This week Jon Cruddas MP for Dagenham and Rainham has pledged his support for a campaign being led by Electrical Safety First to proper regulate the online sale of electrical goods.
Due to poor regulation of online sales, it is all too easy to unknowingly buy unsafe goods online. Counterfeit, sub-standard and recalled electrical goods can all pose a serious risk and fire hazard.
Electrical Safety First have been working hard to influence online platforms into establishing the necessary safeguards to protect consumers, but as of yet they are unable to get online retailers to comply. This has spurred a campaign which calls on the UK Government to introduce a set of legal requirements for online platforms selling electrical goods. This would bring online product safety legislation in line with the High Street.
The proposals outlined in the petition are:
- - Online market places must:
- - take more responsibility for the goods bought and sold on their websites and immediately remove goods deemed unsafe
- - notify the buyer when they become aware that an item which has been purchased is unsafe
- - be designated as a retail store and not just a facilitator of a sale
- - The UK Government must introduce legislation to better protect consumers when they are shopping online
- - Private sales must be better regulated and included in Consumer Rights legislation.
Jon Cruddas MP commented: "with more and more sales being made online, particularly in the wake of Covid-19 it is important that safety legislation is in place to protect people from faulty, counterfeit and potentially dangerous electrical goods. I have signed the petition and fully support Electrical Safety First in this endeavour."