2 September 2025
Brits set for last-minute getaways abroad are being warned dangerous travel adaptors sold online could be making their way into their suitcase, risking a holiday from hell.
A new investigation by consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First found that dangerous and illegal travel adaptors for sale on multiple major online marketplaces are putting Brits planning a trip abroad at serious risk.
Product safety experts at Electrical Safety First identified 15 dangerous travel adaptor models for sale across TikTok Shop, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com, with tens of thousands of units having been sold to shoppers.
Electrical Safety First purchased two 'universal travel adaptors' from TikTok Shop, both designed with retractable pins to fit sockets in the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA.
One of the adaptors, black in colour, which had been brought over 50,000 times globally, failed every safety test, risking fire and serious electric shock.
Testing revealed that more than one set of plug pins were able to be exposed at one time when plugged in and live, posing a risk of electric shock, and potential risk to life if touched with wet hands, with testing demonstrating how the user is at risk of coming into contact with 240 volts.
For a universal travel adaptor to be legally sold in the UK, it must be designed so that all pins cannot be exposed at once, to prevent pins that are live being accessible, which can risk serious electric shock. Both travel adaptor models from TikTok Shop failed to meet this crucial safety requirement.
Both devices from TikTok Shop were also labelled as having "surge protection", but internal inspection found no surge protector fitted, therefore not offering any protection to consumers' electronics.
The second adaptor, in white, purchased over 1,000 times, failed all but one safety test, putting consumers at high risk of fire and electric shock.
The charity's investigation also identified 13 basic travel adaptor listings across Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com.
Unlike the universal travel adaptors brought and tested from TikTok Shop, Electrical Safety First experts were able to condemn the product listings on Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com simply by assessing the images used to advertise the products alone, where no purchase testing was required.
Common dangers included no shutters to protect live internal parts, leaving children and adults exposed to electric shock, no fuse, which helps to reduce fire risk, and overly large plug pin holes, making it easier to touch live parts while in use.
One travel adaptor brought from Amazon designed for Brits heading to Switzerland on holiday was advertised as being "electric shock proof", but upon investigation, it had no safety shutters at all, with further defects, meaning it actually posed a serious risk of electric shock.
Worryingly, the product was marked as Amazon's Choice which highlights "highly rated, well-priced products available to ship immediately".
Electrical Safety First has been at the forefront campaigning for online marketplaces to be held legally responsible for the safety of goods sold via their sites, exposing hundreds of dangerous products across major platforms including Amazon, eBay, Wish, Temu and AliExpress over many years.
At present, online marketplaces are not legally recognised as an actor in the supply chain, meaning they have no legal responsibility for the safety of goods sold by third parties on their platforms.
(Source: Electrical Safety First, 27 August 2025)
For more information on the safety of electrical products, see 'Electrical equipment'.