Anyone jetting off on holiday this summer is being urged to think twice before buying a cheap travel adaptor online. That’s the latest advice after a safety investigation uncovered iPhone and Android charging accessories that could be incredibly dangerous to consumers. The team at Electrical Safety First has issued the urgent warning after finding dangerous travel adaptors for sale on popular online marketplaces, including AliExpress, eBay, Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop.

The charity’s latest tests found some of the worst offenders failed basic checks, with several posing a serious risk of electric shock or even electrocution.

The issue centres on so-called universal travel adaptors, which feature retractable plug pins for use in the UK, Europe, Australia and the US. These are basically one-plug-fits-all and are incredibly popular because they work in destinations across the globe.

Under UK safety laws, these adaptors must be designed so users cannot touch live electrical parts. That usually means only one set of plug pins can be exposed at any one time.

However, six of the eight universal travel adaptors tested failed this basic requirement. Multiple sets of plug pins could be exposed and live simultaneously while the adaptor was plugged into the mains, leaving users at risk of coming into contact with up to 240 volts of electricity.

In the most serious cases, such as touching the exposed pins with wet hands, the consequences could be fatal.

One adaptor sold through Amazon Marketplace had received almost 9,000 customer reviews. Among them, one buyer claimed the device overheated the first time it was used, while another said it destroyed the appliance it was charging.

“Shopping for your holiday getaway should be an enjoyable experience, not one that puts you at serious risk,” said Giuseppe Capanna, Product Safety Engineer at Electrical Safety First.

“Shoppers in the UK shouldn’t have to question whether the products they buy might put them at risk, yet our investigation shows that dangerous electrical goods are still finding their way into people’s homes through online marketplaces.”

He added: “What looks like a bargain could come at a much higher cost. We urge Brits heading abroad this summer to think before they buy and only purchase travel adaptors from reputable retailers they know and trust, so they can travel with confidence and avoid taking a potentially dangerous device away with them.”

The latest findings come less than a year after a similar investigation by the charity uncovered 15 dangerous travel adaptors being sold through TikTok Shop, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Wish.com, with tens of thousands of units bought by UK shoppers.

Responding to the findings, an eBay spokesperson said: “We have removed the listings identified by Electrical Safety First and we’re carrying out wider checks to find and remove any similar listings.

“At eBay, we combine technology, AI-supported monitoring and specialist teams to help maintain a safe and trusted marketplace. We also work closely with regulators to monitor for unsafe products and enhance our prevention efforts. Together, these proactive measures have prevented millions of potentially unsafe items from being listed every year.”

An Amazon spokesperson added: “We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and our own policies. The products identified have been removed from sale.

“We proactively monitor our store for safety alerts and product recalls, removing affected products and contacting customers who purchased them. If a product is not detected by our automated checks, we act immediately and refine our controls to help prevent it happening again.”

If you are thinking of buying a travel adapter, make sure it’s from a reputable company – such as Mophie, Anker or Ugreen – and comes with all the correct safety checks.