Lifestyle

Alerting Amazon about its unsafe lamp cost me £221


I am a recently qualified acupuncturist and purchased through Amazon a £111 specialised heat lamp for therapy sessions. As with all equipment to do with traditional Chinese medicine, it came from China. To my surprise, it did not have the mandatory CE stamp.

I contacted the seller, via the Amazon site, to inform them that they were selling electrical items that did not meet EU regulatory standards. Their response stated my “return request” had been “accepted” and that I should post it to an address in New York. The postage was a staggering £110.20!

The seller then insisted it had been returned damaged and I could not be refunded. I complained to Amazon but received no response. I am now £221.20 out of pocket. Help! PT, London

The dangers of some electrical goods purchased on Amazon have recently been exposed by campaigners. This month research commissioned by online retailer Appliances Direct found that none of the electrical products it bought and tested bore a valid CE mark, which indicates they conform with EU health and safety directives.

Nick Glynne, managing director of the Buy it Direct Group, called the compliance reports on staple goods – such as phone chargers – “truly terrifying” and is lobbying the government to tighten controls of imports from the far east.

Amazon refunded you in full plus £30 in goodwill after the Observer intervened. It said: “Safety is a top priority. We require all products in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations and have developed industry-leading tools to prevent unsafe or non-compliant products being listed.”

Except those “industry-leading tools” are evidently inadequate. Amazon claimed to have removed the listing but two weeks later it was still available. Only after further pressure did it remove it and suspend the seller, CH Warehouse EU.

Consumer group Which? is calling on the government to make online marketplaces legally responsible for ensuring the legality of their goods. It has uncovered hundreds of listings, including those on Amazon, for products that have either failed its testing or been recalled by the EU safety alert system. Such platforms do not have to ensure that unsafe items are removed, or notify customers of urgent safety issues. It is up to the sellers.

If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions



READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.