Nearly 9 in 10 toys purchased through major online retailers put children’s health at risk, shocking research has revealed.
Tests carried out on toys purchased from 11 well-known third-party sellers, including budget website Temu and Amazon, found that they did not comply with safety rules, posing choking and hearing risks.
Almost one in 10 toys sold online were also deemed illegal, the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) found.
The group, which represents British toy makers, called the findings “unacceptable” and “shocking” and called on the Government to take urgent action.
He also warned that the findings could be the tip of the iceberg, as many other potentially dangerous toys could be sold in these markets.
Tests carried out on toys purchased from 11 well-known third-party sellers, including Temu and Amazon, found that they did not comply with safety rules, posing choking and hearing risks.
Unlike traditional retail models, online marketplaces are not legally responsible for the safety of products sold by their third-party sellers, although Parliament is considering some proposals to change this.
However, the current loophole means it is currently too easy to sell illegal and unsafe toys in the UK, critics say.
BTHA’s investigation evaluated toys sold through AliExpress, Amazon, eBay and Wish, as well as seven other popular online marketplaces: Etsy, Groupon, Joom, OnBuy, Shein, Temu and TikTok.
Tests carried out on the 75 products found that 86 per cent did not meet the UK’s legal safety requirements for children’s toys.
Among them was a ‘snail xylophone’ sold through a third-party Amazon seller.
The team found that this posed a risk of suffocation and strangulation.
Meanwhile, a Temu ‘rabbit mobile phone car’ could suffer hearing damage as the noises it made exceeded the limit allowed for toys.
It also had small pieces that small children could swallow, especially since the item was advertised for children under three years old.
Nine toys also failed to meet legal cord length requirements, a limit imposed in Britain to reduce the risk of children becoming entangled and strangulated.
According to the probeAll tested products from Etsy, Joom, OnBuy and Shein were deemed unsafe.
One in five toys from Temu and TikTok were also categorized as illegal, BTHA said.
This is because they did not meet the requirements of the toys, such as the lack of conformity marks, making the product “unsafe.”
Overall, only 7 percent of all products were considered compliant.
Kerri Atherton, BTHA public affairs director, 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 large quantities through the online channel. online markets.
Unlike traditional retail models, online marketplaces are not legally responsible for the safety of products sold by their third-party sellers, although Parliament is considering some proposals to change this. stock image
‘Consumers rightly expect that toys available through these well-known marketplaces are safe for their children to play with.
“However, we consistently find that most toys sold by third parties pose a safety risk to children.”
He added: “While the government’s new bill sets out good intentions to clearly bring online marketplaces into the legal framework, we need strong legal obligations to be placed on online marketplaces to give children maximum protection and ensure that we can put an end to these practices once and for all.’
The BTHA said it had passed the findings on to the Office of Product Safety and Standards, who informed the platforms about the toys it found.
A Temu spokesperson 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 quickly to recall the product as a precaution.”