Almost 9 in 10 toys purchased through major online retailers are putting kids’ health at risk, a shock investigation has revealed.
Tests on the toys bought from 11 well-known third-party sellers including budget website Temu and Amazon found they didn’t comply with safety rules, posing choking and hearing hazards.
Almost one in 10 sold online were also deemed illegal, the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) found.
The group, which represents British toy manufacturers, labelled the findings ‘unacceptable’ and ‘shocking’ and called on the Government to take urgent action.
It also warned the findings could be the tip of the iceberg, with many other potentially dangerous toys potentially being sold on these marketplaces.
Tests on the toys bought from 11 well-known third-party sellers including Temu and Amazon found they did not comply with safety rules, posing choking and hearing hazards
Unlike traditional retail models, online marketplaces are not legally responsible for the safety of products sold by their third-party sellers, though there are some proposals to change this currently being considered by Parliament.
However, the current loophole means it is currently too easy for illegal and unsafe toys to be sold in the UK, critics say.
BTHA’s investigation assessed toys sold via AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, and Wish, as well as seven other popular online marketplaces — Etsy, Groupon, Joom, OnBuy, Shein, Temu, and TikTok.
Tests on the 75 products found 86 per cent didn’t comply with UK’s legal safety requirements for children’s toys.
Among these were a ‘snail xylophone’ sold through a third-party Amazon seller, they said.
This posed a choking and strangulation risk, the team discovered.
Meanwhile, a ‘rabbit mobile phone car’ from Temu could risk hearing damage, as the noises it emitted exceeded the limit allowed for toys, they claimed.
It also had small parts, that could be swallowed by young children — especially as the item was advertised for kids under three.
Nine toys also failed to comply with legal cord length requirements, a limit imposed in Britain to reduce the risk of children become entangled and suffering strangulation.
According to the probe, every product tested from Etsy, Joom, OnBuy and Shein was considered unsafe.
One in five toys from Temu and TikTok were also categorised as illegal, BTHA said.
This is because they failed to comply with toy requirements such as missing conformity marks, making the product ‘unsafe’.
Overall, just 7 per cent of all products were deemed compliant.
Kerri Atherton, BTHA’s head of public affairs, said: ‘Despite years of evidence and time for online marketplaces to make improvements, sadly our latest findings show that dangerous toys are still being sold in huge numbers through the channel of online marketplaces.
‘Consumers rightly expect that toys made available through these well- known marketplaces are safe for their children to play with.
‘Yet, we consistently find the majority of third-party seller toys pose a risk to children’s safety.’
She added: ‘While the government’s new Bill sets out good intentions to bring online marketplaces clearly into the legal framework, we need to see strong legal duties put on online marketplaces to give children maximum protection and ensure we can put a stop to these practices once and for all.’
The BTHA said it had passed on the findings to the Office for Product Safety and Standards who have let the platforms know of the toys it found.
A spokesperson for Temu also said: ‘Consumer safety is our top priority, and we have a rigorous process to prevent unsafe products.
‘We are investigating this issue and will act swiftly to remove the product as a precaution.’
Meanwhile, an eBay spokesperson said: ‘Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay, and we welcome the BTHA’s investigation.
‘Our team had already removed six of the nine listings flagged by the BTHA as unsafe before they contacted us, and we swiftly removed the remaining three once notified.
Unlike traditional retail models, online marketplaces are not legally responsible for the safety of products sold by their third-party sellers, though there are some proposals to change this currently being considered by Parliament. Stock image
‘We have implemented block filter algorithms aimed at preventing unsafe and prohibited listings, and we use image recognition, plus regular monitoring by our in-house specialists, supported by AI, to identify any listings that may evade our filters.
‘If we find an unsafe product, we remove it swiftly and alert any buyers. Our block filter algorithms, along with safety alert and recall filters, blocked over 32 million listing attempts in 2023.’
An Amazon spokesperson also said: ‘Safety is a top priority at Amazon and we want customers to shop with confidence on our stores.
‘We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
‘If customers have concerns about an item they’ve purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service team so we can resolve the issue for them.
‘We have proactive measures in place to prevent unsafe or non-compliant products from being listed and we take action to maintain a safe selection for our customers, including removing non-compliant products, and outreach to sellers, manufacturers, and government agencies for additional information, when appropriate.
‘The products in question have been removed while we investigate.’
The online retailers included in the BTHA audit were contacted for comment.