Eastbourne residents warned about dangers of online shopping

East Sussex Fire and Rescue is supporting Electrical Fire Safety Week by letting shoppers know of the dangers around fake products and how they can be a serious fire risk.

New research from consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First reveals 58 per cent of Brits will turn to online shopping this Christmas due to Covid-19.

This warning comes as part of Electrical Fire Safety Week, which happens to coincide with Black Friday this year too (November 27).

Lisa Priestman, community safety manager, said, “When you’re buying electrical goods, make sure they come from a reputable retailer. Second hand goods may have suffered damage which you can’t easily see so get them checked out by an expert. And always think twice if you are getting what seems to be an unmissable big name bargain – it may well be a dangerous fake.”

Over half of all accidental house fires are caused by electricity and it isn’t just gadgets like mobiles and tablets which can cause problems. White goods such as washing machines and tumble dryers have been known to cause fires too.

According to the fire service, in East Sussex in 2018-19 there were 676 accidental fires which affected homes, other residential and non-domestic properties. 119 were caused by a fault in equipment or an appliance.

The service is telling people:

• Buy electrical products from reputable retailers, this way you can be assured you’re buying the real thing.

• Check prices and shop around. If a bargain looks too good to be true, it probably is.

• Beware of glowing reviews, especially if the reviewers aren’t verified.

• Beware of words qualifying an item’s authenticity. If the seller claims the product is ‘genuine’, ‘real’ or ‘authentic’ double check the source.

• Look for the seller’s contact details.

• Read product guarantees, terms and conditions, and returns policies before you buy.