Consumer group Electrical Safety First has warned holidaymakers to be cautious when buying travel plug adaptors online, after tests found that 14 products bought from AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and TikTok Shop all failed to meet UK safety standards. The charity said some of the adaptors could expose users to serious electric shock or fire risk, and urged shoppers heading abroad this summer to buy from trusted retailers rather than choosing the cheapest option available online.

Of the eight universal adaptors tested, six allowed multiple sets of pins to be exposed at once, none met required dimensions and mechanical strength, and some pins snapped off under force, creating a further shock risk. The six standard travel adaptors also raised fire safety concerns, including missing safety shutters, absent fuses and oversized pin holes, echoing issues previously flagged by the Office for Product Safety and Standards. Online reviews cited by the charity described adaptors falling apart or even exploding during use. Amazon, AliExpress, eBay and TikTok said they had removed the flagged listings and treated product safety as a priority, with AliExpress also launching a wider review of similar unsafe universal adaptor listings.