Confederation warns against bargain offers Every fourth electrical appliance has safety defects

Around a quarter of electrical appliances on the Swiss market have safety defects. This was the result of a federal inspection. Warnings are issued against bargain offers and purchases on non-European platforms and websites.

In its press release on Monday, the Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (Esti) also advises consumers to make sure they have the correct Swiss plug and that customer service is available and competent.

Of the 1,260 electrical products inspected by Esti last year, almost a quarter had major and minor defects, which is why 114 sales bans were issued. In addition, ten recalls and safety warnings were issued for electrical appliances, as the authority wrote.

Based on targeted inspections, these included various household and office appliances, LED lights, lights with lasers, chargers, power banks, plug & play photovoltaic systems and battery storage systems.

Market surveillance is carried out throughout Switzerland by the Heavy Current Inspectorate. According to Esti, electrical products for household, office, commercial and industrial use are checked for conformity and safety on a random and risk-based basis.