Cheap Carbon Monoxide Alarms on eBay and Amazon Fail Deadly Gas Tests
Unbranded carbon monoxide (CO) alarms bought from online giants like eBay, Amazon, AliExpress, and Wish are putting lives at risk. Consumer watchdog Which? found these bargain alarms repeatedly fail to detect the deadly gas and don’t sound an alert during British Standard CO tests.
Deadly Alarm Failures Raise Serious Safety Alarms
With around 40 accidental CO poisoning deaths every year in England and Wales, these faulty alarms are a ticking time bomb. Despite a warning to eBay seven years ago about one dud alarm model, Which?’s recent tests reveal five out of the ten cheapest alarms on eBay are still the same dangerous make. Other platforms aren’t off the hook either — unsafe alarms were peddled on Amazon, AliExpress, and Wish too.
Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Killer
CO is an invisible, odourless menace that can kill without warning. This gas is produced by incomplete fuel burning. Faulty or wrongly installed appliances, blocked flues, chimneys, or vents can cause deadly leaks.
Avril Samuel, who co-founded the Katie Haines Memorial Trust after losing a child to carbon monoxide poisoning, said: “It’s vital to buy CO alarms only from trusted makers and retailers. Regular maintenance of carbon-burning appliances can prevent tragedies.”
Reputable Brands vs Dodgy Duds
Which? tested unbranded alarms alongside trusted brands like FireAngel, Firehawk, Kidde, and Nest (Google). The results were stark: branded alarms consistently detected CO at all levels, while unbranded models failed time and again.
The watchdog uncovered 149 listings for these dangerous alarms across the four marketplaces:
- eBay had 42 listings with 1,311 sales of non-functional alarms
- AliExpress listed 46 unsafe alarms
- Wish had 41 listings
- Amazon offered 20 listings
All these alarms lacked recognizable branding and failed safety standards.
History of Dangerous Alarms on the Market
This isn’t the first time dodgy alarms have slipped through the net. In May 2023, Which? revealed a smoke alarm flagged as unsafe in 2018 was still being sold on eBay five years later.
Many of these unbranded alarms come from China and have failed CO and smoke alarm tests for years. Which? urges shoppers to ditch cheap, unknown CO alarms and always opt for reliable, branded detectors to protect their homes.
If you’ve got one of these dodgy alarms, Which? advises contacting the seller and the online platform for a full refund — these dangerous products should never have been sold in the first place.
