CTSI, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, is urging people to think twice when they buy second-hand electrical goods or cheap and often counterfeit chargers after investigators found that many of them are unsafe.
During a recent operation investigators bought 400 counterfeit Apple chargers from suppliers around the world, online, and found that 397 of them failed a basic safety test. Another operation targeted local second shops in the U.K. and found that 15% of 3,019 used electrical goods were non-compliant.
Leon Livermore, Chartered Trading Standards Institute chief executive, said: “Only buy second-hand electrical goods that have been tested and only buy online electrical goods from trusted suppliers. It might cost a few pounds more but counterfeit and second-hand goods are an unknown entity that could cost you your home or even your life, or the life of a loved-one.”
Incidents of shock and fire leading to death and injury due to counterfeit chargers led Apple to launch a Counterfeit USB Charger Program in the US and China. The program was then expanded to additional countries.
In October, Apple filed a lawsuit against Mobile Star LLC for making fake Apple chargers and cables and selling them on Amazon as authentic goods.
If you're using a knockoff charger, we recommend you discard it as soon as possible.
Read More [Takeback]
During a recent operation investigators bought 400 counterfeit Apple chargers from suppliers around the world, online, and found that 397 of them failed a basic safety test. Another operation targeted local second shops in the U.K. and found that 15% of 3,019 used electrical goods were non-compliant.
Leon Livermore, Chartered Trading Standards Institute chief executive, said: “Only buy second-hand electrical goods that have been tested and only buy online electrical goods from trusted suppliers. It might cost a few pounds more but counterfeit and second-hand goods are an unknown entity that could cost you your home or even your life, or the life of a loved-one.”
Incidents of shock and fire leading to death and injury due to counterfeit chargers led Apple to launch a Counterfeit USB Charger Program in the US and China. The program was then expanded to additional countries.
In October, Apple filed a lawsuit against Mobile Star LLC for making fake Apple chargers and cables and selling them on Amazon as authentic goods.
If you're using a knockoff charger, we recommend you discard it as soon as possible.
Read More [Takeback]