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If a UK consumer buys a foreign-made electrical product from a UK store or online supplier, it is up to the seller to make sure the product is fit for its stated purpose. If a product is of substandard quality, perhaps of incorrect voltage or frequency, and as such presents a safety risk, then the buyer may be able to mount a product liability claim for damages if they suffer personal injury or loss.
However, if a product has been bought online from abroad, the buyer does not have the same rights and it may prove difficult to pursue the vendor for product liability compensation.
In 2010, trading standards officers from Gloucestershire carried out safety checks on 25 electrical appliances bought over the internet from Hong Kong and China. The products - including laptop chargers, mains adaptors for games consoles, hair straighteners and hairdryers were given basic electrical safety checks. All 25 products failed.
Three of the purchased items failed because there were discrepancies with labelling and markings, however, the rest failed due to serious safety issues which could have caused personal injury or risk of an accident.
Eddie Coventry, head of Gloucestershire trading standards, said, "Buying electrical items from countries outside Europe can be dangerous. Many people don't know that products may be of a different voltage or frequency, and, therefore, present a safety risk, even a danger of electrocution.
"Products are being bought from all over the world on the web. As well as some of these being unsafe, we have received complaints where cheap chargers have been used with expensive electrical equipment, resulting in irreparable damage. As they have been bought from outside Europe, customers can do very little about it.
"Sometimes it can be cheaper to buy appliances from abroad, but in many cases, they can actually be comparatively expensive, especially when you add post and packing, and most took two to three weeks to arrive. Getting a bargain' simply isn't worth the risk."
The Electrical Safety Council offers information for consumers about buying electrical goods over the internet and a free downloadable guide is available at esc.org.uk
Making a product liability claim with YouClaim
If you have bought merchandise from a UK online supplier or shop and a product has been badly designed, made, or does not conform to EU safety standards to a point which has caused you harm, then you may be able to mount a product liability claim for personal injury compensation.
Here at YouClaim, our compensation lawyers have many years' experience in winning such damages claims and we do so on a no win, no fee basis which protects you, the claimant, from all legal costs, fees and disbursements.
To talk to us about making a product liability claim you can call 0800 10 757 95 to speak to one of our knowledgeable legal advisors, have a real-time echat over the internet or fill in an online claim form and we will call you back at a time to suit you.
