selling safe second-hand electrical goods

(for all nations)

Enter your postcode in the field at the bottom of this page to see if your local authority trading standards department has the full leaflet version available on its website. 

If you are in the business of selling any second-hand electrical goods, you should be aware that the goods must meet legal safety requirements and if you sell unsafe goods, and they cause injury or damage you have to pay compensation. If the equipment you are selling complies with an acceptable standard, eg a British/European Standard, it will normally meet safety requirements.

Distributors and retailers, including second-hand dealers and auctions, must only sell appliances that are correctly fitted with an approved plug with sleeved neutral and live pins and the correct fuse. Electric fires for use in the home must have a fireguard that meets British Standards, or the European equivalent.

If you sell second-hand electrical goods which are unsafe or incorrectly labelled and you haven't taken reasonable precautions to avoid this, you may be prosecuted.