Illegal weapons are being flogged by third-party sellers in popular online marketplace streams, according to a new consumer watchdog study.
Probe by any. I found dangerous goods sold on AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace,eBayand Wish.
The findings suggest that major tech companies need to take more responsibility and do better checks on banned weapons sold at "pocket money" prices as low as 49 pence. He says it gives a reason.
At a time when knife crime is rampant across the UK and the death toll among teenagers is skyrocketing, police chiefs and trading standards officers were greeted with dread by the findings.
This consumer champion easily searches for offensive weapons such as zombie knives and flick knives, knuckle-his dusters, swords and batons that are banned in popular online marketplaces. did.
He could easily find one or more of these potentially deadly items on each platform.
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Handout)Either. Legislation, including the Assault Weapons Act 2019, makes it clear that these weapons cannot be sold in the UK, or even owned in private homes.
If he were caught using one of these products, he could be arrested and sentenced to imprisonment.
Last month, a Mirror study found that it's surprisingly easy for kids to buy cheap killer knives at high street stores.
Our 16-year-old undercover cop Martha was illegally sold large cutlery at her 15 outlets in the UK, some at the price of her soft drink. There was also.
in it. found more than a dozen of her listings of friction lock batons masquerading as "trekking poles" in an Amazon search, according to a study by .
The friction lock baton is a prohibited offensive weapon. It is illegal to buy or sell them in the UK. Part of the
list. It turned out that either the title used special characters such as "b't." or the artwork used only the word baton. Probably to avoid detection by Amazon.
Some of the images on the list indicated that they could be used for self-defense or combat.
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Handout)On eBay, Which. Experts have found various illegal swords, zombie he knives, knuckles her dusters. With a red fire design, he's a 27-inch zombie blade weighing 32 pounds.
One vendor was offering a combination of Karambit blades and 'numbing spray' for £13.99 for him.
Neither of these weapons should be sold according to eBay's terms of sale.
Which one? found the widest selection of weapons for sale on AliExpress and Wish. A quick search on the terms 'flick knife', 'auto opening knife' and 'spring assist knife' returned dozens of results each, many of which were priced under £10. Some are sold for self-defense.
Which one, when it comes to wishes? A number of flick knives, albeit illegal, and at least 12 butterfly knives he was able to find.
The researchers also found several hidden knives, including several belt-buckle knives priced from £8, a selection of knuckle dusters, and a one-pound knife designed to be hidden in a purse. I found a blade.
Other items included friction lock batons, one of which he disguised in an umbrella, another of which he sold for self-defense, It had over 30 reviews in the UK.
on AliExpress. Numerous rafts of "self-defense rings" designed to be worn as flick knives, concealed blades, and knuckle dusters were found. The price for one is only 49 pence.
AliExpress also targeted Which. You will then be sent a promotional email for the discounted blades. Found on site - includes a variety of curved karambit knives and costs just £1.79.
Both understand that possession of karambit is not illegal, but carrying it in public is illegal.
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Handout)Researchers are offered a promotion for a knife with a skull design on the blade, priced at £9.63. An email has also been sent.
Which on all four platforms. After the first search for weapons, the algorithm recommended additional banned weapons.
Amazon and eBay said they have removed all listings reported by Which.
Wish said it was in the process of removing the reported listing.
Amazon said it would take "appropriate enforcement" against the baton seller, eBay said it was investigating why the item was not blocked to UK buyers, and Wish said " We are seeking remedial action against violating sellers."
AliExpress said it removed the listing, Which. Since my initial response, I have received two more promotional emails from AliExpress.
Which. The study shows that online marketplaces need to take more responsibility and perform better checks and surveillance of dangerous items.
Sue Davis. The head of consumer protection policy said:
"This puts a big question mark on the checks and oversight going on on these platforms.
"Online marketplaces take more responsibility and illegal weapons We clearly need to prevent it from appearing on the site.”
Caroline Liggins, head of the youth team at law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, told Which: is talking to
"I was surprised at how easy it was to purchase. It was my pocket money.
"From what we've researched, how old do you have to be to buy these products?" There were no signs warning about what was legal or illegal."
Former SeniorMerseyside PoliceDetective and Liverpool John Moores University-turned-police lecturer Richard Carr said the sale of such weapons could have real-world implications.
He said: When weapons of this nature fall into the hands of people with criminal intent, the consequences can be devastating.
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SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)AliExpress says: Sale of knives. In addition to this, you must verify that you are over 18 years of age in order to be able to purchase knives on our platform.
"We have removed the items highlighted in Which. We are investigating third-party merchant accounts that may have violated our platform's rules. Thank you." ” It made me pay attention to the category of rings. We are investigating this and will continue to monitor it. We regularly evaluate and improve our practices.
An Amazon spokesperson said: We are disappointed when a malicious person circumvents our system. We use these learnings to improve our prevention mechanisms.
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REUTERS)"These products are now being removed from the store and we are taking appropriate action against the bad actors in question. It's an isolated incident that doesn't reflect the great products and customer experiences that millions of small businesses that sell in our stores provide."
eBay added: rice field. Sale of knives. As an international market, our policies are different around the world, which. Some of the listings highlighted in are permitted under US policy and are sold by US registered sellers. UK buyers are blocked from purchasing these knives.We are investigating why this block was made.
“eBay takes customer safety very seriously. The eBay security team will perform additional checks to identify listings that do not comply with our policies and take enforcement action against sellers, which includes removing listings , sales restrictions, or account suspensions.”
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Daily Mirror)Wish spokesperson said: increase. Illegal Weapon Listings on UK Platforms - Such listings not only violate the Merchant Terms of Service, they basically violate the Moral Code.
"We have put in place many systems and methods to prevent the emergence of illegal weapons, but on this occasion the merchants seem to have identified a way to circumvent our process. is a list highlighted by and is conducting an urgent review of its processes while seeking remedial action against violating sellers.”
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