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London council is calling for a ban on the sale of “dangerous” electric bicycle chargers after a swathe were found listed on Amazon, eBay and other online retailers.
Charity Electrical Safety First found almost 60 listings of chargers on Amazon Marketplace, eBay, Wish.com and AliExpress that are not considered to meet the safety standard.
The findings come after a string of fires in the capital were related to faulty or incompatible e-bike chargers or batteries, prompting warnings from the London Fire Brigade.
In March it was revealed the brigade had responded to more than 130 fires relating to e-bike batteries within a year.
One of the most notable fires started on the 12th floor of a block of flats in Shepherd’s Bush, West London in June. It was understood to be caused by an e-bike that was charging in a man’s home.
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Fire destroys flat in Shepherd’s Bush, West London
/ PAThe findings have prompted Hammersmith and Fulham councillor Frances Umeh to call for the government to ban the sale of “dangerous” chargers.
“They pose an increased risk of fire to consumers as well as their neighbours,” the Cabinet member for housing and homelessness said.
“These products should never have been available for sale to UK shoppers in the first place.”
Last month an e-bike battery is believed to have sparked a fire that destroyed a North Finchley roof terrace and part of a flat.
Also in August a man was taken to hospital following a house fire involving an e-bike in Queen’s Park.
Charity Electrical Safety First found 13 listings of unsafe products on Amazon Marketplace, 21 on eBay, 13 on Wish.com and 12 on AliExpress.
The products were mostly advertised as e-bike chargers, but some were for multiple use, designed to charge the batteries of e-scooters or hoverboards.
The charging devices, advertised as accessories for e-bikes to power up lithium-ion batteries, all failed to meet the necessary standard for UK plugs, with many appearing to have no fuse.
Plugs without a fuse have no means of cutting out in the event of a fault in the supply lead, leaving the consumer exposed to a serious risk of fire, the charity said.
Martyn Allen, Technical Director of Electrical Safety First, said the charging devices were a “potential disaster waiting to happen”.
“These chargers we have identified for sale all pose an increased risk of fire and electric shock and should never have been available for sale to UK shoppers in the first instance.
“The lack of vital regulation needed to ensure online marketplaces are responsible for the safety of goods sold via their platforms is contributing significantly to dangerous products entering people’s homes.”
Mr Allen called for urgent government action.
Some of the listings in question have since been taken down from the various online marketplaces.
An eBay spokesperson said: “We take product safety extremely seriously, and welcome the information provided to us by Electrical Safety First about these products. In addition to our block filter algorithms and security teams monitoring the site, we work closely with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure eBay remains free of unsafe products.
“In this instance, our close working relationship with ESF and the Trading Standards team at Kensington & Chelsea Council enabled the swift removal of these products.”
A road bike converted into an e-bike is believed to have caused a fire in Thornton Heath in 2021
/ London Fire Brigade
Meanwhile an Amazon spokesperson said: “Safety is important to Amazon and we want customers to shop with confidence on our stores. We have proactive measures in place to prevent suspicious or non-compliant products from being listed and we monitor the products sold in our stores for product safety concerns.
“When appropriate, we remove a product from the store, reach out to sellers, manufacturers, and government agencies for additional information, or take other actions. If customers have concerns about an item they’ve purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service directly so we can investigate and take appropriate action.”
AliExpress said it had removed any non-compliant items after being flagged by Electrical Safety First. Meanwhile Wish.com said it had asked merchants who sold the products to provide additional complaince documentation and high-res product images.
Electrical Safety First is a charity dedicated to reducing death and injury caused by electricity in the home.
London Fire Brigade advises e-bike users to store them in a shed or garage, and if they have to be indoors, to make sure a smoke alarm is fitted.
People are also advised not to charge e-bikes while sleeping.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ebike-chargers-london-amazon-ebay-wish-hammersmith-fulham-council-b1026871.html
