Fake Toys, Real Danger: Urgent Warning as Counterfeit Toys Flood UK Market

Local TV

Thousands of fake toys worth millions are being seized at UK borders, many containing banned chemicals and serious safety hazards. Experts are urging parents to shop carefully and report suspicious items to help stop the trade.

Transcript

00:00Who doesn't love a little game of spot the difference? Well, the game can have very high

00:05stakes when it comes to counterfeit toys and the unseen dangers that they can pose to children.

00:10Now, this one here is quite obviously not a fake labubu, though it is sporting a very

00:17pleasant scarf. But how can you spot the difference between a real and a fake toy?

00:23What are the dangers? I spoke to the experts to find out.

00:27Counterfeit toys have always been a problem, but what we've seen recently is criminals really

00:34getting on the back of trends. Things like labubu dolls, counterfeit labubu dolls, have massively

00:41increased. Now, obviously, the numbers sound alarming, but I mean, what kind of dangers are

00:45we talking about when it comes to these sorts of counterfeit goods that are crossing the border?

00:50Well, if we look at labubu dolls specifically, because they're kind of the product at the moment,

00:55we've actually had some of those tested. And we found that some of the chemicals that are used in

01:01the plastics to make them flexible, they're called phthalates. And actually, when the proportions are

01:09wrong within the plastic, they can actually leach out and they can cause cancers. And they can also

01:15cause developmental issues for children. And so what we're seeing actually is arms and legs coming off

01:21these toys, eyes popping out. And that in itself becomes a choking hazard, especially for young

01:28children. When people are handing over money for these toys, that money is not going into your local

01:33economy. It's not supporting a local business. It's not going back to the government in tax. It's going

01:38straight into the hands of criminals, which obviously is pretty concerning and is another really big risk for us.

01:44And what can parents especially do to look out for those counterfeits and spot the real difference?

01:49The fake versions are a couple of pounds upwards. So that would be ringing alarm bells.

01:54You need to look at the seller as well. You know, do you recognise the seller?

01:59Is it a store or seller that comes with reviews or a history of supplying legitimate goods?

02:07Then listings, especially obviously this applies to kind of online. We often find that listings for

02:12counterfeit goods and obviously counterfeit toys are often quite poor. The image quality

02:17isn't particularly good. They'll have spelling mistakes on there. So again, you know, use your nose.

02:24If it doesn't seem right, then it probably isn't. Legitimate products will have safety markings on them.

02:30And that is CE or UK CA. That basically says whether it's passed kind of safety certification.

02:38And then when you get into the product itself, check for any chemical smells. Are bits coming off?

02:44Does it seem flimsy? Are there loose batteries, et cetera? So really, all of those things together

02:49really should give you a good indication as to whether you've bought counterfeit.

02:52But really, my kind of overriding message to parents is, you know, if it comes, if your general

03:01sense that something is wrong and this doesn't seem to be a legitimate product, then, you know,

03:06you're probably right. So use your parents' nose.

03:08What kind of message would you really like them to take away as the final thing,

03:12the thing that you really, really want them to know?

03:14If you buy your child a counterfeit toy, essentially they are becoming the tester.

03:20And you are putting their health and safety at risk.

03:23So if you've bought one, dispose of it and report it to your local trading standards.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended