Trading Standards warns consumers to be on guard from dangerous products this Christmas
Non-compliant electric bikes imported into the UK are among the items highlighted by Trading Standards in a warning to consumers this Christmas.
As Christmas approaches, the demand for products dramatically increases and the UK ports and borders are working to intercept non-compliant goods from entering into the UK, many of which would have been sold on online marketplaces.
Suffolk Trading Standards’ Imports Team has successfully intercepted multiple consignments of unsafe consumer goods ahead of the festive season, preventing dangerous items from reaching UK households. These actions highlight the importance of rigorous border checks and serve as a timely reminder for consumers to remain vigilant when purchasing electrical goods and toys online.
Echoing cycling industry initiatives like the BA’s e-Bike Safety Register – and others that emphasise the positives of electric bikes bought from reputable retailers rather than marketplaces – Trading Standards warned of “exploding lithium-ion batteries in unsafe, DIY converted electric bikes and scooters”.
The government body went on to emphasise many of the dangerous confiscated goods “were destined for sale by third-party sellers on online marketplaces, which remains a common form of shopping amongst UK consumers due to the fast delivery and convenience of shopping from home. The work of Trading Standards officers at Ports and Borders across the UK provides a vital level of protection for product safety issues, especially at this time of year when product demand is high.”
John Herriman, Chief Executive at CTSI, said: “Trading Standards officers play a crucial but often unseen role at UK ports and borders. The interception of these non-compliant products demonstrates the essential work our teams do to keep unsafe goods out of the country – items that could otherwise end up under the Christmas tree, posing serious risks to loved ones.”
Christine Heemskerk, Lead Officer for Product safety at CTSI, said: “These findings show how important it is for consumers to be very cautious when shopping online for last minute Christmas gifts, especially via social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook. If the price is too good to be true then at best you will receive shoddy goods, or in the worst-case scenario suffer a serious injury or incident.”
The Government department responsible for product safety, The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) provides the funding for Trading Standards Officers to operate at the UK ports and borders, which provides a critical service of intercepting unsafe and non-compliant products from being on sale to consumers in the UK.
OPSS, said: “OPSS continued to deliver the UK’s product safety border programme to detect, deter and disrupt unsafe and non-compliant products at the border whilst ensuring compliant products transit the border with minimum burden. We work with HMRC and Border Force, and provide risk-based, intelligence-led targeting to enable checks by local authority teams and OPSS enforcement officers. In 2024-25 targeting resulted in checks on consignments covering over 14 million goods at the border, with 2.63 million goods (19%) refused entry to the UK. These included unsafe e-bikes, toys, cosmetics, baby products and electrical products.”
Anyone unsure about the safety of products in England and Wales can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. You can get consumer advice applying to Northern Ireland by calling Consumerline on 0300 123 6262. Consumers In Scotland should contact Consumer Advice Scotland by calling 0808 164 6000.
