Electrical Safety First (ESF) tested 14 travel adaptors purchased from AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and TikTok Shop and found every single one failed to meet safety standards.
The charity’s product safety engineer Giuseppe Capanna said: "Travel adaptors are often something people pick up at the last minute before going away, which makes them an easy target for unscrupulous sellers looking to make a quick buck. They cut corners by using cheap, poor-quality materials and making false claims, all while putting people’s safety at risk."
What the tests revealed
Testers bought eight universal and six basic adaptors. All were unbranded with no notable model numbers and have since been removed from sale. In six of the eight universal adaptors, more than one set of plug pins could be extended at once, meaning users could touch 240 volts of electricity – a shock that could be fatal with wet hands. Six claimed to have surge protection but did not. All basic adaptors were fire risks due to oversized pin holes, missing fuses or lack of safety shutters.
Amazon's Choice product had poor reviews
One adaptor flagged as an 'Amazon's Choice' had over 1,000 reviews, but some were negative. "Almost burnt down my home using this," read a one-star review from 2023. Another reviewer in April said the adaptor "fell apart" in their hands and they "would have been electrocuted".
Consumer groups and government respond
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said: "Badly designed electricals can have life-altering – even fatal – consequences. It’s appalling that online marketplaces continue to fail to prevent dangerous products from reaching consumers, despite countless warnings." The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy stated that platforms need to "act" to stop unsafe products being listed and that they "take action to remove unsafe items from sale and hold online marketplaces to account."
What the marketplaces did
All platforms removed the flagged products. AliExpress said safety is a top priority and issued a recall, also launching a wider review of universal adaptors. Amazon stressed that all products must comply with local laws. eBay said it uses technology, AI and specialist teams to maintain a safe marketplace. TikTok removed products and associated videos.
How to spot a dangerous travel adaptor
ESF advises: avoid adaptors that allow multiple pins to extend at once; if you can see internal parts through socket holes, it is unsafe; and check for spelling and grammar errors on packaging or the product itself.
