Buying

Electrical toy safety warnings

Sadly there are many bogus toys out on the market and spotting which ones are genuine and which ones are fake is getting harder and harder. With electrical items, you need to be particularly vigilant as if they go wrong, they can easily start a fire. No longer can you just check the toy for the CE mark, as these are also being faked, but you may need to spend a little time investigating the toy to check that it appears to be safe? If the toy takes batteries and is suitable for children of a young age then the battery compartment should not be accessible. If a child swallows a battery either watch sized or AA/AAA, for example, this can cause serious health issues and can even be fatal. If you inspect a toy which is supposed to be suitable for a three year old for example, and the batteries are easily accessible, then the chances are it is a fake and is not suitable.

It is not only toys that are being faked but every sort of electrical item from phones through to vacuum cleaners. If you have any doubt in the authenticity of an electrical item, you should contact the manufacturer who will be able to check the serial numbers etc or failing this contact trading standards.