Christina Rees, MP for Neath, is encouraging constituents to put safety first when doing their Christmas shopping during Electrical Safety Week Wales.
With the Covid-19 pandemic prompting changes to shopping habits this Christmas, 57 percent of Welsh people are planning to purchase Christmas gifts online.
But online marketplaces are not bound by the same laws as traditional retailers, and this means that fake and other dangerous electrical products are being sold to unknowing customers. Containing sub-standard or counterfeit parts, they present a serious risk of fire or electric shock. Electrical Safety First is encouraging consumers to exercise caution when shopping online.
Christina Rees MP said:
“This is going to be a very different Christmas for all of us and many of us will be doing our Christmas shopping online.
“I am asking constituents planning on buying electrical goods to make sure that you buy from a recognisable and reputable seller. Avoid third-party sellers for electrical goods and if you are unsure at all when your product arrives, do not use the product.
“I know many people will be struggling with finances this year, but saving the pennies on electrical goods is simply not worth the risk to friends and family, should the product turn out not to adhere to safety standards.”