Moray and Aberdeenshire shoppers told to beware unsafe electrical goods sold online
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A warning has been issued for people to be careful when purchasing electrical gifts online this Christmas.
Research published this week by the registered charity Electrical Safety First found repeated examples of unsafe electrical goods for sale online.
This included some of the most popular sites, such as Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com.
Ironically, the same research also showed that three out of five consumers in Scotland would be going online for what they see as ‘safer’ Christmas shopping.
Jamie Halcro Johnston, the Highlands and Islands MSP whose constituency includes Moray, said: "It has become easier for people to unwittingly purchase dangerous electrical products from third party sellers via online marketplaces.
"Electrical Safety First’s research indicates that over 20 per cent of people are planning to buy an electrical item as a gift this Christmas.
"Yet the same charity has previously found that in the UK three out of five fake electricals are purchased online, with a third of buyers experiencing major problems with the item.
"That’s why I’m joining with Electrical Safety First to urge people to reduce their chances of buying dangerous electricals by sticking to the websites of known manufacturers or retailers, and to be very careful if needing to buy from third party sellers online.
"Christmas is an expensive time of year and the pandemic has made this year harder than any other.
"But it’s still important that folk are careful of where they buy electrical products from.
"One way of doing that is to stick to the online stories of well-known and trusted retailers."
For more advice on how to shop safe this Christmas visit: www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/spotthefake
