Products from online marketplaces continue to fail safety tests

Two years ago, six of BEUC’s members bought and analysed a total of 250 products from online marketplaces. The  test concluded that two thirds of the products failed EU safety laws. 

Since then, our members’ research has continued to prove that dangerous products from online marketplaces is still putting European consumers at risk in different ways. In this summary you will find the latest information on toys with small parts making them a choking hazard, cosmetics containing banned chemicals, smart products with privacy problems and more.

Even though marketplaces will remove dangerous products upon request this is too late as often consumer harm has already been done and research shows that the products reappear(1). It goes without saying that further action is needed to ensure that the European rules for consumer protection work as intended: The marketplaces need to be liable for products sold through their websites.

(1) BEUC members found an ineffective smoke detector on an online marketplace in 2020 and notified the marketplace. In late 2021 the same smoke detector was once again found on the online marketplace.