EBay announces sales restrictions on e-bikes and batteries from end of October

EBay is to restrict the sale of e-bikes and e-bike batteries on its UK platform from October 31, it has announced.

The site said only “eligible business sellers” will be allowed to list them after this date.

An eBay spokeswoman said: “Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay.

“To further improve consumer safety on our marketplace, from 31 October 2024, only eligible business sellers will be able to list e-bikes and e-bike batteries for sale in the UK.

“This policy change is in addition to the CE audits of listings offering e-bike batteries that we started last year, where we check that the products sellers are offering have valid CE documentation.”

The move comes amid increasing pressure on retailers and safety authorities to regulate their sale following rising incidents of fires – some fatal – involving the bikes’ batteries.

The London Fire Brigade recently said it recorded 155 e-bike fires in 2023, up by 78% from the previous year.

The brigade warned e-bike users to check their batteries after battery packs were officially classed as “dangerous” products by the UK’s regulatory body.

In June, a coroner also called for government action after the death of a man whose home caught fire when an e-bike battery pack he was charging overheated and ignited.

Maria Voisin, senior coroner for Avon, issued the plea after presiding over an inquest into the death of Abdul Oryakhel who fell from the window of his 16th floor flat while trying to escape the blaze.

Also in June, grieving father Scott Peden, 30, from Cambridge, called for urgent e-bike safety measures one year after losing his partner and two children in a fire.

Mr Peden lost his partner Gemma, 31; and their children Lilly, eight; and Oliver, four; during a fire caused by an e-bike battery bought online.

The family’s two dogs also died in the blaze, which left Scott in a coma for a month and with prolonged injuries.

The charity Electrical Safety First, which has called for the introduction of independent third-party certification for e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries, welcomed the move.

An Electrical Safety First spokesman said: “We are encouraged to see eBay take proactive steps in an attempt to reduce the risk of substandard batteries entering people’s homes, as they pose a serious risk of fire if they fail.

“Whilst this voluntary move is welcome, we continue to call for online marketplaces to be legally obligated to take reasonable steps to ensure products sold via their sites are safe and we hope the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will mandate this.

“This legislation must also be used to prevent battery fires by introducing mandatory third-party certification for e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries to stop poor quality products entering the market. It should also introduce more robust standards for conversion kits and regulations for charging.”

Insurer Aviva said it had seen a 7% increase in customer claims over the past year for fires started by lithium-ion batteries, commonly found in rechargeable devices like mobile phones, tablets, power tools, e-bikes and e-scooters.

The data, which looks at fire claims across 2022 and 2023, includes extensive fire damage to a house after an e-bike with a second-hand battery was left charging unattended in a bedroom.

Additional research commissioned by the insurer suggests that one in nine Britons have suffered a fire (11%) or explosion (11%) in their home due to a lithium-ion battery or device.

Hannah Davidson, senior underwriting manager at Aviva, said: “For the majority of people, devices powered by lithium-ion batteries such as mobile phones, laptops, power tools, and e-bikes are safe to use. However, these batteries can present a significant fire risk if the battery fails, is faulty, or is charged incorrectly.

“Likewise, with consumers buying lithium-ion batteries and lithium-powered devices from second-hand retailers or sellers, there is increased potential for batteries to be damaged or faulty on purchase, for the battery in the device to be different to the original, or for the charger supplied with the device to be the incorrect charger.”