Local MS Paul Davies has heard from consumer Charity Electrical Safety First about their investigation which has found that many electrical hair and beauty products for sale on online marketplaces have been deemed unfit for sale to Welsh consumers as advertised, putting people at risk of electric shock and fire. Under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, all of Wales’s hairdressers and beauty salons are temporarily closed and as a result, there has been a significant increase in people looking to cut their own hair - with Google Trends data showing web searches for hair clippers at an all-time high in April.
Mr Davies said “With hairdressers and beauty salons currently closed in Wales, it’s understandable that people are purchasing products to use in their own home. Electrical Safety First have told me of their concerns about dangerous beauty products being sold online – and it might not be immediately obvious from the advertisements why they might be dangerous. Therefore, I fully support any attempts to raise awareness of the dangers and to encourage people to be extra vigilant in purchasing products. Please, please read through all the details of an item before making a purchase – and only do so if you feel absolutely confident that the item can be used safely in your home.”
As part of a snapshot investigation, 15 listings were visually analysed by the Charity, equally spread across Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish. Based on a visual assessment of the listings as they were advertised, all were deemed to be seriously dangerous to the user.
Robert Jervis-Gibbons, Public Affairs Manager at Electrical Safety First, commented: “At a time where we’re all expected to spend longer indoors it is more important than ever the products coming into our homes are safe. What we have found is an example of third-party sellers putting consumers at risk through products that are of particular interest at this time. With so many Welsh consumers interested in these items at the moment, we would urge consumers to only buy electrical products from reputable retailers and for Welsh Government to take action to raise awareness that buying electrical items from marketplaces can lead to fires in people’s homes in Wales.”
