EU plug sockets on electrical goods bought online - laws?

jfh7gwa

Bought something online brand new from Amazon UK (a computer USB hub) which stated it came with its own 230v power supply, nowhere did it mention that the product only has an EU plug (2 prong, not 3 like UK wall sockets).

I've looked all around the house and I can't find one of those cheap adapters, and to be honest I don't want to have to make a special trip to a pound shop or order another thing online when I've been told by a friend he's sure UK-sold electrical goods need to come with UK plugs or an adapter as standard (e.g. this: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLEC13AB.html).

I've found snippets of information before I go back to the seller to say "where's my adapter" on MSE (here) but no information on specific consumer laws or actual legal info to include in my query to the seller...

Can anyone help me out? I've googled stuff to find out whether it's covered under the Sale of Goods act, or something more specific, but can't find anything.

There is the option that the MSErs posting this sort of stuff are wrong? ("it is now illegal to sell a mains powered electrical item in the UK unless it is fitted with an approved (3 pin) fused plug. (the only exceptions being shavers and similar bathroom items designed to be plugged into a 2 pin shaver supply socket)")

Thanks!

wealdroam

The legislation you are looking for is...

The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994.

Owain_Moneysaver

Discussed here

jfh7gwa

Perfect, many thanks to both of you for your quick and helpful response. Hopefully if the retailer doesn't respond with that the plug thing is a mistake I can just get them to send an adapter free of charge then.

Thanks again!

bris

Just cut the plug of and fit a UK one, two minutes is all it takes. Done it loads of times.

pulliptears

bris wrote: »

Just cut the plug of and fit a UK one, two minutes is all it takes. Done it loads of times.

And would probably void any warranty on the product.

giraffe69

to be honest I don't want to have to make a special trip to a pound shop

Did all sympathy disappear at this point?

neilmcl

Did you purchase from Amazon or an Amazon seller? Also, Amazon UK are in fact Amazon EU SARL and as such they may well be able to sell products with a euro plug, much as the same way retailers like Pixmania can.

Owain_Moneysaver

neilmcl wrote: »

Did you purchase from Amazon or an Amazon seller? Also, Amazon UK are in fact Amazon EU SARL and as such they may well be able to sell products with a euro plug, much as the same way retailers like Pixmania can.

Not into the UK they can't.

jfh7gwa

giraffe69 wrote: »

Did all sympathy disappear at this point?

I'm not sure why you find the idea of me not making a trip to a pound shop silly? I haven't been able to get to the shops recently, and other than putting it on the list of groceries for my husband to collect (for example, I assume supermarkets might sell these adapters too) I'm actually kind of loathe to make a special trip to buy an adapter for something which was... well... supposed to work.

The handy thing about purchasing off the internet is that you don't have to make a trip to the shops when you're otherwise engaged (ill, in my case, for now - just temporary)... in this case, it's kinda defeating the purpose of an internet buy if I then have to go out to buy an adapter, isn't it? I might as well have just waited until next week and asked him to see if Asda sell the thing I needed :rotfl:

BTW, it was Amazon UK, for the record.

I'm not intending to cut the plug off and fit a proper UK one because I don't have a spare one, unless I get hold of something we don't use like one of our spare socket panels. Not really keen on doing that, even if it did mean the warrenty was ok (which I'd assume it's not as pulliptears mentioned). I've never done it anyway - never needed to. Everything I've bought has had a UK plug before now. Thus my surprise when it appeared without one.

Alias_Omega

If its a 2-pin shave like plug, a permanent plug adaptor can be fitted over it.

You have an option now, 1) return the item for a refund 2) fit an adaptor (£4 max)

Fitting your own plug may upset any warranty, and i have purchased a Wii from Germany before into the UK when stocks were low a few years back.