websites extolling the virtues of a product that turn out to be run by the people selling it.

Very often a website will look like a magazine article with a link to the product. So-called celebrities might say how wonderful the product is with a link to a ‘free trial’ that you can only return if you haven’t used it. You can then find yourself locked into buying expensive stuff on a regular basis that is hard to get out of.

If something is too good to be true, it usually is, so thoroughly check out the products and any names associated with them before committing yourself.

There will be plenty of horror stories on forums if the product is dodgy.

P.S. this wasn’t directed at bishbut or Derek.

alfa – no offence taken – if anything, I think your post is amplifying what I said 🙂

Many believe all they find on websites as many believe all they read in newspapers etc. Too many gullible people in this world who cannot think or decide anything for themselves

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I suggest you contact your local Citizens Advice, Tracey. This page will help you find it: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Best of luck.

If this is MCC Suppliers Ltd of 14 Riversway, Main St. Lancaster I’d also see if you get any response from Lancashire Trading Standards on 01772 533569.