Which? has found 150 potentially lethal baby products sold online across seven major platforms, including Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, OnBuy and TikTok Shop. The UK consumer group warns that lives are at risk because these platforms fail to prevent dangerous items from reaching customers.
Dangerous Items Identified
The investigation uncovered 54 self-feeding devices that allow babies to bottle-feed without constant supervision, 21 pillow bottle-holders designed to fasten around a baby’s neck, and 37 sleep pillows that pose risks of suffocation and overheating. Additionally, 59 baby sleeping bags were found on Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay and Etsy that Which? believes pose a serious suffocation risk.
Consumer Group's Warning
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said: “The lives of babies are at risk because these platforms won’t stop dangerous products from reaching their customers … We’ve shown how easy it is to find these unsafe products, so it’s impossible to take companies as powerful as Amazon or eBay at their word when they claim safety is a top priority.”
Platform Responses
Alibaba.com said it “swiftly removed the non-compliant products on our platform” and would continue to “educate sellers”. AliExpress removed the flagged products and would make “necessary enhancements to our existing control measures to further reduce the risk of non-compliant product listings” reappearing. An Etsy spokesperson said safety was “paramount” and that it “removed all the flagged policy-violating listings”.
An Amazon spokesperson stated: “Parents trust Amazon because we take customers’ safety incredibly seriously, particularly when it comes to babies and infants. It’s why we prohibit certain products … We’ve removed the products highlighted by Which? while we investigate.” eBay said it used technology, AI and expert teams “to help keep unsafe items off the site”, adding: “Two of the items identified by Which? had already been removed before they contacted us. We have now removed the remaining four items and carried out a wider check.” TikTok Shop said: “TikTok has policies and processes in place to protect customers, including policies on what can and can’t be sold.”
Impact on Consumers
The findings highlight ongoing risks for parents purchasing baby products online. Which? urges platforms to implement stronger pre-listing checks and calls for regulatory action to ensure safety standards are met.
