Warning over Black Friday toy offers
SOME ITEMS BOUGHT ONLINE MAY BE DANGEROUS, SAY TRADING STANDARDS
SHOPPERS are being told to watch out for unsafe toys being offered by third-party online sellers as special deals for Black Friday and Christmas.
With the Covid pandemic and current Government restrictions affecting the whole country, many people will be relying on online shopping in the coming days and weeks.
Both Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards teams are urging shoppers to be vigilant when buying toys on the internet to make sure they’re safe and suitable for children.
The authorities are backing the ‘Don’t Toy With Children’s Safety’ campaign, which has been launched by The British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA).
It conducted a test on 100 toys sourced from online marketplaces Amazon, ebay and Aliexpress, which found that 60 percent had safety failures and 86 percent were illegal to sell in the UK.
This is a large increase on the previous year’s testing of online toys which reported 22 percent as unsafe.
Among the breaches are toys with small parts that are a choking hazard to under-threes, as well as small button batteries which could be easily removed by young children and would cause serious complications if swallowed.
The BTHA’S campaign calls for a review of the current law to ensure that online marketplaces are accountable for the products bought through their sites. At present, these websites are not responsible for checking the safety of a toy in the same way that reputable toymakers, importers and shops based in the UK are.
Councillor Sam Webster, portfolio holder for Finance, Growth and the City Centre at Nottingham City
Council, said: “We know that people may be tempted by the thought of a bargain, especially with Black Friday and Christmas coming up. But some online items, including toys, can be of very poor quality and even dangerous.
“As well as being of substandard quality, they are often not subject to important safety checks and quality control that you’d expect.
“When it comes to children, it’s simply not worth the risk. Make sure you follow the advice and warnings here from our Trading Standards team, and I hope everyone has a safe, trouble free and wonderful festive period.”
Councillor John Handley, vice chairman of Communities and Place Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Christmas can be an expensive time for a lot of people, so it is all too tempting to grab a seemingly ‘great deal’ without thinking about the consequences. But imagine how heartbreaking Christmas morning would be if that present you’ve saved up for breaks, or even injures a loved one.”
“If a price appears too good to be true, sadly it usually is.”
Shoppers are advised to always look for the CE symbol, meaning the manufacturer has assessed the toy for safety. Toys that have button batteries installed, which can prove lethal if ingested, should have a battery cover that is screwed down.
Toys must also be clearly marked with age restrictions, which assess risks such as choking hazards.
Anyone needing advice about something purchased can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.