The Swedish Chemicals Agency’s inspections show that dropshipping stores are overrepresented when it comes to products containing illegal substances, such as lead in electronics and cadmium in jewelry.
Our review shows that it is primarily stores that do not have their own inventory, dropshipping stores, that account for the highest proportion of goods containing illegal levels of chemicals, says Daniel Ahlström, inspector at the Swedish Chemicals Agency.
The Swedish Electrical Safety Authority reports that all electrical products purchased by the authority from dropshipping stores showed both technical and formal deficiencies, which may pose a risk of fire or electric shock.
It is of course very serious that none of the products met the requirements. Consumers take a great risk with this type of purchase, says Per Samuelsson, head of department at the Swedish Electrical Safety Authority.
In addition to product safety, the Consumer Agency raises concerns about misleading marketing where goods do not meet consumers' expectations. The authority has now also initiated a review of actors selling dropshipping courses, and deepened cooperation with the police and banks to stop payment channels for businesses operated in a fraudulent manner.